- Written by Christopher Howard
1. Private Schools
Two private schools and a number of public schools offer classes in the areas. In Puerto Viejo there is a Waldorf school that takes pupils from 3rd grade, with a kindergarten also on the grounds. Waldorf schools are also known as Steiner schools. They use a curriculum created by Rudolf Steiner that is based on nurturing talents through non-competitive methods. It is the largest independent non-denominational education movement in the world.
Still, 4th and 5th grade pupils are taught under a conventional curriculum and most of the students are bilingual in English and Spanish.
The other private school in the area is the Escuela Complementaria de Cahuita, which was founded by some Swiss expatriates. The school takes pupils up to the age of 16 years. A school bus transports the students back and forth to school. Lessons are taught in Spanish and most children are at least bilingual, if not trilingual. Monthly tuition fees are under $100 a month.
A number of reputable private schools can also be found in Limón, where you may want to consider enrolling your child. However, expect about three hours total daily commuting time if you live in Puerto Viejo, and a little less from Cahuita.
2. Hospitals and Clinics
Limón and the South Caribbean area in general have no private hospitals. The state-owned hospital (Hospital Tony Facio) in Limón is your only option if you require surgery or treatment that cannot be handled at the local clinics. If the situation isn’t urgent, some even opt to take the four-hour trip to the Central Valley and use one of the private hospitals there: Clínica Biblica, CIMA, or Clínica Católica.
Sumedica is the only private clinic in Puerto Viejo. It’s open 24 hours and run by two doctors who take shifts every two weeks. If there is no one at the clinic at night, you call the doctor at home and he makes a house call. The town also has an ambulance service that requires community funding. At the time of research, a regular consultation cost about 10,000 colones, with night consultations and home visits costing more. Cahuita has a clinic that was set up in 1996. It’s run by a single doctor who speaks fluent English and gets help from medical student volunteers.
Right at El Cruze, the local name for the crossing where the Puerto Viejo road joins the road that connects Bribri with Limón, there is a decent-sized Caja (or public) clinic. If you don’t have local state medical insurance you can still get a consultation and a prescription for less than $20. The clinic has a blood laboratory and an ambulance service.
3. Dentists
Most expatriates combine a business or pleasure trip to San José with a visit to the dentist in the capital, as that is where the most reputable dentists have their practices. Aside from that, there are a few dentists in Limón for those who find they don’t travel to San José often enough. Private dental care is great value for the money in Costa Rica compared with North America and Europe.
