Where we work(Caribbean)
Architects in Puerto Viejo
Puerto Viejo is in the canton of Talamanca, Limón, at sea level. A year here brings 2,940 mm of rain, spread over every month. Permits for a lot go through the Municipalidad de Talamanca.
We design houses, rental villas and small hotels in Puerto Viejo and anywhere else in Costa Rica, from the first site visit to the CFIA permit.
(At a glance)
- Canton
- Talamanca, Limón
- Permits
- Municipalidad de Talamanca
- Elevation
- Sea level
- Rain
- 2,940 mm a year
- Dry season
- None, it rains every month
- Liberia airport
- 7 h 40 min by road, 436 km
- San José airport
- 4 h 45 min by road, 231 km
- Sunlight
- 1,781 kWh/m² a year
- Solar power
- 1,432 kWh a year per kW of panels
(The year)
There is no dry season here: every month gets at least 137 mm of rain. The least rainy months are March and September, and the wettest is July, with 426 mm.
Afternoons are hottest in June, at 28 °C on average, and coolest in January, at 26 °C. Nights stay between 21 and 24 °C.
Best time to start*
The best time to start building here is from February to March, the driest stretch of the year. Those 2 months bring 321 mm of rain in total; the other 10 bring 2,619 mm, 8 times as much.
Earthworks, foundations and concrete pours need dry ground, and many roads to the lots only stay passable without rain. On a day with 10 mm of rain or more, that work usually stops.
A 4-month phase of earthworks, foundations and structure that starts in February meets about 17 such days here; the same phase started in April meets about 36. Starting in February saves about 19 days of stopped work: some 3 weeks of crew and machinery paid to wait, and the pumping and drainage that wet excavations need. So the permit should be ready by January. Still, it is a recommendation, not a rule: building goes on through the rains, more slowly, and no project should sit for months waiting for the dry season.
(The wind)
Up to 7 km/h7 to 1414 to 2222 to 29Over 29
The afternoon wind at Finca La Favorita comes from the north most of the year.
Rooms that open to the wind on one side and away from it on the other cool themselves, and a roof that sheds the rain lets them stay open in the wet months too.
(Wind and sun)
(The sun)
Each dot is the sun at a whole hour, every three days: each figure-eight is one hour across the year, and the lines are the 21st of each month. Orange and red dots are the hours when the sun should stay off the glass.
The sun here is never far from overhead. At noon it stands 80° high in March and September and 57° in December, and from April 16 to August 28 it passes north of overhead, so walls and glass that face north take sun as well.
What heats a house is the low afternoon sun. It sets at 294°, west-northwest, in June and at 246°, west-southwest, in December. That side needs the deepest roof.
Sunrise falls between 5:09 and 5:53 all year, and sunset between 17:07 and 17:56.
The ground here gets 1,781 kWh of sunlight per m² a year, and solar panels make about 1,432 kWh a year for each kW installed.
(Building here)
A house of 300 to 500 m² to start with: change the project and the route redraws.
The Municipalidad de Talamanca issues the permit. It has no : the national construction rules apply.21,29
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(01) The lot and its rules
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(02) The environment
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Not needed: under 500 m².8
Not needed
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(03) Drawings and the CFIA
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For a house, or a building of 300 m² or less, Health approves on the professional's .12
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No review for a house or fewer than 4 apartments, though the fire rules still apply.12
Not needed -
The Municipalidad de Talamanca approved projects in 2.8 days on average in 2024-25, 82% at the first submission.29
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(04) Licence and works
Within 200 m of the ordinary high-tide line the maritime zone law (Ley 6043) applies: the first 50 m are public and cannot be built on, and the next 150 m are held under a concession from the municipality, not owned. Check where a lot sits before you buy.
(Our work)
(Questions)
When is the best time to start building in Puerto Viejo?
Ideally from February to March, the driest stretch of the year. A 4-month phase of that work started in February loses about 17 days to heavy rain, against about 36 if it starts in April, about 19 days of crew and machinery. It is a recommendation, not a rule: building goes on through the rains, more slowly, and no project should sit for months waiting for the dry season. To start in that stretch, have the permit ready by January.
Who issues building permits in Puerto Viejo?
The Municipalidad de Talamanca. The drawings are filed first with the CFIA, through its APC platform, and the permit comes after the land use certificate and the water availability letter.
Can I build near the beach in Puerto Viejo?
Not in the first 50 m from the ordinary high-tide line, which are public. The next 150 m are held under a concession from the municipality rather than owned, with their own rules. Beyond 200 m, a titled lot follows the normal permit process.
How hot does it get in Puerto Viejo?
Afternoons average 28 °C in June, the hottest month, and 26 °C in January. Nights stay between 21 and 24 °C. Shade on the west side and air moving through the rooms do more for comfort than anything else.
How far is Puerto Viejo from the airports?
By road, without traffic, 7 h 40 min from Daniel Oduber airport in Liberia (436 km) and 4 h 45 min from Juan Santamaría airport in San José (231 km).
Rain: CHIRPS climatology (CHPclim v2, Climate Hazards Center, UC Santa Barbara). Temperature and wind: measured at Finca La Favorita, 19 km away, typical year 2011 to 2025 (Climate.OneBuilding.org TMYx, from NOAA observations), temperatures adjusted for elevation. Heavy-rain days: NASA POWER (MERRA-2), 2001 to 2020. Sun: calculated for the town's coordinates. Elevation: SRTM. Roads and places: OpenStreetMap. Gathered October 2026.