Our story
The Conga Concept
Conga Boutique Hotel is a 17-room Afro-Caribbean-inspired boutique hotel set in a jungle garden in Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, on Costa Rica’s southern Caribbean coast (Limón province), within walking distance of the town and Playa Cocles.
The idea
A vital cell, a place of convergence
Conga began with a few words in our brand book: “the vital cell of the human being. Convergence… a space for interaction with nature that offers its guests an atmosphere of comfort and vitality.”
You can see the idea in our emblem. Its rustic geometry reflects an ancestral essence, and when it repeats, it becomes a pattern.
Day to day, convergence means simple things: a garden where the forest still sets the pace, a culture we honor and credit rather than borrow, and rooms shaped by Costa Rican hands.
Afro-Caribbean soul
Inspired by the coast we call home
Puerto Viejo is part of the Afro-Caribbean heart of Costa Rica. Jamaican workers began arriving in 1872 to build the Atlantic railway, and their families shaped the food, the music and the Creole spoken on this coast.
The artwork that greets you at reception celebrates El Día del Negro, known today as the Day of the Black Person and Afro-Costa Rican Culture and marked every August 31.
We are Afro-Caribbean-inspired, and we say so plainly. The culture belongs to the community around us, so we point you toward it: the Wolaba Parade, calypso, rice and beans cooked in coconut milk. Explore Afro-Caribbean Puerto Viejo.
Made by hand
Built by Costa Rican hands
Conga was remade with craftspeople from Costa Rica and from Talamanca itself. We credit makers by name only with their permission.
Palm-thatch roofs
Our thatched roofs were made with indigenous communities of Talamanca. Thatch has deep roots here: the Bribri ceremonial conical house, the Ù-sulë́, is traditionally roofed with woven suita palm.
Hand-carved masks
The masks on our walls were hand-carved by Indigenous Costa Rican artisans, a reminder that Costa Rica is home to many peoples and many crafts.
Laurel wood, local carpenters
Twin beds, daybeds and closets with desks were built from laurel wood by local carpenters.
Designed in Costa Rica
Our rooms were designed together with a Costa Rican design firm. Stone, wood, rattan and thatch set the tone.
The remodel
From Blue Conga to a new hotel
Hotel Blue Conga no longer exists. Conga Boutique Hotel is a new hotel, created through a complete remodel of the property under new ownership.
Some maps, apps and old listings still show the Blue Conga name at our address. If you see it, you’ve found the right place, and a completely different hotel.
“What a gorgeous little hotel tucked away off the main road in a beautiful mini rainforest setting.”
Questions about Conga
Is Conga the former Hotel Blue Conga?
No. Hotel Blue Conga no longer exists. Conga Boutique Hotel is a new hotel, created through a complete remodel of the property under new ownership. If an old listing or map still shows “Blue Conga” at our address on Calle Rosa in Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, it refers to the previous hotel.
Come and see it for yourself
Seventeen rooms and suites in the garden, a short walk from town and Playa Cocles.