3 Underrated Breweries in Siquirres

Siquirres, a small town tucked in Costa Rica’s Caribbean lowlands, is mostly known as a gateway to white water rafting trips on the Pacuare River and laid-back beach days in nearby Tortuguero. Most travelers zip through town in a hurry, stopping only to grab snacks or fill up gas before heading to their next big attraction, completely missing the quiet, fast-growing craft beer scene bubbling under the surface. If you’ve ever gotten sick of overpriced, generic tourist traps and wanted to find spots that feel like real local secrets, Siquirres’ underrated breweries are exactly what you’re looking for.

Explore travel guides for this region

Find a rental car for your travels

None of these three spots make any “top 10 Costa Rica brewery” lists, and none of them have fancy tasting menus, Instagram-worthy decor, or $20 tasting flights. They’re small, family-run, focused on hyper-local ingredients, and run by people who’d rather chat with you about their brewing process than hand you a pre-written tasting note. Whether you’re a craft beer nerd, a casual traveler who just likes cold drinks after a long day of adventuring, or someone who loves finding hidden spots off the beaten path, these three breweries deserve a spot on your Siquirres itinerary.

1. Cervecería Artesanal El Manglar

This tiny, open-air taproom is tucked just off the main road into downtown Siquirres, run by a local couple who moved back to their hometown after 10 years working corporate jobs in San José. They brew small batches only a few times a week, using ingredients sourced almost entirely from within 50 miles of the taproom: cacao nibs from nearby hillside cacao farms, tart tamarind from Caribbean lowland orchards, and panela, an unrefined cane sugar, from a family-owned sugar mill 20 minutes outside of town. The space is just a handful of picnic tables under mango and palm trees, a small counter with 6 to 8 taps, and a stack of plastic chairs — no fancy decor, no dress code, and no loud music, so you can sit and listen to the birds and the distant hum of town while you drink.

It’s perfect for anyone who hates stuffy, pretentious brewery vibes: solo travelers who want a quiet spot to decompress after a long day of rafting, families with young kids who don’t want to deal with loud crowds, and anyone who loves trying weird, creative small-batch pours you won’t find anywhere else. Their tap list changes every single week, so you never know what weird, delicious small-batch pour you’re going to get — last time I stopped by, they had a tamarind sour that tasted like tropical candy, and the week before that a rich cacao stout made with beans from a farm 20 minutes outside of town.

Get travel tips and local insights here

Browse available rental cars here

• Best time to visit: Weekday afternoons between 2pm and 5pm, when small-batch seasonal pours are freshest and the open-air patio is quiet enough to chat with the owners if you’re curious about their brewing process.
• Pro tip: If you want to pick up a growler to take back to your hotel or rental, stop by before noon on Sundays — their popular panela-infused amber ale sells out by 1pm almost every week, no exceptions.

2. Cervecería Artesanal Río Pacuare

This laid-back taproom is a 15-minute drive from downtown Siquirres, tucked right on the edge of the Pacuare River Reserve, so you can hear the river rushing in the background while you sit on the shaded patio. It’s run by Marcos, a former white water rafting guide who started brewing small batches of crisp lager for his rafting groups after long days on the river as a post-adventure reward, before opening the taproom to the public three years ago. They keep their core lineup simple: a crisp, easy-drinking lager perfect for hot days, a hazy IPA with notes of citrus and pine, and a coffee-infused stout made with beans from a family farm just up the road from the taproom.

This spot is made for adventure travelers: stop by after a morning of rafting or hiking, grab a cold lager and a plate of empanadas from their little kitchen, and sit and watch the river roll by while you decompress. On weekends, the patio fills up with rafting guides, local hikers, and groups of travelers swapping stories about their time on the river, and there’s zero pressure to stay long or spend a lot of money — most pints are just $3, and you’re welcome to hang out for hours if you want.

• Best time to visit: Around 3pm on weekends, when morning white water rafting trips wrap up and local acoustic musicians play free sets on the patio while you watch the river roll by.
• Pro tip: If you’re visiting with a group of 4 or more, shoot the team a quick WhatsApp message the day before to reserve a shaded patio table — weekend spots fill up fast with rafting crews and local families, and shaded tables go first come first served after that.

3. Cervecería Artesanal La Siquirreña

This tiny, family-run spot is tucked in a little side street just two blocks from Siquirres’ central park, and it’s the unofficial hub for long-term travelers, local expats, and anyone who loves weird, experimental small-batch brews. The owners are a sibling duo who grew up in Siquirres, and they started selling homebrew at the town’s weekly farmers market before opening the taproom two years ago. Their tap list leans into hyper-local ingredients: you’ll find sours infused with wild guanabana from nearby hillside farms, a crisp lager flavored with wild honey from Caribbean lowland beekeepers, and occasional experimental batches like a cassava-infused pale ale that sells out in hours.

The space has a stack of beat-up board games, a shelf of used travel guides and books by local Costa Rican authors, and zero pretension — you’re just as likely to chat with a local elementary school teacher stopping by after work as you are a traveler passing through. It’s perfect for digital nomads looking for a low-key spot to work for a few hours (they have free Wi-Fi and plenty of outlets), solo travelers who want to meet locals, and anyone who’s tired of the same generic IPAs you find at every tourist-focused brewery.

• Best time to visit: Thursday evenings, when they host their free weekly board game night. The owners pull out a special experimental pour only available that night, and you’ll find a mix of locals and long-term travelers swapping travel stories over games.
• Pro tip: If you want to try their limited-edition cask-aged ale, stop by on the first Saturday of the month — they only tap one 20-liter cask each month, and it sells out in 2 to 3 hours, almost always before 2pm.

It’s easy to write Siquirres off as just a stopover on the way to more famous Costa Rican tourist spots, but these three tiny, family-run breweries are exactly the kind of authentic, low-key experience that makes slow travel so worth it. No overpriced souvenir shops, no crowds of day trippers, just cold, creative beer made with local ingredients and a side of genuine local hospitality — the kind of hidden gem you stumble on and end up staying at for hours, swapping stories with the people who call this place home.