costa rica national parks cahuita national park costa rica

national parks costa rica cahuita national park costa rica
costa rica national parks cahuita costa rica

Cahuita National Park was created on September 7, 1970, for the purpose of protecting the costal flora and fauna, in addition to the coral reefs and marine ecosystems. Cahuita's main attractions are its white sandy beaches, miles of coconut groves, tranquil clear seas and a coral reefs. Cahuita Point is mostly swamp, with an abundance of coconut trees and the beach almond trees.

The reef sits off Cahuita Point and fans out over 240 hectares. It is the only mature coral formation found along Costa Rica's Caribbean coastline. Among the coral species are the elkhorn and smooth brain, with Venus sea fans, sea urchins and numerous species of fish also inhabiting the waters; french angelfish, blue parrotfish, barracuda and queen angelfish. Other species present are the sea cucumber, lobster, white shrimp, green turtle and various crustaceans. The four identified species of crabs are also very abundant.

The howler monkey, raccoon and white-nosed coati are widely found, as several species of swamp-forest birds, such as the green ibis, yellow-crowned night heron and Northern boat-billed heron.

Special Considerations
The four mile trail which connects Cahuita and the Puerto Vargas Ranger Station is well marked and maintained. White-faced monkeys, sloths and large webbed spiders are very common in this park. Along the path, numerous possibilities exist to swim and/or snorkel. If you need to rent snorkel equipment, Cahuita offers the greatest number of possibilities.

How To Get There
By Bus - Cahuita National Park, approximately 45 km south of Limon, is the most popular beach location on Costa Rica's Caribbean coast. Those using public transportation have two options. First, take a four hour direct bus from San José to Cahuita, or take a direct bus to Limón and then a connecting bus to Cahuita. The travel time for either is approximately the same, however, the direct buses to Limón are usually newer and in better condition than those which travel directly to Cahuita.

By Car - From San Jose, your trip to Cahuita is fairly direct. Take the Braulio Carrillo highway north of the city towards the Atlantic coast city of Limón. The trip takes approximately 2:15-2:30 to Limón. The road through Braulio Carrillo National Park has recently been improved, however, there are still an enormous amount of huge potholes littering the highway. It is unsual to find this road without cloud cover on the upper region, particularly during the rainy season. That in combination with the potholes and steep decline make this a very dangerous road. We do not recommend that you make the trip at night. Once you arrive in Limón, make a right at the first major intersection, there will be a Texeco station on the right corner. From this intersection stay on this road and follow the signs for Cahuita and Puerto Viejo. The road which separates Limón and Cahuita is in poor condition, littered with potholes and single lane bridges; thus proceed slowly. It is approximately 42 km(26 miles) and takes around 50 minutes. The main road entering Cahuita is accompanied by a large sign reading "Cahuita & Parque National" on the left side. From this intersection it is only 1 km (.6 miles) to the town of Cahuita; the road to the beach is dirt and filled with potholes. Upon entering there is a fork in the road, either route takes you to town.