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Cahuita
National Park Costa Rica
Cahuita National Park was created on September
7, 1970, for the purpose of protecting the
coast 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. |
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Surfing
Snorkeling
