Cahuita National Park

Cahuita National Park Map

Cahuita National Park is located on the Southern Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. It one of the most beautiful parks in the country and is home to many different species of wildlife. Some of the most visible and curious are the white faced capuchins and howler monkeys, along with land crabs and the militant leaf cutter ants. Snakes are also present but at times very hard to see unless you have a guide and, of course, the hundreds of species of birds and insects mean that you are definitely not alone.

The trail at the park is extremely well manicured and it wraps itself along the peninsula where the jungle and white sand beaches - filled with picture perfect palm trees - meet the light blue sea of the Caribbean. It is not necessary to wear hiking boots and the trail is very flat.

There is no entrance fee to get into the park from Cahuita but they gladly accept donations. On the other side of the park at Puerto Vargas there is a $6 fee, as it is the main camping area where you have access to showers, toilets and various campsites between the palm trees.

The trail is approx 9km from the town of Cahuita to Puerto Vargas and it takes approximately 3 hours at a gentle pace. At the end of the hike you will find Boca Chica where you will find a clean swimming pool, showers, cold beer, soda or a great ceviche (citrus marinated seafood salad) served to you by Rodolfo and his family. The Boca Chica will also help you with a taxi or a bus (see schedule) to help you get back to Puerto Viejo, Cahuita or the surrounding area.

The Park is also a great area to enjoy Snorkeling. It is forbidden to snorkel in the park without a guide. This law helps to protect the coral reefs and provides education regarding the nature of the marine life sanctuary. The coral reef is characterized by an outer crest extending for 5 km around Punta Cahuita; the forereef base is at a depth of 15 m. The reef crest is dominated by Millepora complanata Lamarck and coralline algae. A smaller inner crest extends for 500 m around Puerto Vargas; the base of the forereef is at 5-6 m and is built mainly of Agaricia agaricites (Linnaeus) and Porites spp. on the eastern end, and of massive corals in other sections. The backreef has Diploria clivosa (Ellis & Solander) and Millepora complanata.

If you are in the South Caribbean area, Cahuita National Park is a “must see”, whether you hike it by yourself, take a guided hike, a snorkel tour or a mix of the two with a 20 minute boat ride to the coral reef and a guided snorkel tour which includes a hike from the point back to the Caribbean town of Cahuita.

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