Cahuita National Park

Located 110 miles away from San Jose, south of the Cahuita Town is the popular Cahuita National Park. Cahuita National Park is a little less popular than Manuel Antonio Park but still receives a great amount of visitors each year. With a total of 2635 acres of land and sea protected areas, Cahuita National Park contains gorgeous white sand beaches, an amazing coral reef, and coastal rainforest. The popularity Cahuita National Park has might be due to the beautiful Caribbean beach colliding with the dense and exuberant tropical rainforest that embraces its shores. The easy access this national park has might also be one of the reasons why it is a popular natural destination in the Caribbean Coast. The entrance of Cahuita National Park is located on the southeast end of Cahuita Town from the Kelly Creek entrance.

Cahuita National Park protects a splendorous stretch of a little more than a mile of white sand beach and countless coconut palm trees align behind it. There is a quarter of a mile stretch that is dangerous for swimming but after that stretch swimming is good and pleasant. You will find flags along the Cahuita National Park instruction you where swimming is dangerous, but if in doubt, ask one of the park rangers. The main attractions of Cahuita National Park are snorkeling at its unique coral reefs, hiking through its lush tropical lowland wet rainforest, shipwreck diving, swimming, and relaxing on its white sand beaches.

Cahuita National Park contains Costa Rica largest and most complex living coral reef. The Cahuita National Park coral reef is home to 35 species of corals, 140 species of mollusks, 44 species of crustaceans, 128 species of seaweed, and 500 species of fish. This endemic coral reef found in Cahuita National Park provides solid surface for animals such as sponges and anemones that allows them to grow, shelters a plethoric community of fish and other organisms such as octopus, crabs, algae, and bryozoans. The best time of the year to go snorkeling at or diving Cahuita National Park is during dry season as you will be more likely to find better visibility conditions. Remember that the dry season at the Costa Rica Caribbean is on totally different months than the rest of Costa Rica. The dry season at Cahuita National Park is February through April, September, and October. You will need someone to take you on a boat ride in order to reach the area of Cahuita National Park where the coral reefs are. Most of the hotels in Cahuita, Puerto Viejo or Manzanillo can arrange a snorkeling tour to Cahuita National Park.

You should not miss the opportunity to hike at the trail that goes from Kelly Creek to Puerto Vargas inside Cahuita National Park, as the wildlife is easily spotted in these region easily because of its abundance. With some luck you should be able to sight at this Cahuita National Park trail green ibis, yellow-crowned night herons, northern boat billed herons, swainson toucans, keel billed toucans, rufous king fishers, curassows, among many other wildlife species.

If you are interested in shipwreck diving, then head to the Perezoso River inside Cahuita National Park where two 18th century ships are wrecked. Popular local stories say that one of them was used to transport slaves from the Caribbean Islands to the Costa Rica Caribbean.

The weather in the Caribbean region where Cahuita National Park is located is humid, rainy, and hot. The sun can be strong so make sure you bring with you sun protection, bottled water, and bug spray. Overall Cahuita National Park will not disappoint you in offering you a natural Caribbean paradise to enjoy nature at its fullest and relax.