Everyone should visit Cahuita in Costa Rica at least once in their lives. The Cahuita National Park is one of the most famous in the country (and, in fact, the world). Biologically speaking, the natural environment is remarkable and is also fully protected. The natural park is located in the province of Limón, Costa Rica.
The province of Limón is an area of Costa Rica that bathes in the warm Caribbean Sea. This country lies in the Pacific Ocean, which means that there are some dream beaches. Cahuita Park has plenty to offer its visitors. So to make the most of it, we suggest you take an organised trip, as the experts know exactly where to take you and will also take into account your preferences.
Here is some information about the Cahuita National Park. This natural paradise in Costa Rica is perfectly preserved. So the experts at Asuaire Travel will give you all the experiences you need to take full advantage of it. As well as some general recommendations, we will show you what you can do there, how to get there and the best means of transport, the best excursions and the best time of year in terms of weather.
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Do you know about Costa Rica’s Cahuita park? It is a protected paradise
The natural park is an area of Costa Rica that deserves a special mention. Costa Rica already has so much to enjoy, and on top of that, this park will leave you speechless, whatever you are looking for in the country. The park charms people who come looking for the sea, as well as those who visit Costa Rica in search of a diverse fauna and flora.
Cahuita beach will leave you completely speechless; this park is thought to have the best beaches in the country. They are perfect if you want to rest and relax, if you just want to sunbathe or if you prefer trying new things and want to have a go at some water sports. Among the top sports you can enjoy in Costa Rica is diving and snorkelling.
These sports have become popular for the adventure itself, but also because they give you the chance to experience another world: the water. If you dive or snorkel, you can see the rich flora and fauna that lives under the sea. This area is also famous for some land-based sports, like hiking.
Walking along the region’s many trails will give you the chance to appreciate the impressive biodiversity and frequent sightings of exotic animals and birds.
The walks and the characteristics of the area, its animals, its flora and its fauna have resulted in a considerable increase in ecotourism throughout the area in recent years. The main objective of this type of tourism is to be able to see well preserved places, where people have learned to live alongside nature. If this is your kind of thing, Cahuita is the place for you.
You can tour the park in just two hours, so if you don’t have much time to visit but don’t want to miss the best bits, the varying landscape and the biodiversity, we suggest that you visit the area between Punta Cahuita and the Suárez river. This is a distance of 2334 metres. That means as a visitor you can see a total of 7.2 kilometres, round trip, touring the park from its northwest edge.
Walking the trails through this part of the park, you will be able to see the important role conservation has played, which we will talk about next. This part of the trail takes in landscape, flora and fauna, and you can stay a little longer and visit Cahuita Playa Blanca.
This involves getting to the final part of the trail, which runs parallel to the coast from Punta Cahuita to Puerto Vargas, just over 2100 metres more, but an easier route than the earlier route. Along this trail, you will see the tropical rain forest, with lush forests and beautiful trees including the rare Sangrillo (Pterocarpus officinalis); which is where the name Cahuita comes from.
The name Cahuita comes from the Miskito words “Kawe”, (Sangrillo tree) and “ta” meaning “point”, so it is the “Sangrillos point”.
The importance of the area’s conservation
In terms of the importance of conservation, the Cahuita National Park is a great example.
It has been preserved from potential destruction through human progress, and for that very reason, there are some security measures that visitors must be aware of and respect.
These rules for enjoying the national park must be accepted before entering the park, because they exist for the conservation of nature over and above the comfort of visitors.
Many of the rules can be summed up with this one principle: do not to stray from the designated areas, in the water, on the beach or in the forest.
If you go scuba diving or snorkelling you should not stand on corals or anything on them because you could cause damage. Keep a safe distance from this natural wonder and enjoy it in a way that will have minimal impact.
Another of the safety measures you have to abide by is only walking on the designated trails. Straying from the designated hiking trails could damage the environment and there is the risk of getting lost in the tropical forest.
Whether you go diving, snorkelling or walking, you should do so only in permitted areas.
You will also have to take into account the park’s opening hours. Smoking is strictly prohibited in the park.
Finally, you should not under any circumstances feed the animals. When we give wild animals our food or even fruit, we can unintentionally do them significant harm.
Be very careful with “selfies” as well. As you will see when you arrive in Costa Rica, there is a campaign against taking selfies with animals, because this human contact often ends up affecting their health and behaviour.
The Cahuita National Park has quite long opening hours, you can visit Monday to Sunday from 8 in the morning until 4 in the afternoon if you want to see the Puerto Vargas area.
If, on the other hand, you want to visit Playa Blanca, you can do so from 7 in the morning until 5 in the afternoon. You can access part of Puerto Vargas in your car, but not all of it. If you want to see the whole park, you will have to do so on foot.
All of these rules are in place to conserve the park and its natural environments and it is because of them that the national park is perfectly preserved today.
All the information we have given you will certainly be useful if you want to go to the southern Caribbean area of Costa Rica on your trip. The national park was created in 1970, and its conservation is one of the things that stands out from the social, economic and touristic development of the area.
When you get home, you will be glad to have memories of this impressive natural landscape. Every year, more and more tourists visit the area and want to come back. There is nowhere else like this on earth.
The flora and fauna in Cahuita are completely unique
Essentially this national park was opened to protect the area’s flora and fauna that has great ecological value, its ecosystems, on land and in the sea, as well as the coral reefs. Cahuita Park is considered one of the most beautiful landscapes in Costa Rica.
The astounding beauty that has made it famous includes the turquoise blue sea, white sand, coconut trees and the well-known coral reefs, among other things.
The park was created with the intrinsic value of the coral reef, because this environment is still home to the most significant coral population in the entire Costa Rican Caribbean. This value is still true today with a rich environment of plants under the sea.
As we have said a few times, the park’s flora and fauna on land is another very important part of this space. However, this is true of the whole country where flora and fauna on the land have made the country famous around the world.
Animals in Cahuita
The animals you will find in Cahuita are of different types and have different needs: crustaceans, amphibians, birds, fish, invertebrates, mammals of various types and many more. And if you dive or snorkel, aside from the coral reefs that we have mentioned, you will also find algae, seagrasses and a host of plants that are typically found in tropical forests.
The most common animal species in the forest and the ones that attract a large number of animal lovers, are howler monkeys and Colombian white-faced capuchin, two- and three-toed sloth, several types of toucan, trogons, blue and white herons and some nocturnal sea birds. There are also raccoons, agoutis, and white-nosed coatis. These are just a few examples, because the tropical forest is home to countless animals.
In terms of marine animals, it is very common for divers to look for elk-horned corals, cerebriform corals, queen angelfish, French angelfish, sea fans, blue angelfish, turtles, sea cucumber, brightly coloured fish and lobsters. Although in 1991 there was an earthquake that caused great damage to the Cahuita coral reef, it is still home to more than 35 species of corals.
Top recommendations for your next visit to the Cahuita National Park
There are some top recommendations that you should know about if you are planning to visit Cahuita, Costa Rica.
The first thing to say is wear light and cool clothing. The national park is in a very hot area. Although it rains, it doesn’t cool down. It is always very hot and humid.
Another important tip is to remember your swimwear for going in the sea at Cahuita beach or relaxing in the sun, and don’t forget about sunscreen. We would also suggest that you put on repellent before you do anything else. We are not joking when we say you will come across many mosquitoes, which is partly due to the large number of rivers in the area. If you like snorkelling, bring your equipment as well as your swimwear.
Do not forget to bring drinking water. If you go to the point, the trail is 5 kilometres long, and if you go to Puerto Vargas, it is 8. Also, remember that you will have to walk back, so make sure you wear comfortable shoes that you can walk a long way in. At the park entrance, there are places to eat and drink, so you don’t need to worry about that. There are also bars in Cahuita town, if you would prefer to visit those.
Even though there are restaurants, if you are going on a hike, take energy bars, sweets and fruit, because the trails are very long and you might run low on energy or have an emergency when you least expect it. That is why we have also recommended that you bring plenty of water. Even so, be very careful with the food you take, as the animals will be attracted by the smell. (You can’t feed them anything you bring).
The park has showers and changing rooms if you want to change later. We suggest you keep an eye on your belongings at all times to avoid potential problems. Also, be aware of the time, because the park has opening hours that you must respect.
Visit the Cahuita National Park. You will love it!
In short, there are lots of people who say that this national park was the thing they enjoyed most about Costa Rica. You will probably fall in love with it too. There are so many things you can do in the park. As we have said, you can walk, swim, snorkel, sunbathe, enjoy nature and animals, and much, much more.
The only thing you have to be a little bit more careful about is the Bocaracá or Oropel snakes. This is a very common snake across parts of South and Central America, and is poisonous. They generally avoid humans and their bite is very small, but it is better to stay away.
You will also find species that can be hard to see, like the Fer-de-lance or Matabuey, which are brown and black and easy to miss among the leaves on the forest floor. Walk carefully and always look where you put your hand, if you need to lean on something.
Tourists will enjoy Cahuita and its white beaches; they are completely safe areas for different beach activities and swimming. As well as that, in contrast to the white sand, there are also black sand beaches. You’ll love these too, because they are secluded beaches that are a dream come true for anyone who loves to be surrounded by nature that is wild and dense.
If you thought that being a natural park, there wouldn’t be much to see in Cahuita, Costa Rica, you will now have realised that you were wrong. In fact, visiting the natural park in just one day will seem too short, because the park’s attractions are endless and you will be completely amazed.
