Blink and you'll miss Cahuita which is hidden a few hundred metres down an unassuming road off Highway 36, 10 km south of the petrol station at Penshurst. The small town (district population 4200) epitomizes the south Caribbean - laid back but with just enough energy to keep things ticking along. Don't rush, don't hibernate, do something in-between. The predominantly Afro-Caribbean town sits on a small rocky peninsula - the first protuberance of any significance south of Limón - and is barely larger than a football pitch. Heading north out of town, a bumpy dirt road shadows the dark sand beach of Playa Negra, drifting past quiet hotels and lodges. South of town, a small creek leads to the golden sands that mark the northernmost point of Cahuita National Park , home to some of the best coral reefs in the country. If the Caribbean means beaches to you, these palm-fringed golden sands will be tough to beat. They are postcard perfect, shaded by jauntily angled coconut palms reaching out to the ocean, and a very short walk from the southern end of Cahuita town.
Local tripsOne of the main attractions in the area is Cahuita National Park which meets the sea at a fine stretch of golden sand. Locally there are several popular tours. It is easy to rent mountain bikes to explore on your own, or go horse riding. Contact
Centro Turístico Brigitte's
, www.brigittecahuita.com.
leave town for three-hour tour trips to see the corals off Cahuita National Park. A one-day trip to
Hitoy Cerere Biological Reserve
, promoted as the 'Pharmacy of the World', can be arranged. It's a 1½-hour drive for three hours walking to waterfalls and includes food and entrance fee. The latest adventure sport is
on the Class I Río Sixaola, which is also easily combined with a trip to the
KeKöLdi Indigenous Reserve
and the
.
Trips further afield go up to
for a two-day, one-night trip. Most tour operators in town will organize this. Likewise, you can head south to the clear waters and sandy beaches of
in
for a couple of days.
Cahuita National Park was created in 1970 to protect the coral reef that lies off Punta Cahuita. As the best example of coral in the country, snorkellers who swim or join a tour to the reefs will see brain coral and leafy sea fans in the crystalline waters, and colourful coral fish darting nimbly among through the reef. However, the reef has suffered as a result of the earthquake of 1991 as well as from chemical run-off from banana plantations and increased sediment run-off due to deforestation. The marine portion of the protected area covers over 22,400 ha, the land portion is much smaller measuring just 1106 ha.
You can stroll through a small area of the park by entering from Cahuita, turning around after you've been far enough. Or, if you walk through, which makes for a comfortable day's walk, you eventually arrive at Puerto Vargas and the junction with Highway 36 from where you can catch a bus back to Cahuita. There is also a small tourist complex here with a couple of
and a simple restaurant. Alternatively, take an early morning bus south, ask the bus driver to drop you at Puerto Vargas and walk back to Cahuita. A 7-km path follows the coastline around Punta Cahuita moving through the coconut palms and entering the mixed forest where you have a good chance of seeing howler monkeys, coatis, raccoons, snakes and butterflies. Areas of swamp are good places to see green ibis, yellow-crowned night herons and northern boat-billed herons.
are needed at Cahuita. Contact
Latin American Sea Turtles
, www.latinamericanseaturtles.org
. The season runs from July to September.
This is edited copy from Footprint Handbooks. For comprehensive details (incl address, tel no, directions, opening times and prices) please refer to book or individual chapter PDF
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