Costa Rica Guide
Limón Province and the Caribbean coast
Parque Nacional Cahuita
One of Costa Rica's smallest national parks, 10.7-square-kilometre PARQUE NACIONAL CAHUITA covers a wedge-shaped piece of land that encompasses the area between Punta Cahuita and the main highway and, most importantly, the coral reef (arrecife) about 500m offshore. On land, Cahuita protects the coastal rainforest, a lowland habitat of semi-mangroves and tall canopy cover that backs the gently curving white-sand beaches of Playa Vargas to the south and Playa Cahuita to the north. Resident birds include ibis and kingfishers, along with whitefaced monkeys, sloths and snakes, but the only animals you're likely to see are howler monkeys and, perhaps, coati, who scavenge around the northern section of the park, where bins overflow with rubbish left by day-trippers.
There are two entrances to the park, one at Kelly Creek at the southern end of Cahuita village (open during daylight hours; voluntary donation) and another at Puerto Vargas (8am–5pm; $7), 4km south of Cahuita along the Limón– Sixaola Road.
The park's one trail (7km), skirting the beach, offers a very easy, level walk, with a path so wide it feels like a road, covered with leaves and other brush, and a few fallen trees and logs. Stick to the trail, as snakes abound here. The Río Perzoso, about 2km from the northern entrance, or 5km from the Puerto Vargas trailhead, is not always fordable, unless you like wading through chest-high water when you can't actually see how deep it is. Similarly, at high tide the beach is impassable in places: ask the ranger at the Puerto Vargas entrance about the tide schedules. Walking this trail can be unpleasantly humid and buggy: best to go in the morning. It's also very likely to rain and, despite the dense cover of tall trees, you'll still get wet.
If you want to go snorkelling on your own, you have to enter the park at the Puerto Vargas entrance and swim the 200 to 500m out to the reef from Playa Vargas. Note the signs indicating treacherous currents, wear shoes (you will have to walk over exposed coral) and watch out for prickly black sea urchins.
You'll find good camping facilities ($2 per day) at the Puerto Vargas entrance, complete with barbecue grill, pit toilets and showers, but you'll need to bring your own drinking water, insect repellent and a torch. Be careful, too, not to pitch your tent too close to the high-tide line; check with the rangers. Theft is also a problem: don't leave anything unattended and ask the rangers for advice – they may be able to look after your belongings.