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Cahuita National Park is the only national park in Costa Rica that truly belongs to the people, not the government. Why? Back in 1915 the Costa Rican President became shipwrecked after returning from his voyage to Sixaola. He was so impressed with the friendly, helpful locals, he returned to Cahuita, formerly known as “The Bluff”, and purchased all the land that was part of the Cahuita settlement for 500 colones and donated it, lot by lot – with titles, to its residents.

Did You Know?

• Cahuita is known for its living coral reefs and abundant marine life.
• White-faced capuchin monkeys stand guard in the Noni trees at Cahuita Point.
• Coral lined shores and white sanded beaches create inland ecosystems housing a variety of wildlife in the park.
• There are small parks protecting delicate marine ecosystems and lowlands of Cahuita’s coastal region.
• Easily accessible from the town of Cahuita or Puerto Vargas wich are filled with cheap hotels.
• All donations stay in Cahuita to support the community and the national park.
• Playa Blanca is a 2 km long white sanded beach, stretching from Cahuita Point to the tropical lowland forest bordering its shores.

Where is it?

Limon Province, is located on the South Caribbean coast of Costa Rica in Cahuita.
See the map

How big is it?

It has 2732 terrestrial acres and 55,000 marine acres

Weather?

The south Caribbean is hot and humid year round. The best times to visit for snorkeling: September thru mid-November and March thru May.

Activities

• Light hiking along paths meandering along the coast for the whole family.
• Bird and wildlife viewings are popular activities with sloths, howler, and white-faced monkeys and other fun creatures roaming about.

Trails

• Lots of trails to explore.
• The most popular trail begins at the Kelly Creek ranger station, connecting to a camping area (4 mile walk). The trail follows the beach most of the way and ends at the southern tip of the reef (around the bend from Cahuita Point) and meets up with a road leading to the ranger station at Puerto Vargas.

Flora & Fauna

The most common sightings in this tropical humid rainforest and on the beach are:

• The white-faced capuchin monkey
• Coatis
• Green iguanas
• Sloths
• Howler monkeys (which are heard frequently)
• Land crabs
• Whiptail lizards
• Toucans
• Herons
• Sea turtles: leatherback, hawksbill and green sea turtle. They nest on the beach south of Punta Vargas.
• Raccoons
• Pit Vipers
• Scarlet macaws

Amongst the coral reefs

• Queen angel fish
• Parrot fish
• Manta rays
• Reef sharks
• Up to 123 species of stunning, brightly colored fish swim alone or in schools.
• Octopus
• Lobster
• Eels
• Anemones
• Crabs
• More than 35 species of coral
• 128 species of algae
• 140 species of mollusk
• 44 crustacean species

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