Cahuita Travel Guide
Cahuita, located just north of Puerto Viejo, retains a relaxed and authentic Caribbean vibe. What used to be the largest town along the Southeast Costa Rican coast is now a great place for tourists and locals alike to experience the culture, cooking and ambiance of the Caribbean. With beautiful beaches, along with world-class snorkeling, SCUBA diving and views of wildlife found in the National Park, Cahuita is the perfect destination to unwind from the activity of Puerto Viejo or simply to enjoy the unparalleled beauty of Caribbean Costa Rica.
Authentic Cuisine
With the strong influence of Cahuita’s Afro-Caribbean history, the town is home to some amazing local restaurants featuring true Jamaican flavors. Pati, considered the ultimate Jamaican street food, is a warm, savory turnover-like pastry with a spicy filling of either ground beef, chicken, vegetables and sometimes even Jamaica’s national fruit, ackee. It is inexpensive and filling and can be found at some of Cahuita’s local restaurants, go to the one a few blocks before the national park. You’ll find the best Pati in town one block south from the center parking in town. For lunch or dinner, Miss Edith’s is a long-standing establishment and offers some of the best Caribbean food in town. I’ll actually give Miss Edith number one on my list for best Caribbean food in Costa Rica.
Cahuita National Park
Established in 1970 to protect the largest coral reef off of the Caribbean shore, Cahuita National Park is best known for its snorkeling, stunning white sand beaches and being home to a plethora of wildlife. The 600 acre coral reef has over 35 species of coral and over 100 species of fish, mollusks, crustaceans and sea turtles. It is best to visit during the dry season (September/ October in the Caribbean) for the best visibility, and you must go on a guided tour in order to snorkel in the National Park.
Within the park there is an ~8 km long hiking trail that connects Puerto Cahuita to Puerto Vargas. It is a one way trail (as opposed to a loop) so many people hike one direction. Due to the year-long rainforest conditions, the area is teeming with wildlife, and you can see monkeys, sloths, a variety of reptiles, birds, anteaters, crabs, caimans and more. Some park rangers claim to have seen a jaguar when the park was closed for the 2020 pandemic. For the untrained eye it can be challenging to spot the wildlife that is there, so it is recommended to hire a guide to point everything out. The most popular tour is split into snorkeling and hiking the trail for the best of both worlds. The cost of this tour is $65 US. For people that love hiking but also want to get the most out of what the park has to offer with the benefits of having a guide you can book a hiking tour from Cahuita to Puerto Vargas or a self guided tour and forget about the logistics on how to get back to your car or hotel.
As of August 2019 the park also has a handicap accessible trail that goes all the way to the beach!
Entering the national park from the Cahuita side is donation based. Entering from the Puerto Vargas side– closer to Puerto Viejo– costs $5 for foreigners, or 1000 colones for locals. The Puerto Vargas side also has a parking lot. It is open every day from 8 am to 4 pm, and Cahuita point closes at 2 pm. You can perches your tickets to enter the park online here.
