The Cahuita National Park is a typical Caribbean retreat. It is ideal for a day at the beach and some serious bath in the sea followed by a dinner of fish. The flavor of Jamaica is unmistakable here.
The best way to reach the Cahuita National Park is by taking Calle 3 to reach Guapiles Highway. When you reach Limon, you need to turn South on 36 for Cahuita National Park. There are several buses available too. If you are traveling by air, you can take the daily service to Limon from where you can catch a bus or rent a car to reach the national park.
The Park was created in 1970 to protect the coral reef. Unfortunately, the efforts seem not to be enough and the reef is well on its way to elimination. There is also legal and illegal cutting of the forest that is leaving the land denuded and causing huge erosion. The earthquake of 1992 also exposed most of the reef to sunlight and air and it perished.
The items of interest in the Cahuita National Park include rainforest, coral reefs and miles of sandy beaches. While here, you will see many types of coral and other sea animals like sea cucumbers, sea horse, lobsters and others. The beaches are infested with red land crabs and blue fiddlers. There are more than 500 species of fish that can be found in this region and birds like Green Ibis, Yellow Crowned Night Herons, Keel Billed Toucans and Rufous Kingfisher and others are abundant. There are also various species of animals like Tamandua, Raccoons, Howler Monkeys, Capuchin Monkeys, Caimans, Sloths and Iguanas that can be seen here.
There is a hiking trail from the Kelly Creek Station in the Cahuita village to Puerto Vargas. During this trail, you get to see an abundance of animal and bird species.
The Caribbean flavor of the Cahuita National Park in Costa Rica and local cuisine mixed with North American and European fares add to the specialty of the Cahuita National Park. Music can be heard till late at night and exotic drinks and cocktails are also available.
