- Cahuita National ParkBe at Cahuita National Park while the sand is cool. The trail follows the beach to the reef, so stay off the coral.
- Playa BlancaPlaya Blanca is the clear water inside the park. Snorkel it in the morning, before the wind lifts the sand.
- Playa NegraPlaya Negra is a surf beach north of the village. It is not the easy long swim the name suggests.
- Snorkeling the reefSnorkel the reef in the morning, off Playa Blanca. You do not need a boat, and the bottom is still easy to see.
- Howler monkeysLook for howler monkeys at first light on the park trail. By noon they have gone quiet, and the capuchins are higher.
- Puerto ViejoPuerto Viejo is a short ride south, for a meal and the night. Cahuita is the quieter place to sleep.
- ManzanilloManzanillo takes the morning from Cahuita. The road ends in the refuge, and twenty minutes is not enough.
- Kelly CreekKelly Creek is the village gate into the park. Pay here in the morning, while the sand is still cool.
- Cahuita pointAt Cahuita point the reef is closest to shore. You swim from the beach, and there is no boat to wait for.
- Sunset in CahuitaSunset in Cahuita drops behind the village, not into the sea. Stay if you want the park to go dark.
For breaks and seasons, see best surf spots in Costa Rica.
The landscape is a coral reef, a coastal trail, and wet forest behind the sand. You are likely to see howler monkeys, white-faced capuchins, sloths and reef fish. The plants around them are coconut, beach almond, and the forest the park keeps on the inland side of the path.
Around Cahuita, look for howlers in the first hour of light. Later they are higher, and the water over the reef is less clear.
Cahuita National Park protects the reef and the coastal forest. The village shares the gates with the park, at Kelly Creek and at Puerto Vargas.
In Cahuita, stay on the trail and do not stand on the coral. The reef is the swim, not a place to walk.
The climate is tropical wet. It is hot and humid, about 24–31°C. Rain can fall in any month, heaviest from November to January, with more settled spells in September, October, February, and March. Cahuita sits at sea level.
A dry morning is not a promise for the afternoon. Pack for both on the same day. The countrywide calendar is in the best time to visit Costa Rica.
Most people leave Juan Santamaría in Alajuela, take Highway 32 through Braulio Carrillo National Park, and reach Limón. The coast road then turns south through Cahuita toward Puerto Viejo.
The road across the mountains is slower than it looks. Do not start it late. Buses, shuttles, and rental cars are compared in getting around Costa Rica
