Cahuita is a beach town in Limón Province, Costa Rica.
Cahuita is a rustic alternative to the more touristic spots found further south. The town consists of a main street that runs off the highway and goes all the way to the ocean. Located here are a small selection of restaurants and bars and a bank and a grocery store. Leading away form the main street are mainly dusty dirt roads with guest houses and local residents.
There are two beaches within walking distance of Cahurita. They are Playa Negra, a dark sand beach that has good waves for beginner surfers, and Playa Blanco, a white sand beach located within the picturesque Cahuita National Park.
Cahuita is fairly straightforward to get to as it is located on a main highway (Route 36) that runs from Puerto Limon to the Panama border.
There are several buses departing San José to Cahuita from 06:00 till 16:00. Typically, these buses have Sixaola (Costa Rica's border town on the border with Panama) as their destination. Note that San José has many bus terminals, and the location of the terminal from which buses to Cahuita and Sixaola leave may change. As of the late 2013, schedule and map brochures distributed by the tourist authorities in San José still showed Terminal del Caribe as these buses' point of origin, but the location has changed to the San Carlos bus terminal. Before traveling, try to get the latest update from the bus company or from your hotel.
According to schedules, the travel time from San José to Cahuita on a direct bus is 4 hours, but you should add at least 30 min. Although the buses are direct, they make a fairly long stop in Puerto Limon, where you can get a quick meal at a bus station restaurant.
There are also slower (local service) buses running hourly between Puerto Limon and Sixaola; they, too, stop at Cahuita. From San José the cost is about US$4 and from Limon about $1.50
Interbus runs services between Cahuita and San José for around US$35 per person taking 3-4 hr.
Taxis from Puerto Limon cost ~US$15. Taxis from San José cost ~$150.
The town is fairly small and can easily be navigated by foot. For getting to the beaches and your accommodation however, you may prefer to rent a bicycle.
Either way, it is best to go in at around 7AM when no one is there to see some animals normally hiding after the park gets busy or just during the day. And in case you go back at noon, you can stop where-ever big groups gather, because they stop for viewing (mostly large) animals. Donation, US$5 recommended by park, but do not feel bad about paying only ₡1,000 or ₡2,000
Relax on the beaches around Cahuita during the day and have some drinks in the few bars in town. Playa Negra, a ten minute walk north of town on the main road, is good for swimming.
Tree of Life (Wildlife Rescue Center & Botanical Gardens), Playa Grande (2 km north of Cahuita center on big beach (follow the signs)), 9.75292°, -82.86544°, +506 87235616, +506 83170325, treeoflifecostarica@hotmail.com. The botanical gardens have hundreds of different kinds of palms, heliconias, bromelias and many others. Visitors will experience an experience with the plants and animals of the tropical rain forest, nature walks under the canopy, many paved walkways, a beautiful beach in front of gardens, a nursery with export plants, close-up encounters with rescued animals and a gift shop. US$12
There are a few gift shops in town that sell a range of local crafts and foods. For essentials, there is a small shopping strip next to the main bus station. Here you will find a bank (with ATM), fruit and vegetable shop, butcher, small supermarket, barber and a doctor.
Restaurants are pretty expensive for Latin America, with prices in line with those in the US (budget US$15-20 for a meal); many serve good local fish.
The is a popular and inexpensive soda about 300 m before the entrance to the national park.
There is lodging of all price ranges here. On Playa Negra you can camp for free right on the beach for one night or ask in the hostels if they allow you to pitch your tent in the yard for a couple of dollars. In exchange you can use their showers and restrooms.
Most hotels and even the soda have Wi-Fi.
Several buses a day heading to Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Puerto Limon, Sixaola and San José.
2nd-order administrative division
Primary administrative division