Discovering Cahuita and the Caribbean coast (days 2, 3 and 4 of our 15-day self-guided trip to Costa Rica).
Early in the morning we took the public bus from the Caribe terminal in San José down to Limón on Costa Rica’s Caribbean Coast. This scenic route runs through rain forests and across the canyons of Braulio Carrillo National Park, on to the tropical forests beside the coast. Buses on the main routes are comfortable with aircon, and they’re a good cheap option for travelling on a budget!
A change at the busy port town of Puerto Limón saw us heading along the Costa Rica Caribbean highway to our first destination Cahuita.
Cahuita (Costa Rica’s Caribbean Coast)
In Cahuita village you can feel the influence of Afro-Caribbean islands, the laid back rhythm of Jamaica! Jumping off the bus, I asked a friendly face for directions to our lodgings at Piscina Natural in Playa Negra (a volcanic black-sand beach) and the man kindly offered to take us there in his jeep. We’d discovered the true Costa Rica…genuinely considerate people and unpaved tracks!
The ensuite wood cabina are set in peaceful tropical gardens, beside a coral shore where the sea gushes into a natural pool and parrots fly overhead towards the nature reserve at dawn. I loved the place!
Our luck was in, as the Reggae Bar just along the lane was having their popular fortnightly Friday night BBQ with live music. Half the village seemed to be there, locals and expats of all ages, and a few tourists like ourselves. Bob Marley songs combined with Latin-America vibes made it a great evening!
Cahuita National Park
Juan and I spent the following day in Cahuita National Park which extends southwards from the village – although entrance is free a donation for the park’s upkeep is appreciated. The trail winds alongside the white sands of Playa Blanca (white beach) through exotic woodlands for five miles.
The sea is wonderfully warm and although some stretches of beach have notices warning of rip currents, others are protected by coral reefs and wonderful for swimming.
It was interesting to see the Costa Rican fauna.
Sloths in the treetops, colourful butterflies, playful raccoons, white-nosed coati, white-faced capuchin and other species of monkey, and the occasional snake curled on a tree trunk such as the bright yellow Eyelash Viper.
The wildlife is particularly fascinating where cool brooks run down to the sea at Suarez Creek, Perezoso (sloth) Creek and Kelly Creek – quietly walk barefoot through the shallow waters and you can see a variety of herons and water birds.
Carry on around the promontory and you’ll reach the lovely Puerto Vargas beach where there are facilities and fresh drinking water. You can exit the park here and return by bus (the last one is around 5pm but check the current timetable). Or walk back down the trail to Cahuita as we did, and enjoy a cocktail or smoothie on a terrace overlooking the sea at sunset!
Puerto Viejo on the Caribbean Coast
We went to Puerto Viejo for a day, just a short bus ride away down the Caribbean coast. It’s a lively resort with a wider choice of bars and restaurants than Cahuita, and very popular with surfers. From here there’s a string of white sandy beaches heading down the highway towards nearby Panama.
If you have time to spare, cross over Panama border and get a boat out to Bocas de Toros in the ‘sea of stars’ – imagine lazing on the deck of a thatched roof cabin raised on stilts above shallow turquoise waters sprinkled with giant starfish! Then continue down Panama’s Caribbean Coast and visit San Blas – this is an authentic paradise island.
TIP: For a 3-week Panama and Costa Rica Itinerary – Fly into Panama City at the start of your trip, bus and boat over to San Blas Island, bus and boat to Bocas de Toros, bus to Costa Rica border crossing and on to Cahuita, then follow my route through the country to the Pacific Coast and fly home from capital San José.
Costa Rica Caribbean Cuisine
Cahuita village is quite lively with numerous eateries. Typical Caribbean Costa Rican cuisine is healthy with mainly rice, beans, chicken, eggs, vegetables or salad, and chilli sauce to spice it up. Breakfast is ‘Gallo Pinto’ stir-fried rice and black beans served with eggs, plus fresh tropical fruit and the marvellous coffee.
For lunch or a starter try a tasty delicacy called Cerviche, fish and prawns marinated with lime juice, chilli and coriander! Cool local lager, dry ginger ale and natural fruit juices are popular refreshments (it’s not wine growing country).
Accommodation in Cahuita
I planned my own 15 day flexible itinerary through Costa Rica booking all hotels directly by phone once we were in the country (except the first night in San Jose which I reserved by email in advance). This gives you the freedom to change plans and discover different routes through the country.
In Cahuita we stayed in a lovely wooden cabin in the gardens of a small private complex called ‘Piscina Natural’ which is roughly 2 miles up the lane from the village itself and Cahuita National Park. There’s a communal kitchen where coffee’s provided, and cooking facilities if you fancy eating in.
If your prefer to be central, there’s a wide range of accommodation and restaurants in Cahuita Village which borders onto the National Park.
Cahuita to Tortuguero National Park
The next stop on our 15 day Costa Rica itinerary is Tortuguero National Park on the Costa Rican Caribbean Coast, an island deep in the jungle which can only be reached by canal boat. Excursions habitually leave from San Jose city and mean doubling back the same way on return.
However, I sourced a boat which conveniently leaves Puerto Limón. To save time, we arranged the trip through Willies Tours a local agency in Cahuita, which included minbus shuttle from our hotel straight the pier.
This little know route to Tortuguero along the Limón Canal is beautifully scenic and teeming with wildlife. Cclick through to our Tortuguero Waterways article below, to follow our journey though this amazing country!
Discovering Costa Rica: Related Posts
Read about the fabulous places we visited on our travels through Costa Rica:
- Cahuita and the Caribbean Coast
- Tortuguero Waterways
- Arenal Volcano and La Fortuna
- Monteverde Cloud Forest
- Manuel Antonio National Park
- Uvita and Ballena Marino (Pacific Coast)
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