Cahuita

Bus

San Jose to Cahuita: $9; 6:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.; 3.5 hours. Departs from the Terminal Atlantico Norte, located on Avenida 9 and Calle 12. Auto Transportes MEPE, 2257-8129.

Limon to Cahuita: $2.5; every hour from 5:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; 1 hour. The Cahuita station is at the east corner of the Big Boy Baseball Stadium. Auto Transportes MEPE, 2758-0618.

Cahuita to San Jose: $9; 7:00 a.m., 8:00 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., and 4:30 p.m.; 4 hours. Departs from Mall Playa Blanca, next to the Banco de Costa Rica in Cahuita.  Auto Transportes MEPE, 2750-0023.

Car

From San Jose to Cahuita: The 120-mile journey takes between 3.5 and 4.5 hours, depending on traffic and road conditions. Take Route 32 out of San Jose, driving through Braulio Carrillo National Park. Follow the signs to Guapiles, Siquirres and Limon. In Limon, turn south on Route 36, and follow the signs to Cahuita.

Shuttle Transfer

Greyhound and Interbus offer private, air-conditioned shuttles for hotel-to-hotel/airport transport. Tel. 4031-0888.

San Jose to Puerto Viejo, $49; Departs 7:50 a.m.; 4 hours.

Cahuita to San Jose, $49; Departs 7:20 a.m., 3:15 p.m.; 3 to 4 hours.

Take a moment to settle into Cahuita's vibe with a long stroll on the white sands of Playa Blanca.  You'll find the earth's spin slows down like a revolving door you've just stepped out of. Walk the hard-packed sandy trails of Cahuita National Park, enjoy a swim in the waves of Playa Blanca or a horseback ride in the surf along Playa Grande.

Take up surfing in Playa Negra and snorkel with a school of tropical fish among 35 species of reef living off the coast of the national park. Wake up early for off-shore tarpon fishing or join in a bird watching tour and witness the flight of Costa Rica's colorful fowl. Nearby canopy tours in Puerto Viejo, offer excursions in the air along a series of zip lines through the trees in the Lower Talamanca Mountains.

Cahuita's tropical coastline is cast in shades of black and white where sandy beaches stretch for miles broken up by fossilized coral, tide pools and rocky shoreline.  The shady coastal forest greets the ocean inside Cahuita National Park, the town's main attraction, featuring 23,000 acres of marshes, rivers, beaches, rainforest and coral reef harboring a vibrant display of Costa Rican wildlife. The nearby Hitoy-Cerere, Kekoldi and Bribri Native American reserves offer a foray into the Talamanca Mountains to experience the Costa Rica's rich historical legacy as well as waterfalls, streams, evergreen and rainforests. For up-close encounters with two- and three-toed sloths, visit the Sloth Rescue Center.

Visitors will find comfortable cabins and quiet hotels lining the beaches and downtown streets in Cahuita, most offering Caribbean style and tropical flair.

While Cahuita's small enough that you could walk the whole town on foot in an hour or two, there are two distinct areas of town: central Cahuita and Playa Negra. Both offer budget-friendly accommodations – even the priciest hotels cost less than $150 per night. 

Central Cahuita

The six blocks between the bus station and the Caribbean coast make up central Cahuita. Close to the bus station, the national park, Playa Blanca, the town's square and most of Cahuita's nightlife, central Cahuita is the most popular and accessible place to stay.

• For $10 to $20 a night you can find hostels with private and shared dorms; hot water, fans, cable and Wi-Fi. Some hostels include breakfast while others offer fully-equipped kitchens.

• For about $30 per night, you'll find hotel rooms close to the beach with private bathrooms, hot water, Wi-Fi, fans and pools. Often they serve breakfast, but it's not included in the room rate.

• For about $80 per night, you'll find hotel rooms close to Cahuita National Park and Playa Blanca with pools. Rooms include private bathrooms, A/C, Wi-Fi and breakfast.

Playa Negra

Secluded along a road that hugs the beach in its loop around the coast, Playa Negra is sequestered on the north end of town, only a five- to ten-minute walk from central Cahuita. You'll find most accommodations, local bars and restaurants close to the beach.

• For $10 to $20 a night you can find hostels with private and shared dorms; hot water, cable, fans and Wi-Fi. Some hostels include breakfast while others offer fully-equipped kitchens. Most are close to the beach.

• For about $50 per night, you'll find boutique hotels with comfortable rooms, private bathrooms, hot water, fans, Wi-Fi and pools close to the beach.

Depending on your vacation style, a car may or may not be necessary for sightseeing around Cahuita. If you plan to explore the area’s numerous unbeaten paths, a car is a good choice. However, if your itinerary includes the area’s local sights, a combination of walking, biking, buses and taxis will be less expensive.

Distance Approximations:

• Cahuita to Bribri: 12.5 miles

• Cahuita to Puerto Viejo: 11 miles

• Cahuita to Manzanillo: 19 miles

On Foot:

Cahuita is a very relaxed town where life moves slowly to reggae and calypso beats. Visitors often find walking to be the most pleasant way to get around, and the town’s six main roads are easily navigated on foot. Unlike many parts of Costa Rica, cars and motorcycles often slow down or make way for pedestrians.

Bicycle:

Second only to walking, bicycles are the preferred way to get around town. Experienced road bikers often bike from Cahuita to Puerto Viejo, but be careful of cars and road repair vehicles. Many hotels and shops rent bikes for $5-10 per day.

Car:

Even the main roads around Cahuita call for a bit of patience and a heavy dose of good humor – call them potholes on the road to paradise – but they’ll get you where you’re going. Corrosive sea winds and heavy rains regularly eat away at the road surface, so most roads are a combination of potholes, dirt, gravel and newly-repaired asphalt. Cars can be rented in Limon and Puerto Viejo.

Taxi:

Taxis are not quite as prevalent in Cahuita as in Puerto Viejo, but any hotel or restaurant can call one for you. Be sure to use official taxis – they are red and marked with a yellow triangle on the doors – and remember that they do not use the meter. Be sure to agree on a fare before embarking.

Sample Taxi Fares:

• Cahuita to Bribri: $25

• Cahuita to Puerto Viejo: $15-$25 (depending on your bargaining skills)

• Cahuita to Limon: $40-$50

Public Bus:

The southern Caribbean boasts decent public bus service. Transportes Mepe runs two routes: Limon to Sixaola via Cahuita, Puerto Viejo, and Bribri; and Limon to Manzanillo via Cahuita and Puerto Viejo. Limon-Sixaola buses run every hour from 5:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and the Limon-Manzanillo buses have the following schedule:

Limon

—»       Cahuita    Puerto Viejo    Manzanillo

06:00           07:00    07:30    08:00

10:30           11:30    12:00    12:30

15:00           16:00    16:30    17:00

18:00           19:00    19:30    20:00  

Manzanillo

—»    Puerto Viejo    Cahuita    Limon

05:00           05:30    06:00    07:00

08:15           08:45    09:15    10:15

12:45           13:15    13:45    14:45

17:00           17:30    18:00    19:00

Fresh grilled lobster and Jamaican jerk chicken cooked over open flames beside pots simmering with coconut milk and Caribbean spices fill the air with the aroma of the Caribbean. Cahuita's food has soul. It's etched into the history of the town, from its origins as a fishing village to the immigration of Afro-Caribbean people to work in the cacao and banana farms outside Cahuita.

One of Cahuita's most popular local dishes is its seafood Carpaccio, made with thinly sliced marlin, sea bass or other fish, marinated in lemandarin juice topped with red onion, capers, a splash of olive oil, a sprinkle of coarse-ground black pepper and served with slices of toasted white bread.

Central Cahuita

Central Cahuita is home to the majority of Cahuita's restaurants. Walk anywhere in its six-block radius and you'll find roadside sodas (small family-owned restaurants), bars, seafood restaurants, pizzerias and cafes. Many of the most popular restaurants are located in the town's center near the park.

Playa Negra

It wouldn't hurt to stop in Sobre Las Olas for a bite to eat on your way over to Playa Negra. It's one of the more popular seafood restaurants in town and it's right by the coal-black beach. There aren't too many other restaurants in this part of town, but those you'll find are packed closely together a mile north of Cahuita along Playa Negra. There you'll find generally overpriced beach eats and bar food among the area's lively rasta-inspired bars.

Cahuita's a small coastal town in the southern Caribbean. You'll find most the major services by the bus station near the entrance of town from Route 36; this includes grocery stores, pharmacies and a bank.

Cell Phones

Cell phone service is generally good in Cahuita – reception is good on the Playa Blanca and throughout the national park, but not as good in Cahuita's more secluded locations.

Public Phones

Cahuita has a few public phones along the main road. All of them are operated by phone card, not coins; purchase a phone card in any pharmacy or grocery store in Costa Rica.

Internet

Many mid-range hotels, in addition to restaurants and budget lodging options, offer free Internet or Wi-Fi access.

Post Office

Located next to the police station, where Playa Negra meets downtown Cahuita. Open Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; closed 12:00 p.m.-1:30 p.m.

Banks

Cahuita has just one bank, the Banco de Costa Rica, located in the White Sand Commercial Center near the entrance to town. Here travelers will find the village's only ATM that accepts Visa or Plus network debit cards.

Gas Stations

There is no gas station in Cahuita. The closest place to fill up is a few miles south, near the turnoff to Bribri.

Medical Facilities

For minor injuries and general maladies, all pharmacies in Costa Rica are required to employ an in-house pharmacist, who is able to treat minor problems and prescribe certain medications.  Cahuita's pharmacy is in the White Sand Commercial Center near the entrance to town and the bus station. For more serious injuries, visit the clinic in Hone Creek or the hospital in Limon. For emergency medical services, always dial 911.