We knew that we wanted to spend our first Costa Rican night in Cahuita. Why? So that we could get up in the morning and head straight to the beach!

Getting There

Our flight got us into San Jose at around noon. We took a taxi straight to the Gran Terminal del Caribe, the bus terminal for travel to the Caribbean Coast. The ticket office is in the back of the building.

Tip: If your ticket is stamped with the words “De Pie”, that means you will be standing. We didn’t realize this until the driver had us stand aside while everyone else boarded the bus. Instead of standing for the long ride, we decided to exchange our tickets for the next departure.

Public Bus from San Jose to Cahuita

The bus ride to Cahuita is about 4 hours long. There will probably be a short stop in Limon for the restroom and refreshments. We knew we had arrived when we saw a “Welcome to Cahuita” sign on the left side of the bus. Cahuita is a small town, but the Lonely Planet map and a small compass will help you get oriented.

Sunrise from Hotel Balcony

We stayed at the Hotel National Park, which is right on the beach. There was a great view from our room on the second floor.

Cahuita National Park and Beach

The following morning, we walked over to the Parque Nacional Cahuita. Admission at the Kelly Creek station is by donation, so pay what you can. There is a beautiful white-sand beach where we spent most of our day. While we were there (in October), there were only a few other people on the beach and the Caribbean Sea was as flat as glass.

Trail in Parque Nacional Cahuita

A trail through the park runs parallel to the coastline. There are tons of leaf cutter ants that share the trail with you. We even saw some blue morpho butterflies. Around sunset, we witnessed a pack of capuchin monkeys picking fruit from a tree.

Restaurant National Park

Tip: If you plan to use public transportation, pick up a bus schedule at the information center before you leave the airport.

Tip: Be sure you have enough cash before you arrive in Cahuita (either in colones or US Dollars). There are no banks or ATMs there. We had a minor freak out moment, but luckily our hotel accepted credit cards.

Miss Edith's and Roberto's were great places to eat in Cahuita. We also enjoyed our breakfast at Cafe del Parquecito. The food on the coast is infused with Caribbean flavor. We were able to enjoy more of it in Tortuguero. »