Parque Nacional Cahuita

"EN: Stroll through one of the most beautiful natural parks in Costa Rica. To get there, go to the MEPE bus terminal the day before to find out about bus timetables. From there, the next day you can catch a bus to the park entrance. I advise you to arrive when the park opens so you can enjoy the peace and quiet. If you are quiet and observant you may have the chance to see many animals (monkeys, raccoons, sloths, etc.) You can also take a guide for about 30 dollars and observe the coral reef. A little tip: admission is by donation, so you can choose how much you want to pay. It's best to spend half the day there or even the whole day. Picnics are allowed but beware of the monkeys, who won't hesitate to steal your food. For the return journey, there's a bus, depending on the timetable, otherwise, you'll find plenty of taxis that will take you back to Puerto Viejo for around $5. FR : Partez en promenade dans l'un des plus beaux parcs naturels du Costa Rica. Pour vous y rendre, rendez-vous la veille à la gare routière du MEPE pour connaître les horaires des bus. De là, le lendemain, vous pourrez prendre un bus jusqu'à l'entrée du parc. Je vous conseille d'arriver à l'ouverture du parc pour profiter du calme et de la tranquillité. Si vous êtes silencieux et observateur, vous aurez peut-être la chance de voir de nombreux animaux (singes, ratons laveurs, paresseux, etc.) Vous pouvez également prendre un guide pour environ 30 dollars et observer le récif corallien. Un petit conseil : l'entrée se fait par donation, vous pouvez donc choisir le montant que vous voulez payer. Il est préférable d'y passer une demi-journée, voire la journée entière. Les pique-niques sont autorisés mais attention aux singes qui n'hésiteront pas à vous voler votre nourriture. Pour le retour, il y a un bus, selon les horaires, sinon vous trouverez de nombreux taxis qui vous ramèneront à Puerto Viejo pour environ 5 $. "

"One of the nicest National Parks in Costa Rica. This Park is located in the southern Caribbean coast connected to the town of Cahuita. The trail is an 8km line (not a loop) with a mix of beaches, jungle, mangroves and coral reefs! The coral reef can be accessed only with a local guide to protect the area. As well, you can get a local guide for the walking tour of the park, but it isn't needed to see animals. We were able to see lots of animals like howler monkeys and capuchin monkeys, coatis, lots of crabs, geckos and lizards, green basilisks, butterflies and moths, birds, raccoons, yellow vipers, agoutis 🐾 There are 2 entrances to this park. We entered at the Cahuita/Playa Blanca entrance instead of Puerto Vargas and we are happy with our choice starting at the Cahuita entrance because we started with the marsh/wetlands in the morning compared to ended with it in the afternoon. It is more likely to see the marsh/wetland animals in the morning as they hide away in the afternoon. You can get there by MEPE bus, by Uber, or by taxi. From Puerto Viejo, it is about a 15 minute taxi ride and about a 20 minute bus ride. The taxi was around $8 US for 2 people and the bus was about $3 US per person. If you are taking the bus, check the MEPE timetable beforehand. Admission into the park from the Cahuita/Playa Blanca side is by donation. You are allowed to bring food into the park, however be conscious of your surroundings as the monkeys/raccoons may try and get near your bags and food. "

"A great thing to do in Puerto Viejo is to visit the nearby Cahuita National Park. It’s a protected area containing a stunning rain forest, beach, and coral reef. Walk the easy 8km trail through the park that runs along the beaches and see a lot of wildlife like raccoons, sloths, and monkeys. Getting to the park can be done by bus in 20 minutes or by bicycle in 45 minutes. Spend the entire day at the park and have a swim in the ocean whenever you like. Please note that this is one of the only free parks in Costa Rica, so donating is essential. The entrance is free, but a donation of 3000 Colones (about $5 USD) is kindly requested to maintain the park. "