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Cahuita is a sleepy Caribbean beach village and the first "major" tourist destination you'll reach heading south out of Limón. The boom going on in Puerto Viejo and the beaches south of Puerto Viejo have in many ways passed Cahuita by. Any way you slice it, Cahuita is one of the most laid-back villages in Costa Rica. The few dirt and gravel streets here are host to a languid parade of pedestrian traffic, parted occasionally by a bicycle, car, or bus.
The village traces its roots to Afro-Caribbean fishermen and laborers who settled in this region in the mid-1800s, and today the population is still primarily English-speaking blacks whose culture and language set them apart from other Costa Ricans.
People come to Cahuita for its miles of pristine beaches, which stretch both north and south from town. The southern beaches, the forest behind them, and the coral reef offshore (one of just a handful in Costa Rica) are all part of Cahuita National Park.
There is only a couple of small lodges
in the area that offer nice rooms and good service. Probably the best lodge in the area is the Suizo Loco Lodge.
How to get there:
From San Jose
Take the Highway #32 to Limon. You will pass the Braulio Carrillo National Park and the Rainforest Aerial Tram. Continue driving through Guapiles, Siquirres and Matina. Just before arriving downtown Limon you will pass through a cemetery. Continue driving for about 1 kilometer until you see a sign on your right to Cahuita/Pto Viejo were you should turn right and continue driving straight South through this coastline road.
Then follow the signs to Cahuita.
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