Costa Rica (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Matthew Firestone [427]
Drinking
This low-key town is home to one insanely loud drinking hole: Coco’s Bar (noon-last man standing). You can’t miss it at the main intersection, painted in Rasta red, yellow and green and cranking the reggaetón up to volume 11. On some nights (usually on weekends) there is also live music. If you’re not looking to burst your ear drums, try one of the mellower drinking establishments situated right across the street.
Along Playa Negra, Chao’s Paradise and Jardín Tropical are both good spots for a beer.
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Getting There & Away
All public buses arrive and depart at the bus terminal about 200m southwest of Parque Central.
Bribrí/Sixaola ₡1600; two hours; departs hourly from 6am to 7pm.
Puerto Limón (Autotransportes Mepe) ₡1000; 1½ hours; departs 6am, 9:30pm, 10:45pm, 1:45pm and 6:15pm. (These times are approximate because these buses originate in Manzanillo. Get there early just in case.)
Puerto Viejo de Talamanca/Manzanillo ₡1000; 30 minutes to one hour; departs 6:15am, 6:45am, 11:15am, 3:45pm and 6:45pm.
San José (Autotransportes Mepe) ₡3700; four hours; departs 7am, 8am, 9:30am, 11:30am and 4:30pm.
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Getting Around
The best way to get around Cahuita – especially if you’re staying out along Playa Negra – is by bicycle. In town, rent bikes at Mister Big J’s (8887-4695; per day US$7; 7am-6pm); he also rents boogie boards for US$6 per day. On Playa Negra, bikes are available at Centro Turístico Brigitte (Click here) for similar prices.
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PARQUE NACIONAL CAHUITA
This small park – just 10 sq km – is one of the more frequently visited national parks in Costa Rica. The reasons are simple: the nearby town of Cahuita provides attractive accommodations and easy access; more importantly, the white-sand beaches, coral reef and coastal rainforest are bursting with wildlife.
Declared a national park in 1978, Cahuita is typical of the entire coast (very humid), which results in dense tropical foliage, as well as coconut palms and sea grapes. The area includes the swampy Punta Cahuita, which juts into the sea between two stretches of sandy beach. Often flooded, the point is covered with cativo and mango trees and is a popular hang-out spots for birds such as green ibis, yellow-crowned night heron, boat-billed heron and the rare green-and-rufous kingfisher.
The dark Río Perezoso, or ‘Sloth River,’ bisects Punta Cahuita and sometimes prevents hiking between the ranger stations since it serves as the discharge for the swamp that covers the point. (Check in with the rangers about this before you set out.)
Red land and fiddler crab live along the beaches, attracting mammals such as crab-eating raccoon and white-nosed coati. White-faced capuchin, southern opossum and three-toed sloth also live in these parts. The mammal you are most likely to see (and hear) is the mantled howler monkey, which makes its bellowing presence known. The coral reef represents another rich ecosystem that abounds with life.
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Information
The Kelly Creek ranger station (2755-0461; admission by donation; 6am-5pm) is convenient to the town of Cahuita, while 1km down Hwy 32 takes you to the well-signed Puerto Vargas ranger station (2755-0302; admission US$10; 8am-4pm Mon-Fri, 7am-5pm Sat & Sun).
You do not have to pay the full admission fee if you enter at Kelly Creek. (This is the result of a local stir-up in the 1990s, when locals feared high park fees would deter the tourists.) But note that these fees provide important income for the park service, which is habitually underfunded. Tourist dollars support education, conservation and maintenance programs. Please consider supporting the park to the best of your ability.
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Activities
HIKING
An easily navigable 8km coastal trail leads through the jungle from Kelly Creek to Puerto Vargas. At times the trail follows the beach; at other times hikers are 100m or so away from the sand. At the end of the first beach, Playa