Cahuita National Park
Limon Province
Cahuita, Costa Rica
GottaGetGone goes international. With winter adventuring weather upon us in California, we weren't quite ready to don the parkas and snowshoes. Early December seemed the perfect time for a Costa Rican holiday, and after much beach-combing and palapa lounging, we were feeling restless. We had heard about a coastal jungle hike where you could potentially see sloths and howler monkeys.
Cahuita National Park in Limon Province on the Caribbean Sea, Established in 1970 this park protects 2,635 acres of beach, mangrove, marine and tropical rainforest-lowland habitats. One trail winds between the beach and forest from the Kelly Creek station at Cahuita village, around the point to the Puerto Vargas station.
About a twenty minute drive north from Puerto Viejo and we arrived in the small town of Cahuita.
We arrived in the morning around the opening time of the park and walked through town considering our post hike dining options.
The walkway and entrance to the park. It is technically free and the park revenue is derived from donations, so don't be stingy, its a beautiful area and needs your support.
Whatever this says, it must be important...
Just like the National Parks back home, the trails were maintained, easily identifiable and well marked.
Into the jungle we go, and off the initial boardwalk path.
The entirety of this first part of the hike is in and out of lush tropical jungle and along the Caribbean Coast.
Do not swim in the river (swamp). No chance of that happening, there are crocodiles in there!
We had heard that there may be a water crossing at Playa Blanca and this seemed to turn back most of the hikers out that morning.
One of us was wearing sport sandals, the other got carried across.
The remnants of an old exploratory well drilled for oil in the early 1900s
Some fearless Costa Rican Banditos, they have a slightly darker coat than the North American cousins.
The only thing we failed to check prior to our outing was the tides.... and apparently it was high tide, so that meant timing your trail dashes to avoid the waves.
An older section of boardwalk that elevates the trail out of the mangroves and swampy areas.
The yellow eyelash viper is quite something to see, but as with most colorful snakes, it’s a very venomous one too. Though it might seem you can’t overlook it, the snake actually isn’t that big.
Another water crossing means another piggy back ride.
The reefs that protect this national parks marine habitat are slowly dying off and evidence of its demise are littering the shore as you round the point to Punta Varga.
Also known as the little apple of death
We finally spotted a cecropia tree, otherwise known as the sloth tree.
Now we are on the lookout for sloths!
Hello there! This monkey was curious about us, but just sat and watched us for a while.
Sloth, bottom left.
As we were leaving the park, there was a tree near the exit that had about 13 monkeys jumping around and giving us a show.
We decided to walk back to town.
It added a couple of miles to our hike, but wasn't a bad walk.
Ant eater crossing...
Plantain tree
Got back to town and stopped and had lunch.
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