While on the boat from La Pavona to Tortuguero I talked to some fellow travelers, including one who had already been on the road for three months. From her I got the tip to look into Cahuita for my next stop before or instead of going to Puerto Viejo de Talamanca. Puerto Viejo which is the best known place on the Caribbean side. I liked the idea of spending a couple of days at a quieter place, not that Tortuguero had been so loud. But anyhow, this is how I ended up in Cahuita for three days.
Getting there from Tortuguero was fairly easy albeit long. I left by the boat to Moín and then changed onto the arranged shuttle. I am not sure where the regular bus would leave, but Moín is not a large place. The trip took more than five hours but eventually I was dropped off in front of Cabinas Cahuita. The hostel has, besides dorm rooms, a couple of private rooms. Mine was for three people, how they would manage that was beyond me. But for one it was big enough.
In the afternoon I went for a walk to explore my home for the next couple of days. Cahuita has two beaches, Playa Negra, called that way because of its really black sand, and Playa Blanca next to the entrance of the national park. If you are wondering why Cahuita also has a national park (same as Tortuguero), please note that a quarter of Costa Rica’s land is protected. And more than 12% of its land are within national parks. While I was in Costa Rica it felt as if every place I went to had a national park.
Playa Negra @Cahuita
Playa Blanca @Cahuita
Despite the overcast sky it was warm and the beach looked quite full further along. But there is never a danger that there are too many people on a beach in Costa Rica. You always find a place for yourself.
further back the beach was quite busy @Playa Negra
Cahuita can probably be better explored by bike since it’s a long-drawn area hugging Playa Negra. But I needed to stretch my legs after being scooped up in the boat and shuttle forever. I also wanted to take some pictures of the village and without permanently getting off a bike. In the end though, the bike would have been better.
small houses in Cahuita @Costa Rica
it just stood there @Cahuita
even Austria made it on the sign post @Cahuita
In the end I stayed three nights in Cahuita. It’s really a lovely, quiet village and can’t be compared with Puerto Viejo in my opinion. The national park was just around the corner from Cabinas Cahuita and so were many Sodas and the central bus station. It’s an ideal place if you want to relax but also discover the Caribbean side of Costa Rica. For me it was definitely a great choice. Yours, Pollybert
