Drive from Cahuita to Manzanillo: Black-sand beaches, lush vegetation and picturesque villages
Blink and you’ll miss Cahuita which is hidden a few hundred metres down an unassuming road off Highway 36, 10 km south of the petrol station at Penshurst. The small town (district population 4200) epitomizes the south Caribbean – laid back but with just enough energy to keep things ticking along. Don’t rush, don’t hibernate, do something in-between. The predominantly Afro-Caribbean town sits on a small rocky peninsula – the first protuberance of any significance south of Limón – and is barely larger than a football pitch. Heading north out of town, a bumpy dirt road shadows the dark sand beach of Playa Negra, drifting past quiet hotels and lodges. South of town, a small creek leads to the golden sands that mark the northernmost point of Cahuita National Park , home to some of the best coral reefs in the country. If the Caribbean means beaches to you, these palm-fringed golden sands will be tough to beat. They are postcard perfect, shaded by jauntily angled coconut palms reaching out to the ocean, and a very short walk from the southern end of Cahuita town.
Local trips
One of the main attractions in the area is Cahuita National Park which meets the sea at a fine stretch of golden sand. Locally there are several popular tours. It is easy to rent mountain bikes to explore on your own, or go horse riding. Contact Centro Turístico Brigitte’s, along Playa Negra, T2755-0053, http://www.brigittecahuita.com.
Reef snorkelling trips leave town for three-hour tour trips to see the corals off Cahuita National Park. US$25 per person. A one-day trip to Hitoy Cerere Biological Reserve, promoted as the ‘Pharmacy of the World’, can be arranged. It’s a 1½-hour drive for three hours walking to waterfalls and includes food and entrance fee. The latest adventure sport is body rafting on the Class I Río Sixaola, which is also easily combined with a trip to the KeKöLdi Indigenous Reserve and the Green Iguana Farm. US$55 per person.
Trips further afield go up to Tortuguero for a two-day, one-night trip staying at Laguna Lodge , and cost around US$160 per person, or you can just arrange transport. Most tour operators in town will organize this – only trips to Tortuguero, US$55 one way. US$110 round trip, or US$100 Cahuita-Tortuguero-La Fortuna. Likewise, you can head south to the clear waters and sandy beaches of Bocas del Toro in Panama for a couple of days, US$155 including accommodation....
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