Cahuita, Costa Rica for 2 Weeks

_{Chilling at @ Playa Negra, Cahuita}

After a marathon session of long delayed flights from Kona, Hawaii, we finally made it to Costa Rica. San Jose airport didn’t leave much impression on me since I was so tired and wanted to be at the hotel asap.

As I exited the airport, another scene awaited me. Random guys came and offered their taxi services which only got a “No, gracias” from me. Taking the nearest airport exit, I ordered an Uber, a perfect solution for non-cash payment and not sufficient Spanish in a sadly Spanish speaking country.

Battling the traffic after the rain and rush hour, we arrived at our hotel after one hour on the way. At San Jose, we pre-booked the Novo Hotel for 49.40 USD with an included breakfast. The hotel was centrally located, even though it was in a dodgier part of the town. However, Uber solved it all. Plus it was a great solution for us to continue our trip the next morning to Cahuita.

_{Where my first typical Costa Rican breakfast began 🙂}

Cahuita

Where?

Cahuita is located in Limon Province, a Caribbean coast on the south of Costa Rica.

_{See the blue dot}

Why?

We chose Cahuita as our next destination since we wanted to see more of nature, and Cahuita National Park is the main goal. Our ride took approx. 4 hours from San Jose with a break at Limon Station.

_{The entrance of Cahuita National Park}

_{What awaits on the right side of the}_entrance

How to get there?

From San Jose – Go to MEPE Terminal and buy your ticket there, since it can’t be done online.

The ticket costs 5.810 CRC and you need to pay by cash. If you want to secure your seat on the bus, buy the ticket one day before. Note that the terminal is rather on the dodgy side of the neighborhood, so just take Uber to go there. If you are lucky, you can buy the ticket the same day and do not have to wait for the bus that long.

Check the bus schedule here. The direction is San Jose to Sixaola.

The ride will take you approx. 4 hours with a 15 minutes break at Limon Station.

Once you arrive at Cahuita Station, it will only take you more or less 5 minutes.

_{Your direction would be San Jose-Sixaola}

_{MEPE bus schedule for Cahuita-Sixaola}

_{MEPE bus prices & ride durations}

_{Btw don’t throw away your ticket until you arrived at the end destination since your ticket would be checked twice and it would be marked with a pen}

Where did we stay?

Cabinas Iguanas, an inn owned by a Swiss family, was our choice. Since we opted to stay 2 weeks, this place has the best offer. Our bungalow was comfortable with free bananas for snacks, hammocks for chilling, and a swimming pool to cool down in the hot weather. Moreover, we also had our kitchen to cook and a fridge to store our food.

_{Our room at Cabinas Iguanas}

_{With hammocks on the porch}

_{And pool to jump in if it gets to hot and/or humid}

_{Sometimes you will get free oranges too}

_{Or a random visit from a local Capybara/aguita}

_{Or a baby iguana}

_{Or a red eyed frog which is luckily not poisonous}

How much?

It costed us 420 USD for 2 weeks. So, it was about 21 USD per night roughly. And it was worth it! We loved our stay here.

Did you rent a car?

No, we didn’t. Our goal was to stay in Cahuita and enjoy a slow life despite seeing nature. So, we just mostly walked or biked around the village. Plus, walking to the National Park was only 25 minutes tops.

_{Was lucky since the cabin’s field manager was super kind and lent me the bike for free}

How was Cahuita?

Cahuita is hands down the most laid back place that I’ve ever been on earth. Costa Rica’s Pura Vida is truly more than just a translation of pure life. It is embodied into a lifestyle, where the Costa Ricans implemented this into a perspective of enjoying simple things in life, like eating homemade food, spending time with your friends, going to the beach, etc. An imagination of Caribbean island life is a reality here and as a city person, where life is usually pushed to always be fast with the concept of time is money, I was a bit surprised. So if you visit Cahuita one day, do expect if the food takes a longer time or if your requests are on hold for a moment.

Enjoy your moment here and try to live like locals do, live slower, take your book to the beach and read to kill time, or even just dance spontaneously if you hear an upbeat song that you like. It was a joy for me to see a waitress dance to her presumably favorite song at work.

How expensive is Cahuita?

Cahuita is a touristic place. But, you have options. In general, the prices are still okay and in the end it is not New York. Plus, you are helping to support local economies by spending your money, which in return you’ll get something else also, like delicious food and unique crafts. Make sure to try local cuisine from here which is made with coconut milk, since the Jamaican influence is strong in this area. Historically, the Jamaican were brought to Costa Rica in the 19th century to build the Atlantic Railroad. Hence, the culture stays.

In the end, we had a budget of 32 USD per day. With that, we could eat out once a day, dine in for the rest of the day’s meals, and had the budget for the park and shop a bit.

My fav. in Cahuita

Nature

Cahuita National Park – all details are available here.

_{Posing in front of Costa Rica’s Rainforest}

Eating

Soda Kawe – we went here almost everyday! They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner with a good variety of food and prices. I heard they cook the food with the fire wood.

_{Pro Tip – Try this Limon traditional rice & beans dish with coconut milk with chicken/ fish available only on Friday-Sunday for 5.500 CRC with included drinks}

Brigitte Ranch – we went here for breakfast. It was tasty and a nice experience since the service is also great! Plus, you get your breakfast with a view of wildlife, i.e. frogs and horses.

_{Pro Tip – Try the hearty omelet with Caribbean Spinach, fried plantains, fried cakes, and slices tomatoes for 4.000 CRC}

El Pianista Food Truck – My fav. food to go after drinking. The food selections are not big, but they are all freshly made, delicious and affordable.

_{Pro Tip – Try the Arepaz with Res (Beef) for 2.500 CRC. You can top it with mayo & hot sauces as well.}

Del Rita Patty – The most famous Patty in town. You have to be there at max. 10:00 since they are most likely sold out after that.

_{Patty con Carne for 1.000 CRC is my fav. It has a filling of spicy beef. Lecker!}

La Terraza – Our favorite place downtown for breakfast. Particularly, we love the taste of the black coffee here.

_{You can have your Pinto Gaio, a classic Costa Rican’s breakfast, which tasted great & full-filling for 3.800 CRC}

_or

_{You wanna do it the American way with blueberry pancakes for the same price? The choice is available here.}

Drinking/Night Life

Coco’s Bar – Live music is available every Saturday and people dance, mostly salsa, to the music and it’s fun to watch.

^{Pro Tip – Try Cahuita Libre (on the right) instead of Cubra Libre for 3.000 CRC since you are in Cahuita anyway!}

Reggae Bar – One of the hippest places in Cahuita on weekends since they have live music every Friday.

_{But, you can also chill on weekdays at their terrace and enjoy cocktails by the beach 🙂}

Shopping

Super Negro – The biggest supermarket in town with many import stuff. However, the downside would be the workers, particularly the cashiers. During my visit a couple of time here, I felt the cashiers weren’t friendly. There were times where the prices shown and scanned were not the same, and they were annoyed when I asked about those.