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Cahuita National Park Facts

Cahuita National Park Facts
Cahuita National Park is a 2,711 acre park located in Costa Rica, near the city of Cahuita. The park was originally designated as Cahuita National Monument in 1970, and re-designated as a national park in 1978. Cahuita National Park is Costa Rica's only national park to waive any admission fee; instead it relies on donations from visitors. Cahuita National Park has a 600 acre reef, with a large variety of coral, fish, crustaceans, and other sea creatures. The park is easily accessible with well-developed roads to and from towns south and north of the park.
Interesting Cahuita National Park Facts:
Cahuita National Park has one of Costa Rica's most developed and most beautiful beaches.
The best time for snorkelers to visit Cahuita National Park is between February and April when visibility in the water is at its clearest.
Although there are trail hours in the park they can vary in reality based on their position and where they are accessed. Some sections may not be entered after a certain time due to the amount of time to finish the trail and leave the park.
Cahuita National Park is one of Costa Rica's smallest national parks.
Cahuita National Park is made up of coral reefs, mangroves, beeches, and rainforests.
Although there are two shipwrecks in Cahuita National Park, visitors are not allowed to dive to them with a difficult-to-obtain permit.
The temperatures in Cahuita National Park are often hot and humid reaching 90 degrees Celsius and higher.
Cahuita National Park receives approximately 133 inches of rain each year so it common for visitors to get wet while visiting the park. The driest time to visit the park is in March, April, May, September, October, and November.
Birds that can be found in Cahuita National Park include the chestnut mandibled toucans, oropendolas, herons, parakeets, egrets, and keel-billed toucans.
Coral species found in Cahuita National Park include tubipora, frondlike gorgonias, brain coral, elkhorn coral, and blue staghorn coral.
Reptile and amphibian species that can be found in Cahuita National Park include whip tailed lizards, green iguanas, red eyed leaf frogs, dart frogs, green vine snakes, boa constrictors, and the yellow eyelash pit viper.
Fish species found in the waters of Cahuita National Park include the angelfish, trigger, lion fish, butterfly fish, and the parrotfish, among over 100 others.
There are more than 100 species of mollusks in Cahuita National Park.
Mammals commonly found in Cahuita National Park include capuchin monkeys, howler monkeys, sloths, armadillos, racoons, white mosed coatis, pacas, and northern tamanduas.
There are only two coral reefs in Costa Rica. Cahuita National Park protects one of them.
Turtles found in Cahuita National Park include the hawksbill, leatherback, and the loggerhead.
The two beaches in Cahuita National Park are Playa Vargas and Playa Blanca. They are almost nine miles of sandy beach but because of strong tides swimmers have to be careful.
At one end of Playa Blanca beach the white faced monkeys will beg visitors for food. Visitors are encouraged not to feed them as it can lead to aggressive behaviour.


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