Cahuita is a very unique national park in the south caribbean cost of Costa Rica. Founded in 1970, the park encloses treasures from both land and water, with 1,106 hectares of protected land and 22,400 hectares of protected marine area, which have 600 hectares of the most developed coral reefs of the Costa Rican caribbean coast. It is one of few community-managed national parks in the country, which means that your entry fee will be a contribution to the development of the park and the community.
Named after a local tree, “Kawe Ta” literally means Punta Sangrillo or Point of the blood tree. The name of the Sangrillo tree – Pterocarpus officinalis – comes from the color of its sap, red like blood, but ironically the sap is know to have medicinal agents that help stop bleeding. The Sangrillo tree can reach up to 40 m (120 feet) high, hosting habitats from the floor of the swampy costal tropical forest to a canopy filled with epiphyte plants, birds and other wildlife.
The community of Cahuita is a former artisanal fishing heritage has now been transformed into a high quality tourism service industry without loosing the laid-back Caribbean vibe. If you visit the town and park of Cahuita you will not only be able to experience this Caribbean vibe but you will also immerse yourself in a spirited paradise of colors, music and wildlife.
