Cahuita National Park
Terrestrial and marine park with coral reefs and no entry fee.
Cahuita National Park is a terrestrial and marine national park on Costa Rica's southern Caribbean coast in Limón Province, connected to the town of Cahuita. It protects beaches and lowlands and contains coralline reefs that attract snorkelers, and serves as a nesting ground for sea turtles. It is notable as one of the least developed beaches in Costa Rica and as the only national park in the country that does not charge an admission fee at the Cahuita entrance.
Quick Facts
- Location
- Costa Rica
- Nearest city
- Cahuita
- Area
- 10.679 km² / 4.12 sq mi (land) / 224.00 km² / 86.5 sq mi (marine)
- Established
- 27 December 1982
- Governing body
- National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC)
Facts from the source article.
History
The site was originally created as the Cahuita National Monument in 1970 and was reformed as a National Park in 1978, a change ratified in 1982. It is the only national park in Costa Rica not to charge an admission fee at the Cahuita entrance, instead relying on donations. In 2025, two Danish slave ships, the Fridericus Quartus and Christianus Quintus, were identified as shipwrecks from 1710 within the park.
More in National Parks of Costa Rica
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