Meet Cahuita!
The Lonely Planet guidebook describes it as "breathtakingly beautiful."
Frommer's guidebook declares: "Any way you slice it, Cahuita is one of the most laid-back villages in Costa Rica."
Another travel guide is a bit more lyrical:
Costa Rica’s world-renowned natural beauty is abundantly present in Cahuita. Toucans, sloths, iguanas, howler monkeys, sea turtles and other exotic fauna run wild. Orchids, jasmine, ylang ylang, and frangipani perfume the salt-sprayed air. With access to untouched rainforests and volcanic black sand beaches, the village and its surrounding area boast endless possibilities.
An isolated fishing village until the first road unto the community was build in 1976, Cahuita retains the genuine quaintness lost by so many once enchanting Costa Rica communities. Cauhita is a small, funky, vibrant village which works hard to preserve its unique character and its glorious natural surroundings.
In fact, Cahuita is the antithesis of the growing number of Pacific coast "communities" that fit this recent description of Tamarindo: "Tamarindo is not a city. It’s not even a town. Tamarindo has no political presence. It’s just a place on a beach with a lot happening. There is no local government in town. There’s no school, there’s no central square with a soccer field flanked by a small church, features of almost every little settlement in Guanacaste. The Ticos who work here live in surrounding towns." (Remarkably, this was written by a Tamarindo real estate agent and developer, in response to news reports of the horrific ocean pollution which caused the town to lose its "Blue Flag" status.)
A few things you won't find in Cahuita:
-- high-rise condos (actually, we don't have any condos here, or a single building taller than the treetops)
-- luxury resort complexes (although we have some lovely hotels and an amazing array of great restaurants, all owned and operated by people who actually live here)
-- gated compounds in which you isolate yourself from real nature and the local culture (the culture here has a distinctly Reggae beat, although the population is multi-national, multi-cultural, multi-racial and multi-linqual)
-- Wal-marts, shopping malls, or similar enterprises which have earned many sections of Costa Rica the nickname "Gringolandia"
-- rampant growth (we're not totally pleased by this recent statement in the influential International Living magazine: ”For those looking for early-in real estate opportunities, we suggest you explore Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast.”)
-- fast food joints (life here sometimes seems inspired by the much maligned sloth, which is capable of quick movement but rarely sees the need)
-- traffic jams (most travel here is on bicycle or foot; from the city of Limón, all the way south along the Caribbean coast to the border with Panama, there is only one gas station, and not a single traffic light)
-- casinos or a raucous nightlife (but, if you're in the mood for more action, it's always available in Puerto Viejo, just 13 km south, which we consider "a great place to visit but we wouldn't want to live there" especially since this already crowded town seems doomed to much greater development)
-- the brown, desolate landscape, and constant swirl of dust, which characterize the six month "dry season" along most of the Pacific coast
-- hurricanes or perpetual rain (although it rains enough year round to keep things green, most of the rain falls at night)
And a few things you will find here in Cahuita:
-- The jewel of Cahuita, and the best insurance policy for preservation of its pristine white beaches: the stunning Cahuita National Park.
-- a complement to the Park's long white beach, Cahuita's “Black Beach” (named for its dark sand) which runs along the length of the town and heads north for miles (fringed with lush tropical greenery, it has distinct areas featuring inlets, coral platforms, coves and sandy beaches, and is a local favorite area for exploring on foot, horseback or bike)
-- a friendly community with a blend of Costa Rican, Afro-Caribbean and indigenous people born here, along with many residents originally from Europe, Canadian and the United States (it has been calculated that there are some 45 different nationalities living in or near Cahuita)
-- an extremely eclectic building style: many typical Caribbean style houses of vividly bright contrasting colors, in various degrees of repair, which sit comfortably next to slightly grander homes, including: a surprisingly modest home owned by a member of the British House of Lords . . . a tall, all-glass house nestled between the branches of a giant mango tree . . . and the new home of a well know literary editor with a design that was featured recently in both the New York Times and the International Herald Tribune.
-- casual and fine dining restaurants with a variety of Caribbean, Costa Rican, and international cuisine (but don't hesitate to wear shorts to any of the local restaurants)
-- fresh local produce, seafood and poultry, sold along the roads or delivered to your door, and small supermarkets for other necessities (for truly gourmet food shopping, head to neighboring Puerto Viejo)
-- real schools, including the international Complimentary School which teaches preschool through twelfth grade children, and attracts children from families living all along the coast
-- courses in Spanish, French, German and English (although English is more widely spoken along the Caribbean than anywhere else in Costa Rica) including private tutors at surprisingly low cost
-- a genuine soccer field, where children and adults play throughout the year
-- a small but steady stream of tourists from around the world, many of them young, others who first came here decades ago and faithfully return each year, and most of them eager to share knowledge of their own countries and cultures
-- on both stretches of Cahuita's beaches, the coveted Blue Flag, awarded through a formal annual evaluation process which rates such factors as water quality, water treatment, garbage handling, education and security
-- devotees of, and courses in, meditation, yoga, organic gardening, natural healing, etc., etc.
-- internet cafes, and high speed (up to 4,096 kbps) ADSL service available to local residents
-- a bank and a pharmacy (both new arrivals)
-- music galore: Calypso, reggae, jazz and occasionally rock, including frequent live performances by local, national, and even international musicians (Cahuita is home to the legendary Calypso composer/singer Walter Ferguson, who has been playing his guitar for the past eighty years or so)
-- A variety of things to do if you tire of simply relaxing, including bird and wildlife watching, hiking, horseback riding (galloping along Black Beach is sublime), fishing, snorkeling, scuba diving, cycling (especially along the National Park’s beach and trails), boat tours, surfing, sea and river kayaking, photography, sampling international cuisine, and more
-- most importantly: much more nature than concrete -- and possibly more monkeys than people!
If you've never been here, please come and visit. Any myths you may have heard will soon be dispelled, and you can be assured of a warm welcome.
