Our final stop in Costa Rica turned out to be Cahuita on the Caribbean Sea. We originally travelled from Dominical and Uvita on the Pacific side taking in the scenic mountain route running parallel to Chirripo. For our final 5 days in the country we had planned to get back to the Caribbean side and do a final spot of snorkelling and then try to see the sea turtles coming in to lay their eggs.

We had heard rumours that there were sea turtles in the Manzanillo National Park, next door to Cahuita. So we opted to try our luck instead of trying to get into Tortuguero National Park which seemed a lot more expensive and difficult to get to.

When we arrived in Cahuita we asked around and were told that yes there were turtles nesting in the area but as we were now at the very end of the season the chance of seeing them was very slim. With that in mind and knowing that the price of the tour would be $40 p/p, plus boat expenses which could be up to $20 each, we decided that we were too close to the end of our budget to take the tour with such slim chances.

Instead we opted for a fantastic afternoon of snorkelling at $25 p/p. The price was for a 3 hour tour around the coral reef at Cahuita Point. We had previously been snorkelling in Belize along the barrier reef but were surprised by the amount of beautiful and deadly fish lurking around, including a couple of nurse sharks who swam right past us!

The last few days of our time were spent on the beautiful white sandy beach of Cahuita National Park, where there is no set entrance fee but instead they just ask for donations and you can come and go throughout the day.

The feel of Cahuita is unlike anywhere else in Costa Rica, it’s Tico meets Creole, which means the vibes are very chilled and the place seems to go slower than time itself.

It was a great place to stop and recharge before moving onto South America, and as it was still low season the beaches and town were very quiet allowing us to really soak up the atmosphere!