Entry by voluntary donation instead of a fixed fee, a pioneering model of Costa Rican community tourism
Area
11 km²
Protection category
IUCN II
Parque nacional —
Designated in
1970
Declared in 1970 in conflict with the local Afro-Caribbean community of Cahuita, who saw their traditional access to the beach and the reef threatened by the creation of an externally managed park, it adopted, after the 1994 protests against fees, a pioneering model of entry by voluntary donation instead of a fixed fee, run partly by the community itself, which continues today as a much-cited example of Costa Rican community tourism. It also protects one of the last relatively healthy coral reefs on the Costa Rican Caribbean.
Location
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4 dive sites within 300 km are also shown.
Cahuita: 96 documented species
Mammals28Birds16Reptiles7Amphibians
Flora and ecosystems
Ecosystems found in Costa Rica, where Cahuita lies.
Tropical rainforestMarine / coastal
Experiences in this park
Diving and snorkellingBirdwatching
Nearby dive sites
Where can I dive near here?
77 km away
164 km away
272 km away
Wildlife you can see now
What is worth looking out for this month in Costa Rica?
Now is a good time: Olive ridley arribada at Ostional (July to November (largest arribadas; smaller ones occur year-round))
Now is a good time: Sea turtle nesting in Costa Rica (July to October at Tortuguero (peak in August and September); March to July for leatherbacks)
Now is a good time: Sea turtle nesting in Costa Rica (July to October at Tortuguero (peak in August and September); March to July for leatherbacks)
Similar parks
Which other parks are like this one?
Same country: Costa Rica
Same country: Costa Rica
Same country: Costa Rica
Same country: Costa Rica
Keep exploring
Based on what we already know about this park.
Costa Rica
