White sand and a coral reef inside the national park, reachable by a rainforest coastal trail.
Blue Flag beach Protected area
Cahuita National Park
Playa Blanca is a white sand beach inside Cahuita National Park, reached from the park's Cahuita town entrance and backed by rainforest running to the shoreline. Calm, clear water over a coral reef makes it good for swimming and guided snorkeling, and it is one of the more scenic stops along the park's coastal trail. The Bandera Azul Ecológica program awarded it 5 stars in 2025, the top rating.
Enter Cahuita National Park at the Kelly Creek station on the south edge of Cahuita town (donation entry); the trail reaches Playa Blanca after about 1 kilometer.
Cahuita
Cahuita Experience is a Cahuita-based tour operator known mainly for surf lessons that also runs an early-morning fishing trip with a local fisherman, departing around 5am to troll and bottom fish near Cahuita National Park. The 3 to 4 hour tour includes all gear and guests keep their catch, or release it on request.
Cahuita
Marco's Tours is a family-run tour operator based in Cahuita, running since 2018, offering guided snorkeling in Cahuita National Park's protected reefs plus combination snorkel-and-hike tours, waterfall trips, and boat tours to Punta Mona and Isla Uvita. Tours include bilingual local guides, transportation, and equipment, and the company also runs the Restaurante El Cangrejo Loco in Cahuita.
Cahuita
A 320-acre nature preserve and rescue center near Cahuita, operating since 1992 as the first sloth-focused facility in Costa Rica. Educational tours run hourly in the morning and can be combined with a canoe excursion through the rainforest. Advance booking is required and the sanctuary is open Tuesday through Sunday.