Colourful Cahuita presents a taste of zesty Creole culture and a laid-back lifestyle that draws a young, hip, unpretentious crowd keen to let down its hair. The rustic hamlet, gateway to Parque Nacional Cahuita, offers fine beaches, accommodations, some of the best regional cuisine in the country, and activities that range from horseback riding to scuba diving and glass-bottom boat tours.

The southern Caribbean was neglected for a long time. This area survived by fishing and by growing cacao, but the latter industry was destroyed by the Monilia fungus two decades ago at about the same time Hwy 36 arrived, linking the region to the rest of the nation. Today, Cahuita, the most colourful village, boasts a new spring in its step thanks to its unabashedly earthy charm.