Refugio Nacional Gandoca-Manzanillo

You’ll need to take the dirt road along the beach all the way to the end to get here. Went for a quick walk with our kids and it was wonderful and unspoiled. We saw howler monkeys in the trees close to the beach 🖤

Absolutely worth the ride to the end of the road. If you keep going you’ll end up in Panama. The park is stunning and well maintained. Expect heavy rain on and off but warm temperatures. I prefer to stay in Cahuita and drive here because there isn’t a lot to do near by once you’re out of the park. There is a “soda” cocina near by with cheap and delicious food.

One of the best Beaches that I have ever visited. Great national park. Great hiking trails, amazing landscape, incredible Flora and Fauna. Crystal clear water and one of the most beautiful sands I've seen! Will definitely go back 10/10

We enjoyed our visit. It's beautiful. Visitors can make a donation at the entrance. It's worth it!

There is a lookout with gorgeous views. Our beach picnic has a beautiful view.

If you want to see the cave and beyond, make sure you wear proper shoes. The trail was very muddy and slippery. We could not go too far because we wore flip flops.

A beautiful park with monkeys, sloths and birds. We didn’t hike all the way to the end of the trail but turned off on a side trail where we saw tucans and other birds. As noted, parking is free so skip the folks asking you to pay. No one needs to guard your vehicle. And the park is donation basis.

This was one of our favorite destinations. The trails are mostly shaded with a good mix of beach and jungle. Tons of wildlife. Must see if in the area.

Absolutely beautiful. There is parking right along the beach next to the entrance. Don't be surprised when someone approaches and tells you there's a charge to park, you don't actually have to pay it. It's not part of the park, but they allow these people to offer to watch over your vehicle for a fee, and it's probably worth the 3000k or so colones($5usd) they ask for. The fee to enter the park is a donation of whatever you want to pay. You sign a registration sheet with your name address and number of people in your group (I assume this is to be sure you make it out of the park). They check your bags for food that your not allowed to bring in, alcohol, meat(I assume they mean raw meat) and no smoking is allowed in the park. We had a mini cooler that they didn't really dig thru with sandwich meats and lettuce and bread. Just use care not to bring things to contaminate or feed the animals.
There's a nice walking path that is cleaned of debris and neatly maintained. About 200 meters in there is a beach area with a place that you can wade/swim but there are rock shelves that surround different areas of the park so you can't go in too far. Then you come to a look out point that is accessible by stairs or a ramp. We had a senior in our group and made it fine to this point and a little further down some wide dirt stairs but stopped here only due to distance. There was a nice beach area perfect for sunbathing and getting your feet wet but not for swimming, too many rocks. There are lots of big spiders to see on the sides of the path, don't worry they aren't dangerous, just creepy! We also saw sloths, monkeys and lots of hermit crabs. But again, due to our limitations we didn't go very far.
Do go early if you want to spend some time, the park closes at 4pm and they ask you to begin exiting at 3pm, everyone is required to exit.

This is a beautiful national refuge that is definitely worth visiting if you are staying in the Puerto Viejo area. There are several pretty beach areas to swim and hang out at for the day. There are trails to hike and various wildlife can be spotted throughout the park. There was no fee, they just ask for a donation to the park. Two different ladies who worked there greatly emphasized to us to not put down our backpack or camera equipment or leave it unattended even for a second. Apparently, thieves are an issue and will take stuff if you don't keep an eye on it. We had no issues, but we also kept our belongings on us at all times.

A beautiful tropical forest surrounded by lovely hidden beaches, perfect for swimming or relaxing after the hike. Arrive early because the park closes well before dusk.

It's such a beautiful place, nature, trees, monkeys, the ocean, the views, everything is amazing. You can leave your car just in front of the entrance and go for a walk into the park.

An amazing place!
The Refugio Nacional Gandoca-Manzanillo is my favourite part of Puerto Viejo. The forest/jungle is incredible. The beaches are amazing. My favourite beaches in all of Puerto Viejo are all in the park. Well worth a visit. I would say if you do nothing else during your stay in Puerto Viejo, make sure you do this.

Amazing hiking and wildlife. Full hike takes you to the Panama border

We had a nice walk till the view point, over looking the small Island. We saw several types of crabs, which the children enjoyed looking at. There were lots of monkeys on the trees. We even saw a large iguana. The beach view is a big bonus.

Refugio Nacional Gandoca- Manzanillo is a magical place loaded with breathtaking views, a beautiful tropical landscape, lots of animals; stories of prates and more.

When I was in College I read a book titled "La Loca de Gandoca" it was about an environmentalist woman who was fighting to keep this sanctuary untouched. Her fight and discourse were worth to be listened to. Unfortunately powerful economic interests were against her. Since then, I swore one day I would visit this area. It took me more than 25 years to fulfill this journey. Boy oh boy, it is more than a paradise. Limón ( Caribbean Coast) is not as explored as Guanacaste or Puntarenas ( Pacific Coast provinces ), people don't know what they are missing, well I would say Costa Ricans because foreigners know where to find this hidden paradise.

I love Limon and my heart is at Manzanillo and Cahuita.

We went early in May and glad that it was a beautiful day. Nevertheless, it was muddy and slippery in some areas and it’s good that I had my walking stick. It’s well worth a visit if you are near the area.

A small but very pretty park - no entrance fee - with beautiful beaches where you can spend the day snorkeling and bathing in an all natural environment (no facilities like toilets or restaurants available).

You can go in on your own and with some patience, good daylight, and looking at the tree tops; you'll see sloths. Also lots of birds, lizards every other 30 ft., hermit crabs everywhere. There are guided tours for $35 or so, I found them quite pricey.

This is an easy hike. Must do it. So much to see. Go early and bring a suit. You can swim in secluded spots. Wonderful views and wild life.

The parking has an attendant from 8 to 5. You find it at the very end of the road before the Footbridge. There are two Trails. One turns off to the right after the set of houses that you walk by on the shore line trail as you proceed up the shoreline. The other Trail continues more or less along the shoreline until you reach the Manzanilla point "Miss May". You do have to cross at least one Ridge before you reach the point on the shore line trail. Together they form a loop. The coral reef travels from the point out away from the shore line heading back to the river. The best swimming is before the river/Footbridge because there is space between the shore and the coral.

Beautiful place.
You just need to give a contribution if you want to enter.
Depends of the part of the map that you want to visit is easy to walk.