Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge (Manzanillo entrance)
Park · Caribbean Coast
Free-to-enter coastal refuge with rainforest trail, quiet coves, reefs and sea stacks east of Manzanillo. A good place for birds, sloths and monkeys.
- Cost
- Free
- Time there
- 3 h
- Best time
- morning
- Kids
- 4 / 10
- View
- 8 / 10
- Crowds
- 2 / 10
- Swimming
- 3 / 10
- Effort
- 4 / 10
- Location
- 9.63583, -82.65263 — Google Maps
Tip
Start early and hire a local guide at Manzanillo to spot wildlife; bring water, rain gear and shoes that can get muddy.
Be careful
The trail gets slippery after rain and the surf off the rocky points is rough, so stay on the path and out of the water there.
Places nearby
- Cool & Calm Reggae Bar and GrillFood & CoffeeReggae bar and grill in Manzanillo village at the end of the road, praised for whole grilled red snapper and juicy ribs with a house basting sauce.
- El Refugio GrillFood & CoffeeCalm, well-lit grill at the entrance to Playa Grande on the Manzanillo road, with a daily menu of the freshest fish and meats and a good wine list; a go-to for a sit-down dinner on the south coast.
- Punta Uva Dive CenterSurf, Boats & Diving · from $55Beachfront PADI dive shop at Punta Uva with shore and boat dives on the shallow Caribbean reef, courses from first-time Discover Scuba to Divemaster, and snorkel trips.
- Hotel Aguas ClarasStaysBoutique hotel of brightly painted Caribbean-style bungalows right on Playa Chiquita, south of Puerto Viejo.
- Restaurante SelvinFood & CoffeeSmall family restaurant on the road to Punta Uva, known for coconut-rice-and-beans plates and the local rondón soup, with a lively atmosphere in the evening.
- CHOCORARTFood & CoffeeChocolate factory and cacao farm on the Playa Chiquita road south of Puerto Viejo, rated 4.9 on Google and 4.8 on Tripadvisor.
Sources: OpenStreetMap node/4048703617 · Wikidata Q1493383 · https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Limón_Province · https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/4048703617 · https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1493383