Chao's Paradise

Cahuita


Follow the wafting smell of garlic and simmering sauces to this highly recommended Playa Negra open-air restaurant-bar, where chef Norman has been serving up fresh catches cooked in spicy ‘Chao’ sauce for more than 20 years. Other dishes include shrimp and octopus in Caribbean sauce, and beef in red-wine sauce. Also has a pool table.

Right next to the Reggae Bar.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Cahuita attractions

1. Playa Negra

0.12 MILES

At the northwestern end of Cahuita, Playa Negra is a long, black-sand beach flying the bandera azul ecológica, a flag that indicates that the beach is…

2. Playa Blanca

1.03 MILES

At the entrance to the national park. A good option for swimming.

3. Parque Nacional Cahuita

1.05 MILES

This small but beautiful park – just 10 sq km – is one of the more frequently visited national parks in Costa Rica. The reasons are simple: the nearby…

4. Cacao Trails

5.68 MILES

Halfway between Cahuita and Puerto Viejo de Talamanca in Hone Creek, this botanical garden and chocolate museum has a couple of small exhibits devoted to…

5. Aiko-logi

6.89 MILES

Nestled into the Cordillera de Talamanca, 15km outside Puerto Viejo, this private 135-hectare reserve is centered on a former finca (farm), on land…

6. Finca La Isla

8.72 MILES

West of town, this farm and botanical garden has long produced organic pepper and cacao, along with more than 150 tropical fruits and ornamental plants…

7. Playa Cocles

9.91 MILES

Playa Cocles has waves for surfers who aren't keen to break skin and bones at nearby Salsa Brava (Costa Rica's biggest break). Instead, it has steep lefts…

8. Jaguar Centro de Rescate

11.1 MILES

Named in honor of its original resident, a jaguar, this well-run wildlife-rescue center in Playa Chiquita now focuses mostly on other animals, including…