Gandoca Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge

The Gandoca Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge is the last stop on the Puerto Viejo Road along the Caribbean Coast, you cannot go any further, unless you want to walk, and it is highly inadvisable as it’s pure jungle all the way to Panama.
The tropical forest of the Caribbean is green, green and greener and very different from what you will find in other parts of the country. The monkeys that had run away with the 1991 earthquake (see Cahuita are now back, and the flora and fauna is exuberant and colorful. This area was actually included on the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance, and not without reason. It is home to the Baird’s tapir, Ocelots, sloths, crocodiles, monkeys and more. Toucans are often seen, as well as hummingbirds.
The coral reefs, extending as far as 200 meters into the sea, give way to beautiful white sand beaches, with a gentle surf and warm water. If you are lucky you will see the West Indian Manatee and dolphins jumping in the waves, especially around the Gandoca estuary, further south there in the mangrove, tarpons lay their eggs, and there are banks of large oysters. It is not unusual while lying lazily on the beach in Manzanillo to be offered fresh lobster by local fisherman. If you have no way of cooking it, they will do it for you! Before you know it, they’ll have a fire going on the beach, and you can get ready for one of the most fabulous meal of your life!
The refuge is very well known for its excellent scuba diving because of the Coral Reef that runs from Punta Uva all the way to Manzanillo. Other activities in this beautiful area include snorkeling, sea kayaking, hiking and of course if you are lucky, turtle watching, as the leatherback come to these beaches to lay their eggs. The turquoise water of Gandoca looks too good to be true, it’s like something out of one the holiday magazines you often see and cannot believe that it can be real!
There are some hotels and cabinas there in Manzanillo, as well as places to eat, if you like seafood you will not be disappointed! As in the rest of the whole Caribbean, most people speak English, Patois and Spanish.
If you want to explore the area a little bit, you may rent some bicycles or go on foot. Bikes are for rent in many shops either in Manzanillo or in Puerto Viejo. If you want to buy some goods, do it in Puerto Viejo before you move on to Manzanillo. Manzanillo is still underdeveloped; electricity only got there in the 1980s and there were no phone lines until the year 2000. It is the ideal spot for those who want to get away from everything and relax while feeling in close contact with nature. Should you need to have some nightlife, you will find it in Puerto Viejo!
To reach Manzanillo, go to Limon, then follow the coast until you reach Puerto Viejo, and continue as far as there is a road! There are buses going to Manzanillo daily. To get to the Gandoca area, pass Cahuita, go to Hone Creek, and then follow the indications for Bribri. In Sixaola, a seedy town at the Panama border, take the coastal road to Gandoca.