Gandoca-Manzanillo
A Caribbean refuge at the Panamanian border protecting reef, mangrove and the country's best-preserved lowland forest on that coast.
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The Gandoca-Manzanillo refuge runs along the last stretch of Caribbean coast before Panama, protecting around fifty square kilometres of land and sea: coral reef offshore, one of the few in Costa Rica, mangrove and a rare stand of holillo palm swamp at Gandoca, and lowland rainforest that comes right down to the beach. A coastal trail runs from Manzanillo village through the forest to Punta Mona, with howler monkeys and sloths overhead and the sea on one side. Manatees use the Gandoca lagoon, leatherbacks nest on the beaches, and dolphins including the tucuxi occur offshore.
What you actually see
- The coastal trail - from Manzanillo through forest to Punta Mona.
- The reef - one of the few living coral reefs in the country.
- Gandoca lagoon - mangrove and holillo swamp, with manatees.
- Leatherback nesting - on the refuge beaches from March to July.
When to go
The Caribbean coast has a different pattern from the Pacific: February to April and September to October are the driest and calmest, with the wettest months in between. Snorkelling needs calm water, which is most likely in September and October.
Honest expectations
Caribbean weather here does not follow the national dry season and visitors often arrive at the wrong time; September and October are the reliably good months. The reef has been damaged by sediment from deforestation and by warming. The coastal trail is muddy and easy to lose in places; a guide helps. Facilities are minimal.
Nearby
Manzanillo village is at the trailhead; Puerto Viejo is twenty minutes north.
What to pack for Gandoca-Manzanillo
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.
