The southern beach town of Cahuita is laid back and friendly, a place to rest and rejuvenate during the day – and the hot spot for dancing at night. It contains two inviting beaches, one white and one black. Cahuita National Park offers it all – camping, biking, hiking, snorkelling, and more – and is guarded from the treetops by vociferous howler monkeys. Travel farther south to Puerto Viejo to find yet another inviting small beach town with an even more relaxed beat. With a large selection of accommodations and eateries, it makes a good base to cover the whole coast down to the Panamanian border