For my first foreign cache, I decided to put it here because of the special nature of this place, the incredible natural beauty of the area, and to call attention to the wonderful work done by the folks at "The Tree Of Life" botanical garden and animal refuge. See related web page above.
Note the open hours and that there is one guided tour available daily and no self guided tours. Closed Mondays. Tu - Su at 11.00am for one daily guided tour, Monday Closed
The refuge is an everchanging work in progress with botanical gardens featuring native flora with hundreds of species of palms, heliconias, bromelias, and other native species. The refuge also takes in native animals that have been wounded, orphaned, or raised captively, with the goal of rehabitating the animals and returning them to the wild. This is not always possible, and some become permanent residents. You never know what you might see, when we visited there were deer, peccaries, capuchin monkeys, blue butterflies, various birds, turtles, as well as lush tropical jungle plants. Across the street is a beautiful sand beach and the Carribean Sea
The cache is located in the parking area and is accessible anytime, but daytime is preferable. The owners are aware of this cache, and have agreed to keep an eye on it, however you should use stealth as the neighborhood kids can be quite curious. To get here, look for the yellow "Tree Of Life" sign approx 2km north of the turnoff to Cahuita, and head down the road toward the Carribean Sea. This area is known as Playa Grande. The owners of the Tree of Life Botanical Gardens and Animal Refuge know of the cache placement and will watch over it, and, who knows, if you get a little stuck, they might even throw in a hint or two!
The cache is a tupperware container. Initially there is a logbook and a geocoin that originated in Washington State.
Thanks for looking and enjoy the Cahuita area while you're here. The food is good, and the beaches are beautiful. Wildlife abounds.
PURA VIDA
The Tree of Life Botanical Gardens and Animal Sanctuary has closed permanently. I am leaving this cache up for now, but may have to take it down in the future. The cache itself is still accessible in the parking area.