The shoreline of Cahuita National Park, in Costa Rica

© Greg Basco/Minden Picture

The lazy days of summer have arrived. Longer days mean warmer sand

Today we’re hitting the beach in Costa Rica’s Cahuita National Park because, well, just take a look at this place. If the sun gets too intense, we might take a stroll into the park’s lowland wet forest where, if we’re lucky, we’ll see sloths, toucans, and howler and capuchin monkeys; or maybe we’ll encounter armadillos, coatis, iguanas, and tamanduas (anteaters). After that, we’ll take a dip in the Caribbean waters offshore to marvel at coral reefs, sea turtles, and hundreds of species of fish.