The town of Cabuya is not a very popular touristic place in Costa Rica, but the few that venture to visit this corner of Costa Rica are usually pleasantly surprised.

Cabuya is a small fishing community located on the Nicoya Península, very close (7km) to the touristic hot sports of Montezuma and Santa Teresa and is also the entrance point to Cablo Blanco Reserve. What ticos know as “Cabuya” is a tree, a big strangler fig, the presence of this impressive tree is what gives the island its name.

One of the main attraction of this area is Cabuya Island , also known as Cemetery Island to the locals, this place has the particularity of being accessible by foot at low tide. The island in itself is quiet and peaceful; the island is the eternal resting place of many, it is used as a cemetery, a very particular one.

Some say it was used as a burial site by native Indians since the pre-Columbian times, but locals claim it started being used as a cemetery when a man was found dead in the sea and his body was so decomposed that it had to be buried in the island and since then it has been used with this purpose by the locals and also by many foreigners, that after seeing this, made it their last wish to be buried here.

The neighbors have organized themselves and formed a committee to keep Cemetery Island clean and well-maintained. If someone needs to be buried during high-tide, the boats are necessary for the funeral.

The view from Cabuya Island is beautiful, and it also has many other attractions, snorkeling can be practiced in the north side of the island, line fishing is also a choice, many just prefer to enjoy one of the many natural pools that form, and others say there is a “secret reef surf spot” on the right side of the beach. Renting ATV’s or horseback riding are also part of the many activities available in the area.