Depending on your vacation style, a car may or may not be necessary for sightseeing around Cahuita. Generally, if you plan to visit out-of-the-way sights and travel the area’s numerous unbeaten paths, a car is a good choice. However, if you plan only to travel to the area’s local sights, a combination of walking, biking, buses and taxis will be a less expensive and very comfortable way to travel.
Distance Approximations: 
Cahuita to Bribri: 12 miles
Cahuita to Puerto Viejo: 9 miles
Cahuita to Manzanillo: 17 miles
Puerto Viejo to Bribri: 6.5 miles
Puerto Viejo to Manzanillo: 8 miles
Getting Around:
On Foot:
Cahuita is a very relaxed, Caribbean town where life moves slowly to reggae and calypso beats. Visitors often find walking to be the most pleasant way to get around, and the town’s six main roads are easily navigated on foot. Unlike many parts of Costa Rica, cars and motorcycles often slow down or make way for pedestrians.
Bicycle:
Second only to walking, bicycles are the preferred way to get around town. Experienced road bikers often bike from Cahuita to Puerto Viejo, but be careful of cars and road repair vehicles on the road’s potholed roads. Many hotels and local shops rent bikes for $5 per day.
Electric Carts and Scooters:
If you prefer the freedom of biking and the speed of driving, renting an electric golf cart or scooter may be the perfect compromise. Rental companies will deliver the vehicles with a full tank of gas, so your only concern will be where to adventure first. Most scooters cost $30-$40 per day; if you rent for a week, the seventh day is often free.
Car:
Even the main roads around Cahuita call for a bit of patience and a heavy dose of good humor – call them potholes on the road to paradise – but they’ll get you where you’re going. Corrosive sea winds and heavy rains regularly eat away at the road surface, so most roads are a combination of potholes, dirt, gravel and newly-repaired asphalt. Drive slowly, especially when unfamiliar with the road, and be prepared to transition from paved to potholed dirt in an instant. Cars can be rented in Limon and Puerto Viejo.
Taxi:
Taxis are not quite as prevalent in Cahuita as in Puerto Viejo, but any hotel or restaurant can call one for you. Be sure to use official taxis only – they are red and marked with a yellow triangle on the doors – and remember that they do not use the meter. Be sure to agree on a fare before embarking.
Sample Taxi Fares:
Cahuita to Bribri: $12
Cahuita to Puerto Viejo: $15-$20 (depending on your bargaining skills)
Cahuita to Limon: $35
Public Bus:
If you wish to roam the coast, but don’t have the budget to rent a car, don’t despair: the southern Caribbean boasts decent public bus service. Buses generally run from Limon to Manzanillo, stopping at Cahuita and Puerto Viejo in between.
Limon
—» Cahuita Puerto Viejo Manzanillo
06:00 07:00 07:30 08:00
10:30 11:30 12:00 12:30
15:00 16:00 16:30 17:00
18:00 19:00 19:30 20:00
Manzanillo
—» Puerto Viejo Cahuita Limon
05:00 05:30 06:00 07:00
08:15 08:45 09:15 10:15
12:45 13:15 13:45 14:45
17:00 17:30 18:00 19:00
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