Depending on your vacation style, a car may or may not be necessary for sightseeing around Puerto Viejo. 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, well-known sights, a combination of walking, biking, buses and taxis will be a less expensive and very comfortable way to travel.
Distance Approximations: 
Puerto Viejo to Bribri: 6.5 miles
Puerto Viejo to Manzanillo: 8 miles
Puerto Viejo to Cahuita: 9 miles
Cahuita to Manzanillo: 17 miles
Cahuita to Bribri: 12 miles
On Foot:
Puerto Viejo is a very relaxed, Caribbean town where life seems to move more slowly. Visitors without a rigid schedule may find walking to be the most pleasant way to get around. In fact, many visitors and residents prefer to hoof it around the town’s dirt roads, and, unlike in many parts of Costa Rica, cars and motorcycles often slow down or make way for pedestrians.
Bicycle:
Bicycles are the preferred way to get around town, since they maneuver around potholes with ease and are much faster than walking. Biking from Puerto Viejo to Manzanillo is highly recommended – quiet roads and beautiful scenery await travelers. 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, you often get the seventh day free.
Car:
Puerto Viejo’s roads call for a bit of patience and a heavy dose of good humor, 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 prevalent in Puerto Viejo, so don’t hesitate to take advantage of their experienced drivers, air-conditioning and reasonable fares. 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:
Puerto Viejo to Bribri: $15
Puerto Viejo to Punta Cocles: $6
Puerto Viejo to Punta Uva: $10
Puerto Viejo to Cahuita: $20- $25(depending on your bargaining skills)
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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