Getting Here and Around

Autotransportes MEPE buses travel from San José’s Terminal Atlántico Norte seven times a day—plan on four hours for the trip—and approximately hourly throughout the day from Limón and Puerto Viejo de Talamanca. The bus terminal here sits at the entrance to Cahuita, about four blocks from the town center. You can give yourself a wider selection of times than the six daily San José–Cahuita services: hourly Grupo Caribeños buses connect San José with Limón, and hourly MEPE buses connect Limón with Cahuita. The MEPE and Caribeños terminals are one block apart in Limón. Walking could be an option if you’re not laden with bags and if it’s still light out. Unlike MEPE vehicles, Caribeños buses are air-conditioned.

Car travel is straightforward: watch for signs in Limón and head 45 minutes south on the coastal highway. Road conditions fluctuate with the severity of the previous year's rains and with the speed at which highway crews patch the potholes (the road’s blacktop surface makes it a never-ending battle). Cahuita has three entrances from the highway: the first takes you to the far north end of the Playa Negra road, near the Magellan Inn; the second, to the middle section of Playa Negra, near the Atlántida Lodge; and the third, to the tiny downtown.

The proximity of the Panamanian border means added police vigilance on the coastal highway. No matter what your mode of travel, expect a passport inspection and cursory vehicle search at a police checkpoint just north of Cahuita. If you're on public transportation, you may be required to disembark from the bus while it’s searched.

Navigating Cahuita

Cahuita's tiny center is quite walkable, if dusty in the dry season and muddy in the wet season once you get off the few paved streets. It's about a 30-minute walk to the end of the Playa Negra road to Hotel La Diosa. Always take a taxi to or from Playa Negra and Playa Grande after dark. Cahuita has a couple of officially licensed red taxis, but most transportation is provided informally by private individuals. To be on the safe side, have your hotel or restaurant call a driver for you.

Bicycles are a popular means of utilitarian transportation in Cahuita. Seemingly everyone rents basic touring bikes for $20 per day, but quality varies widely—and note that no one rents helmets.