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Planning a trip to Cahuita
Village Layout
Cahuita only has about eight, mostly dirt streets. The highway runs parallel to the coast, with three main access roads running perpendicular. The northernmost of these bypasses town and brings you to the northern end of Playa Negra. It’s marked with signs for the Magellan Inn and other hotels. The second road takes you to the southern end of Playa Negra, about 1km (a half-mile) closer to town. The third road is the principal entrance into town. The village’s main street, parallel to the highway, dead-ends at the national park entrance (a footbridge over a small stream).
Buses drop their passengers off at a bus terminal at the back of a small strip mall on the main entrance road into town. Cabs will be waiting to take you to the lodges on Playa Negra. Or you can walk north on the street that runs between Coco’s Bar and the small park. This road curves to the left and continues 1.6km (1 mile) or so out to Playa Negra.
The police station (tel. 2755-0217) is located where the road from Playa Negra turns into town. You’ll find the post office (tel. 2755-0096), as well as a well-equipped pharmacy, Farmacia Cahuita (tel. 2755-0505), and a bank with an ATM in the small strip mall in front of the bus station. If you can’t find a cab, ask your hotel to call you one.
Fast Facts
The police station (tel. 2755-0217) is located where the road from Playa Negra turns into town. You’ll find the post office (tel. 2755-0096), as well as a well-equipped pharmacy, Farmacia Cahuita (tel. 2755-0505), and a bank with an ATM in the small strip mall in front of the bus station. If you can’t find a cab, ask your hotel to call you one.
Getting There
By Plane: See Limón info. Note: While taxis do meet all incoming flights, I highly recommend you arrange a shuttle, or private transfer with your hotel if possible.
By Car: As you enter Limón, about 5 blocks before the busiest section of downtown, watch for a paved road to the right, just before the railroad tracks. Take this road (CR36) south to Cahuita, passing the airstrip and the beach on your left as you leave Limón. Alternatively, a turnoff with signs for Sixaola and La Bomba is several miles before Limón. This winding shortcut skirts the city and puts you on the coastal road (CR36) several miles south of Limón.
By Bus: Mepe express buses (www.mepecr.com; tel. 2257-8129) leave San José daily at 6 and 10am, noon, and 2 and 4pm from the Caribbean bus terminal (Gran Terminal del Caribe) on Calle Central, Avenida 13. The trip’s duration is 4 hours; the fare is C5,115. During peak periods, extra buses are often added. However, it’s wise to check because this bus line (Mepe) is one of the most fickle.
You can also catch a bus to Limón and then transfer to a Cahuita- or Puerto Viejo–bound bus (tel. 2758-1572) in Limón. These buses leave roughly every 2 hours between 7:30am and 4:30pm from the main Terminal Talamanca in Limón. Buses from Limón to Manzanillo also stop in Cahuita and leave from the same spot leave roughly every 2 hours between 6:30am and 6:30pm. The trip takes 1 hour; the fare is C3,500.
Interbus (www.interbusonline.com; tel. 2283-5573) has a daily bus that leaves San José for Cahuita at 7:20am. The fare is $54. Interbus buses leave Cahuita daily at both 6am and 1:30pm. Interbus will pick you up at most area hotels in both San José and Cahuita, and offers connections to various other destinations around Costa Rica.
Buses departing Puerto Viejo and Sixaola (on the Panama border) stop in Cahuita roughly every 2 hours between 7am and 7pm en route to San José. However, the schedule is far from precise, so it’s always best to check with your hotel. Moreover, these buses are often full, particularly on weekends and in the high season. To avoid standing in the aisle all the way to San José, it is sometimes better to take a bus first to Limón and then catch one of the frequent Limón–San José buses. Buses to Limón pass through Cahuita regularly throughout the day.
