Getting Around: Taxis are fairly easy to come by around Puerto Viejo. You’ll either find them hanging around the parquecito (little park), or you can call Taxi PV (tel. 2750-0439). You can rent scooters and bicycles from a handful of roadside operators around town. If you need to rent a car, head to Adobe Rent A Car (www.adobecar.com; tel. 2750-0290).

Town Layout: The road in from the highway runs parallel to Playa Negra, or Black Sand Beach (not the beach in Cahuita), for a few hundred meters before entering the village of Puerto Viejo. The sea is on your left and forested hills on your right as you come into town. It’s another 15km (9 1/3 miles) south to Manzanillo. This road is paved all the way to Manzanillo, although many sections are marked with enormous potholes.

You’ll find a couple of banks and ATMs, as well as the post office (tel. 2750-0404), near the entrance to town. A Guardia Rural police office (tel. 2750-0230) is on the beach, near Johnny’s Place.

There are also a couple of self- and full-service laundromats.

On to Panama: Costa Rica’s southern zone, particularly Puerto Viejo, is a popular jumping-off point for trips into Panama. The nearest and most popular destination is the island retreat of Bocas del Toro. Most tour agencies and hotel desks in the area can arrange tours to Panama. The most reliable and easiest way to get to Bocas del Toro is to take the daily Caribe Shuttle (www.caribeshuttle.com; tel. 2750-0626), which will take you via land and boat for $33 each way; check the website or call for departure times.

Getting There

By Plane: See the info for Limón. Note: While taxis do meet all incoming flights, it’s best to arrange a private transfer with your hotel if possible. Uber has yet to get to this part of Costa Rica.

By Car: To reach Puerto Viejo, continue south from Cahuita on CR36 for another 16km (10 miles). Watch for a prominent and well-marked fork in the highway. The right-hand fork continues on to Bribri, Sixaola, and the Panamanian border. The left-hand fork (it actually appears to be a straight shot) takes you to Puerto Viejo within 5km (3 miles). Gas up in Hone Creek, because there are no gas stations farther south.

By Bus: Mepe express buses (www.mepecr.com; tel. 2257-8129 in San José, or 2758-1572 in Puerto Viejo) to Puerto Viejo leave San José daily at 6 and 10am, noon, and 2 and 4pm from the Caribbean terminal (Gran Terminal del Caribe) on Calle Central, Avenida 13. The trip’s duration is 4[bf]1/2 to 5 hours; the fare is C6,000. During peak periods, extra buses are sometimes added. Always ask if the bus is continuing on to Manzanillo (helpful if you’re staying in a hotel south of town).

Interbus (www.interbusonline.com; tel. 4100-0888) has daily buses that leave San José for Puerto Viejo at 7:20am and 2:30pm. The fare is $54. Interbus buses leave Puerto Viejo daily at 6am and 1:30pm. Interbus will pick you up at most hotels in both San José and Puerto Viejo, and offers connections to various other destinations around Costa Rica.

Or you can catch a bus to Limón and then transfer to a Puerto Viejo–bound bus in Limón. These latter buses (tel. 2758-1572) leave roughly every hour between 7:30am and 4:30pm from the main terminal in Limón. Buses from Limón to Manzanillo stop in Puerto Viejo and leave daily about every 2 hours between 5:50am and 6:30pm. The trip is 11/2 hours; the fare is C2,800 to Puerto Viejo, and C3,550 to Manzanillo.

If you arrive in Puerto Viejo by bus, be leery of street salesmen offering hotel rooms. In most cases, they work on a small commission from whatever hotel or cabina is hiring, and, in some cases, they’ll steer you away from a better hotel or falsely claim that it’s full.

Express buses leave Puerto Viejo for San José daily at 9 and 11am and 4pm. Buses for Limón leave daily roughly every 2 hours between 9:30am and 6:30pm. However, schedules are subject to change, so it’s best to check with your hotel. Buses to Punta Uva and Manzanillo leave Puerto Viejo about a half-dozen times throughout the day.

Fast Facts

You’ll find a couple of banks and ATMs, as well as the post office ((tel) 2750-0404), near the entrance to town. A Guardia Rural police office ((tel) 2750-0230) is on the beach, near Johnny’s Place.

Several little Internet cafes are around town. There are also a couple of self- and full-service laundromats—the one at Café Rico ((tel) 2750-0510) will give you a free cup of coffee, cappuccino, or espresso while you wait.

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