The chances are pretty high that if you’ve come to Puerto Viejo then you’re also heading to Cahuita National Park. (and you should). This National Park on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica was established in 1970 with the primary aim of protecting a large coral reef off the coast. Today the white sandy beaches, glorious hiking, and natural reserves are still free to enter (although you can leave a donation to help with the upkeep of the park). Cahuita is just a short distance from Puerto Viejo and is easy to reach. So here are the different methods of transport to go from Puerto Viejo to Cahuita, how long they take, how much they cost, and what your choices are. Here’s our guide on how to get to Cahuita from Puerto Viejo,
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BEST WAY TO TRAVEL
The Easiest Way to Get to Cahuita
The easiest way to go from Puerto Viejo to Cahuita is a shared shuttle. There’s just one a day so you’ll need to book it early.
There are public buses available here, shared shuttles to Cahuita from Puerto Viejo, and of course, taxis and if you have a rental car then you can also drive.
You can take a shared shuttle to Cahuita from Puerto Viejo, collected at your hotel and dropped either at the National Park entrance or in the town of Cahuita.
Read on for more details on the local buses and the timetable for going by bus to Cahuita from Puerto Viejo.
Cahuita is 17 kilometers (10.5 miles) from Puerto Viejo and transport to Cahuita will take around 20 minutes for a shared shuttle. The local bus takes about 30 minutes depending on where you get dropped off. We’ve covered Cahuita, the National Park, the Jaguar Rescue Center and other highlights of the area in our guide to Puerto Viejo here.
How to Go from Puerto Viejo to Cahuita – Transport Options
In this guide on how to go from Puerto Viejo to Cahuita, we’ll cover the fastest way to travel from Puerto Viejo to Cahuita, the most convenient way to go to Cahuita from Puerto Viejo, and the cheapest way to get to Cahuita from Puerto Viejo.
You can rent a car and drive to Cahuita, take a private transfer, or a shared shuttle, or take the local bus from Puerto Viejo to Cahuita.
How to get to Cahuita from Puerto Viejo
We’ll go through the options in order of convenience. If you’re looking for the cheapest way to go, then skip on down to the details of the local bus.
Private Transfer or Taxi from Puerto Viejo to Cahuita
Taking a private taxi to Cahuita from Puerto Viejo is the fastest way to go to Cahuita, as you’ll get transported from your hotel in Puerto Viejo to wherever you want to go in Cahuita – whether that’s the National Park, the town of Cahuita or if you want to go somewhere different instead you could go to the Jaguar Rescue center which we recommend and is covered below.
This is the most comfortable and convenient way to travel from Puerto Viejo to Cahuita. You can check prices for Puerto Viejo to Cahuita taxis here.
Driving from Puerto Viejo to Cahuita
If you decide to drive from Puerto Viejo to Cahuita, then it’s very simple. Put the address that you want into Google and set off! It’s an easy drive and not far.
Just be sure when you park, leave the car off the road and do NOT leave valuables in it. If you’re carrying valuables, then we recommend using a portable travel safe and locking them in it, in the trunk of the car, and locking it to a metal loop in the trunk to secure it. Do this before you leave your hotel, NOT when you park the car.
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There are several options for renting a car in Costa Rica. We recommend using Discover Cars to get quotes from all the big names and select the one that best suits you.
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There is a single shared shuttle that runs each day at 09:00 from Puerto Viejo to Cahuita. There may be more during the high season. You can check the availability and timetables here.
This shared shuttle to Cahuita will pick you up at your hotel and drop you at a location of your choice in Cahuita, whether that’s the national park or elsewhere.
The return trip from Cahuita to Puerto Viejo leaves Cahuita at 16:00. You can check the availability of this route here.
Biking from Puerto Viejo to Cahuita
This part of the coast is pretty flat and there isn’t a huge amount of traffic, so renting a bike and cycling to Cahuita from Puerto Viejo is an option. Most hotels in Puerto Viejo will either have bikes for rent (expect to pay about US$10 a day per bike) or they will point you to their preferred option. We rented bikes one day and rode all the way to Manzanillo and back, the route is easy and the bikes were reasonable.
Bus from Puerto Viejo to Cahuita
This is the cheapest way to go to Cahuita from Puerto Viejo. And the bus that runs this route is the Limon to Puerto Viejo Bus. We took this bus in both directions and it was really easy to both catch and ride. The only thing is that you’ll need to get there a little early to make sure you can get a ticket. You need to buy a ticket from the small ticket office (see on the map).
The buses are run by MEPE and leave Puerto Viejo at 05:30, 08:30, 10:00, 11:00, 13:00, 16:00,17:00 and 18:00
There is a slightly reduced Sunday service: 07:00, 08:30, 10:30, 14:00, 16:30, 17:30, 18:30
For the return trip, buses leave Cahuita at 07:15, 09:15, 11:15, 13:15, 15:15, 16:15, 17:15, and 18:15.
The Sunday service from Cahuita is 07:45, 09:15, 11:15, 13:15, 14:15, 16:15, 18:15
When you’re returning to Puerto Viejo from Cahuita, there are two really important times to note.
- Cahuita National Park closes at 16:00
- The last bus from Cahuita to Puerto Viejo is at 18:00.
The cost of the bus from Puerto Viejo to Cahuita is 750 CRC
Go also to the Jaguar Research Center from Puerto Viejo
As you’re traveling in this area, it’s worth making a trip to the Jaguar Rescue Center, which despite the name, does not rescue jaguars, but other animals, including sloths. And yes, the baby sloths here are really cute and worth the trip alone. You can take a shuttle here – and it goes directly to the sloth sanctuary at the Jaguar rescue center.
Map for Buses from Puerto Viejo to Cahuita
You can also view the full map of Puerto Viejo to Cahuita here.
The quickest way to get from Puerto Viejo to Cahuita
The quickest way to get to Cahuita from Puerto Viejo is to take a private transfer. It takes about 20 minutes to go to Cahuita from Puerto Viejo from door to door and you can book a taxi from Puerto Viejo to Cahuita here.
The cheapest way to go from Puerto Viejo to Cahuita
The cheapest way to get to Cahuita from Puerto Viejo is to take the public bus. It’ll cost you just 750 CRC to take this bus in one direction. Make a note of the times and do NOT miss the last bus back!
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- Book accommodation in Costa Rica with Booking.com
Popular Routes Around Costa Rica
Here are our guides to some of the popular routes around Costa Rica.
- How to go from La Fortuna to Monteverde
- How to go from Monteverde to Nicaragua
- How to get from SJO Airport to San Jose
- How to go from San Jose to Manuel Antonio
- How to go from San Jose to Tamarindo
- How to go from Puerto Viejo to Cahuita
- How to go from San Jose to Jaco
- How to go from Manuel Antonio to La Fortuna
- How to go from San Jose to Puerto Viejo
- How to go from Puerto Viejo to Tortuguero
- How to go from San Jose to La Fortuna
Final Words on How to Go from Puerto Viejo to Cahuita
Cahuita is well worth the time to visit if you’re in Puerto Viejo and it’s easy to get to, by public bus, shuttle, or by cycling. You’ll need to turn up earlier to buy the tickets for the bus and confirm the return times when you arrive in Cahuita. Alternatively, rent a bike and enjoy this glorious part of the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica.
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