How to Get to the South Caribbean

There’s a popular misconception that Costa Rica’s south Caribbean is really far away from everything else, and unfortunately this perception prevents many people from ever visiting the country’s most exotic region.

In fact, from the San José international airport to Puerto Viejo is a 4.5-hour drive, 231 km — almost exactly the same as the drive to Playa Flamingo, 4.5 hours and 247 km.

Here are several options for traveling to the south Caribbean.

By air

Costa Rica has two international airports:

• Juan Santamaría International Airport in Alajuela (known as the San José airport, or SJO)
• Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport in Liberia (LIR)

For travelers headed to the Caribbean, SJO is a much closer choice. From there, it’s a short flight on a small regional airline to Limón, the capital of the province also called Limón. Check with Sansa Airlines, which offers flights to Limón for $127.

From Limón, you can take a shuttle, taxi or rental car to Puerto Viejo, which is a 1-hour drive (55 km).

Bear in mind that most international flights arrive in San José at night, so you’ll generally have to book a hotel in San José the night you arrive and head for the Caribbean the next day.

By shuttle

Air-conditioned shuttles, private or shared, are the most comfortable way to travel to the Caribbean by land. Contact Caribe Shuttle, which charges around $57 per person, depending on the season. Typically shuttles provide door-to-door service between hotels, eliminating the need to catch a taxi at either end.

By bus

You can save a lot of plata by taking a bus to Puerto Viejo. From the San José airport, or from your hotel, ask a taxi driver to take you to the bus station for Autotransportes Mepe (“la terminal de Autotransportes Mepe”) in Barrio México, San José, and buy a ticket to Puerto Viejo.

(Note that there are two towns of this name — Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí in the northeast and Puerto Viejo de Limón, also known as Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, in the south Caribbean. But Mepe only goes to the one in the Caribbean.)

A bus from San José to Puerto Viejo costs just 6,500 colones ($12). At times the main highway to Limón (Highway 32) is closed by landslides, and then the bus takes an alternate route through Turrialba that costs about 8,300 colones (under $16). The bus will leave you in downtown Puerto Viejo, and from there you can catch a taxi, tuktuk or a local bus (“bus urbano”) to your destination.

By rental car

If you can afford it, a rental car will give you total freedom to go where you want, when you want during your stay in Costa Rica. There are multiple car rental agencies and prices vary widely — but are never cheap.

Many agencies advertise really attractive prices, without mentioning hefty additional costs for required insurance, taxes and fees. Be sure you know the total cost before you agree.

If you’re nervous about driving in a foreign country, join the club! Driving in San José and other cities in the Central Valley can be confusing and a bit scary. But once you’re outside the city, driving in Costa Rica is not really difficult. The roads from San José to the south Caribbean are entirely paved.

One-lane bridges, cows on the road, hilly terrain and heavy rain may pose a challenge in places, but trust us, you’ll get used to it.

However you decide to get here, your reward will be arriving in the most beautiful and diverse corner of the happiest country in the world!

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Karl Kahler is a writer, editor and translator who lives in Costa Rica’s south Caribbean. He is the author of “Frommer’s Costa Rica 2017,” and he was previously travel editor of the Tico Times and national editor of California’s San Jose Mercury News.