In 2006, domestic flights between San José and the provincial capital of Limón recommenced, which has made the South Caribbean much more accessible by eliminating the 4-hour, occasionally-treacherous drive over the Cordillera Central. (That ground route has a reputation for being extremely foggy or cloudy, as well as heavily-trafficked by large trailers transporting fruit and other products to and from the port in Limón.)

There are daily flights between Limón and San José, and the flight operators connect travelers to Puerto Viejo via bus. A number of daily buses connect San José to Limón, Cahuita, Puerto Viejo, Bribri and the border town of Sixaola, and the Caribbean bus station in downtown San José is one of the nicest in the country.

Improvements to the road between Limón, Cahuita and Puerto Viejo have reduced the potential for flooding, but the road south of Cahuita – down through Puerto Viejo to Manzanillo - remains poorly paved, if at all, and is something of a jaw-jiggler. (The local expats don’t mind so much, as it keeps the fast-driving foreigners and San José visitors under control.)

Plenty of local buses run between the main towns of the area, but it is obviously far more convenient to have your own four-wheel drive for transportation, especially in the event that you don’t want to live in the central areas of Puerto Viejo and Cahuita.