You can reach Matapalo by taking a taxi from Puerto Jimenez, or you could also rent a 4-wheel drive SUV from Toucan Travel for $300-$600 a week. The ride is about 45 minutes.
There is a colectivo that goes from Puerto Jimenez to Cabo Matapalo and then on to Carate. It makes two circuits daily, every day except Sunday, and costs $8. The colectivo leaves from the bus stop in Puerto Jimenez at 6 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., and reaches Jimenez again at 11a.m. and 5 or 6 p.m.
The colectivo comes to take people from Matapalo to Carate at 7a.m. and 2p.m., leaving Carate again at 9a.m. and 4p.m. and stopping in Matapalo around 10a.m. and 4:30 or 5 p.m. before going on to Jimenez. Be patient with the colectivo – times are not always exact. Pickup trucks also pass by the bus stop in Matapalo and take passengers to Jimenez, charging slightly less than the official colectivo.
The bus stop in Matapalo is along the only road from Jimenez to Matapalo, on the left, right past the Carbonera Schoolhouse. You'll know if you pass it, because the stop sits at the bottom of a giant hill, which, after about 15 minutes of walking, leads to Lapa Rios. There is a turnoff just past the stop on the left that leads you down Matapalo's main road. This road lies parallel to the beach, and along it you will find the majority of lodges and rental houses in the area.