San Vito town itself is walkable. The central square, the main restaurants and cafes, the bus terminal, and the market are all within easy reach on foot. The town is small enough that you rarely need anything else for getting between the key points in the centre.
For the Wilson Botanical Gardens, 6 km to the south, a car makes things straightforward. Taxis are available in town and will make the trip for a modest fare. The road is paved. Some visitors arrange the taxi the evening before to be at the gardens for opening.
For Parque Internacional La Amistad, a car is essentially necessary for accessing the main ranger stations and trailheads, particularly Altamira, which lies on a rough unpaved road east of San Vito. Four-wheel drive is advisable in wet season.
Local buses connect San Vito to some of the surrounding villages, but services are infrequent and routes do not align well with tourist destinations. They are useful for getting a sense of the wider Coto Brus valley rather than for reaching specific sights efficiently.
For anyone planning a multi-day exploration of the area — the gardens, La Amistad, the coffee valley — renting a car before arriving in San Vito (from San José or San Isidro) is the most practical approach.