Barra de Navidad has no airport of its own. The two practical options are flying to Manzanillo (Playa de Oro International Airport, ZLO), about 60 km to the south, or to Puerto Vallarta (Licenciado Gustavo Díaz Ordaz International Airport, PVR), roughly 200 km to the north. Manzanillo is the more convenient choice for most travellers.
From Manzanillo airport, taxis and private shuttles run directly to Barra de Navidad and take about an hour. There is no direct bus from the airport, but you can take a combi or taxi into Manzanillo city and catch an onward bus from the bus terminal there.
From Puerto Vallarta, second-class buses run south along the coast road (Mexico Federal Highway 200) via the Costalegre and stop in Barra de Navidad. The journey takes four to five hours.
By road, Barra de Navidad is on Federal Highway 200, which runs the entire length of the Pacific coast. The drive from Puerto Vallarta is about four hours. From Manzanillo it is an hour. The road is generally good, though the mountain sections can be slow.
A new airport at Chalacatepec, about 100 km north of Barra, opened in 2024 and may eventually improve air access to the Costalegre region.