Travel to Drake Bay

Given its remote location just north of Corcovado, traveling to Drake Bay - while not difficult - is certainly more involved than other eco travel destinations. With your extra effort, however, you will be rewarded with lush scenery, incredibly rich biodiversity, and one of the most exotic vacation destination in all of Costa Rica.

Because of the logistics involved in traveling to Drake Bay, it is important to reserve with one of the area resorts prior to your trip. Your resort will then help coordinate your transportation to Drake Bay.

Possible Itineraries:

Fly San Jose - Palmar Sur

Air Transport to Palmar Sur: The first leg of your travel itinerary begins with a morning flight to Palmar Sur. This 40-minute flight offers spectacular vistas of the rainforest and southern Pacific coastline.

Palmar Sur can also be reached by bus (6 hours) or car (five hours) from San Jose, if you prefer to travel overland.

Taxi Transport to Sierpe: After touching down in Palmar Sur, a taxi will be waiting to transport you to the sleepy riverside village of Sierpe. On this 20-minute ride, you'll pass through a large expanse of banana and African oil palm plantations.

Boat Transport to Drake Bay: Once in Sierpe you'll begin the maritime leg of your journey - a 25 mile boat ride to Drake Bay. This hour and fifteen minute ride will take you first through the Sierpe-Terraba Mangrove Reserve, the largest mangrove reserve in Costa Rica. With a keen eye and the help of your captain, you may spot caimans, iguanas, and certainly a variety of water birds along the river's edge. Then on the final twenty minutes of the trip, you'll pass through the mouth of the Sierpe River and onto the blue Pacific. The passage is spectacular with stunning views of Caño Island and the Osa Peninsula Coast.



Fly San Jose - Drake Bay

While the adventure of traveling through the Sierpe-Terraba Mangrove Reserve is lost, flying directly to Drake Bay does offer travelers a faster route to the area.

Air Transport to Drake Bay: This flight also takes just less than an hour.

Taxi Transport to Agujitas: After touching down in Drake Bay, a taxi will be waiting to transport you to the village of Agujitas. The taxi ride takes about fifteen minutes.

Boat Transport to Your Resort: Unless you are lodging at one of the small hotels in the village (which are accessible by car), the next leg of your journey will be a quick boat ride from the village to your resort. This is a beachside pick up, so you'll definitely get your feet wet boarding the boat. There's usually not much surf in the village. Even so, it's a really good idea to have your camera gear protected beforehand.


Airlines with service to Drake Bay and Palmar Sur
Nature Air www.natureair.com
SANSA Airline www.flysansa.com

Overland to Drake Bay
There is a 4WD-dirt road that leads to Drake Bay. Depending on the time of year, road conditions range from ok to impassable. There are river crossing without bridges. If you are considering traveling by car, you should check with your resort and car rental agency for their advice before making the trip.