South Pacific & Osa

Drake Bay (Bahía Drake) is a small bay on the northwest coast of the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica's South Pacific. You come here for boat trips to Corcovado National Park and Isla del Caño, and for a place where rainforest and ocean meet directly.The main village is called Agujitas and has around 1,000 inhabitants. Accommodations, small sodas, and tour operators are spread along the bay and on the slopes above. According to tradition, the name originates from the English seafarer Francis Drake, who is said to have visited the bay in the 16th century.Most visitors stay for several nights and book guided tours: day trips by boat to Sirena Station or San Pedrillo in Corcovado, snorkeling and diving trips to Isla del Caño, and hikes through the forest. Note that Sirena Station is closed to visitors every year in October.A coastal path leads south from Agujitas, passing several coves until Playa San Josecito; en route, you cross the Punta Río Claro Wildlife Refuge. You should plan half a day for the entire route.

Corcovado National Park occupies about a third of Costa Rica's Osa Peninsula in the South Pacific, protecting rainforest, coastline, and lagoons across over 420 square kilometers. You come here to spot tapirs, monkeys, coatis, and scarlet macaws in a forest that has been protected since 1975.The wildlife includes Baird's tapirs, white-lipped peccaries, agoutis, and several cat species, including jaguars, though you'll rarely see them. The park hosts the country's largest population of Scarlet Macaws, especially along the coast. Crocodiles inhabit the river mouths.You can only enter the park with a certified guide, even for day tours. The guide typically handles reservations with the SINAC conservation system; visitor numbers are limited per station per day. Most tours depart from Drake Bay or Puerto Jiménez.At its heart is the Sirena biological station, offering basic accommodation and camping, accessible by boat or long hiking trails. Other access points include La Leona near Carate, San Pedrillo on the northwest coast, and Los Patos and El Tigre inland. Sirena, Los Patos, and El Tigre are closed to visitors every October, while San Pedrillo and La Leona remain open.The dry season from December to April offers the easiest conditions. During the rainy season, trails are muddy, and boat trips may be cancelled due to rough seas.

Puerto Jiménez is the largest town on the Osa Peninsula, located on its eastern side along the Golfo Dulce in Costa Rica's South Pacific. You come here as a starting point for Corcovado National Park and for boat tours on the gulf, where dolphins live and humpback whales give birth to their young.The town isn't a destination itself, but a practical supply hub with supermarkets, sodas, tour operators, and a small airfield. In the early 20th century, farmers and gold prospectors settled here, and with the establishment of Corcovado National Park, Puerto Jiménez transformed into a hub for nature-based tourism.From here, tours depart to the park entrances La Leona and El Tigre, as well as boat trips to Sirena. On the Golfo Dulce, you can observe dolphins, kayak through mangroves, or embark on night tours with bioluminescent plankton.At the southern tip of the peninsula, about an hour's drive away, lies Cabo Matapalo with several surf spots for experienced surfers. The calm Playa Platanares beach, south of the airfield, is suitable for swimming.

Uvita is a small town on Costa Rica's southern Pacific coast and the main gateway to the Marino Ballena National Marine Park. You come here for the whale tail beach of Punta Uvita and for whale watching boat tours; from San José, you'll reach it via the Costanera Sur in about three and a half to four hours.The town itself is situated along the coastal road and stretches from the main road into the hilly hinterland. Supermarkets, cafés, restaurants, and tour operators are close to each other, so those staying centrally can reach many places on foot. The beach and national park are just a few minutes away.The sea off Uvita is part of the Marino Ballena National Park. Humpback whales migrate past the coast from approximately July to October and from December to April; you can book tours with local providers. The Punta Uvita Tombolo can only be accessed at low tide, as the tides dictate daily life here.Uvita also serves as a great base for excursions along the Costa Ballena, for example, to beaches like Playa Ventanas or to the Nauyaca Waterfalls, which are about an hour's drive away.

Manuel Antonio is the small town on the Central Pacific coast south of Quepos, where the national park of the same name begins, approximately 157 road kilometers from San José. You come for the park, where rainforest borders directly on bright sandy coves and sloths, capuchin monkeys, and squirrel monkeys are often seen up close.The national park, founded in 1972, covers almost 2,000 hectares of land and a significantly larger marine area. Although it is one of the smallest national parks in the country, it attracts the most visitors: Between 2012 and 2022, approximately 4.4 million people visited. Four beaches are located within the park, including Playa Manuel Antonio and Playa Espadilla Sur, separated by a land bridge leading to the rock formation Punta Catedral.The town itself consists of hotels, restaurants, and tour operators along the winding road that leads from Quepos over the hill down to Playa Espadilla. You can visit the public Playa Espadilla in front of the park entrance without a ticket.Important for planning: The park is closed on Tuesdays and otherwise open from 7 AM to 4 PM; the beaches within the park close an hour earlier. Tickets are available exclusively online through the SINAC national park authority system and not at the entrance; they are limited and often sell out early on many days.