When it comes to remote, not overly touristic destinations in Costa Rica, Drake Bay climbs to the top of the list.
As a beautiful lush bay in the extremely bio-diverse Osa Peninsula, Drake Bay offers a magical experience to all visitors with its abundant wildlife, incredible rainforests and beautiful coastal views. It’s an excellent place to relax, experience the rainforest and beaches and visit Corcovado National Park.
Here’s all you need to know about visiting the enchanting Drake Bay (Bahia Drake).
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Location
Drake Bay is in the Puntarenas province, 368 kilometers (229 miles) from San Jose. The main town is called Agujitas and has a population of around 1000 full time residents.
Sir Francis Drake is believed to have used this bay as a port (hence the name) on one of his voyages. Rumor has it that he even hid one of his treasures in the area in the late 16th century!
How to Get to Drake Bay
Drake Bay is located in the northwest side of the Osa Peninsula of Costa Rica. Getting to Drake Bay is half the fun due to its remote location.
You can get to Drake Bay by plane, car, bus or boat. The easiest and fastest way to get to Drake Bay is to fly into the local Drake Bay Airport (50 minutes from San Jose). The most popular way is to take the boat from Sierpe to Drake Bay (1-1.5 hours).
Read our detailed guide on how to get to Drake Bay by plane, boat and car.
By Plane
This is the easiest and fastest but also the most expensive way to get to Drake Bay. You can take a local flight on Sansa Air to the Drake Bay local airport. This flight has amazing views of the Osa Peninsula and the coast.
The 50 minute flight from San Jose airport costs around $180 USD one way depending on the time of year.
Sometimes the flight will stop in Quepos before Drake Bay and this will take 1 hour. In high season, there are normally 7-8 flights from San Jose to Drake Bay in one day.
By Boat from Sierpe
There is a public taxi boat from Sierpe to Drake Bay that runs twice a day: 11:30 AM and 4 PM. It costs $20 USD per person and the boat ride is around 1 hour. This boat ride is really fun and you get gorgeous views of the Sierpe mangrove and the coast.
Read our complete guide to taking the boat from Sierpe to Drake Bay.
For those arriving to the dock in a car rental: you can leave your rental car in a parking lot in Sierpe while you are in Drake Bay. This option is for those who still want their rental car after they come back from Drake Bay.
Another option is to visit Drake Bay as your last destination in your itinerary. If you do it this way, then you can have the your car rental agency pick up the car in Sierpe. Then after your time in Drake Bay, you’ll fly to San Jose International Airport for your flight home.
Our partner Adobe Rent a Car picks up cars at Sierpe dock and we will be happy to assist our readers who rent a car through us with our Costa Rica car rental discount to arrange their car rental return/pick up in Sierpe.
By bus
If you’re on a budget, you can take the public bus. However, there isn’t really a direct one to Drake Bay so the best option is to bus to Sierpe to catch the boat.
From San Jose, you can take a bus to Palmar Norte, then to Sierpe and then take the boat.
By car
If you need to drive to Drake Bay, you can. From Sierpe, it takes around 3 hours and a high clearance car is recommended. In rainy season, a 4×4 is required. This route is not completely paved, but it is doable, especially in dry season.
Read our in-depth guide to driving to Drake Bay here.
If you’re renting a car, get our Costa Rica car rental discount and extra benefits!
What to Know About Visiting Drake Bay: The Town
The small town of Agujitas in Drake Bay has a handful of restaurants and hotels. Drake Bay has grown quite a bit in the last few years. New hotels, restaurants and vacation rentals appear each year.
However, not all businesses readily accept credit card and there are no ATMs or banks in Drake Bay so make sure you bring plenty of cash. Some of the hotels don’t take credit card and require you to pay for your entire stay in cash so make sure to get enough (USD or CRC).
Read more about handling money in Costa Rica.
Keep in mind that Drake Bay may not be the right place for all travelers, especially those looking for better infrastructure and more amenities. But if you come with an open mind, you will have an amazing time as what makes Drake Bay special is the pristine nature and freedom of wildlife.
Embrace that and your time in the Bay will leave ever lasting memories for the rest of your life.
The main town of Agujitas is home to the main beach called Playa Colorada. The public boat drops off and picks clients up from there.
You’ll see lot of stray dogs running around and playing on the beach, people laying in hammocks and locals riding around on bikes.
Being such a small town in a remote destination in Costa Rica, the local residents of Drake Bay are very laid back beach people.
More and more of them work in tourism, as Drake Bay’s popularity has soared in the last couple years but many locals still stick to their roots, farming and fishing for a living.
Drake Bay Hotels
Most of the lodging options are small boutique hotels, modest cabins and hostel like rooms. The more expensive hotels usually some sort of rainforest resort, located a bit outside of town in the hills and offer all inclusive packages.
Tranquilo Lodge: This hotel up in the hills offers some of the best views of the bay from the infinity pool. They have modern cabins, AC and Internet. It’s an all-inclusive hotel and prices include 3 meals a day and transportation. Read our review of Tranquilo Lodge here. $$$
Copa de Arbol: This eco-luxury resort is on 70 acres of rainforest. Their cabinas have air conditioning and are just steps away from the beach. It’s an all-inclusive hotel with a spa.
Pirate Cove: They offer mid-range lodging right on the beach. Pirate Cove has 10 cabins, deluxe cabins, bungalows and 3 rooms with AC and an ocean view pool. You can also take their PADI diving courses.
Aguila de Osa Rainforest & Marine Adventure Lodge: Upscale rainforest resort with only 13 rooms. All have ocean views and balconies. No air conditioning. Their property has their own trail to other beaches like Playa Cocalito and connects to Playa SanJosecito. Walking distance to town. Check out our video review here. $$$
Some other options are Martina’s Place, Sukia Hostel, Pacheco Cabins, Vista Drake Lodge and Rancho Corcovado Lodge. All simple, basic lodging near town and close to the beach.
You can now find more vacation rentals and Airbnbs in Drake Bay as more foreigners build rental homes and self catering accommodation, such as Southern Drake Lodge.
Drake Bay Restaurants and Services
As mentioned before, there isn’t a proper bank or ATM in Drake Bay. Make sure to bring plenty of cash in local currency. USD is OK but local currency is best.
There are several mini markets, restaurants, tour centers, clothing stores, local bakeries, scuba diving shop, liquor stores, ATV rentals and a dental clinic in Drake Bay now. You’ll see a ton of signs for tours.
Some restaurants in Drake Bay to check out are Kalauna Bistro, Marisqueria Roberto’s, Gaby’s Fast Food Truck, Soda Mar Y Bosque, Restaurante La Choza, Restaurante Delicias, Claudio’s Grill and Marea Alta.
Things to Do in Drake Bay
There are plenty of activities and adventures in and around Drake Bay to add some excitement to your trip.
Caño Island Snorkeling
This is considered the 2nd best place in Costa Rica to see abundant marine life with turtles, rays, dolphins and a huge variety of colorful tropical fish to be seen.
If you have your diving certification, go scuba diving at Cano Island, about a 45 minute boat ride from the Bay. If not, you can go snorkeling.
Read about our experience snorkeling at Caño Island.
Whale and dolphin watching
Drake Bay is one of the best spots to see humpback whales in Costa Rica, but the world. Both Northern and Southern humpback whales pass by the bay so you have an excellent chance of seeing these magnificent mammals out at sea.
Divine Dolphin is a great company to go with to see dolphins and whales in Drake Bay.
Corcovado National Park
Don’t miss your chance to visit Corcovado National Park, one of the most biologically diverse places on earth when in Drake Bay. Take a day trip to San Pedrillo Station or Sirena Station to see wildlife such as tapirs, four different monkeys, birds and more.
Sirena station in Corcovado National Park is close to Drake Bay and offers the best opportunities to see mammals. I finally got to see my first tapir on this day hike!
Fishing
Go deep sea fishing from Drake Bay to catch fish like marlin, sailfish, and wahoo.
Playa San Josecito
Arguably the best beach in Drake Bay, Playa San Josecito is perfect for those who like hiking, jungle and beach. You can take a boat there but it’s more of an epic adventure to walk. It’s about a 2 hour walk from the Aguila de Osa Resort trail. You can also stop by Cocalito Beach on the way.
We recommend to visit in the morning, it’s best not to walk the trail from Playa San Josecito at night. But if you want to visit there in the afternoon to watch the sunset, we recommend to arrange a boat with your hotel to bring you back (around 20 minute boat ride).
Rio Claro
You can hike to Rio Claro on your own or you can take a tour to visit this beautiful clear river. Tours vary from horseback riding, swimming in the river, waterfalls and snorkeling.
Night Tour
The world is a different place when night falls and you can see wildlife that thrives at night on a tour. See spiders and insects with Tracie the bug lady or other animals on different night tours.
Sierpe Mangrove Tour
Venture into one of the biggest mangroves in Central America by boat or kayak. You’ll see wildlife such as caimans, monkeys, snakes and a variety of birds.
Bioluminesence tour
This is only during certain times of year when it’s very clear and the water clarity is good. This nighttime tour will take you to a spot in Drake Bay to see bioluminesence which is super cool!
You get to swim and float around in it which makes you feel like you’re swimming around in a shimmering lightbulb.
How to Plan an Itinerary with Drake Bay
We’ve written a 1 month Costa Rica itinerary that has Drake Bay as the last destination. However, you can condense this itinerary down to two or three weeks to fit your needs.
If you want to have an easy visit to Drake Bay, the best way is to book a hotel that offers a package with roundtrip transportation, activities and meals included. This is for those who want a more luxury experience in Drake Bay.
Aguila de Osa Rainforest and Marine Lodge offers packages with lodging, roundtrip transportation by private boat from Sierpe and activities (Corcovado National Park/Cano Island Snorkeling).
Read About Other Similar Tourist Destinations in Costa Rica
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Mike says
Take plenty of cash! There are no ATMs & due to its remoteness groceries are extremely expensive, in fact everything is compared to the rest of coasta Rica. i.e a box of cereal is $12+ bread is 1000c for fresh stick, whilst 3 loaves in palmar Norte are 1200c. Everything there is mega expensive. Don’t get a puncture there is 1 ‘garage’ in town that will charge $25 a repair, only $10 elsewhere.
Tbh it’s better to get a boat round & pay for all inclusive. Most of the air bnb are pretty basic & the restaurants are expensive too.
The season is short there, 100 days peak times so book everything in advance. They have to make their money to last all year in this time so please use discretion before parting with your dollar!!
You go on a fishing tour(…. Catch) have a great time, arrange to go out for dinner & eat your catch, the tour operator comes as well, at the end of the evening you are left to pick up the tab, for them as well!!!
Tips are not compulsory either so don’t get pressured into that either!!
Great place, worth a visit, no surprises most people only go once . . . . .
Louise says
Hi
Do you need to book your visit to the Corcovado National Park in advance of arrival – we are planing on visiting 9-12 December, can you recommend a day trip? or company?
Many Thanks
Sammi says
Hello Louise, visitors to Corcovado National Park must be accompanied with a guide and tickets must be purchased in advance, they do not allow people inside this national park on their own nor do they sell tickets upon arrival at the sectors. You can check with your hotel to see if they can book a tour for you. We work with a tour operator in Uvita that runs day trips to Corcovado National Park, in case you are staying in Uvita, feel free to Contact Mytanfeet with your details and we will be happy to assist you.
Molly Hinshaw says
Can you please comment on usual rain patterns in Drake Bay during the first week of August? It appears online that it rains up to 28″ in August and I”m wondering if there’s any predictability to it like afternoon heavy rains? Or whether it rains all day typically? Thank you for your help.
Sammi says
August is right in the middle of rainy season and Drake Bay is tropical rainforest, there are possibilities for it to rain a lot, intermittent rains, but still have clear mornings. It all depends though whether we have a tropical storm or wave and if this year is El Nino or La Nina. But a typical rainy season day anywhere in August is cloudy but dry mornings, and intermittent rains in afternoons and evenings and possibilities of longer rain in the nights.
LINDA MORETTI says
I find all this information very informative! I may visit & stay in Agujitas @ a hostel in May.
I’m a senior, solo traveller.
Fleur says
Hi, do you have updated insight on the transfer from San Josecita back to Drake Bay after hiking the Drake Bay Trail? We are strongly considering hiking it in reverse and walking back to DB starting at SJ. Is this recommended and doable? If not, do we need to arrange transfer from SJ back to DB before we start the hike? I sure don’t want to be stranded in SJ and forced to hike back to DB plus we don’t know how long the trail will take us. Any insight would be truly appreciated
Sammi says
Hi Fleur, yes, so actually when we were there, we were planning on hiking to Sanjosecito and then taking the boat back to our hotel in Drake Bay and the manager said that how it works is we will let them know when we leave, and then it’s about a 2-2.5 hour walk to the beach, she asked us how long we think we’d like to stay at the beach and then she called a boat captain to set the time to pick us up. I think we had set on us leaving at 7 AM and then the boat picking us up around noon. So I definitely recommend having your hotel arrange a time for a boat to pick you up since I don’t think there are boats just hanging out at San josecito. Unfortunately something came up so we couldn’t make the walk but that is how we were planning to do it.
Daniel says
Hi Sammi,
I’ve been wanting to visit Drake Bay and I think I will be making it a reality on my next trip.
I’m flying into Liberia and I’m finding it difficult to coordinate flights from there to Drake Bay. Would Sansa airlines be my best bet? I don’t see options from Liberia to Drake Bay (with a connection in SJO).
Is my only option to book the first leg from Liberia to SJO then SJO to Drake? And do the same for my return?
Thanks!
Sammi says
There are no local flights from Liberia to Drake Bay, you should fly into SJO originally or do LIR – SJO – Drake.
Matt W says
Just wanted to note that there are bridges across all rivers on the road to Drake Bay now. Ruta 245 from Chacarita on Ruta 2 to Rincon is entirely paved and easy. The last 25km to Drake Bay are on mostly easy-to-drive dirt roads. There are a couple of steep hills and a couple of spots that need high clearance. There’s a spot about 5km before the bay where you have to take a left turn to reach the new bridge across the Rio Drake, but there are many signs there pointing you in the right direction. We drove the road in late July during a rainstorm and had no problems.
Sammi says
Awesome thanks for the update! What kind of car did you guys drive?
Maura says
Hello. I am looking to travel to Drake Bay for a few days at the end of the week Anything I should know about places being closed due to COVID? thank you very much
Sammi says
Right now pretty much we don’t have any restrictions!
Seb says
Hello!
Thank you for all your content it is amazing! 😀
I hesitate between Uvita, Drake Bay and Jaguar Hostal on the Peninsula because I would like to see whales, do the cano snorkeling and maybe a jungle/waterfall trip in 3/4 days mid March. Which one do you recommend, please? (ps: I’ll take my flight back to France at 9PM the last day from San Jose).
Seb
Sammi says
Around mid March, the whale season is ending so the chances of seeing whales does go down a lot like 40% or so
Amanda says
Your website has the BEST information for travel planning! I love that you’ve included all of the details, with prices and photos/videos. I’ve bookmarked several of your pages for our upcoming trip in December. Traveling to Drake was one of the things I’ve found most confusing, but you’ve cleared it up perfectly. Thank you!
sab says
Hi
I’m traveling to Osa peninsula in about a week. We’re looking at the places that you recommended (specifically Copa de Arbol and Tranquilo Lodge) We saw that you said prices start at 240 for copa and 120 for tranquilo lodge, however when we went to their website prices were 500+ a night for both places. I wasn’t sure if prices just went up since this blog was posted or if i’m looking in the wrong place. Would you be able to help us with this? We’re looking to spend about 275$ max per night. Thanks!
Sammi says
Hi Sab, I haven’t updated those prices in awhile (sorry) and we went to Tranquilo Lodge in 2015 so I would say it most definitely went up.
Arunee says
we are planning to visit Costa Rica over Christmas. We are planning to visit Arenal then beach/diving. Would you recommend us to go to Drake Bay so we could dive in Cano Island or to Conchal so we could dive in Catalina/Bat island? Which beach will be nicer?
Thank you very much!
Sammi says
Drake Bay is really far from Arenal so if you don’t want to have to travel so much, Catalinas is better from Conchal
Allan says
Hola. que recomiendas para llegar a Drake en agosto 2020? tomar el ferry para el carro? o ir en bote?
Que lugares recomiendas para alojarte?
Sammi says
Hola, es mejor en bote porque las calles hacia Bahia Drake estan en mal mal estados. El bote es muy chiva porque va dentro el mangroves de Sierpe y hacia al mar. Tenemos un articulo que puede leer mas sobre el bote: Sierpe to Drake Bay boat
Bahia Drake no tiene muchos hoteles pero hay dos lujosos muy bonitos: Copa del Arbol y Tranquilo Lodge.
Lisa says
Hi Yeison and Samantha, just a quick update for your website: we’ve been to Restaurante Delicias yesterday and they barely offered any vegetarian food, basically two pizzas and a salad.
Best, Lisa
Ashleigh says
Thank you for putting this together it is so helpful! Are there any grocery stores in Drake Bay or do we need to stock up before coming? Thank you!
Sammi says
Hi Ashleigh, for full service supermarkets, I would stock up before going to Drake Bay, you’ll find the smaller markets and convenience stores.
Ella says
Hi, I am travelling down to Drake bay in a couple of weeks time. I saw you said about bringing cash, do restaurants and shops not have card machines?
Thank you
Sammi says
Hi Ella, a lot of rural areas such as Drake Bay in Costa Rica don’t take credit cards. Some of the higher end hotels may do but if you go to the places like the small local restaurants, it’s mostly cash.
Lisa Croot says
We are thinking of making a trip to Drake Bay late September 2020. Is the weather just too bad with rain to enjoy it and day trips like Cano Island, Corcavado park and such? Not sure if its better to go into Uvita if so! Thanks for any insight. We are considering Aquila Osa Inn if that helps.
Sammi says
End of September does get pretty rainy and the ocean gets pretty rough in that area so if it’s storming, the waves and boat ride is usually rough down there (not a smooth boat ride) but you can still do tours as the operators know the conditions and will call it off it they deem it dangerous. You will just need to be aware that Sept is one of the rainier months and the South Pacific does tend to rain quite a bit.
Drake Bay is actually a lot closer to Corcovado and Caño Island than Uvita. From Drake Bay, it’s about a 30-40 minute boat ride to Caño Island, it’s 1.5 hours from Uvita. Drake Bay is very close to Sirena and San Pedrillo ranger stations in Corcovado NP (like 30 minute boat ride or so), from Uvita it’s also 1.5 hours.
Sammi says
Hi Kirsten, unfortunately it hasn’t finished yet. This is very common in Costa Rica due to all the bureaucracy and slow construction and they’re not sure when it will be done.
Kirsten says
Hi,
I have read that there is a new bridge across the Drake river, which should be open since february 2019. Is this information correct or are they still working on it?
Marko says
Gringo Curt’s Seafood unfortunately seems to be closed right now.
Leela says
Will be traveling to Drakes Bay soon coming from Puerto Viejo. Do you suggest traveling via San Jose or the mountain route? We are still deciding if we should take the boat or drive the entire way to Drakes Bay. Any updates on current conditions of the roads all the way to Drakes Bay?
Thanks!
Sammi says
Hi Leela, I’d take the boat just because it’s way more fun and the views are super nice. Road conditions are the same for Drake (not paved, not great) but if are renting a 4×4, you can drive it now in the dry season.
Christine says
Hi, thanks for your great blog, I’m learning a ton about Costa Rica in advance of my first visit in a few weeks. We’ll be coming to the Osa via Zancudo–can you tell me if there’s a good way to get to Drake Bay overland from Port Jim? Or do you have to go up and around and approach from the north? Trying to decide between staying at Drake or in the jungle on the East side of the park. Cheers!
Sammi says
You’ll need to drive up north from Puerto Jimenez to get to the road to Drake bay, that’s the only one. You can’t drive straight across since it’s the national park and indigenous land so you’re not allowed to drive through there. All overlanders go the route off of the 245 to Drake that way.
Christine says
Thanks! We decided to stay closer to the East side and enter from near Rio Tigre/Dos Brazos, easier to do without a car. Appreciate your input!
Ana says
Hi, we are travelling to Costa Rica for two weeks and we are going from Puerto Viejo to Bahia Drake by car (it’s 10hrs trip), so we are thinking in doing several stops, and spend the night in one of them, which ones do you recommend us? San Jose? Jacó? Uvita? We would like to not be very far from our destination (3/4 hr max)
Also I would like to ask which hot springs are better in La Fortuna? Are the free ones nice?
Many many thanks
Sammi says
Hello, I would recommend San Jose and then Uvita. Puerto Viejo to San Jose is around 5 hours, then San Jose to Uvita is around 3.5 and then Uvita to Drake is 3-4 hours.
You can read in this post about the hot springs in La Fortuna: Best Arenal hot springs
Brandy says
Is there a boat taxi from jaco or quepos to drake bay? If so, how much?
Sammi says
No, only Montezuma to Jaco.
katherine says
hi guys, what is the best way to get from san jose to drake bay? i was looking at the flight option – Sansa air, but unable to connect to their website (seems their server problem). have you hear of Skyway? any feedback or review on this new airline?
thanks 🙂
Sammi says
Hi Katherine! The best way is to fly. We actually work with Skyway CR and have a promo code with them, it is SWMTF18 and you get 10% off and an extra 10 lbs of luggage 🙂
Joan Levinsohn says
Your blog is the best!! I can’t believe how many places you have marked on your map. Great information. I have a general question that I get lots of different answers. I will be going to Drakes Bay for one week and I would like to know if I need to get the Typhoid shot. I get lots of mixed information.
Thanks
Sammi says
Hi Joan! Glad it’s helpful and you like it! Typhoid is not mandatory but I know the US CDC recommends it. I don’t believe I have gotten a typhoid shot, so it’s up to you since typhoid fever is not common here and not a problem.
Bekki says
Hi there, you mention the second best diving in Costa Rica in this post. Just wondering what you consider to be THE BEST diving in Costa Rica? Thanks so much!
Sammi says
Hi Bekki, that would be Cocos Island. That’s the best diving in Costa Rica.
brian says
how long is the drive to drake from Uvita
yeison says
Hello Brian, it depends of the weather and time of year usually in the dry season around 3 hours and in the rainy season a little bit more, you need to have a 4×4 just in case.
Sammi says
Hi Polina, thanks for reading our blog! You can read about Puerto Jimenez and see a video of what the town and roads are like in this post: Costa Rica road conditions(skip to Puerto Jimenez). You can definitely get there by car but still requires a 4×4 and you can see in the video why 🙂
Polina says
Thank you guys for you blog and information you share with us! We are planning to visit Corcovado in the beginning of June, but I have some doubts about the road. We will have rented 4*4, I read here, that it will be impossible to reach Drake Bay because of rivers and wet season, right? What about Puerto Jimenez, will it be possible to get there by car?
Cindy says
Hi guys- Once we get to Drake Bay (and “how” we do that is still yet to be decided!), is the area relatively easy to get around on foot or do we need to rely on taxis or tour shuttles?
Thanks!
Cindy & Russ
Sammi says
It depends on which hotel you stay at, there are hotels in town and around. You can walk to town from most of them but it may be up to 30 minutes depending on where it is. If you stay on the outer part of town your hotel can call you a taxi if you don’t want to walk.
Ryan Biddulph says
Awesomeness guys. We visited Playa Dominicalito a few months back. A few more hours down the road and we’d hit Drake’s Bay. We did enjoy remote jungle living for 6 weeks in Buena Vista, a community of….um…..12 LOL….on the Caribbean side DEEP in the wilderness, some 3 miles away from human beings. Got our taste of remote living but we’d swing through DB to taste the Pacific side of things.
Ryan
Sammi says
The South is amazing. Hope you get to visit Drake one day!
Tim and Anne Hall says
We’re absolutely planning to get to Drake Bay in the future. Thanks for the great advice on getting there. We’re of to Playas del Coco next week for 3 month. We regularly follow your blog and FB page. Tim & Anne
Sammi says
Hi guys, hope you make it, it’s amazing! Enjoy Coco 🙂