Travel Guide to Drake Bay, Costa Rica + Map
TL;DR
Drake Bay in Costa Rica is a great addition to your Costa Rica road trip. Its situation on the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica makes it the perfect starting point to visit the Corcovado National Park and Cano Island - two natural paradises above and below water.
If you love wildlife, you’ll also love Drake Bay. The small town on the Osa Peninsula is the perfect gateway for the Corcovado National Park, one of the most biodiverse regions on planet earth. It’s also a great vantage point for snorkelling and Scuba diving Cano Island.
Our complete travel guide to Drake Bay includes a map as well as all information you need for your visit.
Drake Bay Costa Rica Travel Guide
Drake Bay Costa Rica Map
Is Drake Bay Worth Vising?
We think yes. Putting Corcovado National Park, the most biodiverse region on this planet, on your bucketlist is a no-brainer. Theoretically, you don’t have to visit Drake Bay to get there. But guess what? Animal don’t know about things like national park borders. You can just base yourself in or around Drake Bay and have animal encounters at a fraction of the price of a guided tour!
Other charming reasons to visit Drake Bay are the stunning beaches, hidden waterfalls, and of course, Cano Island.
How to Get to Drake Bay
Boat from Sierpe to Drake Bay
To get to Drake Bay with public transport, you first have to take a bus to Sierpe. From there, you can catch a boat to Drake Bay. Currently, there is one daily direct Tracopa bus from San Jose to Sierpe. It leaves at 8:30 am and drives down the coast so you can also hop on along the way, for example in Uvita. It takes around 7 hours, leaving you very little time to catch the last boat. Tracopa buses to Palmar Norte run much more frequent. Here, you can change to a local bus to Sierpe or even take a taxi if you’re not on a tight budget.
Two daily boats run from Sierpe to Drake Bay: At 11:30 am and at 3:30 pm. The boat takes around one hour, leaving you very little time to settle in before sunset if you take the later boat.
Corcovado National Park Tour
Of course, the easiest way to see the area is a tour. Most of the tours leave from Uvita but you can also find tours from Manuel Antonio and even San Jose. Corcovado National Park tours take at least a whole day. They include a boat ride, a hike and some beach time. This convenient sampler comes at a price but is the perfect choice if you don’t have a lot of time.
We have compiled some great Corcovado National Park tours:
Driving to Drake Bay
Good news: As of 2022, you don’t need a 4 WD car anymore to reach Drake Bay. New bridges have been constructed which make it easy to reach Drake Bay with a regular car. There are no river crossings necessary nowadays so that you can easily get to Drake Bay even during the rainy season.
We have written a complete guide on how to drive to Drake Bay:
How to Get Around Drake Bay
In case you’re not arriving with a car, you’re pretty much stuck with walking or going on tours to get around.
Factor this in when you decide whether to sleep in town or somewhere remote.
Where to Sleep in Drake Bay
You have two main options:
1. Staying on a Remote Beach
We chose the super budget-friendly Corcovado Adventures for our stay. For as little as 14$ per night, you can stay in dorms, but there is also the option to stay in tents or private rooms. You can walk into town along the Drake Bay Hiking Trail and there’s a soda relatively close by. We still recommend bringing your food with you as the hostel provides a kitchen. The beach in front is nice but the current is very strong so beware if you want to swim. The accommodation is pretty basic with no hot water so we really only recommend it for the budget traveller.
The Jaguars Jungle Lodge is a nicer alternative. They have comfortable seating at the sea. It’s further away from Drake Bay but much closer to Corcovado National Park. We have visited a travel friend here and can confirm that it’s a nice place to stay.
2. Staying in Town
If you want to be closer to the shops and restaurants in town, we can recommend the Corcovado & Drake Inn which comes with its own swimming pool.
Top 6 Things to Do in Drake Bay
1. Corcovado National Park
The main reason to go to Drake Bay is to visit Corcovado National Park. If you’re in the area, we recommend you invest some money and do a guided hike through the Corcovado National Park itself. After all, it’s not every day that you’re in one of the most biodiverse regions on earth. You can spot plenty of birds like toucans, mammals like monkeys or tapirs, and reptiles like crocodiles. The guide will bring a large telescope and spot animals for you. Additionally, you can learn more about the local flora and fauna than you would on your own.
Here are 10 amazing Corcovado National Park tours:
2. Jungle Trek in Drake Bay
The animals don’t know where the national park starts and ends so you also have good chances to spot wildlife on self-guided hikes around the national park. The Drake Bay Hiking Trail is a relatively easy hiking option with the added bonus of some amazing beaches along the way.
3. Night Hike in Drake Bay
If you have the rather unique opportunity to spend one or more nights in this biodiversity haven, you should not miss a night hike. All the snakes, spiders, scorpions and other creepy crawlies come out at night to make the night hike memorable for you. Wear long trousers, solid shoes, and socks because there are ants everywhere along the hiking trails - surprisingly they were the animals which bothered us most on our night adventure.
4. Hit the Many Beaches in Drake Bay
The beach in Drake Bay itself is not that nice because of the boat traffic. Along the Drake Bay Hiking Trail, you can find plenty of nice beaches though. The closest is Cocalito Beach, arguably the nicest beach in the area is San Josecito Beach. Watch out for some strong waves and currents and be extra careful not to go too deep into the water and familiarize yourself with safe swimming procedures.
You can also watch some amazing sunsets at the beach - maybe while enjoying a fresh coconut.
5. Chase Waterfalls in Drake Bay
There are plenty of hidden waterfalls for you to explore on the Osa Peninsula. One of our favourites is located a 15 minutes hike from Corcovado Adventures. You have to follow the small river upstream and will have a hidden waterfall all to yourself - even including a swing. Make sure to be back before dusk because that’s when the snakes are most active.
Of course, you can also visit bigger waterfalls - you can even book guided waterfall rappelling on the Osa Peninsula.
6. Cano Island Diving and Snorkelling
Cano Island or Isla del Caño is a marine protected area. It’s popular for whale watching (from December to April and from July to November) and dolphin watching (all year round).
The waters around the island also offer some world-class snorkelling and scuba diving. You have a chance to spot manta rays, sea turtles, as well as a wide variety of fish.
How Many Days Do You Need in Drake Bay
If you’re super short on time, we recommend you not to go to Drake Bay but visit Corcovado National Park on a guided tour (day tour or overnight) instead.
Drake Bay is pretty remote and hard to get to for two days of less. We recommend you to go if you have three days or more to go on different hikes and maybe visit Cano Island.
Infrastructure in Drake Bay
Supermarkets in Supermarkets
There are some small expensive shops in town.
If you come with your own car, it’s cheaper to shop on the mainland.
ATMs in Drake Bay
Bring enough cash. There are no ATMs in Drake Bay and activities can be quite costly. Many providers don’t accept credit card payments.
Internet in Drake Bay
Internet proved to be unreliable at best. During the time of our visit, a tree fell on the cable and the WiFi was gone for days.
Our mobile connection was also spotty to non-existent.
Gas Station in Drake Bay
There is no gas station in town. Fill up before you go!
What to Bring to Drake Bay
- Be smarter than we were and bring a headlamp. It can get very dark at night, especially if you sleep somewhere in the jungle.
- Bring not only hiking boots but also waterproof boots if you want to hike a waterfall and for the beaches which can get quite pebbly.
- You’re in the jungle so be prepared to see a lot of animals. You’ll want to take some heavy-duty insect repellent with you. We can recommend Off.
Our Drake Bay Budget
We spent an average of 100$ per person and day because we splurged on tours – which were worth the money!
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