How to Visit Drake Bay in Costa Rica: The Gateway to Corcovado National Park

how to visit drake bay costa rica

If you are looking for a remote jungle getaway during your time in Costa Rica, a visit to Drake Bay should probably be on your itinerary.  It’s the perfect place to get that off-the-grid authentic Costa Rican village vibe and forget about the hassles of everyday life.  And let’s be honest, we can all use a little of that in our lives…

Plus, Drake Bay puts you right at the doorstep of the most biologically diverse place on the planetYes.  The planet.  Do you really need any more reasons to visit Drake Bay?

Getting to Drake Bay requires some effort, and involves a little bit more than hopping in your car and driving into town.  But the extra effort is well worth it in this case.

In this article, we’ll give you some useful hints and tips on how to visit Drake Bay, such as how to get there and what to do once you’ve made it!

Article Contents

Where is Drake Bay?
Best time to visit Drake Bay
How to get to Drake Bay
The boat from Sierpe to Drake Bay
Things to do in Drake Bay
How much time do you need in Drake Bay
What to pack for Drake Bay
Where to stay in Drake Bay
Final tips for visiting Drake Bay

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How to get to Drake Bay Costa Rica
Best things to do Drake Bay Costa Rica

Where is Drake Bay?

Drake Bay is a small remote village on the Osa Peninsula.  This peninsula is found in the southwestern corner of Costa Rica, and is one of the country’s most remote locations.  There are few roads and towns situated along the peninsula, but what makes it so special is that it’s home to Corcovado National Park, the shining star of the Osa and what attracts tons of people each year to Drake Bay.

where is drake bay costa rica

What is Corcovado National Park?  We’re glad you asked!

Corcovado is Central America’s largest lowland rainforest on the Pacific Coast, and has been famously described by National Geographic (yea, they’re kind of a big deal) as being the most biologically diverse place on the planet.  That’s so insane if you think about!  With places out there like the Amazon and the Great Barrier Reef, it’s quite a title to have.  But there’s no place on earth of similar size that holds quite as much diversity as Corcovado does. 

And in Drake Bay, you’ll be right at its doorstep.  Sign me up, am I right?!

Surrounded by ocean, jungle, and mangroves, Drake Bay sits on the Northwestern edge of the Osa Peninsula, and aside from Puerto Jimenez, which sits at the opposite end of the peninsula, it is the main gateway into Corcovado.


Best Time to Visit Drake Bay

best time to visit drake bay costa rica

In theory, you can visit Drake Bay any time of year.  But, just as with most of Costa Rica, there is a wet and a dry season. 

The dry season falls between December to April.  This is a time when there is a smaller chance of rain, but that doesn’t mean no rain!  Remember, this is the rainforest, so you have to come prepared for rain at any time of the year!  Temperatures can reach into the 90s with lots of humidity, so be prepared to be hot. 

The wet season runs from May to November.  The temperatures are slightly cooler, but the chances of rain at this time are much higher, with the rainiest months being September to October.  Often, certain stations close in October because of the dangerous conditions from all the rainfall.

Check out this site for a really comprehensive look at the weather and climate in Drake Bay throughout the year.


How to Get to Drake Bay

Since Drake Bay is located in such a remote place seemingly isolated from the rest of civilization, you might be thinking how it’s even possible to get there.  Luckily, there are several ways to get to Drake Bay, but they do require some effort and advanced planning.  This is not one of those places where you can just hop in the car and go! 

The most common ways to get to Drake Bay are by plane or boat.  Let’s go over the options here.

How to get to Drake Bay by boat

The boat taxi from Sierpe is by far the most common way to get to Drake Bay.  Sierpe is a small riverside town situated on the edge of a giant mangrove forest at the foot of the Osa Peninsula.  The Sierpe River runs through this mangrove forest and spills out into the Pacific Ocean, giving you access to the long coast of the Osa Peninsula.

The town of Sierpe is easy to get to.  You’ll take the Costanera Sur, Costa Rica’s main highway up and down the Pacific Coast, until you get to Palmar Norte.  Here, you’ll take a right onto route 2, and then a subsequent right onto route 223.  Follow this all the way into Sierpe.

Here are the distances to Sierpe from various points of interest in Costa Rica:

  • From San Jose: about 4 hours

  • From  Quepos/Manuel Antonio: about an hour and 45 minutes

  • From Uvita: just under an hour

There are two boats that leave from Sierpe for Drake Bay Daily. 

  • The first leaves at 11:30 am and costs $15 USD per person or 9,000 colones

  • The second leaves at 4 pm and costs $20 USD per person or 12,000 colones

Note: The captains will take your payment on the boat…make sure to have cash (USD or colones)!

The boat ride:  It’s a one-hour scenic trip, first along the mangroves of the Sierpe River.  Eventually, the river empties out into the Pacific Ocean and it’s a bumpy ride along the coast of the Osa Peninsula before arriving at the main beach on Drake Bay.

how to get the boat to drake bay costa rica

Parking:  Parking for the Drake Bay boat can be found at a restaurant called La Perla del Sur.  They charge a small fee of $6 USD, or 3,000 colones, per night.  The restaurant sits right next to the boat dock along the Sierpe River.  Your GPS should be able to find this without an issue.

A note about reservations: There really is no way that we could tell to make advanced reservations on the Sierpe boat.  Our hostel asked us if we would be arriving by boat to Drake Bay and told us that they would secure us a spot on whichever boat we needed, and I think most hostels or hotels in Drake Bay will do this.  We told them the date and time of the boat we wanted and they said they took care of it, so I trusted that they did.  But in reality, there’s no confirmation or reservation number or anything like that, and we felt at the boat dock that day it was still sort of a free for all.  Our best tip here is to just show up early to make sure you get a spot.

Some hotels may even have their own private boat to bring you to their hotel (many hotels are located far from the main Drake Bay village and not accessible from downtown), so make sure  you let your hotel/hostel know that you will be needing a spot on one of the boats and they can direct you from there.  If your hotel is in or near the down town area, though, you will most likely just hop on the public boat that goes to the main beach in Drake Bay.

While all of this sounds pretty straightforward, our experience will lead us to say otherwise.  We found the whole process a bit… stressful, and chaotic.  We’d say the best term to describe it was “organized chaos”.  Let me walk you through our experience, if only to give you an idea of what you can expect.

Our experience on the Drake Bay boat taxi

We plugged in La Perla del Sur into our GPS and off we went!  We gave ourselves an arrival time 20 minutes before the 4 pm boat left (we were aiming for earlier, but the beach we stopped at near Uvita along the way was too awesome to leave any earlier!).

We found Sierpe no problem, and our GPS told us when we were at the restaurant.  There was no real sign for La Perla del Sur, but we knew we were in the right place because of the mob of people standing at the boat dock at the river right next to it.

We knew we were in the right place, but it was super unclear where to park.  There was no real parking lot at the restaurant other than cars parking along the street.  We found a small dirt lot across the road and decided to park there until we could ask someone.  Kevin watched the car while I ran over and attempted to get help.

Tip: Knowing some Spanish here would go a long way. The first few people I found to ask for help did not speak any English, but after being directed to two different people, I finally found a parking attendant who thankfully did speak a little bit of English. I am able to get by with Spanish, but I hadn’t been around it in a while so it was certainly a challenge for me!

The parking attendant told us that where we had our car parked was parking for day tours only, and he directed us to park the car in a small area right next to the restaurant.  We noticed, though, that he was having people double park here, meaning our car was probably going to get boxed in, and we weren’t sure if he had any method to his madness.  But it was so hard to get any answers from him because he would constantly be running off to direct other cars or mysteriously driving off on his scooter!  We were waiting for him to give us a parking stub to keep with us so we could pay when we got back, but he never got around to it.  We were getting worried about how this was all working out but eventually we gave up trying to figure out the parking situation because it was getting close to 4 pm and we were more concerned about not missing the boat.  So we crossed our fingers that our car would be okay there and went on to deal with the next challenge.

The boat…

We headed over to the dock to figure out the boat situation.  There was just a mob of people standing around, and anyone we asked seemed to be just as confused as we were.  Several boats were beginning to dock and it was really unclear which boat we were supposed to get on and where each boat was going and who we should be asking.  About ten minutes past 4, one of the captains started shouting instructions from the middle of the crowd, in Spanish, and people started heading to different boats.  It seemed that some boats were there to bring tour groups out, and others were there from specific, more remote lodges picking up their guests.  After those people cleared out from the dock area, the captain then directed the rest of us to the public boat, and after asking probably about three times to make sure this was our correct boat and confirm where we needed to go, we were finally confident we were in the right place. 

We were a little worried that there wasn’t going to be enough space on the boat for everyone waiting, but there were two boats and they really cram everyone in.  In fact, about a third of the way down the river, our captain said that our boat was a little overcrowded and right in the middle of the river he had Kevin and I transfer to the other boat!

Once we were actually on the boat, the captain did make sure to ask where everyone was staying so he knew where to drop each person off.  Many people get off right at Drake Bay’s main beach, which is a short walk to a lot of the down town hotels and hostels, but some accommodations require a further boat ride along the Peninsula.  Just be sure to tell the captain before you board the boat where you need to go. 

About 20 after 4, we were on our way… Cue *big sigh of relief*. 

In the end, what started out as a crowd of people just standing around unsure of what to do ended with everyone finding their place.  Somehow it all worked.  Which is why I referred to this earlier as organized chaos!

A note about luggage:  Remember that you will have to carry with you on the boat all your luggage for your visit to Drake Bay.  Make sure any luggage you bring with you is hardy, as they get thrown around in the boat and may get wet or damp.  We recommend packing light just to make the journey a bit easier.  We each just had a backpack that stayed with us throughout the entire ride.

The boat ride from Sierpe to Drake Bay

The ride is about one hour from Sierpe to Drake Bay, and it’s a very scenic journey, so try to sit back, relax, and enjoy!  You’re done with the hard parts! 

The boat speeds its way down the Sierpe river, winding its way through the crocodile-filled mangroves (this is actually the largest mangrove forest in Costa Rica!) until it hits the mouth of the river where it empties into the Pacific Ocean.  Here it can get a little bumpy, and you’ll have about 20 minutes of open water crossing where you can run into some rough waters. 

boat from sierpe to drake bay costa rica

A bit of caution: We heard (after the fact) that the mouth of the river can be a little dangerous at times, especially when the ocean or weather is rough.  We personally never felt unsafe or worried.  The ocean was a little rough and the ride got bumpy, but the captain really seemed to know how to navigate and read the waves well.  If this is something you’re worried about, definitely check the forecasts ahead of time before deciding if you want to make the trip.

Once you hit the open ocean, you’ll follow the coastline of the Osa Peninsula and pass by some gorgeous palm-lined golden sand beaches along the way. 

how to get to drake bay by boat from sierpe

On the main beach of Drake Bay, you’ll have a wet landing…meaning, the boat docks off shore since there are no piers here, and you will have to jump into the water at about knee height level and walk to the beach with your luggage.  So make sure you’re wearing shorts and shoes (water shoes or sandals) that you don’t mind getting wet!  And this is another reason why you want light luggage!  You’ll have to carry it above water from the boat to the shore.

the boat to drake bay from sierpe

Someone from our hostel was on the beach waiting for us to bring us to our accommodation, and we recommend you arrange a similar thing with your hotel as well, or at least inquire how to get from the main beach to your lodging so you know where to go when you get there.

Our host with our ride on a quad to our hostel!

Our host with our ride on a quad to our hostel!

Getting the boat back to Sierpe at the end of your visit to Drake Bay

Getting the boat from Drake Bay back to Sierpe is a very similar process, although less stressful on this end. 

There are two daily boats that go to Sierpe from Drake Bay:

  • The first is at 7:15 am and costs $15 USD per person

  • The second is at 2:00 pm and costs $20 USD per person 

Try to arrange this with your hotel in advance.  Our host brought us from our hostel back to the beach and made sure we knew which boat to get on, which made this process a lot less stressful than it was getting here! 

Just a head’s up: don’t expect to get back to Sierpe exactly one hour later.  Our boat spent about an extra 30 minutes going along the Peninsula and picking up visitors from hotels located along different beaches and filling up the boat.  Once that’s done, it’s about an hour back the same way you came down the Sierpe River. 

At Sierpe, we unloaded from the boat and found what we were dreading: our car had indeed been boxed in!  We were super lucky that the owners of the car boxing us in were still there waiting for their tour to begin, so they were able to move their car and let us out.  Had they not been there, I’m really not sure what we would have done! 

Tips for taking the boat to Drake Bay

If you decide to visit Drake Bay by boat, hopefully the process is a little less chaotic for you (maybe we were just particularly bad at figuring things out!), but here are some of our best tips for taking the boat to Drake Bay to try to make this process a little bit easier:

  • Get to the boat dock in Sierpe about 30 minutes early to give yourself time to figure out where to park and where to go for your boat.

  • Wear water shoes or sandals and shorts that can get wet, since getting on and off the boat at Drake Bay requires walking through the water.

  • Pack light to make this whole process easier.

  • Make sure you have cash (USD or colones…you’ll pay the captain on the boat, cash only).

  • Make sure you’re wearing sunscreen…that Costa Rica sun will be beating down on you the whole time on the boat ride, and getting a burn will not make the rest of your time on Drake Bay pleasant!

How to get to Drake Bay by car

Ok, after reading through all that, you might be thinking, why go through this hassle?  I’ll just drive! 

Well, driving to Drake Bay is even harder than getting the boat from Sierpe, unfortunately.  If you look on Google Maps, you might notice there is indeed a road into Drake Bay, but, what you can’t really decipher from Google Maps is that this road is rough, requiring 4x4, and also has several river crossings which definitely are not covered by any rental agreement, so we definitely do not recommend driving to Drake Bay unless you have your own car that you’re willing to risk getting damaged, and you are very experienced with river crossings.

How to get to Drake Bay by public bus

Buses from San Jose (or anywhere North) stop in Palmar Norte, where you need to transfer to a different bus going to Sierpe, or take a taxi.  From San Jose, buses leave for Palmar Norte at various times throughout the day.  It’s around a 6- hour ride and costs about$ 8 USD.  Check the bus schedules here.  Once in Sierpe, you’ll still have to take the boat into Drake Bay, so make sure you line up all your modes of transportation to get one of the boats in time!

Another option is to take a bus directly into Drake Bay during the dry season only.  You can catch a bus from San Jose to Rincon de Osa, which will take about 7 hours and costs $12 USD.  You’ll have to spend the night in Rincon de Osa, and then catch the 4 am Drake Bay shuttle.  This will bring you directly into Drake Bay in about 4 hours and costs $5 USD.  The return shuttle leaves at 1 pm from Drake Bay each day.

How to get to Drake Bay by plane

This is the easiest and fastest, but most expensive, way to get to Drake Bay.  Short 45-minute flights from San Jose on Sansa or Nature Air are offered daily.  You’ll need to arrange transportation from the airport to your hotel, as the airport is a few kilometers away from town.  This is a good option for those with a higher budget or for those going to Drake Bay directly from San Jose.  However, many people rent a car and explore along the Pacific Coast before visiting Corcovado, so driving back to San Jose for a flight isn’t the most economical option.


Best Things To Do In Drake Bay

Ok, you’ve made it!  By plane, boat, or bus, you’ve gotten to the edge of the jungle.  Congrats!  Now what? 

There’s plenty to do in this laid-back paradise!  Here are some of the best things to do in Drake Bay.

Visit Corcovado National Park

This might be a no brainer.  In our humble opinion, going to Corcovado is an absolute must-do during any visit to Drake Bay!

best things to do in drake bay

Corcovado consists of over 160 square miles of protected land, most of which is inaccessible, so wildlife thrives here.  A trip to Corcovado will bring you close to many rare and endangered Costa Rica species.  You can have the opportunity to spot the rare Baird’s Tapir, or get a glimpse of the largest population of Scarlet Macaws in Central America.  Corcovado is also the only place in the country that has all four species of Costa Rican monkeys, and has five species of big cats, including pumas and jaguars (although these are rarely seen).  A visit to Corcovado is guaranteed not to disappoint.  It is hand’s down one of the best places to see wildlife in Costa Rica!

best things to do in drake bay
 
best things to do in drake bay visit corcovado
 

A tour guide is an absolute must for visiting this remote jungle.  From Drake Bay, you have the option of both day tours and overnight tours into Corcovado.  They leave from the main beach in Drake Bay, where you’ll be boated to either San Pedrillo or Sirena Ranger Stations, and you can spend a day or two exploring the trails and searching for wildlife around the station. 

We’ve written a huge article all about this place, so be sure to check it out for a ton more information on how to visit Corcovado National Park!

Take a Hike to Remote Beach

This is something we really wanted to do during our visit to Drake Bay, but we just didn’t have the time.  Don’t you hate it when that happens?  In hindsight, we went through all of this effort to get to this remote place, we probably should have devoted more time here.  But, hey, hindsight is 20/20, right?

A trail from the south end of Drake Bay leads to a beautiful secluded tropical beach called Playa San Josecito.  And we know it’s stunning because while we didn’t hike there, our boat from Corcovado made a brief stop here, and we wished we could have gotten off the boat and stayed longer!  It looked like a beach you would find on a postcard…heavenly.

best things to do in drake bay costa rica

The trail is pretty flat but long.  We talked to a couple at our hostel who made the trek, and they said it took them about three and half hours to get there.  They said the trail was pretty easy to follow, weaving into and out of the jungle and taking you to several secluded beaches before the final destination.  And they saw tons of wildlife, including a whole troupe of capuchin monkeys and a ton of scarlet macaws in the trees!  Right before you make it to San Josecito, you’ll have to cross the Rio Claro.  If it’s too high, you can pay someone a small fee to take you across in a small boat, so make sure you bring some cash. 

Try to start this hike early in the morning to avoid the intense midday heat.  A lot of tour groups coming from Cano Island stop here for lunch, so getting here early will allow you to enjoy this place to yourself for as much time as you can before these groups come in.

Other tips:  Pack all your food and water you will need for the day, and a flashlight, just in case you find yourself leaving a bit too late.  You can also snorkel here during the dry season when the water is clear, so if you have you own snorkel gear, you can bring that along as well.

 
best things to do in drake bay
 

Also, if you want to avoid the hike and just get straight to the beach, there are companies that will boat you out to the island and back for a small fee…I think it was about $10 or $15 per person each way.  At only about a 10 or 15 minute boat ride, it sure it a fast way to get there!  But we like to think that the hike is part of the fun and the adventure!  If you’re unsure about making the hike by yourself, Corcovado Info Center does offer a guided hike to this beach

Take a snorkeling trip to Cano Island

Besides Corcovado, one of the most popular things to do in Drake Bay is to take a tour out to Cano Island.  This island, located just about 10 miles off the coast, is known as one of the best places in Costa Rica for snorkeling and diving.  Most tours from Drake Bay to Cano Island are half day tours that will take you to two different snorkeling spots and then stop at Playa San Josecito for lunch before returning to Drake bay.  You have the chance to see things like sea turtles (!), rays, sharks, and tons of tropical fish.

There are lots of tour operators that you can arrange this with, and your hotel or lodge may even offer tours as well.  They will cost you somewhere around $80 to $90 USD. 

Hang out on the beach

While the beaches of Corcovado are hard to beat in terms of their picturesque beauty, the main public beach of Drake Bay still has its charm!

We hung out on the beach for a bit after we got back from our Corcovado tour.  They key is to get away from the main area where all the boats come in and out.  If you walk down the beach just a little bit further in each direction, you’ll have your own slice of paradise all to yourself.

beach in drake bay costa rica

Just use caution.  As with most beaches along the Pacific, there can be strong waves and riptides.

Go whale watching

The most popular place to go whale watching in Costa Rica is off the coast of Uvita and Marino Ballena National Park, but you can also take a whale watching tour from Drake Bay.

The Pacific waters off the coast of Costa Rica are the home of the longest humpback season in the world!  Humpbacks from both the North and South migrate to this region to breed and feed, and they can be spotted 10 months out of the year (December to April and July to November).

A half day tour will tun you about $100 USD or so.

Take a night tour through the jungle

If night time creepy crawlers are your thing (*no thanks*), then you might be interested in taking a night tour through the jungle right in Drake Bay.  Tours with “The Bug Lady” are very common here.  She will take you on a 3 hour walk through the rain forest in search of nocturnal wildlife and insects.  And you’ll probably see more of the jungle wildlife at night than on any day tour.  Check it out here!

Relax!

I’m sure we don’t have to tell you to do this!  Part of the allure of visiting Drake Bay is its remote laid-back atmosphere that lets you just get away from it all. 

best things to do in drake bay

Enjoy an afternoon at your lodge just relaxing on a hammock or walking around your lodge and listening to the jungle sounds around you.  And who knows, you might see some critters crawling around.  As we laid out on our patio, we saw hummingbirds gliding from flower to flower, lizards scurrying into the bushes, and plenty of birds flying overhead.

 
things to do in drake bay
 

The jungle is all around you no matter where you’re staying in Drake Bay, so take some time to really enjoy it!


How Much Time Do You Need In Drake Bay?

This is a great question, and one that we wish we planned for better.  We had just ten days in Costa Rica, and we really wanted to make the most of those ten days by squeezing in as much as we could.  We travelled from the Osa Peninsula all the way up to Fortuna, and everywhere in between.  And while we certainly don’t regret any thing we did in Costa Rica and loved every second of it, we do wish we got to spend a bit more time in Drake Bay.  We made all this effort to get out there after all.

I would say an ideal amount of time to spend in Drake Bay would be 4 days.  This would be plenty of time to really take advantage of everything Drake bay has to offer but without feeling too rushed. 

A perfect Drake Bay itinerary would look something like this:

  • The first morning can be used to boat it and get oriented and maybe take an afternoon or night tour or just relax on the beach. 

  • Two full days can be devoted to tours, such as Corcovado and Cano Island, or doing any long hikes, like to San Josecito Beach. 

  • The final day can be used to do any short excursions or some more relaxing, and to boat back out.


What to Pack for Drake Bay

what to pack for visit to drake bay

Whether by plane, boat or bus, you’ll need to make sure you bring everything you’ll need with you.  It’s helpful to pack as lightly as you can to make the journey a bit easier, but there’s some essentials you’ll want to make sure you have!

  • A bathing suit and towel

  • A pair of long pants for hiking through Corcovado

  • Light weight, moisture-wicking clothing for hiking through Corcovado or to Playa San Josecito

  • A good pair of hiking shoes or boots

  • Water shoes or sandals for wet landings on boats

  • All the sunscreen.  All of it. 

  • Bug spray

  • Cash.  Many places on Drake Bay only accept cash, and there are no banks or ATMs here, so you’ll have to come prepared with enough money for food, groceries, tours, etc.

  • Raincoat and a dry bag… always be prepared for rain in the rainforest! 

  • A headlamp or flashlight to explore the jungle at night!  Or to use if you’re walking around town at night after dinner.


Where to Stay in Drake Bay

Drake Bay surprisingly has a wide range of places to stay, from luxury jungle resorts to budget hostels.  There’s something for every travel style here. 

We used booking.com when looking for a place to stay.  Some things we considered when choosing where to stay in Drake Bay were:

  • Price.  This was our first criteria.  We were on a budget and so looking accordingly.  Accommodations here range from remote resorts for hundreds of dollars a night to simple hostel dorm rooms for just $20 a night.  There’s really something for every budget here.

  • Location.  This was another big factor for us.  Many places are situated right in or near downtown, which is super convenient because you will likely not have a car here, and being able to walk to the main beach or to restaurants and grocery stores from your hotel is a huge plus.  Many of the budget hotels and hostels are located in the main part of town.  However, a lot of the more luxury or high-end accommodations are further from town and may only be accessed by a boat from Drake Bay’s main beach.  While a fun experience to get even further off the grid, you’ll be relying on your hotel for all food and tours, so you won’t get the options or freedom of being closer to town.

  • Type of room.  This is especially relevant if you’re looking at hostels.  We wanted a budget option but with privacy, so we needed to make sure we were looking at private rooms within hostels rather than dorms or shared rooms.  Also check to see if you’ll have a private or shared bathroom.

  • Breakfast.  Some places include free breakfast, while others offer breakfast for a low price.

  • Tours.  Check to see if the hotel offers their own tour packages or will work with an outside tour company to book tours for you.  Ours did work with local tour companies but we had booked our Corcovado tour long before we ever started looking at accommodations.

We always recommend booking as far in advance as you can.  With that said, we booked our hostel about a month out with no real issue.  It was mostly the higher end places that were sold out of rooms.

Where we stayed in Drake Bay

We feel like we hit the jackpot in terms of where we stayed in Drake Bay!  We loved it so much and wanted to stay for so much longer than our two nights there.  So, where was it?

We stayed at a hostel called Mohagine

The beautiful grounds of Mohagine.

Mohagine has a handful of private huts and tents with an open-air kitchen and common space, and is located on a gorgeous jungle property.

We stayed in a tent named “Bob”…yes, our tent was named Bob!  And let me tell you, we loved Bob!  This was like glamping for us, at only $20 per night.  We had our own private platform, with a big tent that had a nice mattress pillow and sheets, a hammock and chair, shelves and a storage locker.  It was our own little private glamping spot!  And a huge plus was there was hot water.  Score!

 
where to stay drake bay
 

And our front yard was pretty killer.  We relaxed in our hammock at night listening to the jungle sounds around us and watching lizards and hummingbirds go about their business.  Pure bliss.

Our front yard…pretty nice, right?

Our front yard…pretty nice, right?

Waking up in the jungle

Waking up in the jungle

Because it’s a hostel with a shared common area, we met a lot of nice interesting people on their various travels through Costa Rica and shared dinners and stories outside with the jungle around us.

The open-air kitchen and lounge space at Mohagine

The open-air kitchen and lounge space at Mohagine

The property was a great place to find lizards, birds, and other tropical wildlife

The property was a great place to find lizards, birds, and other tropical wildlife

The location was ideal, too!  It was a quick 10-minute walk to the beach, and an even shorter walk to one of Drake Bay’s some grocery stores and a restaurant that was really good.  The host even picked us right up on the beach from our boat when we arrived and drove us to the hostel on the back of his 4-wheeler.  Talk about service!


Final Tips for Visiting Drake Bay

  • Drake Bay is definitely for the more adventurous at heart.  It’s a remote destination with little infrastructure, a small selection of cafes and markets, and bumpy dirt roads.

  • Make sure to bring enough cash.  Many places only accept cash and there are no banks or ATMs in the town.  Places that do accept card will likely charge a 13% VAT tax, so if you want to save some money and avoid this extra fee, it’s just helpful to have the cash with you.

  • The restaurants and cafes in Drake Bay are open air, and they serve good food for a pretty good price.  We got two full dinners with a beer for under $20 USD.

A main road through Drake Bay and one of the few grocery stores in town.

A main road through Drake Bay and one of the few grocery stores in town.


We want to hear from you!  Let us know anything else you need to know about how to visit Drake Bay and we will do our best to help you out!

Have you been to Drake Bay? What was your favorite part?

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How to Visit Corcovado National Park in Costa Rica

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