Corcovado National Park on Costa Rica's remote Osa Peninsula is a vast untouched rainforest sanctuary teeming with jaguars scarlet macaws and extraordinary biodiversity making it one of the most remarkable wildlife destinations in the entire world.
Costa Rica: Puntarenas – Drake Bay
🏴☠️ Bahía Drake — Where Sir Francis Drake Once Roamed
Right then, let us talk about Bahía Drake — a small but rather splendid bay tucked into the north side of the Osa Peninsula, down on the southwestern coast of Costa Rica. The bay is widely believed to have served as a port of call for none other than Sir Francis Drake himself — yes, that Sir Francis Drake — during his rather audacious raids on the Spanish Main back in the 16th century. Drake, who was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I in 1581 after circumnavigating the globe, was considered a hero back home in England and an absolute menace by the Spanish, who rather colourfully referred to him as El Draque. Legend has it the bay is also the resting place of one of the old pirate’s fabled hidden treasures. Nobody’s found it yet, mind you, but we live in hope.
🌿 The Lay of the Land
This little community sits within what is considered the largest and most biologically diverse stretch of lowland rainforest in the whole of Central America, right on the doorstep of the breathtaking Corcovado Peninsula. Back in 1975, the area was designated as Corcovado National Park, and it has since been described by National Geographic as the most biologically intense place on Earth. We are talking jaguars, tapirs, scarlet macaws, and more species of tree than you’d find in the whole of Europe. It’s not exactly your average seaside resort.
Being this remote, it doesn’t attract the sort of tourist numbers you’d see in, say, Manuel Antonio or the Arenal Volcano area. And frankly, that’s a large part of its charm. Apart from Puerto Jiménez on the eastern side — which, with a population of around 7,000, serves as the main administrative hub — the settlements dotted across the Osa Peninsula are modest affairs: small towns and villages scattered among lush rainforests and sprawling mangrove swamps. It’s the sort of place where nature very much calls the shots, and the human population has largely accepted that arrangement.
The village of Drake Bay itself sits on the Pacific side of the peninsula and, thanks to its position nestled within a wide cove, enjoys decent protection from the sort of ocean swells that would otherwise make life rather interesting. Just off the main beach, Playa Colorada, you’ll find a modest cluster of tourism businesses — a handful of small restaurants, a few lodges, and the usual municipal necessities like a school and a medical clinic. Further accommodation is strung out along the coastline in both directions or tucked up into the surrounding hills. Some of it, we should warn you, is only reachable by jungle trail or a short boat ride. If that sounds like a faff, you might want to rethink the whole trip. If it sounds like half the fun, you’re going to get on brilliantly here.
🛶 Our Base & Getting About
We stayed at a small hotel called Bella Vista, situated a few miles south of Drake Bay village. Getting there by road, we quickly discovered, was not what you’d call straightforward. The road — and we use that term generously — made certain demands of both vehicle and nerve. In the end, hopping on a boat turned out to be by far the most efficient way of getting between the village and the hotel. Sometimes the most practical solution is also the most enjoyable one.
Drake Bay is, at its heart, a proper get-away-from-it-all destination. A place to decompress, switch off the phone, and remember what the world looked like before notifications. That said, there’s no shortage of things to do if the urge takes you. Below, we’ve put together a few ideas for making the most of your visit.
🤿 Snorkelling on Caño Island
Now, Costa Rica isn’t somewhere that typically springs to mind when you’re thinking about snorkelling or diving — it’s more famous for its rainforests and wildlife than its reefs. But Caño Island, sitting just off the shore of Drake Bay, is a genuine exception and reckoned to be one of the best spots in the country for getting your face in the water. It’s only a short half-hour boat ride out to the island’s protected waters, and there are plenty of local operators running tours — have a look at Sukia Travel for options. We spent a couple of very enjoyable hours snorkelling, spotting small shoals of fish and, rather excitingly, a sea turtle going about its business entirely unbothered by us. On the way back, our boat stopped off at a lovely beach on the mainland where we were treated to a very tasty lunch. Not a bad morning’s work.
🌙 After Dark in the Jungle
We would strongly recommend getting yourself on one of the night tours into the Corcovado rainforest. During the day the place is extraordinary enough, but after dark it becomes something else entirely — a proper parallel world that most visitors never bother to explore. The forest comes alive with creatures that spend the daylight hours well hidden: tree frogs clinging to broad leaves, stick insects the length of your forearm, and spiders that would make even the most stoic Londoner do a little involuntary shimmy. Corcovado is home to over 500 species of insects alone, and at night many of them are very much out and about. A good local guide is absolutely essential — not only do they know where to look, but they’ll spot things two feet from your face that you’d walk straight past. Trust us on that one.
🌅 Sunsets Worth Staying Up For
One of the genuine perks of being on the west coast of Costa Rica is that you are perfectly positioned for some truly spectacular sunsets. And we were not disappointed. Night after night, the sky put on a proper show — the sort of deep reds, burnt oranges, and vivid purples that make you put your drink down and just stare. From the restaurant at Bella Vista, we had what can only be described as a front-row seat. The terrace looks directly out over the Pacific, and with nothing but open ocean between you and the horizon, there is absolutely nothing to get in the way. No buildings, no hills, just sky and sea doing their thing. It sounds simple enough, but after a day exploring the rainforest, sitting there watching the sun drop into the Pacific was, frankly, one of the highlights of the whole trip.
Planning Your Visit to Drake Bay
🚗 Getting to Drake Bay — Don’t Even Think About Driving
Right, so let’s start with the driving option — and then immediately talk you out of it. Yes, technically, you can drive to Drake Bay during the dry season, but we’d strongly advise against it, even if you’ve got a beefy 4×4. The roads out there are seriously rough — we’re talking proper off-road territory — and there are river crossings involved. Now, here’s the fun bit: have a little read of your rental car terms and conditions. Go on. We’ll wait. You’ll almost certainly find that river crossings are not covered. Surprising, that, isn’t it? So you’d be up the proverbial creek — or rather, in one — with no insurance and a very cross car hire company on the phone.
There’s another perfectly sensible reason to ditch the car idea too: once you’re actually in Drake Bay, you simply won’t need one. The place is tiny, and you get around by boat or on foot. We left our rental car parked up in the small town of Sierpe and hopped on the boat from there. Which brings us neatly to the good bit.
⛵ Getting There By Boat Taxi — The Only Way to Arrive in Style
The boat taxi is, without question, the best way to get yourself to Drake Bay — and honestly, it’s a bit of an adventure in itself, so don’t go thinking of it as just a transfer. Drake Bay sits on the Osa Peninsula in the south-west of Costa Rica, a remote and staggeringly biodiverse corner of the country that’s not exactly on the beaten track. Which is rather the point.
The boats depart from Sierpe, a modest little riverside town that most tourists barely register exists. To get there, you’d typically fly into Palmar Sur — a tiny domestic airport with a runway that looks like it belongs in an Indiana Jones film — or drive down from San José, which is roughly a five-to-six-hour slog south along the Pan-American Highway, depending on traffic and how many times you stop for snacks.
We made the trip on Christmas Day, which did give us a brief moment of wondering whether anything would actually be running — but the boats go year-round, so there we were, chugging down the Río Sierpe on the 25th of December like proper adventurers. The only thing that’ll stop the boats is serious weather, and even then, they’re usually back up and running pretty sharpish.
If you’ve driven down in a rental car like we did, there’s a secure car park just a short walk from the dock, which’ll set you back $6 a night — not bad at all. The boat ride itself takes roughly an hour and costs between $15 and $25 per person depending on which departure you catch. There are two daily sailings from Sierpe: 11:30 a.m. for $15 and 3:30 p.m. for $25. If you’re early, there’s a handy restaurant right next to the dock — perfect for a sit-down and something cold while you wait.
These boats are no luxury cruisers, let’s be clear about that. We’re talking roughly 20 feet of fibreglass with rather more people and luggage crammed in than feels entirely sensible. Think rush-hour Tube, but on water, in 30-degree heat, with someone’s cool box wedged against your shins. And here’s something we rather liked — these aren’t tourist-only shuttles. Local people use them too, travelling back and forth between Sierpe and Drake Bay as part of everyday life. It’s proper working transport, which somehow makes the whole experience feel much more authentic.
The first leg of the trip takes you winding down the Río Sierpe through dense mangrove forests — and don’t go picturing a lazy, gentle float downstream. This is no casual pootle. The boat gets up to speed pretty sharpish, and as it leans hard into the bends of the river, you’ll find yourself gripping the side rail with a big daft grin on your face. The mangroves tower over you on both sides, ancient and tangled, and the whole thing feels rather more like a fairground ride than a water taxi. Brilliant fun.
Now, this is where it gets properly exciting. Once the boat leaves the calm of the Río Sierpe estuary and noses its way out into the Pacific Ocean, everything changes. The water picks up, the boat starts clipping across the waves, and you find yourself grinning like an idiot. Brilliant fun, if you ask us.
Roughly half the journey is out on the open sea, and on a clear day it is genuinely stunning — deep blue Pacific stretching out in every direction, with the lush green coastline of the Osa Peninsula in the distance.
Then comes the arrival — and Drake Bay doesn’t do docks. Nobody warned us about this bit. You go over the side of the boat and wade through knee-deep water onto the beach, bags and all. Our luggage was on the hefty side, so there was a fair amount of nervous shuffling involved, praying nothing went overboard!
Worth knowing before you head off: Drake Bay has no banks and no ATM machines whatsoever. None. Zip. And a fair number of the local businesses won’t take credit cards either, so don’t go assuming you can tap your way through the trip. Sort yourself out with enough cash before you leave Sierpe — or better yet, before you even leave San José. Running out of colones in the middle of the rainforest is, we can assure you, not a situation you want to find yourself in.
Best Time to Visit Costa Rica’s West Coast
🌞 Dry Season (December to April)
This is the classic high season and, for most visitors, the most straightforward time to travel. Skies over Guanacaste and the Nicoya Peninsula are reliably clear, rainfall is minimal, and the Pacific Ocean tends to be calm and brilliantly blue. Temperatures sit between 28°C and 35°C, and the trade winds that blow in from the north keep the heat from becoming oppressive — particularly along the coast. Playa Tamarindo, Playa Flamingo, Playa Conchal, and Playa Nosara are all at their most photogenic during these months. The dry season also coincides with prime surfing conditions at breaks such as Witch’s Rock and Ollie’s Point, which are accessible by boat from Tamarindo and Playa del Coco. Wildlife is highly visible because animals congregate around remaining water sources. Leatherback sea turtle nesting at Playa Grande peaks between November and February, and January through March sees excellent whale-watching offshore. The trade-off is that this period is busy and expensive. Accommodation should be booked months in advance, especially over Christmas, New Year, and Semana Santa (Easter Week), when prices spike considerably and beaches become crowded.
What to pack: Lightweight, breathable clothing (linen or technical fabrics), high-SPF sun cream, a good sun hat, UV-protective sunglasses, sandals and sturdy walking shoes, a reusable water bottle, insect repellent, a light layer for air-conditioned restaurants and transfers, swimwear, a dry bag for beach days and boat trips, and any prescription medication.
🌦️ Shoulder Season / Green Season Onset (May to June)
May and June mark the start of the rainy season, but the transition is gradual and, for independent travellers, arguably the most rewarding period of the year. Rain tends to fall in concentrated afternoon or evening downpours rather than all-day grey drizzle, leaving mornings consistently bright and warm. The landscape transforms almost overnight: the brown, parched hillsides of the dry season give way to a lush, vivid green that earns this period its alternative name, the Green Season. Crowds thin out noticeably, prices drop across hotels and tour operators, and the roads are quieter. Surf conditions remain strong along the northern Nicoya coast. The warm, rain-fed rivers begin to run well, making inland excursions and wildlife spotting increasingly rewarding. May and June represent excellent value without any significant sacrifice in terms of day-to-day enjoyment.
What to pack: A quality lightweight waterproof jacket or packable poncho, quick-dry clothing, waterproof sandals or trail shoes, a dry bag, insect repellent (mosquito activity increases with the rains), sun cream, swimwear, a small travel umbrella, a portable power bank to keep devices charged during downpours, and a microfibre towel.
🌧️ Mid Rainy Season (July to August)
July and August bring an interesting anomaly known locally as the veranillo, or “little summer” — a brief dry spell that typically occurs in late July and can extend into August. For travellers who plan around this window, the experience can feel much like the dry season: clear blue skies, calm seas, and excellent beach conditions. Outside the veranillo, rainfall is heavier than in May and June, with proper thunderstorms rolling in during afternoons and evenings. Rivers run fast, waterfalls are at their most spectacular, and the rainforest canopy is at peak density. This is also one of the best periods for sport fishing offshore, and humpback whale season is in full swing from July onwards, with pods regularly spotted along the Guanacaste coast and around the Nicoya Gulf. Prices remain low, and popular spots are uncrowded. Road conditions on unpaved tracks can become challenging, and some more remote beaches may be harder to reach. That said, a 4×4 vehicle and a flexible itinerary turn what might seem like obstacles into genuine adventure.
What to pack: A robust waterproof jacket, quick-dry shirts and trousers, waterproof hiking boots or heavy-duty sandals, a dry bag for electronics and documents, insect repellent with DEET, malaria prophylaxis if venturing into forested inland areas (consult your GP), a first-aid kit, sun cream (for the veranillo and coastal days), swimwear, a headtorch, and cash (ATMs can be unreliable in remote areas).
⛈️ Peak Rainy Season (September to November)
September and October are the wettest months on the West Coast. Rainfall totals are at their highest, and there can be multi-day spells of overcast, damp weather — particularly in October, which is statistically the wettest month in Guanacaste. Tropical storms, while not guaranteed, are possible during this period and the broader Atlantic hurricane season can occasionally push systems across from the Caribbean side. That said, the West Coast of Costa Rica is far less vulnerable to hurricanes than the Caribbean coast, and many visitors find this time perfectly manageable with the right expectations. Prices are at their absolute lowest, and top-end eco-lodges that are often fully booked in December can be available at a fraction of the usual rate. The natural environment is extraordinarily alive: nesting olive ridley sea turtles arrive in mass nesting events called arribadas at Playa Ostional on the Nicoya Peninsula, and the rivers and forests teem with wildlife. November brings a gradual improvement as the rains begin to ease and the first dry-season visitors start to arrive, making it a transitional month with a pleasant mix of green landscapes and increasing sunshine.
What to pack: Full waterproofs (jacket and trousers), waterproof footwear, a dry bag, anti-malarial tablets if applicable (seek medical advice), DEET insect repellent, lightweight long-sleeved shirts and trousers for evenings and forest hikes, a portable water filter or purification tablets, a headtorch, a backup power bank, a travel insurance policy that covers weather-related disruptions, and sun cream for clear spells.
🌍 Overall Best Time to Visit
For most travellers, January to April offers the most dependable weather and the widest range of activities on Costa Rica’s West Coast, with February and March sitting at the sweet spot of excellent conditions before the Easter crowds arrive. However, those willing to embrace a little unpredictability will find remarkable rewards in the shoulder months. May to June and the veranillo of late July deliver much of the same beauty at considerably lower cost, with the added bonus of lush green scenery and far fewer fellow tourists. The true adventurer, seeking an untouched, immersive Costa Rica, might even consider October — the country at its most wild, wet, and wonderfully alive.
Where to stay in Drake Bay
1. Bella Vista
We stayed at the Bella Vista which was a few miles down the coast from Drake village. Our arrival was by boat and we had a ‘wet’ landing on the beach, where we were greeted by one of the family who own the hotel.
The property is located on the hills above the beach, and the only way to get there was by a steep and very potholed road. Luckily, one of the other family members turned up with a motorbike and strapped our bags onto the back of it and headed away! Even without our bags, it was still a hike up the hill.
The accommodation was quite rustic. We were in a small duplex chalet on some grazing land, complete with farm animals. Bug spray was a must. There is no air conditioning here so it was sticky and warm at night. The best thing about the Bella Vista is the bar-come-restaurant which was a wonderful place to watch the sun go down.
The family who run the place were amazing. We don’t speak much Spanish and their English was not great, but still, we worked things out and they could not have been friendlier or more helpful.
2. Copa de Arbol Beach and Rainforest Resort
3. Sunset Lodge
Perched on the edge of the Osa Peninsula, Sunset Lodge in Drake Bay offers one of Costa Rica’s most immersive wildlife experiences. Surrounded by the lush canopy of Corcovado National Park — one of the most biodiverse places on earth — this intimate eco-lodge lets guests wake up to howler monkeys, scarlet macaws, and the rhythmic sound of the Pacific. The lodge strikes a balance between rustic charm and genuine comfort, with open-air bungalows that frame breathtaking ocean sunsets each evening. Getting here requires a small boat or light aircraft, which only adds to the sense of adventure. For travellers seeking wild, unspoiled Costa Rica rather than resort crowds, Sunset Lodge is the real thing.
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