Southern Pacific – Beachcomber Pete Costa Rica

Drake Bay

Set your adventurous spirit free and start an adventure in the tiny town at Drake Bay in Costa Rica. Drake Bay, also known as Bahía Drake, is only accessible by boat or airplane and was discovered by Sir Francis Drake in 1579. The seclusion of Drake Bay has preserved the natural beauty and wildlife lives in a natural unspoiled environment. Hiking, boating, snorkeling gives visitors the opportunity to explore this untouched land.

Getting to Drakes Bay can be a little bit of an adventure, yet worth the trip. For those coming from San Jose, there is a small airport offering service to the capital.

If you are driving, you will head south from Palmer Norte about 9 miles to a small village called Sierpe. Located on the Rio Sierpe, a water taxi will find you taking a 2 hour ride to Drakes Bay.

A dirt road to Drakes Bay is often flooded and often unreliable, thus the better choice is the water taxi.

Corcovado National Park
Located on the nearby Osa Peninsula, the Corcovado National Park is a great place for visitors to explore a tropical rainforest. The area gives shelter in untouched landscape and tropical forests to a wide variety of wildlife and plant life, including many endangered species. Over 140 distinct mammal species, nearly 120 amphibian and reptile species, including Harbor Squirrel Monkeys, Harpy Eagles, the rare poison arrow frog, crocodiles, species of wild cats, and Tapier (the largest terrestrial mammal in Central America and South America) inhabit the varied ecosystems in the Corcovado National Park. Visitors can hike through the dense tropical jungle to the pristine virgin beaches or take the guided tour and experience more of the unspoiled nature and wildlife.Cano Island
The perfect day trip from Drake Bay is a short boat ride to uninhabited Cano Island which is home to the Reserva Biológica Isla del Caño (Caño Island Biological Reserve). Cano Island is famous for the best snorkeling to be found. The location of the Park Ranger Station is a great place to snorkel, but life jackets are required. The Ranger Station has a restroom and an outdoor shower open to the public. There are a large number of secluded beaches where visitors can snorkel unsupervised.

Along the shoreline peppered with volcanic rocks there are numerous tide pools to discover. The beaches have dark volcanic sand which gives the virgin beaches a dramatic look. Hike into the heart of the island on guided trails to explore the natural undisturbed beauty of the dense forest and see wildlife including birds, lizards, turtles, and exotic plants and trees. Occasionally hikers may see a perfectly round stone sphere which is believed to be an ancient grave marker from pre-Columbian times when local Indians used the island as a burial ground. Pottery was found on this island paradise dating back to 220 t0 800 A.D. After a day of hiking or snorkeling, the boat returns you to Drake Bay and your hotel accommodations.

The Corcovado National Parkwas formed in 1975 and is part of the Osa Conservation Area. It is located in the southwestern part of Costa Rica and is 263 square miles or 425 square kilometers.

The park is on the Pacific Ocean side of Costa Rica and is classified a lowland rainforest. This type of rainforest is usually the most bio-diverse and this is true of Corcovado National Park. It has been called “the most biologically intense place on Earth” by National Geographic. Many animals there are highly or critically endangered.

Corcovado National Park Southern Pacific, Costa Rica

When you visit, you will be able to see a wide variety of wildlife, including all four Costa Rican monkey species. Other animals include anteaters, Baird’s Tapir, bull sharks, jaguars, ocelots, puma, scarlet macaw, sloths, toucans, and black vultures. Some of the many snake species include the boa constrictor which is the largest snake found there, eyelash pit viper, bushmaster, and coral snake.The best time to visit is during the dry season which runs from the middle of December to the middle of April. Drake Bay is north of the park and from there you can get into the park.

The nearest town is Puerto Jimenez and there you can hop on a bus to take you on the three to five hour trip to the south entrance of the park at Carate. You can also rent a 4WD vehicle if you prefer to drive yourself. There is plane service from Golfito to the ranger’s station in the park. Once at Carate, it is a 4 km walk to the park entrance.

To enter the park, you need a pass and it can be purchased online up to a month before your visit. Permits are needed to camp and if you want to eat or stay at the Sirena Ranger Station, you need reservations.

Inside the park there are no places to buy souvenirs and the only place to eat is at the Sirena ranger station. You are allowed to bring in your own food which needs to be non-perishable and lightweight. It is also recommended you bring water to drink even though there is potable water available at the ranger stations. You will also need sunscreen and insect repellant.