1Drake Bay
A small bay on the Osa Peninsula, reached by boat or small plane, and the way in to Corcovado National Park and Caño Island.
3 nightsBest: December to April
The Osa Peninsula
The far south of Costa Rica's Pacific coast, where Corcovado National Park meets the Golfo Dulce, with Drake Bay on one side and Puerto Jiménez on the other. About 1 hour by small plane from San José.
- Destinations
- 3
- Each with its own page
- Hotels we book
- 28
- 3-star and above
- Fly into
- SJO
- Then a small plane, about 1 hour
- Corcovado
- 400+ bird species
- Guided hikes only
- Pairs with
- Manuel Antonio
- From Drake Bay, boat to Sierpe, then about 2 hours
Why go
Where Corcovado meets the sea
The Osa Peninsula is in the far south of Costa Rica's Pacific coast, and much of it is Corcovado National Park: 13 major ecosystems, all four of the country's monkey species and more than 400 species of birds, including scarlet macaws. The park can only be hiked with a guide. On the north side, Drake Bay is reached by boat or small plane and is the way in to Corcovado and Caño Island. On the other side of the peninsula, the Golfo Dulce is a deep gulf with rainforest down to the water, humpback whales offshore and lodges you reach by boat. Puerto Jiménez, the main town, sits between the park and the gulf and has its own airstrip. About an hour south, Cabo Matapalo is the tip of the peninsula, with ecolodges in the rainforest above three beaches, and further west along a rough road is Carate, close to Corcovado's La Leona ranger station.
Corcovado National ParkGuided hikes for monkeys, tapirs and scarlet macaws
Drake BayThe way in to Caño Island
The Golfo DulceRainforest lodges you reach by boat
Destinations in the Osa Peninsula
The places our clients stay most come first. Each has its own page.
2Golfo Dulce
A deep gulf between the Osa Peninsula and the mainland, with rainforest down to the water, humpback whales offshore and lodges you reach by boat.
Best: December to May
3Corcovado
164 square miles of rainforest on the Osa Peninsula, home to all four of Costa Rica's monkey species, tapirs and scarlet macaws, and hiked only with a guide.
Best: January to April
The map
![Map of Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica with its 3 destinations numbered and the 28 hotels we book]()
Where the Osa Peninsula is, and what is in it
Each number is a destination with its own page; the small dots are the 28 hotels we book here.
Drake BayGolfo DulceCorcovado
- Destination page
- Hotel we book
- The region (approximate)
Quieter places we also book
- Puerto JiménezThe peninsula's main town, between the Golfo Dulce and Corcovado, with its own airstrip for the flight from San José.3 hotels we book
- Cabo MatapaloThe tip of the peninsula, about an hour south of Puerto Jiménez: rainforest lodges above three beaches.4 hotels we book
- CarateA remote beach near Corcovado's La Leona ranger station, reached by a rough road or a small plane.4 hotels we book
Hotels we know personally
3-star and above only, chosen by our team in Costa Rica.
Lapa Rios Ecolodge
A 1,000-acre private rainforest reserve at the tip of the Osa Peninsula, so the monkeys, macaws and toucans live around your bungalow rather than in a park you drive to.
4-starView hotel
El Remanso Eco Lodge
Rainforest at Cabo Matapalo with the Pacific in front, and villas with their own plunge pool and ocean view, a real treat after a hot day in Corcovado.
4-starView hotel
What our clients book most in the Osa Peninsula
Ranked from the trips we planned in the last 12 months.
- 01Snorkelling at Caño IslandShared, Full Day
- 02Corcovado National Park from San Pedrillo stationShared, Full day
- 03Corcovado National Park from Sirena stationShared, Full day
- 04Night tour with the Bug LadyShared, 2 ½ hours
- 05Boat tour of the Térraba-Sierpe mangrovesShared, 4 hours
When to go
Driest December to April
The dry season, December to April, is the best time for clear weather and for hiking. May to November is greener, with fewer visitors and more rain, which can flood the roads and make the sea rough, one more reason to fly in and travel with a driver.
Dry seasonGreen season, fewer visitorsSemana Santa, 21 to 28 March 2027: plan early
Best months, destination by destination
| Destination | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drake Bay | best | best | best | best | best | |||||||
| Golfo Dulce | best | best | best | best | best | best | ||||||
| Corcovado | best | best | best | best | ||||||||
| Puerto Jiménez | best | best | best | best | best | |||||||
| Cabo Matapalo | best | best | best | best | best | |||||||
| Carate | best | best | best | best | best |
By small plane, or the long road south
From San José (SJO)about 1 hourA domestic flight to Puerto Jiménez, the quickest way in
From Uvitaabout 2.5 hoursPrivate transfer south to Puerto Jiménez
On to Cabo Matapalo45 to 60 minutesBy dirt road from Puerto Jiménez, with shallow stream crossings
More to see in the Osa Peninsula
Where to go next
![Manuel Antonio beach and point from the air]()
![A mountain river over mossy boulders in San Gerardo de Dota]()
![A humpback whale breaching off a forested coast]()
![The National Theatre in San José]()
Where our clients go after the Osa Peninsula
Manuel AntonioFrom Drake Bay, boat to Sierpe, then a private transfer of about 2 hoursRainforest, beaches and the national park
San Gerardo de DotaFrom Drake Bay, boat to Sierpe, then a private transfer of about 3.5 hoursCloud forest and the quetzal
UvitaPrivate transfer, about 2.5 hoursWhale watching in Marino Ballena
San JoséDomestic flight, about 1 hourThe capital, close to your flight home
Good to know
Osa Peninsula questions we answer every week
How do I get to the Osa Peninsula?
The quickest way is a domestic flight from San José to Puerto Jiménez, about 1 hour. By road, Puerto Jiménez is about 2.5 hours from Uvita and about 2 hours from Sierpe, the boat dock for Drake Bay. The lodges at Cabo Matapalo are 45 to 60 minutes further by dirt road.
Where should I stay on the Osa Peninsula?
Drake Bay for Caño Island and the north of Corcovado, the Golfo Dulce for a lodge on the water, and Cabo Matapalo for rainforest lodges above the beach, near Puerto Jiménez on the other side of the park.
Do I need a guide in Corcovado?
Yes. Corcovado National Park can only be hiked with a guide, and every Corcovado tour we book includes one.
When is the best time to visit the Osa Peninsula?
The dry season, December to April, brings the clearest weather for hiking and the beaches. May to November is greener, with fewer visitors and more rain, and the roads can flood.
Is the Osa Peninsula good for families?
Yes, with the right lodge. El Remanso welcomes families, with villas and bungalows that sleep up to 5 or 6, while Lapa Rios takes children from age 6.
What should I pack for the Osa Peninsula?
Light, breathable clothing, hiking shoes, rain gear, sunscreen, insect repellent and a reusable water bottle. Binoculars and a camera are worth the space.
Your Costa Rica, planned by people who live here
Tell us what you love. A Costa Rica Specialist builds a custom itinerary around it, with private transfers, hotels we know and our team on call 24/7 while you travel.
Since 2004 in Costa RicaOver 25,000 clients1,200+ five-star reviewsICT licensed, Declaratoria Turística
