Directions
Hotel Ojalá is in Drake Bay, Costa Rica. To get here, you first have to fly into Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) in San Jose, Costa Rica. Then to get from San Jose to Drake Bay you can fly, bus, or rent a car. All of these reservations can be made by contacting me.
By Plane
Flying is the fastest and easiest way to get to Drake Bay. Nature Air and Sansa offer daily flights from San Jose to Drake Bay and nearby Palmar Sur.
Drake Bay Airport: about 10 minutes from Drake Bay. Flight from San Jose is about 45 minutes.
Palmar Sur Airport: about 15 minutes from Sierpe. Taxis to Sierpe run $10 to $15, and from there visitors take an hour-long boat ride through the mangrove forests of the Sierpe River which empties into the Pacific Ocean. After exiting the river mouth, travelers make a wet landing on the shores of Drake Bay. This boat taxi leaves daily at 11:30am and costs $15 per person.
By Bus
There are currently no direct buses from San Jose to Drake Bay. The best option is to take the bus from the Tracopa Station (phone: +506.2221.4214) in San Jose to Palmar Norte. From here, it is a short taxi ride to Sierpe, which costs about $15. A boat departs Sierpe for Drake Bay daily at 11:30am, and costs $15 per person.
The bus leaves San Jose for Palmar Norte at 5:00am; 7:00am; 8:30am; 10:00am; 1:00pm; 2:30pm and 6:30pm. The trip takes 5-6 hours and costs $8.
Buses depart Palmar Norte for San Jose at 4:45am; 6:15am; 7:45am; 10:00am; 1:00pm; 3:00pm and 6:30pm.
Another option is to take the bus from San Jose to Rincon de Osa. This is not recommended during the rainy season (May through November) because the road is often impassable due to bad weather conditions. The bus leaves from Blanco Lobo station in San Jose for Rincon de Osa at 8:00am and 12:00pm. The trip takes 7 hours and costs $12. From Rincon de Osa, it is necessary to catch the Drake Bay shuttle, which departs at 4:00am and takes about four hours. The cost is $5. Since the shuttle leaves so early, it is necessary to spend the night in Rincon de Osa. This shuttle departs Drake Bay for Rincon de Osa at 1:00pm daily.
By Car
From San Jose, take the Interamerican Highway south through San Isidro del General, past Dominical, and down to Palmar Sur. Once you reach Chacarita, follow the signs for another three hours through Rincon de Osa and on to Drake Bay. The journey will take eight hours or more. Most of the trip is on Route 2 and other well-maintained roads, but the last few hours are on dirt roads that are not generally well marked. Also, after passing Rincon, there are several rivers without bridges to cross – and these can be impassable even during the dry season. A four-wheel drive vehicle is mandatory for this route.
Instead of motoring all the way to Drake Bay, we suggest driving to Sierpe and parking your car in an enclosed lot for about $5 per night. From there, the boat taxi to Drake Bay is only an hour long – and a gorgeous journey in and of itself.
