South Pacific, Drake Bay, Peninsula Osa,
and Golfo Dulce Hotels

Playa Dominical, Playa Tortuga, Ballena Marine Park, Bahía Uvita de Osa, Ciudad Cortéz, Palmar Norte, Ojochal, Ciudad Neilly, Río Claro, Vergel de Punta Mala, A - Z

Sierpe Bahía Drake, Isla del Caño, A - Z

Alto Los Mogos, Puerto Jiménez, Playa Carbonera, Carate, Corcovado, A - Z

Golfito, Piedras Blancas, Playa San Josecita A - Z

Playa Zancudo, Pavones A - Z

About the South Pacific Region, Drake Bay, Peninsula Osa, and Golfo Dulce places

Dominical is a little coastal village at the northern end of the South Pacific Region and just 1,2km south of the Hacienda Barú. the Dominical beach is long and is very popular among surfers. Sierpe is a tiny village is on the Sierpe river almost 30 km from the Pacific Ocean, yet it has about a 3m difference between high and low tides. Boats to Bahía Drake can be hired here.

Bahía Drake is an area is rich in both 16th-century history and natural history. Sir Francis Drake himself supposedly visited the bay in march 1579 during his global circumnavigation in the Golden Hind. Agujita is a small village on the bay with a grocery store, a public phone, a clinic, a school, and a couple of cabins. You can visit Agujitas, pick up a cola or beer, watch kitds coming home from school.

Corcovado is a four to seven hour walk along the coast from Bahía Drake to the San Pedrillo Ranger Station of the Corcovado National Park. Dropping tides are the best time for this hike. The route is usually easy to follow.

Isla del Caño is a 326-hectare island is roughly 20 km west of Bahía Drake. The reserve is of interest to snorklers, divers, biologists, and archaeologists. About 5800 hectares of ocean are designated as part of the reserve. Snorklers will find incredibly warm water (almost body temperature) and a good variety of marine life ranging from fish to sea cucumbers.

Puerto Jiménez is the only town of any size on the peninsula Osa. Until the 1960s the peninsula was one of the most remote parts of Costa Rica with exuberant rainforests and a great variety of plants and animals. This is area is not only for beach-lovers but for Sport Fishermen, since Crocodile Bay Lodge, a private resort specialized in Fishing Charters, opened its doors.

Carate is the beginning of the road if you're departing from Corcovado, or the end of the road if you're coming from Puerto Jiménez. Access during rainy season is best by plane. One has to cross several rivers and if there is a day with heavy rain you might not be able to get through them by car during several days.

Golfito is named after a tiny gulf that emerges into the much larger Golfo Dulce, a large Pacific Ocean gulf just west of Panama. It's the most important port in the far southern part of Costa Rica, although its maritime importance has declined greatly in recent years. In the late 1980s a small tourism industry began in the area, and it has since blossomed. The town is surrounded by the steep hills of the Nacional Wildlife Refuge Golfito, with a splendid rainforest backdrop and good birding opportunities.

Playa Cacao is a beach is opposite Golfito, and the view of the bay, port and surrounding rainforest is worth the short boat ride out here. As for swimming, although it is cleaner than the polluted waters just off the town, the water isn't pristine.

Playa Zancudo beach, on the south side of the mouth of the Coto Colorado river, about 15km south of Golfito, is a popular destination for locals, who claim that the 6km-long dark-sand beach has the best swimming in the area. The surf is gentle and at night the quiet water sometimes sparkles with bio-luminescence. At the far south end, the waves get big enough for surfing. Zancudo is also a famous Sport-Fishing destination. The largest Marina is managed by The Zancudo Lodge. There is a beautiful mangrove in the river area.

Playa Pavones, about 15 km south of Zancudo is the Bahía de Pavón, which has some of the best surfing on the Pacific side of Central America. The name Pavones is used locally to refer to the area comprising both Playa Río Claro de Pavones, and 5km southeast, Punta Banco.

Make your reservation well ahead of time!

Pouth Pacific, Drake Bay, Peninsula Osa, and Golfo Dulce are not only famous in Costa Rica because of their incredible biological diversity and the famous National Park called Corcovado, it is also a favourite destination for surfers and deep sea sport fishermen, scuba divers, snorkelling, and the observation of dolphins and whales.