Drake Bay

Getting Here and Around

The fastest way to get to Drake Bay is to fly directly to the airstrip. You can also fly to Palmar Sur and take a taxi to Sierpe and then a thrilling, if bumpy boat ride to Drake Bay. From the airport, it's a 25-minute taxi ride to Sierpe; small, open boats leave at low tide, usually 11 to 11:30 am for the one-hour trip to Drake. There is also a late-afternoon boat service. Captains will often stop along the way to view wildlife in the river mangroves. Many lodges arrange boat transportation from Drake Bay or Sierpe. From Rincón you can drive to Drake on a 30-km (19-mile, sometimes) graded dirt road, but only in dry season when the rivers are low enough to cross. Buses leave Puerto Jiménez for La Palma about every two hours from 6 am to 8 pm, connecting in La Palma with buses to Drake Bay at 10:30 am and 4 pm. Buses leave Drake at 4 am and 1 pm for La Palma, to connect with buses to either Puerto Jiménez or San José. The drive from San José to Drake is scenic, but an exhausting seven hours long.