I am often asked by friends and clients where I vacation when I live in Costa Rica, the answer is ‘other parts of Costa Rica’!

My husband and I decided to travel back to the Osa Peninsula this year (we were in the same peninsula last year, but the southern end). This year, we decided to stay at Drake Bay, a tiny little town of about 300 people located in the northern part of the Osa Peninsula.

Drake Bay was discovered back in 1579 by Sir Francis Drake during his trip around the globe. I have been told that it’s one of the most inaccessible places in Costa Rica. It was only 6 years ago that the local electricity provider finally reached the area and also when the Costa Rican electricity company ICE brought towers to provide cell service.

Before those two things happened, the locals used alternative energy (solar, generators) and AM/FM radios. The main mode of transportation was and still is by boat. I gather that not much has changed in this area over the course of the last 20-30 years, which is what keeps it unique.

Coming to Drake Bay for us was an adventure in and of itself. Our flight from Tamarindo to San Jose was cancelled, so we had to take two different commuter airlines to get there (Nature Air and Sansa). The flight from Tamarindo to San Jose is 45 minutes.

For our connecting flight we couldn’t fly into Drake Bay as planned, so we opted for Palmar Sur which took another 35 minutes. From there we took a boat for 45 minutes on the Sierpe River and hit open seas for about 10 minutes until we reached our quaint eco-lodge, Aguila de Osa.

We were greeted by warm faces, a welcome cocktail and a spectacular view from the main lobby area. Our room was uphill and also offered some great views of the sunset and Drake bay. The guests were a mix of foreigners and Ticos alike.

The dining was family style (which my husband was not a fan of, but I didn’t mind). The food was always fresh and made with wonderful ingredients. Our rooms did not have air conditioning, but we were never too hot. There were fans, and higher ceilings and plenty of cross ventilation. There was also a private hammock and a balcony to enjoy the views.

We opted to do a full day hike in the Corcovado National Park on day 2 of our vacation. The Corcovado Rain Forest holds 5% of the world’s biodiversity which is absolutely amazing. We did not see as much wildlife on this hike as last year, but we did see some monkeys, scarlet macaws, toucans, bats and crocodiles.

There were an incredible amount of plants and flowers to see as well. We came upon an amazing waterfall as we hiked through the oldest primary forest in the world! Some of those trees were hundreds of years old and over 200 feet. Simply amazing.

On day three we decided to go scuba diving at Isla del Caño (Cano Island) which is a national park/island about 10 miles off the coast of Drake Bay. It takes about 45 minutes to arrive there by boat. Caño Island is small (about 500 acres) but has amazing marine life that surrounds it.

Once we arrived, we signed in (there is a guest book where you sign in at the ranger station) and then we did a two-tank dive. Our first dive had lesser visibility, but were able to see barracuda, sharks, eels, many schools of fish and different species of coral.

Our second dive had much better visibility and we were again able to see white-tipped reef sharks, sea turtles, schools of fish, moray Eels, flounder, angel fish, puffer fish, lobster, and the largest sting ray I have ever seen in my life.

The sharks had no interest in us (which is a good thing). They were happy with hanging out in the sand and I admired them from a distance. Our dive master was a local Costa Rican from San Ramon who worked for the lodge and lived in the nearby town of Drake Bay.

I highly recommend checking out Drake Bay and other parts of the Osa Peninsula. There is something truly magical about this area that keeps me coming back every year.

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Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.