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Dark sandy beach with waves and wooded hills across the bay.

Costa Rica · Osa & Corcovado

Sea, mangroves and marine life

Boat and kayak trips for snorkelling, whales, dolphins and mangroves from Drake Bay, Sierpe and Puerto Jiménez.

8 places2 closed or restricted, flagged

  1. Caño Island (snorkelling)1

    Photo: Peter Andersen, CC BY-SA 3.0

    WaterRestricted access

    Caño Island (snorkelling)

    Off Drake Bay, about 45 min by boat23.1 km from the centre

    Entry
    $16.95
    Hours
    8:00 to 15:00
    Booking
    Not stated

    A biological reserve about 16 km offshore with one of the largest coral formations on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast. Snorkel tours leave from Drake Bay and often see turtles, reef sharks and large schools of fish.

    Only with a registered local guide, advance booking and payment (at most 8 days ahead) and at most 10 people at a time in the snorkel zone. No single-use plastic or drones.

    Source: SINAC – Reserva Biológica Isla del Caño · 2026 · +2

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    $16.95 for non-resident foreign adults ($5.65 children), usually included in the tour.
    Hours
    8:00 to 15:00 according to SINAC.
    Booking
    Reservation and payment in advance, at most 8 days ahead, and only with a registered local guide.

    Tip: Many tours stop for lunch at San Josecito beach on the Drake coast on the way back. Visibility is usually better in the dry season.

    Nearby: Scuba diving at Caño Island (0.7 km)

    Sources: SINAC – Reserva Biológica Isla del Caño · Osa Tourism – Drake Bay tours · Gringo Curt – The beach hike

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  2. 2

    WaterRestricted access

    Scuba diving at Caño Island

    Departs from Drake Bay23.7 km from the centre

    Entry
    $16.95
    Hours
    Not stated
    Booking
    Not stated

    Two-tank dives around the reserve, with reefs and volcanic rock formations. Drake Bay operators offer certified dives and discovery dives.

    Same rules as snorkelling: registered guide, advance booking (at most 8 days ahead) and limited numbers. Diving carries an entrance surcharge.

    Source: SINAC – Reserva Biológica Isla del Caño · 2026 · +1

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    Entrance $16.95 plus $4.52 for diving (SINAC); the full tour costs considerably more.
    Time needed
    Tours leave around 7:00 and return mid-afternoon.

    Nearby: Caño Island (snorkelling) (0.7 km)

    Sources: SINAC – Reserva Biológica Isla del Caño · Gringo Curt – Caño Island PADI diving

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  3. 3

    WildlifeSeasonal

    Whale and dolphin tours from Drake Bay

    Departs from Agujitas beach2.4 km from the centre

    Entry
    $50
    Hours
    Not stated
    Booking
    Not stated

    Boat trips to see humpback whales from both hemispheres and dolphins, which live here year-round. They are often combined with snorkelling.

    Southern humpbacks arrive from mid-July to November or December, best from August to October; a smaller northern group arrives in December. Outside that period the trip focuses on dolphins.

    Source: Gringo Curt – Whale and dolphin tours · 2019 · +2

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    $$$ · over US$50

    Tip: National rules require 100 m from whales and 50 m from dolphins, encounters of 30 minutes at most and no getting in the water with them.

    Nearby: Drake Bay coastal trail (2 km) · Tracie “The Bug Lady” night tour (2 km) · Cocalito beach (2.9 km)

    Sources: Gringo Curt – Whale and dolphin tours · Osa Tourism – Drake Bay tours · Tico Times – Whale watching season returns to Golfo Dulce

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  4. 4

    WildlifeSeasonal

    Dolphins, whales and whale sharks in the Golfo Dulce

    Golfo Dulce, between Puerto Jiménez and Golfito51.6 km from the centre

    Entry
    $15
    Hours
    Not stated
    Booking
    Not stated

    The Golfo Dulce, one of the world’s few tropical fjords, has resident dolphins year-round and receives humpback whales from both hemispheres to give birth. Tours leave from Puerto Jiménez and from the Golfito marina.

    Dolphins year-round. Southern whales from July to November (peak in September and October) and northern ones from December to March. Whale sharks have been reported in February or March, but they are rare: do not book just for them.

    Source: Tico Times – Whale watching season returns to Golfo Dulce · 2026 · +3

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    $$ · US$15–50

    Tip: Rules: 100 m from whales, 50 m from dolphins, at most 30 minutes per encounter and no getting in the water with them.

    Nearby: Golfo Dulce bioluminescence (6.2 km) · Platanares mangrove kayak (7 km) · Puerto Jiménez town (8.6 km)

    Sources: Tico Times – Whale watching season returns to Golfo Dulce · Osa Tourism – Golfo Dulce Whale Heritage · Osa Tourism – Golfo Dulce · Crocodile Bay – The Golfo Dulce (from Tico Times)

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  5. Térraba-Sierpe mangroves5

    Photo: Haakon S. Krohn, CC BY 3.0

    WildlifeOpen

    Térraba-Sierpe mangroves

    Sierpe dock, where the Drake Bay boats also leave27 km from the centre

    Entry
    $15
    Hours
    Not stated
    Booking
    Not stated

    A boat trip through the channels of the Térraba-Sierpe National Wetland, a Ramsar site since 1995. You see monkeys, water birds, crocodiles, iguanas and bats.

    Source: Wikipedia – Térraba-Sierpe Wetland · 2026 · +1

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    $$ · US$15–50
    Time needed
    About 3 h; some operators offer longer versions.

    Tip: It fits well before or after the boat to Drake Bay, which leaves from the same dock. Departures depend on the tide.

    Nearby: Finca 6 Museum Site (stone spheres) (5.5 km) · Batambal, El Silencio and Grijalba-2 (12 km)

    Sources: Wikipedia – Térraba-Sierpe Wetland · Gringo Curt – Sierpe mangrove tour

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  6. 6

    WaterOpen

    Platanares mangrove kayak

    Platanares beach, east of Puerto Jiménez47.4 km from the centre

    Entry
    $15
    Hours
    Not stated
    Booking
    Not stated

    A guided kayak tour through the mangrove channels of the Preciosa Platanares refuge, next to Puerto Jiménez. You paddle at high tide and see birds, monkeys, iguanas and raccoons.

    Source: Aventuras Tropicales – Mangrove kayaking · 2026 · +1

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    $$ · US$15–50
    Time needed
    About 3 h; it starts 1–2 h before high tide.

    Tip: Suitable for beginners; groups are usually up to 10 people.

    Nearby: Golfo Dulce bioluminescence (1.8 km) · Puerto Jiménez town (2.4 km) · Osa Wildlife Sanctuary (2.4 km)

    Sources: Aventuras Tropicales – Mangrove kayaking · Osa Tourism – Puerto Jiménez tours

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  7. Río Claro and Punta Río Claro Refuge7

    WaterOpen

    Río Claro and Punta Río Claro Refuge

    Drake coastal trail, before San Josecito6.7 km from the centre

    Entry
    $25
    Hours
    Not stated
    Booking
    Not stated

    A clear-water river that reaches the sea on the last beach before San Josecito, inside the Punta Río Claro Wildlife Refuge. Upstream there are pools and small waterfalls explored by kayak or on guided river floats.

    Source: Gringo Curt – Río Claro kayaking · 2019 · +1

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    In 2021 the river float cost about $25 per person (Paradise Catchers); confirm the current price.
    Time needed
    The kayak tour takes about 3 h.

    Tip: Only cross the river mouth at low tide.

    Nearby: San Josecito beach (Drake) (0.7 km) · Los Planes sector (Corcovado) (2.7 km) · Kayaking the Río Agujitas and the bay (4.1 km)

    Sources: Gringo Curt – Río Claro kayaking · Paradise Catchers – Drake Bay beach hike

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  8. 8

    WaterOpen

    Kayaking the Río Agujitas and the bay

    Agujitas beach, Drake Bay village3.6 km from the centre

    Entry
    $15
    Hours
    Not stated
    Booking
    Not stated

    Kayaks are rented in Drake village to paddle the small bay and go up the Río Agujitas. The navigable stretch is short: about 15 minutes upstream before the water gets too shallow.

    Source: Gringo Curt – Kayaking in Drake Bay · 2019 · +1

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    $ · under US$15

    Tip: Outside the small bay the waves make landings hard. On moonless nights, paddling in the bay is a way to see bioluminescence.

    Nearby: Naguala waterfall (0 km) · Cocalito beach (0.9 km) · Drake Bay coastal trail (1.3 km)

    Sources: Gringo Curt – Kayaking in Drake Bay · Gringo Curt – Bioluminescent plankton

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