How to get to Corcovado National Park
One can get to Corcovado from Uvita, Sierpe Town, Drake Bay, or Puerto Jimenez, and here we will cover how to get to these places from San Jose. We hope this is of great help for all of you who seek adventure in this remote spot of this beautiful country.
From San Jose to Manuel Antonio or Quepos
I am listing this option since it is around an hour to get to Uvita from Quepos and from there you can take the day trip to Corcovado National Park or an overnight trip.
- By airplane
There are 2 main companies that flight into Manuel Antonio From International airport Juan Santa Maria.
Skyway takes you for 30 minutes by airplane and then 10 minutes by car to Manuel Antonio or Quepos.
Samsa takes you for 30 minutes by airplane and then land in La Managua airport where a taxi must be taken to get into Manuel Antonio or Quepos.
- By transfer
Costa Rica Trip Guide offers this service, and they charge according to the size of the transport needed. They also count on WIFI, bilingual drivers, among other advantages.
- By shuttle
Tico ride gives you many options, the work as a booking engine for shuttles.
- By bus
Tracopa is the way to go from San Jose to Manuel Antonio or Quepos. You must ask for the bus going via La Costanera.
From San Jose to Uvita
From Uvita it is possible to Visit San Pedrillo Ranger Station in Corcovado National Park or an overnight tour.
- By airplane
Sansa flies to Quepos or Palmar Norte and from there a taxi or transfer must be taken to Uvita, in any of the two cases it is around an hour to get to Uvita.
- By transfer
Super Shuttle Cr is the company to go, they offer very affordable deals.
- By shuttle
Tico ride gives you many options as it works as a booking engine for shuttles.
- By bus
Tracopa is the way to go from San Jose to Uvita. It has to be the bus going via La Costanera.
From San Jose to Sierpe
From Sierpe, it is possible to visit Sirena Station for a day trip or an overnight tour in Corcovado National Park.
- By airplane
Sansa and Aerobell are the main airline companies that fly to Palmar Sur airport, then taxi or Colectivo must be taken to be transported to Sierpe town.
- By transfer
Super Shuttle CR seems to be affordable.
- By shuttle
Super Shuttle CR does it but they require a minimum number of 2 people.
- By bus
With Tracopa it is possible to get until Sierpe if you take the bus early in the morning in San Jose Tracopa bus station, otherwise, the next buses will take you until Palmar Norte from where you can take a taxi to Sierpe or a bus which departs at 9.30 am 0r 2.30 pm.
From San Jose to Drake Bay
From Drake Bay, you can do a day trip to Sirena or San Pedrillo Station or do an overnight tour in Corcovado National Park.
- By airplane
Sansa and Aerobell are the main companies that can take you to Drake Bay from Juan Santamaria International Airport in San Jose and after that a colectivo or a taxi from Drake Bay airport to Drake Bay town (Agujitas). It lasts around 15 minutes.
If there are no seats available in the airplanes going to Drake Bay you can go to Palmar Sur by airplane and then take a taxi until Sierpe Town and from there a 40-minute boat ride to Drake Bay (Agujitas Town). This colectivo boat departs at 11.30 am and 4.00 pm.
In the worst-case scenario, you can go to Puerto Jimenez by airplane and then take a taxi to Drake Bay (Agujitas Town which lasts around 1 hour.
- By transfer
Super Shuttle CR provides the service until Sierpe and then a boat to Drake Bay (Agujitas Town) must be taken at 11.30 am or 4.00 pm.
- By shuttle
No shuttles to Drake Bay from San Jose but you can take a private one with Super Shuttle CR until Sierpe and from there take a boat to Drake Bay.
- By bus
With Tracopa from San Jose, there is a direct bus to Sierpe Town from where you can take a boat at 11.30 am or at 4.00 pm to Drake Bay (Agujitas town).
If you can’t get on the direct bus to Sierpe Town then take the bus going to Palmar Norte and from there take a taxi to Sierpe or the bus at 9.30 am or 2.30 pm.
If the boat service does not sound appealing to you then get a bus straight to Puerto Jimenez in Tracopa and leave it in La Palma. From there you can take a taxi to Drake Bay or a colectivo that goes from La Palma to Drake Bay (Agujitas Town) at 11.00 am and 5.00 pm but this service is not trustable since sometimes it does not run.
There are buses that leave you in Palmar Norte but you can take a bus in Palmar Norte to Puerto Jimenez and leave it in Rincon or La Palma.
If you feel like asking for a ride then do not go until La Palma but instead stay in Rincon where the road to Drake Bay starts, walk while asking for a ride and good luck!!
- By car
There 2 roads that meet each other in Palmar Norte, the one called the Costanera, and the other one through El Cerro de la Muerte, being La Costanera an hour faster.
Once in Palmar Norte, you can go to Sierpe and leave the car there and take the boat to Drake Bay at 11.30 am or 4.00 pm.
From Sierpe it is also possible to take the ferry to the other side of the river and keep going to Drake Bay but it is not recommended during the wet season, leave the car in Sierpe and go by boat.
The other option is to keep going after Palmar Norte towards Rincon and take the road to Drake Bay from there, and again the same, do not do it during the wet season, better go to Sierpe and leave the car there and take the boat to Drake Bay.
From San José to Puerto Jimenez
It is possible to visit La Leona Station, Sirena or San Pedrillo Station if you take a taxi to DrakeBay, or an overnight trip entering through Los Patos, Carate, or Drake Bay.
- By airplane
Sansa and Aerobell flight straight into Puerto Jimenez.
In the worst-case scenario, you will have to flight to Drake Bay and take a taxi to Puerto Jimenez which lasts around 1 hour.
If you face a bigger issue, now with the airplanes you can fly to Palmar Sur and then take a 2-hour private transfer to Puerto Jimenez.
- By transfer
Super Shuttle CR offers the service. I could not find the info on their website but I called them, and they confirmed it.
- By shuttle
Super Shuttle CR departs 2 times a day from San José to Puerto Jimenez, they come along the Costanera.
- By bus
Tracopa has buses that go straight to Puerto Jimenez and if you can’t get on one of these ones you can take one that takes you until Palmar Norte and get a bus to Puerto Jimenez from there.