Planning a Trip

Getting There & Departing

By Plane -- Sansa (tel. 877/767-2672 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2290-4100 in Costa Rica; www.flysansa.com) has five daily flights to Golfito, with the first one departing San José's Juan Santamaría International Airport at 5:30am. The latest flight leaves at 2:19pm during the high season, and 1:50pm during the off season. Trip duration is 1 hour; the fare is $102 (£51) each way. Sansa flights return to San José daily beginning at 6:43am, with the last flight departing at 1:03pm in the low season, and 4:44pm in the high season.

Nature Air (tel. 800/235-9272 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2299-6000; www.natureair.com) has flights to Drake Bay departing daily from Tobías Bolaños International Airport in Pavas at 6:05am and 3pm. Flight duration is 50 minutes on the direct morning flight, and 70 minutes on the later flight, which stops first in Drake Bay; the fare is $108 (£54) each way.

By Car -- Take the Interamerican Highway east out of San José (through San Pedro and Cartago) and continue south on this road. In about 3 hours, you'll reach San Isidro de El General. Although you can continue on the Interamerican Highway all the way south, it is currently faster, smoother, and safer to turn off in San Isidro and head to Dominical, picking up the Southern Highway or Costanera Sur in Dominical. From here it's a fast and smooth shot down to Palmar Norte, where you meet up again with the Interamerican Highway. When you get to Río Claro, you'll notice a couple of gas stations and quite a bit of activity. Turn right here and follow the signs to Golfito. If you end up at the Panama border, you've missed the turnoff by about 32km (20 miles). The complete drive takes about 6 hours. On most of the Interamerican Highway, you'll have to contend with potholes of sometimes gargantuan proportions. Just remember, if the road is suddenly smooth and in great shape, you can bet that around the next bend there will be a bottomless pothole that you can't swerve around. Take it easy.

By Bus -- Express buses leave San José daily at 7am and 3pm from the Tracopa station on the Plaza Viquez at Calle 5 between avenidas 18 and 20 (tel. 2221-4214). The trip takes 7 1/2 hours; the fare is $6 (£3). Buses depart Golfito for San José daily at 5am and 1:30pm from the bus station near the municipal dock.

By Boat -- There are now fast speedboats working as boat taxis between Golfito and Puerto Jiménez. The fare is $5 (£2.50), and the ride takes a little under 30 minutes. These boats leave five or six times throughout the day, beginning at around 5am and finishing up at around 5pm. Ask at the muellecito (public dock) for current schedules.

There is also a daily passenger launch. This slower boat takes 1 1/2 hours; and the fare is $3 (£1.50). The ferry leaves the public dock in Golfito at 6am for Puerto Jiménez. The return trip to Golfito leaves Puerto Jiménez's municipal dock at 11:30am.

It's also possible to charter a water taxi in Golfito for the trip across to Puerto Jiménez. You'll have to pay between $40 and $80 (£20-£40) for an entire launch, some of which can carry up to 12 people.

Getting Around

Taxis are plentiful in Golfito, and are constantly cruising the main road, all the way from the entrance of town to the duty-free port. A taxi ride anywhere in town should cost around $1 (50p). Local buses also ply this loop. The fare for the bus is 15¢ (10p).

If you drive down here and head out to one of the remote lodges on the gulf, you can leave your car at Samoa del Sur for around $10 (£5) per day.

If you can't get to your next destination by boat, bus, commuter airline, or car, Alfa Romeo Air Charters (tel. 2735-5353 or 2735-5112; www.alfaromeoair.com) runs charters to most of the nearby destinations, including Carate, Drake Bay, Sirena, and Puerto Jiménez. A five-passenger plane should cost around $200 to $400 (£100-£200) one-way, depending on your destination.

Fast Facts

To avoid the bureaucracy and frequently long lines at the banks, you can exchange money at the gas station, or "La Bomba," in the middle of town. A laundromat on the upper street of the small downtown charges around $3 (£1.50) for an average-size load.