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 flights to Puerto Jiménez daily at 6 and 10:53am and 12:18, 1:10, and 2:31pm from San José's Juan Santamaría International Airport. The flight takes 55 minutes; the cost is $102 (£51) each way. Sansa flights depart Puerto Jiménez for San José daily at 7:34am and 12:27, 1:28, and 3:41pm.

Sansa also now has twice-daily flights between Puerto Jiménez and Drake Bay. This 25-minute flight leaves Puerto Jiménez at 1:28 and 3:42pm. Flights to Puerto Jiménez leave Drake Bay at 7 and 11:55am. The one-way fare is $40 (£20).

Nature Air (tel. 800/235-9272 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2299-6000; www.natureair.com) has flights to Puerto Jiménez departing from Tobías Bolaños International Airport in Pavas at 6:10, 8:30, and 10:50am and 3:40pm daily. The flight takes 50 minutes; the fare is $111 (£56) each way. Nature Air flights to San José depart daily at 7:15, 9:30, and 11:50am and 4:40pm.

Note that due to the remoteness of this area and the unpredictable flux of traffic, both Sansa and Nature Air frequently improvise on scheduling. Sometimes this means an unscheduled stop in Quepos or Golfito either on the way to or from San José, which can add some time to your flight. Less frequently it might mean a change in departure time, so it's always best to confirm. Also, lodges down here sometimes run charters, so it pays to ask them as well.

Taxis are generally waiting to meet all incoming flights. A ride into downtown Puerto Jimenez should cost around $3 (£1.50). If you're staying at a hotel outside of downtown, it's best to have them arrange for a taxi to meet you. Otherwise you can hire one at the airstrip. Depending upon how far out on the peninsula you are staying, it could cost up to $80 (£40) for a rugged four-wheel-drive vehicle that can carry up to four people.

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 Palmar Norte, where you'll meet up again with the Interamerican Highway. Take the turnoff for La Palma, Rincón, and Puerto Jiménez. This road is paved at first, but at Rincón it turns to gravel. The last 35km (22 miles) are slow and rough, and, if it's the rainy season (mid-Apr to Nov), it'll be too muddy for anything but a four-wheel-drive vehicle.

By Bus -- A Transportes Blanco-Lobo express bus (tel. 2257-4121 in San José or 2771-4744 in Puerto Jiménez) leaves San José daily at noon from Calle 12 between avenidas 7 and 9. The trip takes 8 hours; the fare is $7 (£3.50). Buses depart Puerto Jiménez for San José daily at 5am.

By Boat -- There are now fast speedboats working as boat taxis between Puerto Jiménez and Golfito. 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 around town, or at the docks 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 possible to charter a water taxi in Golfito for the trip across to Puerto Jiménez, as well. You'll have to pay between $40 and $80 (£20-£40) for an entire launch, some of which can carry up to 12 people.

Orientation

Puerto Jiménez is a dirt-lane town on the southern coast of the Osa Peninsula. The public dock is over a bridge past the north end of the soccer field; the bus stop is 2 blocks east of the center of town. You'll find a couple of Internet cafes in town; the best of these is Cafe Net El Sol (tel. 2735-5719; www.soldeosa.com), which is a great place to book tours and get information, and is also a Wi-Fi hotspot.

Four-wheel-drive taxis are actually fairly plentiful in Puerto Jiménez. You can usually find them cruising or parked along the main street in town. Alternatively, you can call Andy (tel. 8819-8210), Luis (tel. 8837-3120), Marvin (tel. 8345-3123), or Orlando (tel. 8836-8241). You can even rent a car down here from Solid Car Rental (tel. 2735-5777; www.solidcarrental.com).