How bad do you want it!
You want to come to the Osa Peninsula on a budget. Not a problem. It reminds me of a sentence in a movie, HOW BAD DO YOU WANT IT!
When I first came to Costa Rica 20-plus years ago, I never wanted to leave. I would stretch out my money as far as it would go. Believe me, I know how to budget.
Living on rice and beans!
Rice and beans were the norm for me over 20 years ago. I had a friend who was taking reservations for charter boats in Jaco. He had a little office on Main Street. Every morning, all of us guys would come by and do what all old men do: talk about this and that.
At the time, all I had to eat for the day was rice and a can of tuna. Mark, my buddy, looked at me and said. Dave your living large, you got a can of tuna to go with your rice. HOW BAD DO YOU WANT IT
To this day, I still have rice and beans daily. HOW BAD DO YOU WANT IT!
Cheap airfare.
Airfare will be the big expense for the whole trip. A little bit of planning will save you hundreds of dollars.
Skiplagged.com
Booking at least two months ahead of your departure will save you lots of money. I use skiplagged.com to buy my tickets. They have an option that will tell you if the airfare has gone down in price.
Buying your airfare!
Costa Rica requires proof of forward travel; usually, it is an airline ticket. If you want to stay 180 days, your forward means of travel has to have an exit date 180 days from your entry date into Costa Rica. Buying your entry ticket, then buying a cheap exit ticket, will save you money. Costa Rica just wants to see you leaving the country for at least 4 hrs.
Buying a cheap refundable exit ticket.
You have 24 hours by law to cancel a ticket to get a refund. As long as your cheap exit ticket is bought the same day as you are entering Costa Rica. I usually buy an exit ticket when I’m about to get on the plane to Costa Rica. Once you get past immigration in Costa Rica, you can cancel the exit ticket out of Costa Rica.
Now you are in magical Costa Rica for an indeterminate amount of time.
Getting to the Osa Peninsula
Option 1. Yep, the Bus. It is not that bad. I have taken the bus many times from San Jose to Puerto Jimenez on the Osa Peninsula. I never had a problem, except once, remember to always go with the flow.
Dancing in the rain
I was in San Jose and going to go to Puerto Jimenez on the bus.
I bought my ticket and got on the bus. Everything was fine for the first 3 hrs.
Palm leaves on the street
The bus came to an unexpected stop. There were people in the streets; later, I found out they were protesters.
The protesters had laid out palm leaves over the road. All of the Costa Rican people were protesting an increase in taxes.
We spent the night on the bus. The next morning, the Red Cross came and gave us a free breakfast.
I looked around and decided that I was walking, hitchhiking my way back to Puerto Jimenez.
A young Englishman asked to join the next adventure.
We walked over the palm leaves and went around 100 meters. A car pulled over, we jumped in, and the adventure began.
We got a ride all the way to the Pacific Highway and got dropped off in front of a long bridge going over a river. Once again, we walked over the palm leaves and walked over the bridge to the other side
It started to rain. On the other side of the bridge, people were dancing in the street, Latin music playing. When we got there, a lady grabbed me, and we AND WE DANCED IN THE RAIN! HOW BAD DO YOU WANT IT?
Getting to the bus station.
Getting to the bus station from the airport. Before you come to Costa Rica, install Uber on your phone.
The safest and fastest way to get to the bus station is with an Uber driver.
Uber cannot pick you up in front of the airport; you have to walk out to the street.
When you pick up your luggage, you will have to get it scanned. Once scanned, there is only one exit out of the airport.
Once you are outside, start walking to the right. You will get to a road. Get an Uber from there. HOW BAD DO YOU WANT IT!
The bus leaves at 12 pm or noon,
If your arrival is past 9 am, you will not catch the noon bus to the Osa Peninsula.
Look up hostels in Alajuela. The airport is in Alajuela, not San Jose.
Blanco Lobo Autotransportes,
When you are ready to go to the Bus station, call an Uber, and ask how much the fare is. The fare should be under $20.00, more like $16.00.
The ride, depending on traffic, should be under an hr. Once you get to the bus station, the ticket office is in the corner. There is a ticket office for Blanco Lobo and one to go to the Caribbean side of Costa Rica. HOW BAD DO YOU WANT IT!
Soda across the street.
Across the street from the bus station is a family restaurant, which are called Sodas in Costa Rica.
The food at the Soda is very good. I have eaten there many times.
8-hour bus ride!
It will be a 8 hr bus ride, with two breaks. The first break is for 15 min. The second break is for 20 min. Tip: No bathrooms on the bus, do not drink a lot of water. At each stop, the bus will park at a restaurant, so you can grab some food. Tip. Bring your own food. HOW BAD DO YOU WANT IT!
The Bus ticket will be under $20.00. So getting out of San Jose to the Osa Peninsula should cost under $100.00, spendy but at the same time pretty cheap.
Where to stay on the Osa Peninsula.
The bus will go all the way to Puerto Jimenez. By the time the bus gets to Puerto Jimenez, it will be around 8 pm.
I recommend going all the way to Puerto Jimenez and spending the night there. When you get to the bus station in Puerto Jimenez, if you walk out of the station and go to the right.
Go one block, and on the corner will be cabinas on the corner.
They have some rooms that have air conditioning. After the long day, getting to the bus station and then the bus ride, a good night’s sleep is much needed. HOW BAD DO YOU WANT IT!
Breakfast
After a good night’s sleep, breakfast is in order. You are 10 meters away from a family Soda called el localito .Sodahttps://osapeninsulacostaricaapp.davidroyfulton.com/soda-el-localito/
When you walk out the door of cabinas on the corner, go right, walk 10 meters, and Soda el localito will be on the right. Ask for the pinto with eggs. It used to be called Johanas soda.
Breakfast will cost around $8.00 US. If that is out of your budget, if you keep going another 10 meters, you will come to an intersection.
Take a left walk another 10 meters, and you will come to Panaderia Monar.
The bakery has lots of sweet pastries along with some filled with chicken, beef, ham, and cheese. A coffee and a pastry will cost around $4.00
Getting a home base!
How bad do you want it? Depending on how long your stay is, getting the right home base is very important. If you are only here for a small amount of time, I would recommend a hostel.
Hostels in Puerto Jimenez
My first choice in a hostel would be at https://escapetothetropics.com/
Escape to the tropics is situated in the mangroves down by the airport. Wake up every day in the lush gardens of the escape to the tropics. Just last week, there was a sloth with her baby on the property.
Andrew and his wife have had the property for decades. They both have a lot of knowledge of the Osa Peninsula. Right now, they are cooking up cheeseburgers with a salad. Wednesday through Sunday, starting at 3 pm for only $6.00 US. During the hot part of the day, sit under the shade of a tree and read a book or take a nap in a hammock.
Getting to , escape to the tropics, if you look at the vacant lot next to cabinas on the corner, you will see their huge sign for Escape to the tropics. From Cabinas on the corner, take a right when you get out of the door.
Walk 20 meters, and you will be on Main Street. Take another right and walk all the way up town until you see the two banks, BRC and bank national.
Take a left on the road in front of BCR Bank. Walk all the way down the road; it will curve to the right.
After you walk around the curve, you will come to a stop sign. Take a right.
You will walk over a small bridge, and escape to the tropics is another 30 meters on the right.
https://www.hotelhojadeoro.com/
Hotel Hojade oro. Is only a couple of years old. They have a dorm and a shared kitchen.
I have stayed at Hotel Hoja de Oro. The rooms are very small, but they have air conditioning. The dorm will have cold showers, along with Escape to the Tropics. HOW BAD DO YOU WANT IT!
More hotels in Puerto Jimenez
Please go to my page for hotels and hostels in Puerto Jimenez
Osa Peninsula on a budget, Long-term stays
If you are going to spend months exploring the Osa Peninsula, I recommend renting a house or a cabina .
You can get a cabina for around $300.00 a month. Most Cabinas will be out of town, which is ok.
Renting a cabin out of town is wonderful, but getting food from town requires transportation to and from town. The local bus goes all the way from Puerto Jiménez to La Palma, daily.
To catch the bus, you have to get to the main road and look for a bus stop. HOW BAD DO YOU WANT IT!
Local bus schedule
- Leaving Puerto Jimenez
- 7.30 am 8.30 am
- 9.40 am 10.45 am
- 12 noon, midday 1.45 pm
- 3 pm 3.40 pm
- 4.30 pm 5.10 pm
- 6.10 pm
- buse is cheap under $ 4.00 all the way to La Palmar
- Leaving La Palmar
- 5.50 am
- 8.30 am
- 10.45 am
- 1.45 pm
- 5,10 pm
Catching the bus in Puerto Jimenez
The local bus is on Main Street, right past the bakery, 30 meters. At the bus stop in Puerto Jimenez if the bus is not there.
Colectivos
You can catch a colectivo. A colectivo is a private car or van that is used as a taxi. Most colectivos will stop and say colectivo, colectivo. They are cheap to use . Also colectivos will stop at bus stops .
The cheaper Cabinas will be out of Puerto Jimenez. La Cuna, and playa blanco have several cabinas for rent on a monthly basis.
Casa Osa Bella . there are three cabinas and are located in La Cuna . The three cabinas are on a lush garden property. There what’s app number is 506 8617 8822 . I lived on the property for 4 yrs.
Rent will be $200.00 a month including water, electrical and free Wi-Fi. the cheapest cabinas you will find on the Osa Peninsula. Remember you are on a budget ,Osa Peninsula on a budget.
Osa Peninsula on a budget, Renting a house.
If you are staying for a long time, like months renting a house is the cheapest way to go.
John at Cabinas Jimenez has apartments and house that he rents out . All apartments are foreign friendly, how water showers , free Wi-Fi and water.
Cabinas Jimenez – Waterfront Hotel Puerto Jimenez
Change your Facebook market page to Puerto Jimenez Osa Peninsula costa Rica. then search for house to rent. you will get the best price on face book marketplace.
Renting an unfurnished house.
Renting an unfurnished house is by far the cheapest way to go. you can find unfurnished houses for under $200.00 a month. HOW BAD DO YOU WANT IT!
Your Main goal coming to the Osa Peninsula to explore Nature. Lodging is not really that important , yes you want a safe place to live that has the basics like water, electrical . Basically, what you need to get is a bed, electrical burner, hot plate some dishes and a small fridge. you can add more when needed. HOW BAD DO YOU WANT IT!
Deposito, duty free center.
The Deposito is a duty-free center to buy your bed, hot plates and fridge. all of it will be under $300.00. When you leave you can sell everything on marketplace and get half of your money back
Getting to the Deposito
getting to the Deposito you have to take a ferry from Puerto Jimenez Across the bay to Golfito HOW BAD DO YOU WANT IT! below is the link to transportation. the ferry schedule is there.
For pots and pans, forks knife etc… buy them at PALI. grocery store in Puerto Jimenez. Pali is located on the first street coming into Puerto Jimenez. , close to the bis station going to San Jose.
Cook at home!
Cooking at home will save you lots of money. Rice and beans are a stable in Costa Rica. Eat like the locals. Having rice and beans at every meal will fill you up, also it is healthily. A little portion of meat for each meal. For breakfast Gallo pinto or oatmeal. Every morning I have oatmeal with two pooched eggs. it fills me up . Fruit is very cheap along with vegetables. My budget for a month is around $200.00 a month.
Buy all your food at Pali grocery store.
Pali grocery store is the cheapest place to buy your food.
In collusion I hope you found Osa Peninsula on a budget helpful. Enjoy your stay on the Osa peninsula, a place I call home