The beaches of the Osa Peninsula and surrounding areas range in type from thick mangroves to open sandy beaches. At low tide they can go forever. Much of the time, you will find that whichever beach you choose, you will have it to yourself!what is my next step
Let’s start with the most popular. The main beach is in Puerto Jiménez and is right in front of Delfines Restaurant. On the weekends, especially on Sundays, this beach has a lot of traffic, maybe 20 people. The beach goes out over a 100 feet, and you will be only waist deep in the water. it is great for swimming and for families.
After swimming, enjoy an ice cold beer or maybe a limonada con hierba buena at Delfines.
Above is a Google map of all the beaches on the Osa Peninsula.
Playa Puntarenitas
Playa Platanares
Playa Puntarenitas is right across from the Crocodile Bay dock to the right . It goes all the way to the point, and then around the corner towards the mouth of the Golfo Dulce, it becomes Playa Platanares. On the point, itself, is very good beach fishing. At low tide you can go all the way to the point and continue on around to the beach in front of the (currently closed) Agua Dulce beach hotel.
Not quite halfway between the point and the beach in front of Agua Dulce, there is a wonderful swimming/soaking beach and a nice little spot for a cold drink and good food. Cahui Beach Club’s restaurant is open to the public. The chairs and umbrellas closer to the gulf are reserved for Botanika’s hotel guests, but the beach and the gulf belong to you. Enjoy!
Best Time for Beach Hikes
The best time for beach hikes is between two hours before and two hours after low tide. Playa Puntarenitas is good for swimming , but keep an eye out for crocodiles. You will see lots of wildlife on the beaches and maybe even some dolphins or whales breaching in the water .
Playa Preciosa
Next is Playa Preciosa, which is right in front of the Agua Dulce beach hotel. The beach has fine sand with lots of palm trees. The last time I was there there were a lot of scarlet macaws. Though not the best beach to swim in due to lots of waves and sometimes high winds, the phenomenal sunrise is to die for.
Driving to Playa Preciosa
You can also drive out to Playa Preciosa. The road, which was the original camino to get to Matapalo back in the day, is on the gulf side of the Puerto Jimenez airport runway. Start heading towards the water; the road will curve around the end of the runway. Take the first right and stay on that road until you get to Playa Preciosa. Go straight down the beach road after you go over the Rio Platanares bridge, and you will be there.
Walking to Playa Preciosa
I took this adventure one time, walking all the way from Puerto Jimenez out to Playa Preciosa. It took me over two hours, but of course I was photographing the whole way! If you’re lucky, you might see monkeys, tayras, toucans, zainos (wild pigs) and lapas (macaws) on your way. It is a wonderful easy, flat hike with some shade along the way. Wear a hat, and bring water.
For a real treat, stop in at Perla de la Osa, a hotel on Playa Preciosa that has a stunning open-air restaurant with sweeping views of the Golfo Dulce. Relax in their comfy tropical furniture and enjoy a snack and/or my personal favorite, a passionfruit margarita.
Getting to Matapalo.
You can drive, take a taxi, or catch the colectivo van (leaves from Puerto Jimenez) and have them drop you off along the way.
Driving to Matapalo
When you go down the main street in Puerto Jimenez and get to the BM grocery store, take a right at the stop sign and stay on that road. The road will take you to Matapalo and beyond to Carate and the trail head to Corcovado National Park. Depending on the road conditions it can more than a half hour to get to Matapalo and up to two hours to get to Carate. But best, check out the beaches along the way:
Playa Zapote
To get to this beach, take the road out of town (Puerto Jimenez) heading to Matapalo. At the end of the paved section of the road, you will see a sign saying “Pelican House” on the left hand side. Turn left and the road will take you to the beach. You have to cross a small quebrada (creek). The creek is usually about twelve inches deep, but if it has been raining, it might be deeper. There are often herons and caymans in this little creek. When you get to the beach, there will be a road to the left that goes for 100 meters and comes to an end. There you will be next to a river and the beach which has shade trees. You can dip in the river to cool off. On the right days, beach fishing is very good.
Playa Colorado
To get to Playa Colorado, take the next road to the left just past Playa Zapote. This sandy beach is best at low tide. Park before the end of the road and walk down to the beach. There is a cluster of almond trees on the beach to the right. Almonds are the favorite food in the wild for scarlet macaws. You are very likely to see some colorful lapas. Just move very slowly and ignore them, and the birds will realize you are not a threat.
Playa Colorado is not the best beach to swim in because of big surf and sometime winds. It is a great place, though, to hang out under the almond trees and just relax, unwind, take a break from the world.
Playa Tamales
To get to Playa Tamales, take the next left towards the beach after Playa Colorado. This beach at certain times will have different runs of fish. When the fish are running, there will be hundreds of people fishing. The fishing is great just about all the time at Playa Tamales. This beach has very little shade, and it is not the best beach for swimming, especially if you’re a fish!
Playa Sombrero
Sombrero is a nice long beach that has some protection on a calm day. The beach is a low tide beach– you can walk out for 50 meters when it’s low tide. It can be good swimming on the right day. There are a few resorts and private properties nearby, so you might come across some people, but for the most part it will just be you and the beach. Like on all the beaches on the Osa, you will likely see wildlife on Playa Sombrero.
The next series of beaches are in Matapalo, which is a tightknit, largely surfer and counterculture community. More often than not, you’ll see locals getting around the jungle roads on quads.
Everyone has a similar lifestyle. They are definitely off the grid and relish living close to Nature. Most hotels, home rentals and cabinas are solar powered along with DC lighting at night
Martina’s Bar and Restaurant
On your way to Matapalo, stop likely the most unique establishment on the Osa, La Buena Esperanza, better known as Martina’s. It is a magical oasis in the middle of the jungle, a place where Arabian Nights meets pirate ship meets hippie pad.
Surrounded by swinging monkeys and ambling curassows, you can hang out in the open-air kaleidoscope while enjoying an ice cold beverage and a delicious bite.
Every Friday night (December-August), Martina’s hosts a delicious dinner with an incredible menu. My favorite is the seared (oh-so-fresh) tuna. Martina’s is a Matapalo landmark. Don’t miss it!
Playa Backwash and Playa Pan Dulce
The farthest beach in Matapalo is Backwash, which is an experienced surfers’ paradise. It has a nice, long break and good-sized waves. Next to Backwash is the more mellow Pan Dulce, where families gather and folks learn to surf.
Matapalo has many yoga opportunities. Lodges such as Ojo del Mar offer yoga classes. As you stretch your torso, do beware the whiteface monkeys, who might run down from the trees and steal your belongings! After sunrise yoga and chasing the monkeys, you can settle down for a fresh fruit breakfast and a cafecito. You learn to let go and embrace the fact the monkeys have won the battle for the day. Your host walks up and smiles Pura Vida. As you respond “Pura Vida,” a bit of sweet pineapple juice spills out of your mouth . Now that’s the sweet life!
The best beaches to swim in calm waters are located inside the Golfo Dulce (Sweet Gulf).
Playa Blanca
To reach Playa Blanca, begin by taking the main road out of Puerto Jimenez that goes North toward La Palma and Rincon. As you drive, you will be parallel to the gulf coast and will pass through the tiny towns of Sandalo, Gallardo, Canaza, and Amapola before getting to the turn off for Playa Blanca. After about 15-20 minutes, you will see an upcoming sharp, long left curve (it goes to La Palma and beyond). Instead of going left, veer to the right and then make a hard right at the stop sign. This road will take you right to Playa Blanca.
The beach has a road going in both directions, more or less following the beach. Playa Blanca goes for miles. It is a sandy beach and is great for swimming. The views of the gulf and the opposite shoreline are beautiful. You’ll likely see macaws overhead and sea turtles in the water. There are many loose coral pieces afoot (there’s a ton washed up at the high tide line), so you may want to wear water shoes. There are lots of shade trees to sit under. Remember, do not sit under a coconut tree. Coconuts do fall to the ground.
There is a beach restaurant that has great seafood. Their fried snapper is outstanding . There’s also a pizza restaurant that has some of the best pizza on the Osa Peninsula. During Costa Rican holidays and every Sunday, the beach fills up with families camping out on the beach. Monday through Friday are the best times to go to Playa Blanca .
Playa Canaza
As you are heading back to Puerto Jimenez, the next beach will be in Canaza. Take a left at the sign. Playa Canaza has a road along the the beach where you can park and spend the day under a shade tree. It is a gravel beach and is ok to swim in. The fishing can be good at high tide.
Black Beach
It is right after Playa Canaza and has a road going along the beach. Black Beach is best to visit at low tide because at high tide the water comes all the way up to the road!
Playa La Cuna
You will see signs along the road for a beach restaurant. Take the road to the left and on to the beach. Playa La Cuna is a small beach that is good for swimming. What is especially nice is that there is a restaurant and more close to the playa.
They just put in a swimming pool and cabinas you can rent out. The food at the restaurant is excellent, with big portions– one plate is enough to feed two people– and great prices. Their deluxe pizza is under $14.00 and can feed four people.
Playa Aguas
Take the first road to the left at the soccer field. The beach is muddy, like knee-deep muddy. There is a family of white face monkeys that live there.
Playa Sandalo
Playa Sandalo is largely in the mangroves. it is a good beach to swim at, plus at high tide it is great fishing. You will see a sign saying Sandalo Beach.
In conclusion, take an adventure! Go down bumpy dirt roads to the beach. Explore the magic of the Sweet Gulf. The best time to see wildlife is at sunrise. Of course, this means getting up before the sun and getting to a beach as the sun comes up. Many of the playas of the Golfo Dulce have monkeys, colorful birds, and lots of other wildlife for you to see up close and personal.