• From San Jose passing by Palmar Norte or Sierpe by bus:
• The earliest bus (route 601) is leaving the Tracopa bus terminal (near Clinica Biblica) at 5am. The ticket counter opens at 4.30am and you should buy tickets at least one day ahead in the high season. It is not yet possible to buy tickets online or via telephone. The ticket is around $12 and you can take the coastal route ( Costanera 5 hours) or the mountain route ( Cerro de la Muerte 6 hours).
• With the 5am mountain bus you reach Palmar Norte around 11am and have to take a taxi to Sierpe. We can send you one, the driver Marcos will pick you up the bus and help with your luggage too. The taxi price to Sierpe is $16 (with Marcos, others charge $20), often more people share it so its $5 per person.
• In Sierpe (from restaurant Don Jorge) you take the boat (Captain Dago) to Drake Bay at 11.30am ($20 p.p.) which we will reserve for you. You do not get a ticket just say that you are going to Martina´s Place. We pick you up the beach in Drake at 1pm and walk you 300m up to the hostel. In case you have a lot of luggage, we can order a taxi for $2.
• After 5am buses from San Jose to Palmar Norte are leaving frequently direction to Canoas, Golfito, Ciudad Neilly, San Vito or Rio Claro. They all are called route 601 http://tracopacr.com/rutas-y-horarios (Please don´t change for the English version, they are translating all city names, which is totally confusing!!!) Always tell the bus driver you are going to Palmar Norte, he will pack your luggage different.
• New: There is a new Tracopa bus service going directly to Sierpe ($14p.p.), every day at 8.30am along the coast. You will be in Sierpe around 1:30 pm and can catch the boat at 3.30pm ($20p.p.). Arrive at 5 pm at the beach in Drake. The hotel is 300 meters away, if you need a taxi, please advise in advance to coordinate it, it costs about $ 2 per person.
• From Puerto Jimenez by bus:
• The bus from Puerto Jimenez to La Palma leaves at 11am or 3pm. In La Palma you have connection to Drake twice a day at 11.30am and 4.30pm. In the rainy season the service between La Palma and Drake might not be working, in that case we can organize a 4x4 Taxi for around $90 for the whole trip, it takes 2.5 hours.
• From San Jose by car passing by Sierpe:
• Driving time: San Jose - Palmar Norte 3-4 hours, Palmar Norte - Chacarita 2 hours, Chacarita - Drake 2-3 hours. You can drive all the way to Drake Bay, but you need a 4x4 and should be in Drake before 6pm, so you don´t need to cross the last river in the dark! Please drive into Drake Bay towards the beach and after passing the supermarkets, around the corner at the left side you find Martina´s Place Hostel. From September to End of November it can be difficult to cross the several rivers due to too much rain. But the other month usually it is no problem to get to Drake. From Chacarita to Drake a sandy road starts, but it´s ok to drive. From Sierpe there is a short cut, you cross the Sierpe River with a car ferry ( $10...), and follow the only road towards Rincón. That road is best to drive only between December and April.
• From San Jose by car stopping at Sierpe:
• Alternatively you could drive half an hour from Palmar Norte to Sierpe, look for restaurant Don Jorge and they have a secured parking ($6 per day). From the same restaurant also the boats are leaving. We get you a reservation for 11.30am (or 3.30pm) with Captain Dago. That is $20 p.p. and you pay him directly please. Arrive at 5 pm at the beach in Drake. The hotel is 300 meters away, if you need a taxi, please advise in advance to coordinate it, it costs about $ 2 per person.
• From Palmar Norte - Sierpe bus or our taxi service:
• We can get you reservations for boat, shuttle or taxi- but you always will pay directly to the driver or captain. You don´t get a ticket or voucher you just say that you are going to Martina´s Place Hostel. Usually we give your name also to the person you have transport with, so they will ask for you. If you are interested in this service, please contact us beforehand to arrange the transfer.