Playa San Josecito
Drake Bay, Puntarenas, Costa Rica
Playa San Josecito sits about 6 kilometers south of Drake Bay on Costa Rica's Osa Peninsula, a long stretch of golden sand where small offshore islands act as natural breakwaters and keep the swell gentle. Scarlet macaws regularly perch in the beach almond trees along the shore, and low tide reveals natural pools and rock formations at either end of the beach worth exploring.
A genuinely wild, uncrowded beach with real wildlife right on the sand, though reaching it by boat or hike means it takes more effort than most Costa Rican beaches with a road straight to the parking lot.
Take the boat from Drake Bay rather than the jungle trail unless you want the full 2.5 hour hike each way, since the 20 minute boat ride costs only a small fee and covers the same ground.
There's no road access. A boat from Drake Bay takes about 20 minutes, or the jungle trail from Drake Bay runs roughly 2.5 hours each way on foot.
The beach itself is flat and open once you arrive, though the jungle trail option is a long, uneven hike not suited to limited mobility.
The dry season from December through April brings the calmest seas and easiest access, while the wetter season from May through November brings heavier rain typical of the Osa Peninsula's rainforest climate.
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