Bahía Drake (Drake Bay) is a small bay on the north side of the

Osa Peninsula The Osa Peninsula ( es, Península de Osa) is a peninsula located in southwestern Costa Rica, in the Puntarenas Province, with the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Golfo Dulce to the east. The peninsula was formed geologically by a faulting ...

on the coast of southwestern Costa Rica. This bay is believed to be a port used by

Sir Francis Drake Sir Francis Drake ( – 28 January 1596) was an English explorer, sea captain, privateer, slave trader, naval officer, and politician. Drake is best known for his circumnavigation of the world in a single expedition, from 1577 to 1580 ...

during his raids on the

Spanish Main During the Spanish colonization of America, the Spanish Main was the collective term for the parts of the Spanish Empire that were on the mainland of the Americas and had coastlines on the Caribbean Sea or Gulf of Mexico. The term was used to di ...

in the 16th century and the location of one of the British pirate's fabled hidden treasures. The main town of Bahía Drake is Agujitas and has a population of about 1,000 residents. The bay is off the beaten track and can be reached by plane, boat, and car (ideally a 4x4 vehicle) during the dry season. Because of lack of bridges, driving to Bahía Drake is challenging and not recommended for visitors. There are many kilometers of unpaved road and multiple river crossings required to reach Drake Bay. There are kilometers of natural coastline with rocky crags and sandy coves that extend from Agujitas, where the village of Bahía Drake is located southward toward the boundary of Corcovado National Park about 20 kilometers to the south. Most of the eco lodges are located along the beach. The town of Bahía Drake has a public medical clinic opened during week days, except for national holidays; and a private medical center opened 24/7 for emergencies, a school, a few grocery stores, a gift shop, and several restaurants and bars. The main feature of Bahia Drake is

Corcovado National Park Corcovado National Park ( es, Parque Nacional Corcovado) is a National Park on the Osa Peninsula, in Osa Canton, southwestern Costa Rica (9° North, 83° West), which is part of the Osa Conservation Area. It was established on 24 October 197 ...

hiking and Caño Island snorkeling/diving. Corcovado National Park occupies about a third of the peninsula. The preservation of forest and wildlife in the area has been made a priority by the Costa Rican government through the efforts of

MINAE The Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE, es, Ministerio de Ambiente y Energía) is a ministry or department of the government of Costa Rica. Agencies *SINAC National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC, es, Sistema Nacional de Áreas de Co ...

. Bahía Drake has been accessible only by sea until recently and so it remains mainly a low-land tropical

rainforest Rainforests are characterized by a closed and continuous tree canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforest can be classified as tropical rainforest or temperate rainfo ...

. Since about 1990,

eco-tourism Ecotourism is a form of tourism involving responsible travel (using sustainable transport) to natural areas, conserving the environment, and improving the well-being of the local people. Its purpose may be to educate the traveler, to provide fund ...

has been the principal economy of the area including sport fishing

Climate

Bahía Drake has a

tropical rainforest climate A tropical rainforest climate, humid tropical climate or equatorial climate is a tropical climate sub-type usually found within 10 to 15 degrees latitude of the equator. There are some other areas at higher latitudes, such as the coast of southea ...

(Af) with significant seasonal variation. February, the driest month receives about 65 mm of rain while October, the wettest month receives about 803 mm. The following climate data is for the town of Agujitas.

References

External links

14 Of The Best Drake Bay Tours

How To Get To Drake Bay in Costa Rica
- All bus, speedboats schedules and the best tips to reach the region.
GalleryDrake's Bay Sportfishing
Sportfishing Costa Rica
How to get to Drake Bay
Information about Drake Bay transportation
Drake Bay Medical Center
Private Medical Services {{DEFAULTSORT:Bahia Drake Bays of Costa Rica Geography of Puntarenas Province