Aguila de Osa Lodge, Drake Bay

One of my favorite weeks in my early years as I was trying to visit Corcovado on all four sides, this being the north side of Corcovado NP. See their website, Aguila de Osa for the full picture and below I will try to describe my experiences. On their site, be sure to click on the menu item “Explore!” which includes a lot more activities than you will be able to do! And be aware that this lodge is on the waters of Drake Bay with more water activities in the bay than hiking trips in Corcovado NP, but plenty to do in both and near the hotel.

Would I Return Here?

Yes!

Likes

  • More nature photography opportunities than I could find time for and I was there 6 days!
  • Seeing a different part of Corcovado NP than I had seen earlier on the south end. Loved the trail, waterfall and beach portion which was all different from the other end.
  • The Drake Bay Snorkeling & Dolphin-watching trip was great and as a birder the mangrove boat tour even better! 🙂
  • The food was the best I’d had at any hotel at that time.

Dislikes

  • None that I can remember.

BIRDS Slideshow from Aguila de Osa . . .

  • Yellow-crowned Night Heron juvenile
  • Bare-throated Tiger Heron
  • Great Curassow male
  • Black-throated Trogon female
  • Lineated Woodpecker
  • Bananaquit
  • Great-tailed Grackle male

Nature & Other Activities

  • Hiking on lodge property both solo and on a guided walk for birds, including a walk to the village of Drake Bay. Like most places I go, this and photographing wildlife from my room satisfies me.
  • The guided hike to Corcovado NP was excellent for wildlife, a waterfall, and a different kind of beach than I had seen in another part of the park.
  • I did a Mangrove Boat Trip for birds at the mouth of one of the rivers flowing into Drake Bay. Mangroves are always good for birds!
  • I did the combination Snorkeling & Dolphin-Watching Tour with a stop on Canon Island which was all enjoyable, though not a lot of colorful fish on the little reef that is dying like everywhere else in the world.
  • They have an Explore the Land page for everything from birding to horseback riding and of course multiple trips possible into Corcovado.
  • They also have an Explore the Water page for an unbelievable amount of water activities from kayaking to fishing, snorkeling, scuba-diving and whale or dolphin watching. (Whales are seasonal.) One family went deep sea fishing and brought their catch back for the chef to cook for their own special dinner. Water is the main focus of this lodge.

NATURE Slideshow, Aguila de Osa . . .

  • Cane Toad caught by a hotel guest.
  • Walking on the beach in Corcovado NP.
  • Spotted Dolphin
  • Canon Island boat stop.
  • Red-eyed Tree Frog on Night Hike.
  • Passion Flower
  • American Crocodile
  • Unidentified giant rainforest tree
  • Papilionanthe Vanda Miss Joaquim Orchid
  • Baby Boa Constrictor on Guide Carlos.
  • Rocky Shore in Corcovado NP.
  • White-nosed Coati.
  • San Pedrillo Waterfall, Corcovado NP
  • White-faced Capuchin Monkey
  • “Hot Lips” Flower
  • Malachite Butterfly

Rooms & Food

  • Excellent, large cabins with all the amenities nestled into the hill above their dock and dining room, meaning you walk uphill to your room with beautiful vistas!
  • The best gourmet food I had eaten in any hotel in CR at that time! And they start with a “Happy Hour” with enough delicious snacks to make a meal of them! 🙂

CABIN & DINING ROOM Slideshow (4 shots)

  • Dining Room Drake Bay Vista
  • My Cabin
  • My Cabin Vista
  • Inside My Cabin

Getting There

  • To drive from Atenas it is 343 km or 6 1/2 hours. BE AWARE that if you drive, you must leave your car in a parking lot in Drake Bay Village that the lodge designates. The lodge is on the water and you cannot drive to the lodge.
  • I think it is better to fly to the village of Drake Bay on Sansa in about 30 minutes.
  • When you arrive in Drake Bay village by plane or car, you must take your luggage to the Drake Bay Beach in center of the village and a boat from Aguila de Osa picks you up there. They carry your luggage to the boat, but you must wade out to the boat since there is no dock here, just a beach. If coming from the airport, your driver knows where to go.
  • No Bus to Drake Bay or nearby that I can find.
Steps up to the cabins.

My Trip Gallery

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¡Pura Vida!

Walking on the beach in Corcovado NP.
Snorkeling near Canon Island, in Drake Bay. Saw only a few fish, no turtle.