Puerto Jimenez

Puerto Jimenez is a small little town right at the entrance of Corcovado National Park, in the province of Puntarenas. It is quite an interesting place to visit, with a very distinct personality and atmosphere. It is a very much like any other little town in this area, with its dirt roads, its football pitch in the center, small sodas where one can enjoy eating Gallo Pinto for breakfast, humble hardware stores, small grocery stores, a variety of hotels and cabinas, and a more than adequate selection of bars.

The hotels offer a certain rustic elegance, a peace and a tranquility that is hard to beat. Sportfishing is the local specialty, and it is not hard to find a company which suits your needs and budget whether you just want to give it a try, or are passionate about it. Serious sportfishing addicts come from all over the world to fish there, further proof that its outstanding reputation for quality fishing.

You will find everything and everybody in Puerto Jimenez: Costa Rican tourists, backpackers, families on a budget, celebrities, etc. The real estate has seen a lot of growth in recent years with so many people stopping there to go to Corcovado, it has slowly but surely become exceedingly popular, due to the great beauty of its surrounding and the great atmosphere of the little town itself. You are in the middle of nowhere, but you feel safe, and strangely enough, you feel like you belong. Gold miners give it a finishing touch, like out of some movie; they take over the bars at night, eager to meet each other and talk about their adventures; most of these gold diggers work illegally, giving this slightly wild west style to the place. It certainly is a lot of fun, if nothing else!

Surfing is excellent at Playa Carbonera, Playa Pan Dulce, Playa American and Playa Backwater. The white sand beaches of Cabo Matapalo offer a unique spectacle, with the red macaws marking the sky with their exuberance. Inside the jungle, ocelots, peccaries, and four different types of monkeys are a common sight. Spectacular waterfalls and ponds are littered about ready for a refreshing swim, while going on a boat trip to watch dolphins and whales play in the bay will give you the best memories to treasure for life.

There are a nice variety of places to stay in Puerto Jimenez, try the Crocodile Bay Lodge, if you are going there to do some sportfishing; this is the largest outfitter in Central America. It also houses one of the finest restaurants in Puerto Jimenez, and offers an interesting variety of eco-tours. A high class hotel/restaurant noted for its excellence.

The Parrot Palms Hotel, with its view over the bay, is one of the favorite middle priced hotels in the area, and is conveniently located on the beach and within walking distance from the town center. It has eight bungalows of varied size with a restaurant and a bar on the beach too, and has activities like kayaking and volleyball at the disposition of its guests. The Palm Hotel is also waterfront, but is overlooking the harbor. It is newly redecorated, has air conditioning and a top class open-air restaurant and bar, with some of the finest cuisine you can find in Puerto Jimenez.

Puerto Jimenez is about 8 driving hours away from San Jose compared to 50 minutes if you are flying. Flights departing from San Jose International Airport are faster than those departing from the smaller Tobias Bolaños International Airport in Pavas; they take about one and a half hours, with a stop either in Quepos or in Golfito.