Playa San Josecito
Playa San Josecito
4.5
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4.5
92 reviews
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Travelbug1155
San Francisco, CA591 contributions
Mar 2022
Probably the safest beach south of town about 2 hrs. walk. There is a natural rock out crop that break most of the waves. We did experience some jellies to the far right near the rocks Two people got stung. Stay in the middle and visit early, cause it's a really popular spot for the tour boats to bring clients for lunch from 12- 2 pm.
Not a bad play to snorkel either so bring goggles at least. This is a good place for a picnic lunch too except there are no trash cans so plan to pack it all out.
Not a bad play to snorkel either so bring goggles at least. This is a good place for a picnic lunch too except there are no trash cans so plan to pack it all out.
Written 4 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Joshua J
Florence, AL25 contributions
Jan 2020
I'm not sure where people are getting 2 hours or 4 miles from in other posts. We hike frequently and pushed an aggressive pace considering the 50lb pack I was carrying and it took right at 2:30 from downtown Drake. GPS shows just under 6 miles making a 12mile round trip.
That being said, the hike is easy and straightforward to follow. Just keep the water on your right (on the way there) and when in doubt walk on the beach. We were able to walk on the beach across Rio Claro without having to take the boat.
The San Josecito beach is very nice and unique for the Drake/Osa beaches in that it is well sheltered. The water was very clear and the depth drops to 3-4' quickly. When swimming be careful of the frequent boat traffic as many of the Corcovado morning trips stop over for lunch; and there are also San Josecito beach trips as well.
That being said, the hike is easy and straightforward to follow. Just keep the water on your right (on the way there) and when in doubt walk on the beach. We were able to walk on the beach across Rio Claro without having to take the boat.
The San Josecito beach is very nice and unique for the Drake/Osa beaches in that it is well sheltered. The water was very clear and the depth drops to 3-4' quickly. When swimming be careful of the frequent boat traffic as many of the Corcovado morning trips stop over for lunch; and there are also San Josecito beach trips as well.
Written 5 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Julietravelsalot
Plainview, MN203 contributions
Feb 2024 • Couples
This is a nice little beach. You can snorkel but don’t expect to see much. Good for a swim because it is protected by rock formations. You can catch a cooperative boat from Drake Bay or hike 2-2.5 hrs.
Do NOT use Osa Great Adventures as your outfitter. There was confusion, finger pointing, don’t know what happened to your picnic lunch that we said that we would provided, waited 2 hrs for boat pick up (would have been faster and better to just catch a boat because several come and go around mid-day), plus Osa Great Adventures demanded $1000+(cash preferred) about half/way through our vacation. We did not pay them.
Do NOT use Osa Great Adventures as your outfitter. There was confusion, finger pointing, don’t know what happened to your picnic lunch that we said that we would provided, waited 2 hrs for boat pick up (would have been faster and better to just catch a boat because several come and go around mid-day), plus Osa Great Adventures demanded $1000+(cash preferred) about half/way through our vacation. We did not pay them.
Written 24 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sven
Oldenburg, Germany35 contributions
Jan 2021 • Solo
I hiked the Drake trail and one beach was more beautiful than the others. People told me, San Josecito was the best beach out of them so of course I was hyped to see an even more beautiful more. Maybe my expectations were to high, but when I got there I was disappointed. It is a nice beach, but to me several of the other beaches along the way were much nicer.
Also I was shocked at how many big groups were gathered without any Covid measures. This really made me feel uncomfortable during my short time at the beach. Luckily it is a big beach so I could still find a quiet spot away from the others. But still I didn't spent a lot of time here and retreated to one of the earlier beaches after like 15 minutes.
Also I was shocked at how many big groups were gathered without any Covid measures. This really made me feel uncomfortable during my short time at the beach. Luckily it is a big beach so I could still find a quiet spot away from the others. But still I didn't spent a lot of time here and retreated to one of the earlier beaches after like 15 minutes.
Written 18 January 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Annette S
Ontario78 contributions
Jan 2017 • Family
A nice beach with a relatively sheltered bay. Fairly quiet except for the lunch period when the Cano Island tours come in for their picnic lunch. You can walk the trail (2.5 hours) or take a water tax $10 each way. The capuchin on the trail and on the beach are more used to tourists...and this is not a good thing. Likely, some idiots thought it would be cute to get a picture of themselves feeding the monkeys and they now know that people have food. The capuchins raided our lunch while we were on the beach and we talked to other tourists who had to toss food and run when they encountered a troop on the trail as they were very aggressive. Keep all food in containers and not visible (visible food on outside of backpacks seems to trigger the aggression) and do not leave lunch on the beach unattended.
The beach was nice and the kids enjoyed the snorkling but neither were fantastic. If you love beaches and are looking for something to do for the day, this is an option...but all of Drake Bay is a gorgeous beach with no one on it...so it is not like you need to pay to get a secluded piece of sand. There are also closer beaches on the same stretch when you walk the trail from town that are empty and have nice tidal pools for kids to play in.
There are no bathrooms. Tons of dogs (again, careful with your lunch) who are friendly. Lots of shade and there are picnic tables if you claim one before the tours arrive.
The beach was nice and the kids enjoyed the snorkling but neither were fantastic. If you love beaches and are looking for something to do for the day, this is an option...but all of Drake Bay is a gorgeous beach with no one on it...so it is not like you need to pay to get a secluded piece of sand. There are also closer beaches on the same stretch when you walk the trail from town that are empty and have nice tidal pools for kids to play in.
There are no bathrooms. Tons of dogs (again, careful with your lunch) who are friendly. Lots of shade and there are picnic tables if you claim one before the tours arrive.
Written 18 January 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jolie J
Gatineau, Canada326 contributions
Dec 2016 • Couples
Try to put a whole day aside so that you can do the hike from Rancon Beach to Drake Bay. Your hotel will be able to provide you with more details about this hike but basically you catch an ATV ride to Rancon Beach where you can spend some time swimming. Then start hiking back to Drake Bay. After about an hour of walking on Rancon Beach, you will get to San Josecito Beach. Near San Josecito Beach we saw Capuchin monkeys, Spider monkeys and Howler monkeys! We were psyched to spot 3 types of monkeys all by ourselves without a guide!
About 20 min past San Josecito Beach you will reach Ricardo’s turtle center. You might need him to give you canoe ride to pass Rio Claro depending on the tide level. I recommend stopping to visit Ricardo’s center either way because he might be able to show you the rescued turtles and if you go on the right day you could even stay to see a turtle release. He also offers Rio Claro tours that have really good reviews and are budget friendly.
After you pass Ricardo’s center you still have about 3 hours left to hike. The hike changes frequently between walking on the beach and walking in the jungle. Some areas are very muddy and there’s a couple stream crossings. It can get tricky during high tide and some areas were difficult to get through. The hike is about 4 hours in total, but I suggest to start early in the day so that you can take your time to stop at many of the beaches, go swimming and have time to observe all the wildlife. The hike offers beautiful views since it’s between the ocean and the jungle. Also all you have to do to not get lost is keep the ocean to your left at all times.
If you’re going on a tour to Cano Island and you don’t have time to dedicate a whole day to this hike, then you can ask to be left at San Josecito beach after lunch and you can do the hike from San Josecito beach to Drake Bay which will be a 3 hour hike instead of a 4 hour hike, but you will miss Rancon Beach. I highly recommend this hike, and bring lots of water because there’s no place to buy any drinks or any facilities along the way, and it gets really hot!
About 20 min past San Josecito Beach you will reach Ricardo’s turtle center. You might need him to give you canoe ride to pass Rio Claro depending on the tide level. I recommend stopping to visit Ricardo’s center either way because he might be able to show you the rescued turtles and if you go on the right day you could even stay to see a turtle release. He also offers Rio Claro tours that have really good reviews and are budget friendly.
After you pass Ricardo’s center you still have about 3 hours left to hike. The hike changes frequently between walking on the beach and walking in the jungle. Some areas are very muddy and there’s a couple stream crossings. It can get tricky during high tide and some areas were difficult to get through. The hike is about 4 hours in total, but I suggest to start early in the day so that you can take your time to stop at many of the beaches, go swimming and have time to observe all the wildlife. The hike offers beautiful views since it’s between the ocean and the jungle. Also all you have to do to not get lost is keep the ocean to your left at all times.
If you’re going on a tour to Cano Island and you don’t have time to dedicate a whole day to this hike, then you can ask to be left at San Josecito beach after lunch and you can do the hike from San Josecito beach to Drake Bay which will be a 3 hour hike instead of a 4 hour hike, but you will miss Rancon Beach. I highly recommend this hike, and bring lots of water because there’s no place to buy any drinks or any facilities along the way, and it gets really hot!
Written 8 January 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jazzamm
Woodinville, WA26 contributions
Dec 2016 • Family
We came to this beach at the end of the Cano Island snorkeling trip to eat lunch. Its a nice beach, but I am not sure it would be worth the extra boat trip out to the beach on a separate occasion. One couple on the boat decided to walk back to Drake Bay and when saw them at dinner time they said the hike took 4 hours or so.
Written 25 December 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kaup_Family
Atlanta, GA23 contributions
Aug 2016 • Family
Great beach with some excellent palms and trees by the beach. The water was clear and safe. We stopped here for lunch as a part of the Cano island snorkel tour.
Written 27 August 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mauricio M
San Jose, Costa Rica20 contributions
Feb 2020 • Solo
This place is the go to spot for all scuba divers and snorkelers tours coming from Caño Island, with an large beach surrounded by trees, you can spot macaws, toucans, and capuchin monkeys.
Written 10 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Philip M
New York City, NY743 contributions
Dec 2019 • Solo
This is primarily a review of the hike out to the beach.
The hike is 4-5 hours in one direction depending on frequency and duration of stops; also depending where in drake bay you start.
The hike is beautiful as it goes through the jungle and there are a dozen or so small bays and beaches so see and walk along.
The trail is mostly easy to follow, there are a few times where it’s easy to take a wrong turn but any wrong turn is usually obvious within a few minutes. Need your regular hiking shoes, it’s not a flip flop walk. There are spots where it gets very muddy along the trail. Many times the trail is along the beach. I saw a family of white faced capuchins along the trail but that was it; but I didn’t spend much time looking either.
Almost at the end of the hike you need to cross a river. When I was there it was too deep to walk through myself. Luckily there is a man named Ricardo who paddles a canoe back and forth across the river. There is a sign, you blow the whistle and then he’ll come out a few minutes later. Cost is $2.
The beach itself is just ok and sort of anti-climactic. There is a fine gray sand with some pebbles towards the water. There are rocks on either side of the beach to mark the boundary. The beach is maybe a half mile long so a somewhat decent size. There are some waves but not too big so you can still have a swim. It’s not a nice beach it’s just nicer than the other ones in the area.
I arrived at the beach around 12:30 when the lunch tour groups were there. Normally I wouldn’t be happy about the crowd but this time I was tired from the hike so I negotiated with one of the boat captains to give me a ride back to town for $10. Worth every penny, especially because the usual mid-afternoon rain started during the boat ride back. Outside of those lunch crowds I wouldn’t think it would be crowded at all.
The hike is 4-5 hours in one direction depending on frequency and duration of stops; also depending where in drake bay you start.
The hike is beautiful as it goes through the jungle and there are a dozen or so small bays and beaches so see and walk along.
The trail is mostly easy to follow, there are a few times where it’s easy to take a wrong turn but any wrong turn is usually obvious within a few minutes. Need your regular hiking shoes, it’s not a flip flop walk. There are spots where it gets very muddy along the trail. Many times the trail is along the beach. I saw a family of white faced capuchins along the trail but that was it; but I didn’t spend much time looking either.
Almost at the end of the hike you need to cross a river. When I was there it was too deep to walk through myself. Luckily there is a man named Ricardo who paddles a canoe back and forth across the river. There is a sign, you blow the whistle and then he’ll come out a few minutes later. Cost is $2.
The beach itself is just ok and sort of anti-climactic. There is a fine gray sand with some pebbles towards the water. There are rocks on either side of the beach to mark the boundary. The beach is maybe a half mile long so a somewhat decent size. There are some waves but not too big so you can still have a swim. It’s not a nice beach it’s just nicer than the other ones in the area.
I arrived at the beach around 12:30 when the lunch tour groups were there. Normally I wouldn’t be happy about the crowd but this time I was tired from the hike so I negotiated with one of the boat captains to give me a ride back to town for $10. Worth every penny, especially because the usual mid-afternoon rain started during the boat ride back. Outside of those lunch crowds I wouldn’t think it would be crowded at all.
Written 22 December 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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