Puerto Jiménez
Puerto Jiménez is the main town on the Golfo Dulce shore of the Osa Peninsula and the usual base for trips into Corcovado National Park.
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Puerto Jiménez is the main town of the Osa Peninsula, on the Golfo Dulce in southwest Costa Rica. It has an airstrip, shops for supplies, and local guides who lead trips into Corcovado National Park, which covers much of the peninsula. Most trips here are built around the park, and the town is where you sleep before and after park days. Expect a small, slow town rather than a resort area.
The town suits travelers who want a quiet base and don't mind planning around transport. Getting in means a short domestic flight or a long drive, and park entry requires a reservation made in advance through SINAC, so book before you leave home. The dry season, roughly December through April, is the usual time to visit, and a few nights is enough for a first trip.
Puerto Jiménez in five
- Reserve Corcovado before you plan the routeVisits need a prior reservation, handled by SINAC's reservations office by email. Secure the park dates first, then fit lodging, flights and guides around them.Corcovado guide
- Hire a registered guide for the long trailsSINAC requires a guide for the two long routes into Sirena and advises one for every hike. Night walks inside the park are not permitted.
- Match the sector to your monthSirena is the sector with the October closure, so an October trip needs a different sector. Ask the reservations office which ones are open before you book lodging.
- Weigh the flight against the long driveSANSA lists Puerto Jiménez (PJM) among its airports, which can replace a day on the road from San José. Check the baggage rules for small aircraft before you pack boots and rain gear.Southern Costa Rica and the Osa
- Fill park gaps with fishing and bird walksICT lists sport fishing on the Golfo Dulce from Puerto Jiménez and bird watching at Carate and Puerto Jiménez. These outings fill days when your park dates do not line up.
Things to do in Puerto Jiménez
See all attractions in Puerto JiménezNeed to know
- Airport
- Puerto Jiménez (PJM), served by SANSA; San José (SJO) is the main gate
- Getting there
- A domestic flight, or a long drive down the south Pacific coast
- Getting around
- Taxis and transfers; confirm each leg with your lodge
- Best base
- Puerto Jiménez, or a lodge near the sector you reserved
- Time needed
- 3–4 days including one park day
Weather by month
- Rainy days
- Best
- Good
- Mixed
- JanuaryRain20 rainy daysHigh28°Low21°Dry seasonJanuaryRain
Best
- High
- 28°
- Low
- 21°
- Precipitation
- 106 mm
- Rainy days
- 20
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Dry season
- FebruaryRain15 rainy daysHigh30°Low21°Dry seasonFebruaryRain
Best
- High
- 30°
- Low
- 21°
- Precipitation
- 65 mm
- Rainy days
- 15
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Dry season
- MarchRain18 rainy daysHigh30°Low22°Driest, hotMarchRain
Best
- High
- 30°
- Low
- 22°
- Precipitation
- 99 mm
- Rainy days
- 18
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Driest, hot
- AprilRain25 rainy daysHigh29°Low22°Dry endsAprilRain
Mixed
- High
- 29°
- Low
- 22°
- Precipitation
- 230 mm
- Rainy days
- 25
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Dry ends
- MayRain30 rainy daysHigh28°Low23°Rains beginMayRain
Mixed
- High
- 28°
- Low
- 23°
- Precipitation
- 518 mm
- Rainy days
- 30
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Rains begin
- JuneRain30 rainy daysHigh27°Low22°Green seasonJuneRain
Mixed
- High
- 27°
- Low
- 22°
- Precipitation
- 598 mm
- Rainy days
- 30
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Green season
- JulyRain31 rainy daysHigh27°Low22°Green seasonJulyRain
Mixed
- High
- 27°
- Low
- 22°
- Precipitation
- 556 mm
- Rainy days
- 31
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Green season
- AugustRain31 rainy daysHigh27°Low22°Veranillo lullAugustRain
Mixed
- High
- 27°
- Low
- 22°
- Precipitation
- 640 mm
- Rainy days
- 31
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Veranillo lull
- SeptemberRain30 rainy daysHigh27°Low22°Very wetSeptemberRain
Mixed
- High
- 27°
- Low
- 22°
- Precipitation
- 532 mm
- Rainy days
- 30
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Very wet
- OctoberRain30 rainy daysHigh27°Low22°Sirena closedOctoberRain
Mixed
- High
- 27°
- Low
- 22°
- Precipitation
- 826 mm
- Rainy days
- 30
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Sirena closed
- NovemberRain30 rainy daysHigh26°Low22°Rains easeNovemberRain
Mixed
- High
- 26°
- Low
- 22°
- Precipitation
- 731 mm
- Rainy days
- 30
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Rains ease
- DecemberRain26 rainy daysHigh28°Low21°Dry beginsDecemberRain
Good
- High
- 28°
- Low
- 21°
- Precipitation
- 231 mm
- Rainy days
- 26
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Dry begins
Average daily high and low in Puerto Jiménez, 2016–2025. Rainy day: 1 mm of rain or more.
Right now in Puerto Jiménez
Local time, today's weather and the exchange rate, refreshed through the day.
27
- Feels like
- 29°
- Humidity
- 77%
- Wind
- 11 km/h
- Chance of rain
- 100%
Puerto Jiménez
11:33 PM
Monday, November 2
- Today28°24°100%Monday: Thunderstorms. High 28°, Low 24°. Chance of rain 100%.
- Tue28°24°98%Tuesday: Thunderstorms. High 28°, Low 24°. Chance of rain 98%.
- Wed28°24°100%Wednesday: Rain. High 28°, Low 24°. Chance of rain 100%.
- Thu28°23°98%Thursday: Rain. High 28°, Low 23°. Chance of rain 98%.
- Fri30°23°100%Friday: Rain. High 30°, Low 23°. Chance of rain 100%.
- Sat25°23°100%Saturday: Rain. High 25°, Low 23°. Chance of rain 100%.
- Sun31°23°100%Sunday: Thunderstorms. High 31°, Low 23°. Chance of rain 100%.
Updated 07:41 PM local time · Powered by WeatherAPI.com · Weather data by Open-Meteo.com
Money
Mid-market rate1 USD = 454.9 CRC
Rates from Nov 3, 2026 · Rates By Exchange Rate API
Day trips by train
- Corcovado National Parkfull day or longer, reservedPick one sector and a guide; the long routes between sectors need several days.Read the guide
- Golfo Dulce fishing and boat tripshalf day on the waterICT lists sport fishing from Puerto Jiménez, Golfito and Zancudo.
- Golfitoby road or boat; confirm locallySANSA lists a Golfito airstrip, and ICT names the town as a sport-fishing base.
Before you go to Puerto Jiménez
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Rules for Puerto Jiménez, checked
- SINAC recommends contacting local guide associations, tour operators and local organizations to hire guides and services for Corcovado.Checked Oct 3, 2026 · Source
- In jungle areas, go with an experienced local guide; there are fines for unauthorised entry into restricted conservation areas (UK government advice).Checked Oct 3, 2026 · Source
Plan around Puerto Jiménez
How to link the whale coast, Sierpe and the peninsula
Read the guideUvita and the whale tailThe marine park a day or more up the coast
Read the guideQueposThe gateway town for Manuel Antonio, farther north
Read the guideCorcovado National ParkReservations, guides and the six sectors.
Read the guideBest time to visitDry months for the Osa, and the October rains
Read the guideAll of Costa RicaReaching the Osa as part of a wider route
Read the guidePuerto Jiménez FAQ
Where do you hire a Corcovado guide from Puerto Jiménez?
SINAC says to contact local guide associations, tour operators and local organizations, and that visitors enter through official access points, preferably with a registered guide. Ask your lodge to arrange the guide in the same message as the reservation.
Can you visit Corcovado without a reservation?
No. SINAC's Spanish page says visits are only possible with a prior reservation, made through the reservations office by email. Do this before you book flights or lodging, then build the rest of the trip around the confirmed dates.
How do you get to Puerto Jiménez?
By SANSA flight to PJM, or by road down the south Pacific coast, which is a long day from San José. Ask your lodge about onward transfers to the park sectors, because some entry points need a boat or a 4x4.
Which month is best for Corcovado from Puerto Jiménez?
Aim for the dry months SINAC lists, December to April, though rain can arrive at any time in rainforest. Avoid October if Sirena is the goal. The Los Patos approach crosses the Rincón river twenty times, per SINAC's English page, so ask about river levels before you commit.
Should you stay in Puerto Jiménez or near the park?
Stay in town for shops, guides, flights and a choice of restaurants. Stay at a lodge near your sector if the entry is far from town, but confirm distances and transfer times first, since the park's hours run 7am to 3pm.