Hello,
Our group needs to get from Drake Bay to Manuel Antonio in December 2007. Is it possible to hire a boat for this? Approximately how much would that cost and how long would the trip be? Any recommendations on who we should contact?
We have 12 people (7 adults and 5 small kids) in our group.
Thank you.
P.S. We could fly, but there does not seem to be a direct flight available. Driving also seems like a bad idea.
ramusnee
1
costaricaguide
There are no direct flights (the Nature Air "interdestinational" flight has a sneaky stopover in San José) but if you've got 12 people you could charter a flight.
There are a number of boats available for charter in the area, though I'm not sure how many could hold 12. It's about 110 km and most of them can do 25 knots or so (37 kph) so it would be around three hours and cost around $1000.
2
ticotim
Highly doubt it.
Most the boats in DB are single engine pangas, a few dual motor outboards, but no way your putting 10 people in a 25 foot boat and going up the Pacific coast....high seas alone would be deadly.
A Charter would charge at least $750 to $1000...aint gonna find a captian in DB, maybe Quepos....
3
costaricaguide
Tim's suggestion is a good one. Wherever the boat originates they're going to charge you for the round trip because they gotta get home. There are many more and larger boats available in Quepos (although there are a couple of 32 footers in Drake) so you could have one of them come down and pick you up.
4
ticotim
Another option 2 options:
Take boat or boats, from Drake Bay up the Pacific to the Rio Sierppe, and up the river to the town of Sierppe. This is a common run in both directions for the lodges and locals, as its there only way to a Dr and supplies and busses and the Capitol. This is normally about $30 a head, but I am sure you can bargain a better deal hopefully, for the entire clan, as I am sure the lodges here deal with group tours often.
Once in Sierppe, have the lodge your staying at arrange for a Toyota Touirsta van that seats 8-10 people meet you here, and take you to Quepos. Its about a 3 hours drive to Dominical, eat and stretch, take a dip, and then load up the gang and head up the worlds worst road to Quepos, can be flooded and washed out in rainy season. Thats about another 2 hours or so. That van trip with driver I imagine would run you about $250 maybe...
Or Option 2:
Charter a plane, Nature Air or Sansa will pick the whole gang up in Drake Bay at airstrip, and fly you to Quepos, its a 30 minute flight, for probably $500 ish....
Why the heck do you have to got to Manual Antonio anyway?
It would be best to hit Quepos MA 1st, as there flights on Nature Air, to Palmur Sur from Quepos, and then taxi/van to Sierppe, and boat to Drake Bay...
I am tired just thinking about all this...haha
Pro tip
Lonely Planet
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