Drake Bay · Backpacking

Drake Bay Boat Shuttle runs daily from Sierpe at 11:30, rain, shine or holiday, taking about an hour and a half down the river and along the coast. USD 20 per person to the Drake Bay centre landing, USD 25 to the Caletas sector, USD 30 to the Corcovado end. Book the seat in advance and expect a wet landing on the beach.

SINAC charges non-resident adults USD 15 and children aged 2–12 USD 5 to enter Corcovado, and the Sirena sector closes to visitors for the whole of October while the others stay open. The ticket is the small part: the guide and the boat to the sector are what make it a three-figure day, and guide rates are not published anywhere, so agree the price before you commit.

SINAC lists the Sirena station at USD 30 a night, with breakfast USD 20 and lunch and dinner USD 25 each. If you want more than one dawn in the park it works out better than paying for the boat ride twice, and dawn at Sirena is the whole point of coming.

Agujitas has the only beds you can reach on foot and the only kitchens you can choose between; everything south of it is per person with meals bundled in. For a budget trip this one decision matters more than anything else you book.

Fixed and knowable: USD 20 each way on the Sierpe boat to the village landing, USD 15 to enter Corcovado, USD 5 for a child. Unknowable until you ask: the guide, which is mandatory in practice, and the boat out to Sirena or San Pedrillo. Budget on a park day being well into three figures per person and a non-park day being close to free — the beach, the village and the river cost nothing. Carry cash; assume cards do not work.