Field Notes
Why I built a local travel guide to Osa
I was born in Cortés de Osa. As a child, going to Uvita or Ballena meant going home; today it is a destination that thousands of travelers try to piece together from a dozen open tabs. After more than twenty years in tourism, I understood that what Osa lacks is not beauty: it is an honest explanation of how to get here and how to do it well.
What it costs the traveler
The region is large, roads are slow, and the best places are reached by boat. Corcovado requires a registered local guide, a reserved date and an open sector. Getting to Drake Bay means choosing between a boat from Sierpe, a 4x4 or a domestic flight. Most people find out the hard way.
How Pura Osa began
Pura Osa is an independent, bilingual guide. It answers the practical questions first —how to get to Drake Bay, how to book Corcovado, when whales are here— and says plainly when a link is an affiliate link. You can read more about the project and who writes it here.
I believe in tourism that leaves the forest, the sea and the communities a little better than before. That is why we committed to give back a share of the site’s income each year to local organizations and to publish the results.
If you know a story from Osa that deserves to be told, write to me at hola@puraosa.com.