The "Peninsula de Osa" is located in the extreme south western corner of Costa Rica, directly west of "Golfito". It is home to the world renowned "
Corcovado National Park" which contains approximately three fifths of the peninsula's land mass. National Geographic calls our backyard the most bio-diverse place on the planet! This is the largest remaining protected tract of "Pacific Coast Rainforest" left in the western hemisphere. The
wildlife here is absolutely extraordinary, the plant life more diverse than you will find anywhere in the world, and the
butterflies and
birds will just blow you away. Some people tell us that they see more
wildlife on the property than what they see visiting the national park system.
Hang out with the Monkeys here at La Choza!
You would think that all these beautiful
photos were taken deep in the jungle. But guess what? Every photo on this web site was taken on the grounds and in the gardens here at "La Choza". Linda and Jerry are responsible for the majority of these beautiful photos. We wish to take the time and say thank you to them for such a wonderful gift to us and all of you. These beautiful & wild animals make their home either on or around the 4 acres of lush landscaped grounds or natural mangrove. You too will be able to see these animals in their natural environment. Definitely bring your camera. There is spectacular
bird watching right on the property, even while you sit at the "World Famous Monkey Bar". Have you ever had
monkeys follow you to breakfast? Well get ready for that natural delight and remember to grab an extra banana for them!
The main town of the
Peninsula de Osa,
Puerto Jimenez, offers the infrastructure (bank, post office, telecommunications, grocery & liquor store, airport, port and bus depot) so you can get here easily, get money, mail a postcard, check your email, buy some rum & hit the beach!
Puerto Jimenez has managed to maintain its cultural integrity and individuality while at the same time welcoming visitors graciously with Costa Rican hospitality. And here at "La Choza" we are king of hospitality! Come and let us treat you like royalty! We thrive on pleasing you and you'll love us for it. We can set up all your
tours while you play, arrange car rental for you, get you a great
sport fishing day booked, and then have drinks awaiting you at the Bar. Ahhh, what a way to end a day. Head to your ultra cozy accommodations at La Choza and you'll be asleep in two winks. What a day!
OK so now that you want to come - how do you get here? You HAVE to come & see this place for yourself. Keep reading and & we'll show you how easy it is to get here.
How to get Here.
There are many airlines which fly into Juan Santa Maria Airport in San Jose, the country's capital. American, Continental, Delta, Iberia, Air Canada, America West and others, some with direct flights, into Juan Santa Maria airport. You will most likely spend your first night in San Jose or Alajuela - ask us & we can recommend accommodations for your night there. You can then get to Puerto Jimenez by land or air.
By land, there are two main ways to get to
Puerto Jiménez including by rental car or bus. The distance is roughly 200 miles, and it can take from 7-10 hours depending on the weather conditions, time of day, type of vehicle, and driver. If you decide to rent a car and drive down let us know and we will email you the different routes you can take. Please rent a four wheel drive vehicle. You'll be glad you did.
The bus is a very long, hot ride! But it is cheap (about $6US). Keep in mind the buses are not air conditioned and can get very crowded especially if you come during Christmas or Easter weeks. They offer little leg room. You can also hire one of many private taxi services which have very comfortable, air conditioned, large & roomy vans. Plenty of room to stretch out & you can stop when you want. This is a great option for groups or families who want to see more of the country without driving and have more than just a few days. Cost is approximately $200.00 If you want us to arrange this for you please let us know and we will be happy to do so.
If you want to get here quickly - FLY! The flight is only 50 minutes and offers breathtaking views. You get to fly over the mountains & see the old volcanic flows & contours of the land. You'll fly over a place called Uvita & see the "whale's tail" where the waves break parallel to each other from opposite directions and create a phenomenon which resembles a whale's tail. It's very cool to see. Flying over the pristine and virgin rainforest of Corcovado National Park will be ensconced in your memory forever. Then you come into view of the Golfo Dulce and the airport (airstrip) of Puerto Jimenez. Guests here have seen whales in the Gulf while descending into the airstrip - something never to be forgotten.
There are two commercial airlines that have daily flights from San Jose to "La Choza del Manglar" in Puerto Jiménez, Sansa and Nature Air. You can also charter a private plane to get you to "La Choza".
Sansa Airlines
Departs from the Juan Santamaría Airport (about 35 minutes from downtown San Jose), Sansa Terminal; daily flights from San Jose-Puerto Jiménez and back.
High Season (November 23rd 2008, until November 20th, 2009 )
| Flights |
Flight
# |
Departs |
Arrives |
One Way Flights |
Return Flights |
San Jose-Puerto
Jimenez |
2622 |
5:45am |
6:45am |
$
(U.S. dollars) |
$
(U.S. dollars) |
San Jose-Puerto
Jimenez |
3616 |
7:00am |
8:00am |
San Jose-Puerto
Jimenez |
2616 |
8:28am |
9:28pm |
San Jose-Puerto
Jimenez |
618 |
12:18pm |
13:18pm |
San Jose-Puerto
Jimenez |
658 |
14:16pm |
15:16pm |
San Jose-Puerto
Jimenez |
2618 |
15:30pm |
16:30pm |
| |
|
|
|
Puerto Jimenez
San Jose |
2623 |
6:55am |
7:53am |
Puerto Jimenez
San Jose |
3617 |
8:10am |
9:10am |
Puerto Jimenez
San Jose |
2617 |
9:38am |
10:36am |
Puerto Jimenez
San Jose |
617 |
12:31pm |
13:29pm |
Puerto Jimenez
San Jose |
657 |
12:32pm |
13:30pm |
Puerto Jimenez
San Jose |
619 |
13:28pm |
14:26pm |
Puerto Jimenez
San Jose |
2619 |
16:40pm |
17:40pm |
Nature Air
Departs from Tobias Bolanos Airport (in Pavas, about 20 minutes from downtown San Jose); daily flights from San Jose-Puerto Jiménez and back.
High Season From Dec 01st, 2007 to April 30th, 2008
| Flights |
Flight
# |
Departs |
Arrives |
One Way Flights
|
Return Flights |
San Jose-Puerto
Jimenez |
110D |
6:00am |
7:05am |
$99
(U.S. dollars) |
$198
(U.S. dollars) |
Puerto Jimenez
San Jose |
117D |
7:10am |
8:15am |
Puerto Jimenez
San Jose |
111D |
7:15am |
8:05am |
San Jose-Puerto
Jimenez |
116D |
6:10am |
7:00am |
Puerto Jimenez
San Jose |
127D |
9:30am |
10:20am |
San Jose-Puerto
Jimenez |
126D |
8:30am |
9:20am |
Puerto Jimenez
San Jose |
141D |
11:50am |
12:40pm |
San Jose-Puerto
Jimenez |
140D |
9:45am |
10:35am |
Puerto Jimenez
San Jose |
155D |
16:40pm |
17:30pm |
San Jose-Puerto
Jimenez |
154D |
15:40am |
16:30am |
Charters
You can also go with charter flights to Puerto Jiménez through several companies. All of the companies charge between $600 &$700 (U.S. dollars) for a one-way charter flight that can hold up to 5 people. This is an excellent alternative if you want to fly on your own schedule. It is only a few dollars more than the regularly scheduled flight and you get the whole plane. Often the pilot will fly you over interesting sights & will point out things you might otherwise miss. Ask us and we will send you information & can book charters for you. When you fill out the
reservation form there are places to request this as well as car rental information and anything else to make your trip planning easier.
There are now car rentals right here in
Puerto Jiménez. So if you want a car for just a few days then fly to Puerto Jimenez and rent a car right here. It saves you the long drive and you still have freedom to go explore once here. We have a huge parking area at la Choza which is very secure. Puerto Jimenez is so easy to walk that unless you really want a car, you do not need one. You can get out to
Corcovado either by private air-taxi, fly (a 5 minute flight), or take the "collective taxi". This is a blast - it is a safari style, open back 4 wheel drive pick up truck with 2 rows of seats which face each other in the back. You really get to experience the
Osa Peninsula, see
wildlife and have a breeze with this ride and all for about $6 each way.
Our geographical coordinates are 08 32' 07"N, 083 18' 11"W
(
If you have Google Earth installed, you can double-click here and it will fly you to our location.).
If not, you will need to install Google Earth first which is available at (available at
http://earth.google.com ).
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La Choza del Manglar hotel is a participating
member a select group of boutique, small hotels located on the
beach,
in the mountains, near National Parks, and all offering nearby
adventure activities. |
