THE VILLAGE OF PUERTO JIMENEZ
OSA PENINSULA COSTA RICA
OUR LITTLE VILLAGE
Puerto Jimenez History
Before Puerto Jimenez, the first hamlet on the Osa Peninsula was called Golfo Dulce and settled in the 1840s.
In the 1880s, it was renamed Santo Domingo and by the 1892 census recorded 523 homesteaders.
In 1910, the small village was renamed Puerto Jiménez after the Costa Rican President (Ricardo Jiménez) who was the first president to visit the Osa Peninsula.
By 1927, there were 1,195 recorded homesteaders in and around the village.
By 1938, Puerto Jiménez had gained an airstrip with passenger flights to San Jose.
In the 1950s, Puerto Jiménez was moved to its present-day location.
By 1974, dirt roads connected Puerto Jiménez to Rincon, and the village itself now had some 600 inhabitants.
Over the next few decades roads onto the Osa Peninsula, as well as power, finally arrived. Ecotourism took root in the 1990s.
Puerto Jimenez Amenities
Banks – there are two banks in town, Banco Nacional de Costa Rica and Banco de Costa Rica (BCR). Both have ATMs where you can use your Visa/Debit Cards.
Restaurants – good selection of restaurants from pizza to seafood.
Sodas – smaller restaurants serving a more local menu.
Rental Car – (506 2735 5175) Alamo near Puerto Jimenez airport.
Saturday Farmers Market – The Mercado Verde is located down the main road past the gas station halfway to the Puerto Jimenez high school. It’s open every Saturday 11am – 3pm. Contact: higuerones.coop@gmail.com
MINAE of Costa Rica (the Ministry of Environment and Energy) – (506 2735 5580) Open 8am-4pm Monday to Friday and located next to the runway of the Puerto Jimenez airport. Here there is information about Corcovado National Park, but as you will require a guide, it is often best to arrange your tour directly with your accommodations or the guide you have organized.
Domestic Airport – flights to San Jose, Golfito, and Drake Bay.
Bus Station – bus to San Jose, with destinations in between, as well as San Isidro.
Pharmacy – there is one pharmacy on the main street in town. They are very helpful with smaller health issues. 8am – 7:30pm (506-2735-5564).
Health Clinic – (506 2735 5029) there is a Costa Rican health clinic that can deal with more serious health issues. 24-hour service.
Major Grocier Stores – Supermercado BM and Pali. Both have good choices for produce.
Gas Station – open 24 hours.
Private Doctor – Dr. D Skotak, English Spoken (506) 8820-2457
Private Dentist – Osa Salud, Dr. M Morales (506) 2735-5271 / WhatsApp (506) 8725-2605
Hotels – Accommodation in Puerto Jimenez
Police Station – (506 2735 5114) located on the Main Street of Puerto Jimenez.
ICE Puerto Jimenez – (506 2002 9172) electric utility company with Charging Station.
Fire Station – (506 2735 6363).
All you need for your experience on the Osa Peninsula can be found in our little village!
Please try to reduce your use of single-use plastic on the Osa.
Puerto Jiménez is a quaint village that grew out of its agricultural and gold mining roots. You can still see elements of this scattered throughout the village. Today, with the growth of ecotourism throughout the Osa, Puerto Jiménez is evolving into the centre of tourism and offers more options to visitors. And its location on the Golfo Dulce, a tropical fjord, gives tourists easy access to a true bio gem.
Puerto Jiménez is also the gateway to hiking into Corcovado National Park. The only two entrances are La Leona Ranger Station Carate and Los Patos Ranger Station La Palma. There is also a boat that leave Puerto Jiménez for Sirena Research Station everyday in the high season and Sunday, Tuesday and Friday in the low season. Departure at 5:30am and returns to Puerto Jiménez at 2-2:30pm. It takes on average 2 hours one-way.
Staying in Puerto Jiménez gives visitors access to a variety of restaurants and local sodas, to tour companies, to lots of Osa Peninsula activities and to a choice of accommodation. It is a very friendly place where families have raised their children surrounded by nature.
We recommend that every visit to the Osa Peninsula should include some time within our little village…kayak the Golfo Dulce or the surrounding mangroves, mountain bike the nearby rivers, or boat out to see the many schools of dolphins and whales when here in season.
Independent Osa Tour Companies
There’s so much to discover!
Both the US$ dollar and Costa Rican Colon are accepted.
OSA PENINSULA ACCOMMODATION
THE OSA TOURIST INFORMATION CENTER
Up-To-Date Tourist Information from the Osa Peninsula
If you do not find what you need on the OsaTourism website, just contact us and we will try to help!
Follow us on Instagram to get the latest
Specials from the Osa Peninsula
