Palmar Sur Domestic Airport, South Puntarenas

For a visit to the Southern Pacific Coast of Costa Rica, consider a stop in Palmar Sur. This tiny town makes up for its lack of size with its amazing location. With the Palmar Sur Domestic Airport, it is easy to get into town and begin enjoying your amazing vacation in this tropical paradise where the views are breathtaking and the natural beauty shines bright.

Perfect Location

Located on the Osa Peninsula, Palmar Sur is also right on the River Sierpe. It is considered a gateway to many of the areas top tourist sites. This includes the Corcovado National Park and Costa Rica Drake Bay. Due to its location on the Pacific Coast of the Puntarenas Province, it is also close to Isla del Caño.

Traveling to the many locations is simple due to the InterAmerican Highway close by and the Rio Terraba. There are also many taxis willing to drive you to nearby cities, such as Sierpe for about $12 and Palmar Norte for about $3. You also have the option of taking a bus for your travels, too, but do be aware they often do not run on time according to schedule.

Finally, in the town itself, there are plenty of accommodations, restaurants and other attractions to explore. The local plaza offers you a chance to get to know the locals and enjoy the true culture of the town.

Things To Do

There is so much to see and do in the town and surrounding areas that you are sure to never run out of great activities. You can explore Caño Island by taking a boat taxi. Here you can swim, snorkel or just lay around in the lagoons. The water is calm and quiet, so it makes it ideal for children and those who just want to relax. There is also a marine biological reserve here that you must see.

The stone spheres are part of Palmar Sur's history. They are quite mysterious being that they are hand carved from granite, which is not even found in the area, and are perfect spheres. They range in size from ones as small as bowling balls up to those that weight tons.

Don't pass by the Terraba-Sierpe National Wetlands. This mangrove swamp features huge mangrove trees and wildlife ranging from heron to monkeys. You can tour the area by boat.

Lastly, there is the Corcovado National Park. It features 13 ecosystems, such as rainforests and swamps. It is home to a diverse array of wildlife, including some rare species, such as the harbor squirrel monkey, along with other exotic animals, such as puma, sea turtles and poison-dart frogs.

Map of the Area

Click to enlarge map - Map of the Area

The Ideal Way In

Getting to Palmar Sur is made easy when you take a flight out of Juan Santamaria International Airport. You can also drive from San Jose, but it takes six hours, so most people choose to fly. SANSA and Nature Air both offer one flight daily each. Once in the town, you will love that the airport is right in the center, so it is simple to get to where you need to go. Buses and taxis are readily available.

You may be surprised at the size of the airport, though. It is very small. The service center is a hut, but the runway is paved, which is nice because in many nearby areas, the runways are gravel. There are not a lot of flights in and out. Only three commercial flights daily, but it also is a hub for crop dusters.

When you want to get away from it all and relax in paradise, you should consider Palmar Sur. Hop a daily flight here and enjoy the vacation of your dreams among some of the most amazing scenery Costa Rica has to offer.