Costa Rica (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Matthew Firestone [379]
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Eating & Drinking
Restaurante Buenos Días (meals ₡2500-5000; 6am-10pm) Rare is the visitor who passes through Golfito without stopping at this cheerful spot opposite the Muellecito. Brightly colored booths, bilingual menus and a super convenient location ensure a constant stream of guests – whether for an early breakfast, a typical Tico casado or a good old-fashioned burger.
Rancho Grande (dishes ₡2500-5000) About 3km south of Golfito, this rustic, thatch-roof place serves country-style Tico food cooked over a wood stove. Margarita, the Tica owner, is famous for her patacones (fried plantain chips). Her hours are erratic, so stop in during the day to let her know you’re coming for dinner.
8° Latitude (dishes ₡3000-6000; 11am-late) Northwest of the soccer field, this popular expat bar is frequented by North Americans seriously into their sportfishing. Its laid-back and friendly atmosphere makes it the perfect place to tipple a few and listen to fish tales.
Casa Roland Marina Restaurant (dishes ₡4000-8500; 11am-10pm) The main restaurant at the Casa Roland Marina Resort isn’t particularly inventive, but it does justice to the classics. Steaks and seafood are an excellent bet, as are pizzas, pastas and lighter salads.
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Getting There & Away
AIR
The airport is 4km north of the town center near the duty-free zone. NatureAir (www.natureair.com) and Sansa (www.sansa.com) have daily flights to/from San José. One-way tickets are approximately US$100.
BOAT
There are two main boat docks for passenger service: the Muellecito is the main dock in the southern part of town. There is a smaller dock north of the Muelle Bananero (opposite the ICE building) where you’ll find the Asociación de Boteros (Abocap; 2775-0357), an association of water taxis that can provide service anywhere in the Golfo Dulce area.
Two passenger ferries travel to Puerto Jiménez from the Muellecito (₡3000, 1½ hours), departing at 6am and 10am daily. Note that these times are subject to change; in this part of the country, schedules often fall prey to the whims of the captain.
A better option than chugging away on the ferries to Puerto Jiménez is to hire a private water taxi to shuttle you across the bay. You’ll have to negotiate, but prices are generally reasonable given that you won’t have to rely on the ferry. Waters in the Golfo Dulce are sheltered and generally calm, but it’s still best if you feel comfortable with both your captain and ship.
The boat taxi for Zancudo (₡2500, 45 minutes) departs from the dock at Samoa del Sur hotel at noon, Monday through Saturday. The return trip is at 7:30am the next day (except Sunday).
If you’re staying at any of the coastal lodges north of Golfito and you’ve made prior arrangements for transportation, the lodge will send a boat to pick you up at the docks. In the event that your boat doesn’t arrive, simply give the name of the lodge to any of the boat captains, and they should be able to get you where you’re going.
BUS
Most buses stop at the depot near the Muelle de Golfito.
Neily ₡800; 1½ hours; departs hourly from 6am to 7pm.
Pavones ₡2500; three hours; departs 10am and 3pm. This service may be affected by road and weather conditions, especially in the rainy season.
San José, via San Isidro (Tracopa) ₡4700; seven hours; departs from the terminal near Muelle Bananero at 5am and 1:30pm.
Zancudo ₡2500; three hours; departs1:30pm.
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Getting Around
City buses and collective taxis travel up and down the main road of Golfito. Although the payment system seems incomprehensible to anyone else but the locals, it shouldn’t