Corcovado National Park
The most biologically intense place on Earth (National Geographic) — pristine primary rainforest on the Osa Peninsula with tapirs, jaguars and harpy eagles.
PJM · MRPJ · Costa Rica
Puerto Jiménez Airport
Puerto Jiménez — Osa Peninsula. 2 min to Puerto Jiménez.
Runway
1000m
Surface
Asphalt
Elevation
7m
Hours
6am-6pm
Book your private flight to Puerto Jiménez
Airport at a glance
Puerto Jiménez — Costa Rica
Puerto Jiménez is the Osa Peninsula's only real town, and it does not feel like one. A single main street of hardware shops, sodas and tour offices runs parallel to the Golfo Dulce; scarlet macaws cross overhead at dusk in pairs, loudly, as a matter of routine; and the rainforest starts where the last building ends. It is the last place on the peninsula where you can withdraw cash, buy a spare part or eat late — and the staging point for the southern half of Corcovado National Park.
It is also, by a margin that surprises most people, the busiest domestic-only airport in Costa Rica by passenger traffic. That statistic tells you everything about the Osa: a place with almost no road access and enormous demand.
Runway 16/34, 822 metres by 18 metres, asphalt, at 2 metres elevation. ICAO: MRPJ. Coordinates: 8°32′07″N, 83°18′04″W. Daylight operations only.
Eight hundred and twenty-two metres is short, but the eighteen-metre width makes PJM noticeably more forgiving than Drake Bay's eleven-metre strip on the other side of the peninsula. The field sits on flat ground at the edge of the gulf, with the approach over water rather than terrain — an easier proposition in marginal weather than most of the southern zone's airstrips. Aircraft are the Cessna Caravan class, and weight declarations at booking matter.
Getting there
Puerto Jiménez Airport — Getting there
San José to Puerto Jiménez is roughly 350 kilometres and about seven hours by road, along the Costanera and then down the peninsula on a route that is paved for most but not all of its length. The final section to Carate is unpaved and river-crossed.
The charter takes about 48 minutes.
For a peninsula where the point is to spend time in the forest rather than getting to it, this is not a luxury calculation. A seven-hour drive each way removes two days from a week.
Connections. Puerto Jiménez connects by charter to San José (~48 min), and along the coast to Golfito, Palmar Sur, Drake Bay and Quepos. The Golfito hop in particular — a few minutes across the gulf against a long drive around it — is one of the more absurd time savings in the network.
A two-sided Osa itinerary works well: land at Drake for the northern stations and Caño Island, cross the peninsula, and depart from Puerto Jiménez after the Golfo Dulce and southern Corcovado.
Nearby
Things to do near Puerto Jiménez
The two Osa airports serve different halves of the same park, and choosing correctly is the single most consequential planning decision for a Corcovado trip.
From Puerto Jiménez you reach La Leona ranger station, on the southern coast near Carate, and Los Patos, inland to the north. The classic multi-day Corcovado traverse — La Leona to Sirena to Los Patos, or the reverse — begins or ends here. Carate itself, at the end of a rough coastal track roughly 90 minutes from town, is where the peninsula's most remote lodges sit.
From Drake Bay you reach San Pedrillo and Sirena by boat along the northern coast, which is the standard route for day visits and shorter stays.
The second thing Puerto Jiménez opens is the Golfo Dulce itself — one of only four tropical fjords in the world, deep, calm and sheltered, with resident bottlenose dolphins, humpback whales in season, and a string of lodges on the roadless western shore reachable only by boat. Kayaking the mangroves of the Río Platanares at dawn is one of the better things to do anywhere in Costa Rica.
Corcovado National Park is the reason to come — 424 square kilometres holding all four Costa Rican monkey species, Baird's tapir, scarlet macaws in flocks, and one of Central America's last viable jaguar populations. Guides are mandatory for park entry and slots at Sirena are capped, so book well ahead. Matapalo, at the peninsula's tip, has excellent surf and quieter beaches. Cabo Matapalo and Carate hold the peninsula's most remote lodges. And the Golfo Dulce delivers dolphin and, between roughly July and October, humpback whale encounters within twenty minutes of the dock.
Private Photography Safari — Osa
Exclusive wildlife photography safaris in the Osa Peninsula — guided by professional naturalists in one of the world's most biodiverse regions.
Luxury Lodge — Osa Peninsula
Ultra-exclusive eco-lodge experience in the Osa Peninsula's primary rainforest — zero light pollution, total immersion in nature.
Wildlife Observation — Osa
Guided wildlife observation in the Osa Peninsula — jaguars, tapirs, peccaries and over 400 bird species in pristine primary forest.
Kayak & Private Expeditions — Osa
Private kayak expeditions through the Osa Peninsula's mangroves and marine protected areas — dolphins, whale sharks and sea turtles.
Deep Diving — Osa Pacific Walls
Technical deep diving on the Osa Peninsula's Pacific walls — drop-offs to 40m with schools of hammerhead sharks, whale sharks in season and enormous Pacific manta rays. Private liveaboard vessel, advanced dive guide.
Billfish Expedition — Golfo Dulce
The Golfo Dulce is one of the world's few tropical fjords — a sheltered deepwater bay that holds Pacific sailfish and black marlin year-round. Private sport fishing vessel, IGFA-certified captain, stand-up tackle.
Wilderness Camping — Corcovado
Private two-night wilderness expedition inside Corcovado National Park — camping at La Sirena station, night walks for pumas and tapirs, river crossings and the complete absence of other tourists in the densest rainforest on Earth.
Where to stay
Hotels near Puerto Jiménez
When to fly
When to fly
The Osa is among the wettest parts of Costa Rica. Expect clear to partly clear mornings, cloud building from late morning, and heavy afternoon rain through much of the year. September and October are the wettest months; December to April is the dry season and the most reliable for flying.
PJM is visual and daylight-only. Morning departures are the operational standard, not a preference — plan the itinerary around them and weather rarely becomes an issue.
From $1,957
Fly from PJM to
Cóbano · 62 min · $2,634Drake Bay · 19 min · $2,025Golfito · 14 min · $2,053La Fortuna · 67 min · $2,582Liberia · 84 min · $3,501Limón · 46 min · $2,535Nosara · 77 min · $3,131Palmar Sur · 21 min · $1,997Pérez Zeledón · 32 min · $1,996Quepos · 40 min · $2,035San José (Pavas) · 50 min · $1,957San José · 52 min · $2,287Tamarindo · 85 min · $3,358Tambor · 61 min · $2,578Tortuguero · 60 min · $2,551Upala · 81 min · $3,109
FAQ
Puerto Jiménez Airport — Frequently asked questions
What is the runway length at Puerto Jiménez (PJM)?
822 metres by 18 metres of asphalt, runway 16/34, at 2 m elevation. Daylight operations only. ICAO: MRPJ.
How long is the flight from San José to Puerto Jiménez?
About 48 minutes by charter, against roughly seven hours by road.
Should I fly to Puerto Jiménez or Drake Bay for Corcovado?
Puerto Jiménez serves the southern and eastern side — La Leona, Carate and Los Patos. Drake Bay serves the northern stations, San Pedrillo and Sirena, by boat.
Is Puerto Jiménez busy?
It is the busiest domestic-only airport in Costa Rica by passenger traffic, which reflects how limited road access to the Osa is.
What is the Golfo Dulce?
One of only four tropical fjords in the world — a deep, sheltered gulf with resident dolphins, seasonal humpback whales and roadless lodges on its western shore.
When is the best time to fly to PJM?
December to April is the dry season. In the green season, morning flights are essential.