Written by Nikki Solano

Nikki is the CEO of Pura Vida! eh? Inc. (Costa Rica Discounts), and the author of the guidebooks Moon Costa Rica (2019, 2021, 2023, and 2025 editions) and Moon Best of Costa Rica (2022 edition) from Moon Travel Guides. Together with her Costa Rican husband, Ricky, she operates the Costa Rica Travel Blog, created the online community DIY Costa Rica, built the Costa Rica Destination Tool, oversees the brand-new (summer 2023) Costa Rica Travel Shop, and designed the Costa Rica Trip Planning 101 E-Course. Also, Nikki wrote the Costa Rica cover feature for Wanderlust Magazine's sustainability-focused Travel Green List issue, showcased Costa Rica destinations and experiences on Rick Steves' Monday Night Travel show and podcast/radio show, and served as the Costa Rica Destination Editor for Essentialist, a luxury travel brand. Want to show your appreciation for her free article below? Thank Nikki here. ❤️️

Playa Cocalito photos

Note: The Playa Cocalito referred to in this article is the Playa Cocalito that is located on Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula, in the Drake Bay area. We cite the beach name as Playa Cocalito (Osa Peninsula) to distinguish it from Playa Cocalito (Nicoya Peninsula), a similarly named beach located on Costa Rica’s Nicoya Peninsula.

Playa Cocalito (Osa Peninsula) fast facts

• English name: Cocalito Beach
• Distance from San Jose: 375km (approximately 7 hours by car to the community of Agujitas, then 45 minutes on foot to Playa Cocalito)
• Closest Town: Agujitas, also known as Drake Bay
• Beach Status: Public beach

Playa Cocalito (Osa Peninsula) beach details

Sand, shade, scenery, and unique features

Playa Cocalito is a short, rocky beach with compact, golden sand. Although it doesn’t fit the mold of a quintessential idyllic beach, it occupies a private-feeling cove and is a great beach to relax given its proximity to the community of Agujitas. (Playa Cocalito lies along the first section of the Osa Peninsula’s Sendero Costero, known as the Coastal Trail in English. See the “Reaching Playa Cocalito via the Sendero Costero” section below for more information about the trail.) A range of tall and short vegetation at the back of the beach provides some cooling shade, but not much. (To get out of the sun, retreat to the nearby shady Sendero Costero.) The beach has small, choppy waves that bounce into Playa Cocalito’s rough shore.

Crowds and noise

Playa Cocalito receives a small but steady number of visitors for two reasons: 1) it’s accessible off the popular Sendero Costero, and 2) it’s the closest swimming beach to the community of Agujitas, the core of Drake Bay. People come to the beach to swim, sunbathe, and relax, so noise is kept to a minimum. Note that due to the beach’s small size, it only takes a few visitors for Playa Cocalito to feel full.

Cleanliness and Ecological Blue Flag rating

Costa Rica’s Programa Bandera Azul Ecológica (Ecological Blue Flag Program) promotes sustainability and public health. Every year, beaches in Costa Rica strive for top honors, which are bestowed annually according to strict ecological criteria. Beaches that participate in the program and meet 90-100% of the eligibility criteria achieve a 1-star rating. Further efforts invite beaches to earn additional stars (5 stars is the highest rating), including special colored stars. (To learn more about the program and discover what each blue flag rating means, see our related blog post: Award-Winning Blue Flag Beaches In Costa Rica: Photos & Map; Most-Recent Winners.)

Playa Cocalito is not currently participating in the Programa Bandera Azul Ecológica. Therefore, it does not have a star rating.

Development at Playa Cocalito (Osa Peninsula)

Hotels, restaurants, tours, bathrooms, etc.

Playa Cocalito is separated from the center of the community of Agujitas by a 45-minute hike, so be prepared to walk for a while to access any of the community’s services from this beach. Positioned along the remote Sendero Costero, there is no development directly at Playa Cocalito and little development in the area, save for a few lodges, most notably Aguila de Osa and La Paloma Lodge. (The services of these accommodations are geared toward overnight guests.) A good place to grab food or drinks while visiting Playa Cocalito (or to use the bathroom, assuming you’re a patron of the establishment) is the Kalaluna Bistro, but be aware that the bistro is an approximate 30-minute walk from the beach.

Playa Cocalito (Osa Peninsula) safety

Swimming and water safety

Swimming is allowed at Playa Cocalito. However, the beach can be ridden with rough waves, which are more dangerous when coupled with Playa Cocalito’s rocky shore. As always, exercise caution in and around the water, especially if you plan to visit with children or inexperienced swimmers.

General safety

Never bring items of value with you to the beach and always keep an eye on your belongings. Also, do not visit the beach before sunrise or after sunset. If possible, visit the beach as part of a group to avoid being at this remote-feeling beach alone.

Playa Cocalito (Osa Peninsula) location and road conditions

Due to Playa Cocalito’s positioning along the forested Sendero Costero, it is not possible to reach the beach by car. The closest you can get to Playa Cocalito by car is the community of Agujitas. From the center of the community of Agujitas, it’s an approximate 45-minute hike to Playa Cocalito.

Reaching Playa Cocalito (Osa Peninsula) via the Sendero Costero (Coastal Trail)

Playa Cocalito is located on Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula. It occupies a part of the Pacific coast west of the community of Agujitas, a destination that’s commonly referred to as Drake Bay.

To learn how to reach Drake Bay by car, please see our related blog post:

Driving To Drake Bay (No River Crossings): Photos, Road Conditions, Routes, Drive Times, And More!

From Drake Bay (i.e., the community of Agujitas), it’s possible to hire a boat to take you to Playa Cocalito, but the free (and more fun) way to get to Playa Cocalito is to walk along the Sendero Costero. It is an approximate 1.2-kilometer, 30-minute hike from the Sendero Costero trailhead, which is found at the westernmost end of Playa Colorada, the main beach that fronts the community of Agujitas. (Note that it’s a 15-minute walk to the westernmost end of Playa Colorada from the center of Agujitas, so hiking to Playa Cocalito from the center of Agujitas takes closer to 45 minutes.) The hike to Playa Cocalito isn’t overly difficult, but does require hiking slight inclines, slight declines, up and down a set of stairs, and over two bridges: one stationary and the other suspension (i.e., a hanging bridge). It’s also worth knowing that the forested Sendero Costero is a humid place, so be prepared for a steamy walk. Here’s the exact route you’ll take to reach the beach:

• Start at the westernmost end of Playa Colorada
• Pass by the accommodation Jinetes de Osa and the Kalaluna Bistro
• Cross the stationary bridge
• Pass the accommodation Aguila de Osa
• Pass the signage for the Sendero Costero
• Cross the suspension/hanging bridge over Rio Agujitas (the Agujitas River)
• Pass the accommodation La Paloma Lodge
• Descend the set of stairs signed for Playa Cocalito
• Arrive at Playa Cocalito

Map of Playa Cocalito (Osa Peninsula) Costa Rica

Parking at Playa Cocalito (Osa Peninsula)

Because Playa Cocalito cannot be accessed by car, there is no opportunity to park at the beach. See the “Reaching Playa Cocalito via the Sendero Costero” section above for information about getting to Playa Cocalito on foot.

Best reason(s) to visit Playa Cocalito (Osa Peninsula)

Playa Cocalito isn’t worth traveling to purely to experience the beach. However, it’s a nice place to visit if you’ve stationed yourself in the Drake Bay area of Costa Rica for a particular reason, such as to tour the region’s Corcovado National Park or the offshore attraction Isla del Cano, and you want to offset those thrilling adventures with some downtime at a beach.

From Agujitas center, Playa Cocalito is a worthwhile day trip, especially because it provides an opportunity to explore the jungle-immersed, monkey-lined Sendero Costero in addition to awarding beach relaxation. If you intend to stay overnight at an accommodation situated along the Sendero Costero, you’ll particularly love that Playa Cocalito provides a place for swimming and sunbathing that’s only a few minutes’ walk down the trail.

Beach-hopping from Playa Cocalito (or alternative beach options in the region)

Playa Cocalito’s location along the Sendero Costero means that it’s only a hike away from other beaches that fall along the trail, including the most popular beach in the Drake Bay area, Playa San Josecito.

Not sure which Costa Rica beaches are the best to visit? Let the beaches in this article inspire you:

80+ Costa Rica Beaches (In Photos) And Where To Find Them

Want to learn about Costa Rica’s ecological blug flag beaches? Don’t miss our related blog post:

Award-Winning Blue Flag Beaches In Costa Rica (Photos & Map; Most-Recent Winners)

QUESTION TO COMMENT ON: Have you been to Playa Cocalito? What did you think?

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