Insider Travel Tips: Taxi boat from Golfito to Pavones

Splash down on the shores of Pavones, Costa Rica in a taxi boat.  Arriving by sea is a welcome change from the rough roads. Even if you have a Cadillac Esplanade, that is one rough road.

Boat taxis passengers (and fishermen) around Pavones' waters

Here is our story:


Our party arrived in Golfito at 7:15 a.m. via Nature Air, and we were waiting in a Panga to meet them at the muellecito ("little dock") across from Pearson Supermarket (near the gas station).  William Mata's son Kevin loaded the luggage and groceries into the panga and we began a beautiful cruise out of Golfito's nooks and crannies into the wide open Golfo Dulce.

The forty five minutes across the Gulf, with pelicans cruising along side us, were invigorating.

Approaching Pavones from the water is also a welcome change from the sights along the road. We all got more excited within range of the Cantina. Kevin landed the panga on the beach perfectly. Then he unloaded all our suitcases to a friend's waiting car and off we went.

What a memorable arrival. In a panga, the transfer was an adventurous and beautiful part of the journey. We highly recommend arriving by boat.



But the reverse trip isn't so easy. When we launched from Pavones, I arrived at the agreed upon time of 5:30 a.m., thinking the boat would be ready. William and Kevin waited until I had, in fact, actually arrived to begin their preprations. One can imagine that many times, guests might reserve the boat but then don’t show up. William and Kevin now began the work of attaching the engine, filling it with gasoline, priming the lines (or whatever it is one does with engines that took so long), until we arrived. After clearing a faulty fuel line, it wasn't until 6:00 that we were under way. Good thing I wasn't trying to catch the 7:00 flight.

When we took off from Pavones, the timing of the launch put us in front of a large wave (I've heard this has happened to other people). The wave broke over the bow and drenched us head to toe. To dry, I balanced myself precariously in a standing position to see if the Gulf's winds could dry my clothes, but I was still damp and not entirely ready-to-travel when we arrived in Golfito.

The next time I needed an early morning transfer from Pavones to Golfito, I hired Alex the taxista and asked him to take the back roads through the farms and palm oil plantations. In his lux car, with its high quality suspension, and the sun coming up over the mountains, it was a nice, dry ride.

William and Kevin Mata (Spanish speaking only): Home number (506) 2776-2212. Cellular phone for calls and text messages (506) 8366-3323. Approximate cost $200.00.