Corcovado National Park

On the Osa Peninsula in the south of the country is the Corcovado National Park, also called “our Amazon” by the Ticos, a park of 54,600 hectares, which was established in 1975. Before the area was elevated to a national park, it was mainly an area of ​​gold diggers. The tropical rainforest contains an incredibly abundant flora and fauna. There is more than 500 cm of rain annually and about 500 species of trees grow and numerous mammals and birds live here. You have to book well in advance, because there is a visitor limit. You can enter the park from the south side via Puerto Jimenez and Carate as well as the most used access via Sierpe, where you go by boat to Drake Bay where you can spend the night. There are also day trips from Dominical and Ojochel to the park. These also use the harbor of Sierpe.

The possibilities in Corcovado are endless: you can make trips of a few hours as well as a few days. Corcovado's hilly forest is bordered on the western side by a number of deserted, palm-fringed, white beaches. One of the trails follows the entire coastline and makes some twists and turns inland. The inland trails lead along rivers and waterfalls. It is wise to take the long walks with a guide. Especially in the rainy season. You have to cross several rivers on the way from Carate to Sirena. Opposite the park in the Pacific Ocean is the island of Caño. A wonderful place for snorkeling or diving. Dolphins and sometimes whales are also observed here.