Corcovado National Park, located in the far Southwest corner of the country on the Osa Peninsula, consists of about 42,500 ha of lush tropical rainforest. It is famous for having the largest primary rainforest on the American Pacific Coast, and hosts 3% of the world’s biodiversity. One of the best ways to experience the park is through a 1-3 day tour leaving from the towns of Puerto Jimenez or Drake Bay.

There are many different ways that you can experience this tour depending on your particular styles and interests. If you are less into hiking but still want to experience the immense flora and fauna of the rainforest, you have the option to leave from Puerto Jimenez in a guided safari car ride towards Carate, where you will stop along the way and have the chance to see many animals directly from the vehicle. From there, you can decide if you’d like to add on a hike through the Corcovado National Park, which is up to 14km round trip to the Madrigal River and back. This 1-day tour, leaving from Puerto Jimenez by 5:30am and returning between 5-6pm, can be changed and personalized depending on the interests of your group, and is the perfect way to experience a mixture of beach, jungle, and wildlife of the Osa Peninsula.

If you prefer to immerse yourself in the park and spend one or more days hiking, then you also have the option to travel via boat from Puerto Jimenez or Drake Bay to the Sirena Station, which is tucked in the middle of the Corcovado National Park. For this tour, you will leave by 6am on a 1.5 hour boat ride to reach Sirena by 7:30am so you can spend the day exploring the forest trails. You then have the option to head back the same day or stay 1-2 nights at the station, where they have access to a camping area, indoor lodging, meals, and sanitary services. This option is the best way to truly explore the park for all that it has to offer, and as a plus, you will have a chance to observe whales and dolphins during the boat ride, especially when visiting between the months of August-December.

Throughout the entire trip, you will be accompanied by an experienced and knowledgeable guide who is an expert at spotting all of the animals of the jungle. This greatly enhances the trip, as they will take their time to explain everything you’d like to know about the trees, plants, and animals of the forest, and help you to get the best pictures of each animal. Some examples of the wildlife you’re likely to see include Tapirs, Spider-, Howler-, and Capuchin monkeys, guatis, anteaters, many kinds of rare birds (Potoo, King Vulture, Scarlet Makaws), snakes, caymans and many, many more.

Make sure you pack properly for this trip, with plenty of water, good hiking shoes, light and easy to dry clothing, sunscreen, and bug spray. If you are staying at the station then make sure you have sandals, a flashlight and all necessary sleeping gear as well.