An adventure in Corcovado National Park, a real nugget of biodiversity
Information about Corcovado National Park
Corcovado National Park is in the south west of Costa Rica, on the Osa peninsula. The area was declared a national park in 1975 which helped restrict the deforestation that had begun with the arrival of the lumbermen in the '60s. This is a large part of the reason why nowadays one third of all of Costa Rica's tree species, that is about 700 different species, can be seen in Corcovado Park. It is nearly 450 km² in area and has about 10,000 insect species, 2,400 species of plants and 360 bird species. It is a wonderful place to observe biodiversity, bordered by the waters of the Pacific ocean.
Some practical information
To get to the park you need first to go to the port of Sierpe and take a boat which carries you through the impressive mangrove and then sails you a few, sometimes rough, kilometres over the Pacific Ocean. Just getting there is unforgettably magnificent. I recommend you spend at least one night on the Osa peninsula, either in an upmarket campsite, or in a cabin at Bahia Drake (a town on the peninsula) or, if you are feeling adventurous and not afraid of all the ants, in the National Park wardens' station. There is something for every budget but you need to realise that Costa Rica is not a very cheap country. You can explore the park in a day but, if you enjoy walking , you could spend two or three days walking the different paths to make the most of the park. There are three paths of between 16 and 23 kilometres which leave from La Sirena wardens' station.
Exploring the park
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Now we are off to explore a park that is still wild and full of all kinds of animals. You need to get up early in the morning if you want to see the animals wake up, and should have a good breakfast to keep you going. Then, after an hour's journey in a little motor boat over the Pacific, you can set off on one of the paths...If you make as little noise as possible you will be able to observe sloths, Costa Rica's 4 monkey species (Hurler, Capuchin, Squirrel, and Spider), Baird's tapirs, ant eaters, perhaps some shark fins, toucans, and parrots...I recommend visiting Corcovado National Park with a guide who will use his high quality binoculars to show you all the insects and animals, but also unusual plants. Seeing so many different animals in their natural habitat in such a short space of time is almost unbelievable! All surrounded by dense, green jungle by the Pacific Ocean...So you must have realised by now that this is quite simply a must do during your journey around Costa Rica.
It's not for nothing that National Geographic magazine has called Corcovado "the most biologically intense place on Earth. Enjoy exploring!
