Things to do in Península De Osa & Golfo Dulce
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Jade Luna
A delectable dining experience, starting with the linen napkins and candlelit tables, and ending with tropical-flavored homemade ice cream. Not to gloss over what comes in between: the menu varies, but always features fresh Cajun-style fish and garlicky jumbo shrimp straight from the gulf, plus a host of appetizers and salads prepared with the freshest organic produce.
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Cacique Tours
The affable Oscar Cortés offers a variety of wildlife tours, his specialty being an early-morning bird-watching walk.
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Herrera Gardens & Conservation Project
On the east side of the airstrip, Herrera Gardens & Conservation Project is a 250-acre reserve with beautiful botanical gardens. This innovative, long-term reforestation project offers an ecologically and economically sustainable alternative to cattle-grazing. Visitors can explore the 5km of garden trails or 15km of well-marked forest trails. Guided tours focus on birding, botany or even tree climbing! Stop by Jagua Arts & Crafts to buy a map or arrange your tour. Campers should head to Herrera Gardens & Conservation Project.
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Aventuras Bosquemar Canopy
If you prefer to tour the rain forest at high speed, the thrilling Aventuras Bosquemar Canopy is the first zip-line canopy tour on this side of the peninsula. Five lines stretch between five platforms, winding 600m through primary forest. It's about 8km from Jiménez near the village of Miramar - prices include transportation from Puerto Jiménez.
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Corcovado Expeditions
Offers competitively priced tours to Corcovado and Isla del Caño, as well as a wide variety of specialty hikes including unique excursions to look for rare tropical birds and poison-dart frogs.
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Restaurant Carolina
This is the hub in Puerto Jiménez. Expats, nature guides, tourists and locals all gather here for food, drinks and plenty of carousing. The food is famous locally and the fresh-fruit drinks and cold beers go down pretty easily on a hot day.
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Playa Platanares
About 5km east of town, the secluded - and often deserted - Playa Platanares is excellent for swimming, sunning and recovering from too much adventure. The nearby mangroves of Río Platanares are a paradise for kayaking and bird-watching.
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Escondido Trex
Specializes in kayak tours, including mangrove paddles, night paddles, sunset tours and kayak-snorkel combos.
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Jagua Arts & Crafts
A great collection of art and jewelry by local and expat craftspeople, including some amazing painted masks.
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Refugio Nacional de Fauna Silvestre Golfito
The small, 28-sq-km reserve encompasses most of the steep hills surrounding Golfito. It was originally created to protect the town’s watershed, though it has also had the wonderful side effect of conserving a number of rare and interesting plant species. For example, the reserve is home to several cycads, which are ‘living fossils,’ and are regarded as the most primitive of plants. The reserve also attracts a variety of tropical birds, four species of monkey and several small mammals.
There are no facilities for visitors, save a gravel access road and a few poorly maintained trails. About 2km south of the center of Golfito, a gravel road heads inland, past a soccer …
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Parque Nacional Corcovado
All of the lodges offer hiking tours to Parque Nacional Corcovado, usually a full-day trip to San Pedrillo ranger station (from US$75 to US$100 per person), including boat transportation, lunch and guided hikes. Indeed, if you came all the way to the Península de Osa, it's hard to pass up a visit to the national park that made it famous.
Some travelers, however, come away from these tours disappointed. The trails around San Pedrillo station attract many groups of people, which inhibit animal sightings. Furthermore, most tours arrive at the park well after sunrise, when activity in the rain forest has already quieted down.
Considering their hefty price tag, these tours are…
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Dolphin- & Whale-Watching
As of 2006, swimming with dolphins and whales is illegal in Costa Rica. These measures are a result of an increase in tourist activity, often led by inexperienced guides who did not respect the best interests of these amazing creatures. However, dolphin- and whale-watching tours still provide opportunities to get up close and personal with these sea creatures - but only from the comfort and safety of the boat.
Bahía Drake is rife with marine life, including more than 25 species of dolphins and whales that pass through on their migrations throughout the year. This area is uniquely suited for whale-watching: humpback whales come from both the north and the south hemispheres…
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Sportfishing
Bahía Drake claims more than 40 fishing records, including sailfish, marlin, yellowfin tuna, wahoo, cubera snapper, mackerel and roosterfish. Fishing is excellent year-round, although the catch may vary according to the season. The peak season for tuna and marlin is from August to December.
Sailfish are caught year-round, but experience a slowdown in May and June. Dorado and wahoo peak between May and August. Other species are abundant year-round, so you are virtually assured to reel in something. Many lodges can arrange fishing excursions, but you need to be prepared to pay heavily - half-/full-day excursions cost around US$550/$800.
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Bajo del Diablo
While the bay is rich with dive sites, a local highlight is undoubtedly the Bajo del Diablo, an astonishing formation of submerged mountains that attracts an incredible variety of fish species, including jack, snapper, barracuda, puffer, parrotfish, moray eel and shark.
A two-tank dive runs from around US$100 to around US$150 depending on the spot, or you can do an open-water course for around US$330 to around US$400. Most of the upscale lodges in the area either have on-site dive centers or can arrange trips and courses through a neighboring lodge.
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Kayaking & Canoeing
A fantastic way to explore the region's biodiversity is to paddle through it. The idyllic Río Agujitas attracts a huge variety of birdlife and lots of scaly reptiles. The river conveniently empties out into the bay, which is surrounded by hidden coves and sandy beaches ideal for exploring in a sea kayak. Paddling at high tide is recommended because it allows you to explore more territory.
Most accommodations in the area have kayaks and canoes for rent. Another option is to arrange a guided tour through Corcovado Expeditions.
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Playa Cacao
Just a hop, skip and a jump across the bay, this small beach offers a prime view of Golfito stretched out along the coast, with the rainforest as a backdrop. If you’re stuck in Golfito for the day, Playa Cacao is perhaps the most appealing spot from which to enjoy the old port. To reach the beach, catch a water taxi from Golfito for around [colones] 1000 per person. You can also get to Playa Cacao by walking or driving about 6km along a dirt road west and then south from the airport – a 4WD is recommended.
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Isla del Caño
About 20km west of Agujitas, Isla del Caño is one of Costa Rica's top spots for diving, with attractions including intricate rock and coral formations and an amazing array of underwater life, teeming with colorful reef fish and incredible coral formations. Divers report that the schools of fish swimming overhead are often so dense that they block the sunlight from filtering down.
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Punta Río Claro Wildlife Refuge
If you want to head inland, you can also explore the Punta Río Claro Wildlife Refuge, which can be accessed from the Río Claro Trail or from Playa San Josecito. When hiking without a guide, make sure that somebody knows when and where you are going. Should you get lost, try to find a river or stream, which you can follow to the ocean and then re-establish your bearings.
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Restaurante Buenos Días
Rare is the visitor who passes through Golfito without stopping at this cheerful spot opposite the Muellecito. Brightly colored booths, bilingual menus and super convenient location ensure a constant stream of guests - whether for an early breakfast, a typical Tico casado or a good old-fashioned burger.
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Rancho Grande
About 3km south of Golfito, this rustic, thatch-roof place serves country-style Tico food cooked over a wood stove. Margarita, the Tica owner, is famous for her patacones (fried plantain chips). Her hours are erratic, so stop in during the day to let her know you're coming for dinner.
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Fundación Vida Marina
Under the auspices of the nonprofit Fundación Vida Marina, staff are involved in collecting data to work towards establishing a protected marine sanctuary in this area. They use an amazing 'Flying Inflatable Boat' to track and monitor dolphins, whales and commercial fishing in the area.
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Night Tour
Tracie the 'Bug Lady' and her spotting partner, Victor, have created quite a name for themselves with this fascinating nighttime walk in the jungle. Tracie is a walking encyclopedia on bug facts. Participants use night-vision scopes as an added bonus. Make reservations well in advance.
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Cataratas y Senderos Avellán
This Tico family-run reserve and adventure camp is an excellent option for adventurers who like a little guidance. Guided hikes and horseback-riding tours (prices vary) explore the extensive, rainforest-covered grounds, including three impressive waterfalls. Camping and basic cabins and meals are also available.
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Costa Cetacea Research Institute
The program at Drake Bay Wilderness Resort, is highly recommended. Marine biologist Shawn Larkin has an infectious enthusiasm about marine mammals. He spends his time researching and filming dolphins and whales for his educational organization, the Costa Cetacea Research Institute.
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Los Planes
Los Planes is another popular destination for horse riders, with ample opportunities for wildlife-watching along the way. Again, most of the upscale lodges in the area offer guided rides (from US$65), or can arrange trips through a neighboring lodge.
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