The last great original tract of tropical rainforest in Pacific Central America contains 2.5% of the world's biodiversity and spans 33% of the Península de Osa. As soon as you enter this remote park, you will see that unique flora and fauna are on full display. Traverse rainforests and rivers amid various species of remarkable birds, mammals and reptiles, including Baird’s tapir and the giant anteater.
Osa’s Natural Marvel
Parque Nacional Corcovado is one of the biggest attractions for visitors to Bahía Drake. The park occupies roughly a third of the peninsula and contains 42,570 terrestrial and 5375 marine hectares, including 500 marine meters from the coastline. Corcovado contains various ecosystems, including forests, beaches, coral reefs, mangroves and freshwater marshes.
La Sirena
There are multiple ways to enter the park from different points around the peninsula, but La Sirena Ranger Station is the closest to Bahía Drake and the most visited because of its proximity to Uvita and popular destinations along the Pacific coast. To visit Parque Nacional Corcovado and nearby Isla del Caño you need a reservation and a guide certified by the Costa Rican Tourism Board (ICT), which many tour operators can easily arrange for you. La Sirena remains a great spot to see wildlife, but don’t expect to be alone: since 2023, the previous limit of 100 visitors a day was increased to 240 per day (split between visitors entering at either 7am or 10am) and the place can feel cramped.
Accessing the Park
Most visitors come with group tours (about US$115 per person) to do a five- to six-hour hike winding through a portion of the park's extensive rainforest trails. To do so in a day, the only way to enter La Sirena is by a shared speedboat "shuttle" with your fellow travelers. Tours leave in two trenches, the first around 5:45am and the second at 8am, timed to access the park at 7am or 10am.
The boat ride tends to be choppy, especially during the rainy season, so be prepared. But it's worth it since you may be treated to whale sightings, particularly new moms and their calves. Schools of dolphins swimming next to the boat are relatively common and gleeful. After an hour-long ride through Bahía Drake, the boat will approach Corcovado's shore for a "wet landing" – be prepared to jump out of the boat into calf-deep water and walk up to the beach to enter the park. There's an area with showers to wash the sand off your feet and benches to put your shoes back on. A park ranger at the entrance checks your bags to ensure you don't bring food (and thus garbage) into the park. There are bathrooms at the entrance before you begin your guided hike.
A Bounty of Wildlife
Wildlife is truly at every turn – on the ground, in the trees, in the air, in the water. The nocturnal tapir is a coveted sight; these mammals have been on the planet for over 33 million years. Eagle-eyed guides point out sloths, owls, multiple species of monkeys and toucans in the trees. Wild turkeys and peccaries might cross your path. Snakes could slither down the trail, and caimans and crocodiles may float along the Río Claro.
During the high/dry season, it may be harder to see the wildlife because of large groups of day-trippers on the trail simultaneously, so visiting during the off-season maximizes your chances of seeing the park's nonhuman inhabitants.
