The Costa Rican Wildlife Sanctuary You Have to See
Nestled away deep in the rainforest of the Osa Peninsula, Corcovado National Park is a hidden gem and frankly, one of the main reasons we went to Costa Rica in the first place - to explore the most biologically diverse region on the planet. Covering almost half the area of the Osa Peninsula, Corcovado is remote and therefore, incredibly pristine and protected. Given its location, the park is virtually untouched by the outside world and getting there is an adventure in itself.
Iguana lounging in Corcovado National Park
To get to Corcovado, we took a small and harrowing flight from La Fortuna and landed on a small dirt strip off a farmer’s field in Drake Bay. At Drake Bay, we stayed a few nights at the very nice Copa De Arbol Beach & Rainforest Resort as a treat to cap-off our stay in Costa Rica. To enter Corcovado National Park, you must take a guided tour as it is a managed national park. There is a small entrance fee of $15 per person. The park itself is a one-hour boat ride from Drake Bay to the entrance. Our hotel helped to arrange this day-tour for us but you can hire other tour operators in the area. There are some packages where, with a permit, you can even stay overnight in the park via ranger stations.
Nature Air Flight from La Fortuna to Drake Bay
Copa De Arbol - View from our hotel room
Arriving at the entrance of the park, our guide took us along the many trails and beach paths, on foot. We didn’t have to travel far to spot animals - peccaries (wild pigs), howler monkeys, iguanas, crocodiles, tree frogs, scarlet macaws, and three-toed sloths. We were lucky to spot the rare and endangered Bird’s Tapir, a large creature, looking somewhat like a cross between a hippo and a pig. Interestingly, they are most closely related to horses, donkeys, and zebras!
The abundance of wildlife was overwhelming and the park truly lived up to its reputation of being a hot-spot for amazing biodiversity. If you want to witness Costa Rican wildlife up close and personal, don’t miss out on Corcovado National Park - it certainly was the highlight of our trip!
