In case you’re questioning, “Is mountain climbing in Corcovado Nationwide Park value it?” then you definitely stumbled throughout the correct article.
We went on an in a single day Corcovado Nationwide Park tour that allow us discover and even spend an evening within the tropical forest. There have been numerous breathtaking sights and look-or-you’ll-miss-it moments with a number of the forest’s wildlife. It was an unforgettable expertise we needed to share.
In case you’re travelling to Costa Rica or questioning learn how to go to Corcovado Nationwide Park, this overview will provide you with a glimpse of our full expertise.
In Corcovado Nationwide Park, one of the bio-diverse place on the earth
About Corcovado Nationwide Park
Howler monkeys, tapirs, scarlet macaws, sloths, a spider monkey, or perhaps a puma—you by no means know what animals would possibly come out to say hello if you go on one of many Corcovado mountain climbing excursions.
A fast refresher on Corcovado Nationwide Park: at 424 sq. kilometres, the tropical forest holds 2.5% of the world’s biodiversity. Which means over 50% of all of the species in Costa Rica may be discovered on this one nationwide park within the Osa Peninsula!
Corcovado has the biggest main forest on the American Pacific, in addition to a cloud forest, mangrove swamp, pristine seashores, waterfalls, and lowland tropical rainforest. With so many habitats in a single park, you may see why Nationwide Geographic as soon as known as it probably the most biologically intense place on Earth.
So how do you get began? There are many Corcovado Nationwide Park excursions to select from, relying in your time, funds, and choice. Essentially the most reasonably priced choice is a 7-hour Corcovado day tour, however we opted for a 2-day Corcovado in a single day tour with a trusted information from the Corcovado Data Centre. We figured setting apart 2 days would give us a greater probability at recognizing totally different animals and extra time to get acquainted with Costa Rica’s stunning pure landscapes.
So, with out additional ado, right here’s our journey to Corcovado and a rundown of all the things we discovered (and didn’t discover—although not for lack of attempting!
En path to Corcovado Nationwide Park
Attending to Corcovado Nationwide Park
Day 1 – Sirena Ranger Station
The boat bounced up and down, combating in opposition to the waves as we climbed aboard and settled in for our hour-long boat experience to Sirena Ranger Station contained in the Corcovado Nationwide Park.
It was barely 6:30am, however we have been buzzing with pleasure in anticipation for our 2 days contained in the park.
“Each tour I lead is totally different,” defined our information David from the Corcovado Data Centre at our pre-departure assembly the evening earlier than. “…However one factor I do know for positive is that if we glance, we received’t discover.” All of us nodded in understanding.
“It could be so cool to see a Puma,” Max whispered into my ear because the boat sped alongside the Corcovado Park shoreline. “Sure, or a child ocelot,” I added, feeling like a toddler en path to an amusement park. But when we glance, we received’t discover it.
It wasn’t lengthy earlier than all 12 of us have been safely contained in the park. Our group of 5 did the in a single day tour, and the opposite 7 did the day journey tour. The paths from the seaside veered in 2 totally different instructions. David paused.
“Simply bear in mind,” he stated, “if we glance, we received’t discover. Generally it takes hours for us to see the primary animal. You by no means know.”
And with these phrases ingrained in our minds, we adopted David into the park.
It was barely 8am however the solar was already scorching, with the rays playfully peeking out from the cover above. We walked in silence, our eyes peeled on the large bushes.
Out of the blue, we heard a sound. A well-recognized roar and motion within the bushes gave away our first sighting, a gaggle of howler monkeys. We’ve seen howlers many instances earlier than (they hang around on the bushes simply outdoors of Max’s mother’s home in Playa Avellanas every day), however there was one thing so particular about seeing them within the park.
Just a few meters additional, a household of coatis had claimed a tree of their very own.
“It’s frequent to see animals like monkeys, coatis, and sloths interacting with one another right here within the park. They’ve grown up collectively on this forest”
“Ooooh I need to see a child monkey enjoying with a child sloth,” I introduced.
“It does occur. Possibly you’ll get fortunate,” smirked David. He slowed his tempo as we approached one other group on the path.
“Lookup! Mother and child sloth,” stated the information from the opposite group. “High of the tree.”
There was no child monkey beside them, however there was a child sloth! We may solely spot them by means of the telescope, however it was the cutest factor we’ve seen all through our time within the park.
Over the following few hours, we continued to discover the paths close to Sirena. Our efforts have been rewarded with some child caymans, a sounder of untamed pigs/peccaries, a big household of spider monkeys, many extra households of howlers, a household of squirrel monkeys, and plenty of birds.
Path signal main in direction of Sirena Ranger Station
Our nice information, he’s an area from one of many surrounding communities
Sirena Station at Corcovado Nationwide Park
Pizote aka Coati on a tree in Corcovado Nationwide Park
Child sloth and mama sloth hanging on a tree in Corcovado Nationwide Park
Spider noticed in Corcovado Nationwide Park
Squirrel Monkey noticed
Simply earlier than lunch…
Simply earlier than lunch, David led us to the river, the place one other group was fortunate to identify a Baird’s Tapir, the most important mammal in all of Costa Rica. The tapir and her child have been napping within the bushes, so we solely caught a glimpse of them earlier than heading again to the seaside for a bit of lunch break.
3 or 4 different teams joined us on the seaside, and all of us dug into our pre-packed sandwiches whereas exchanging tales about this morning’s sightings.
Max used his free time to catch some footage from above with the drone. Surrounded by a crowd of onlookers, we flew alongside the seaside and hovered over the river.
“Hey, man with the drone,” I heard the voice of one other information. Apprehensive that he would possibly ask Max to take it down, I perked up. However that wasn’t his intention. “Look down!”, he yelled, pointing to the place the jungle meets the river.
I adopted his gaze and noticed a Baird’s Tapir meandering out of the bushes. I grabbed the digital camera and ran in direction of him, utilizing my longest zoom to catch him as he made his method in direction of the ocean. He was not more than 100 m away. I froze in full awe. I couldn’t cease taking a look at him, admiring his distinctive options in fascination. He lingered on the seaside for one more couple of minutes and disappeared again into the bushes.
“What did I let you know, guys?” David stated to our group. “In case you look, you received’t discover, however when you don’t look, typically the animals discover you.”
“How frequent is it to see a Tapir within the park?” I requested curiously.
“We frequently see them sleeping such as you did as we speak, however strolling alongside the seaside like that….very uncommon. Simply as uncommon as seeing a puma.”
Happy with our time in Sirena, we hopped again into the boat en path to San Pedrillo, our second cease of the day and our tenting spot for the evening.
Two tents have been arrange proper on the seaside in entrance of the San Pedrillo Ranger Station.
“Quickly, all different guests will go away,” David talked about as we acquired off the boat, “and you can be the one ones tenting right here tonight.”
After one other stroll round San Pedrillo, we returned again to the ranger station simply in time for sundown. We watched the solar set behind the horizon from the hammocks that hung outdoors of our tents, having fun with the explosion of color over the ocean.
After a easy meal, we tucked into our tents, beginning up into the starry sky.
“Not a nasty day within the park, eh,” Max famous as we lay in our tent, reflecting on the day contained in the park.
The waves have been crashing in opposition to the shore, the crickets singing in unison; regardless of the very fundamental lodging, we had no bother falling asleep to the sounds of the jungle.
Stunning shoreline of Corcovado Nationwide Park
Tapir noticed at Corcovado Nationwide Park
San Pedrillo Station
Corcovado at sundown
Dawn at San Pedrillo
Oksana and Max, Corcovado Nationwide Park
Day 2 – San Pedrillo Station
The following morning, we awoke earlier than daybreak and caught the dawn on the seaside a few kilometre away from the ranger station, and after one other unsuccessful puma search hike, we boarded the boat again to Drake Bay.
We searched (for the puma) and we didn’t discover it, however it didn’t matter. The expertise of roaming the park and seeing this intrepid nook of Costa Rica up shut was sufficient for us to mark Corcovado Nationwide Park as one in every of our favorite spots in all of Costa Rica.
Puma tracks? Wishful pondering…
FAQs
How a lot does the tour price?
There are a selection of Corcovado excursions to select from that match totally different budgets and schedules.
From USD $100, you may go on the San Pedrillo day tour. That is the perfect Corcovado day tour when it comes to affordability. There are 2 walks in whole that last as long as six to seven hours. You’ll get views of the Southern Pacific Coast in your boat experience and get a very good have a look at the very fascinating coastal vegetation.
From USD $125, an alternative choice is a day tour to Sirena Ranger Station. A ship experience will take you to the park, the place you’ll go on a 4-hour stroll across the station’s intensive trails. This one additionally takes about six to seven hours.
From USD $165 to USD $175, there are combo excursions just like the Sirena/San Pedrillo Tour or the San Pedrillo/Cano Island Tour. Combos like these contain a full-day tour, equivalent to a morning hike, lunch, after which one other exercise like snorkelling or mountain climbing to the waterfalls within the afternoon.
From USD $345, you may expertise an in a single day tour. Select between the Sirena In a single day Tour or the Sirena/San Pedrillo Combo In a single day Tour and spend a night calling the tropical forest your tenting website.
From USD $565, you may strive a 2-night Sirena/San Pedrillo tour just like the one we did. This allows you to discover probably the most intensive trails within the park with out dashing, and you’ll actually get acquainted with the unique wildlife.
The doorway of Corcovado Nationwide Park, Osa Peninsula
What’s the distinction between a 1-day and a 2-day in a single day tour?
Each in a single day journey excursions embody boat transit, an ICT bilingual information with a telescope for wildlife recognizing, and canopy entrance charges, lodging charges, 3 meals a day, blankets, and different essential tenting tools.
The principle distinction is the variety of websites you get to discover. The 1-day excursions are sometimes structured with a ship experience early within the morning, adopted by a 3 to 4-hour hike, then lunch, after which a day exercise. Relying on the tour you go for, this might be a hike after which a dip on the Claro River or visiting probably the most pristine main forest in Corcovado. After that, it’s dinner, then lights off. The following day, there’s time for an early morning hike and breakfast earlier than you permit the ranger station by 12:30pm.
The two-day tour entails much more mountain climbing, however you get to go to all the spots in Sirena/San Pedrillo with out dashing. Your first day will probably be at Sirena, with a 3 to 4-hour hike, lunch, and one other hike to Claro River. Then, a ship arrives on the second day to take you to the seaside at San Pedrillo. There’s one other hike to the Corcovado Yard Lodge with time to relaxation, bathe, or take a shower within the river. On the third day, you begin the morning with an early hike, breakfast, and one other 3-hour hike to the waterfall earlier than heading to Drake Bay earlier than midday.
The attractive shoreline of Corcovado Nationwide Park
The place does the tour begin?
Most excursions begin brilliant and early at 6am, with an hour-and-a-half boat experience to Sirena Station.
For a extra in-depth information to visiting and mountain climbing Corcovado Nationwide Park, take a look at our intensive information right here.