Located on the Osa Peninsula, in the south Pacific of Costa Rica the Corcovado National Park is one of the most amazing places Costa Rica has to offer, 429 square kilometers of protected forest, part of the Osa Conservation Area; it is not easy to get to Corcovado, and although this may be considered to be good, it is also a bad thing, since it is not as closely monitored as it should be. This park is home to over half of the country’s endangered species of trees and plants , actually, a lot of them are now only found in Corcovado; Corcovado holds 2.5% of the planets biodiversity and 50% of Costa Rica’s species, including the giant Silk Cotton tree, the largest tree in Central America. Unfortunately this park is targeted for illegal practices such as hunting, logging, and the extraction of gold… yes Corcovado has gold reserves.

Costa Rica’s richness resides in its natural resources, and Corcovado National Park is a big part of this. The variety of vegetation and wildlife stem from Corcovado’s 13 habitat types, mangroves, swamps, marine ecosystems, rainforest, primary forests, among others, house around 100 species of mammals, 367 species of birds, freshwater fish, reptiles, amphibians and of course, insects.

Corcovado has been described as one of the most spectacular places in the world, yet the domestic tourism is hardly of a 1%; this in part has to do with the difficult access, and it can be pricey; the best ways to get to Corcovado is by boat through Drake Bay or through Puerto Jimenez. Through Drake Bay you can arrive at the ranger stations of San Pedrillo or Sirena; this last one can also be accessed through air charter if you are not scared of a bumpy air ride; but if you want to really enjoy nature at its fullest take the boat ride through Drake Bay.

Visitors that wish to make the tour of Corcovado plan their visit ahead, this is not like other National Parks in Costa Rica, you can choose between a single day tour which will allow you to explore some of the park through its most popular trails; but if you want the full experience you should take the multiple day tour, considering that getting to Corcovado is not easy you should make the best of it, and one day is not enough, two to three is perfect, you can camp or you can stay at the ranger stations lodging facilities. Keep in mind you will be walking a lot and hiking, so the trip in itself is physically demanding