A trip to the Osa Peninsula is a one of a kind experience. Anyone interested in nature should make it a point to visit there at least once in their life time. It is unforgettable. Most of the Pacific coastline of the Americas consists of dry forest or deserts. The driest desert in the world, the Atacama is located in Chile and Peru. The conquests of most of the new world took place from the Pacific; therefore, most of the forests were cleared.

Very few rain-forests survived the 500 years of destruction of the new world. One of the few significantly sized areas to survive the over exploitation of nature was the Osa Peninsula. This is mainly due to the fact that geographically speaking it is very hard to access. Getting there is no longer a challenge. The area is serviced by two local air carriers, Nature Air and Sansa with air strips in Drake Bay, Palmar Sur, Golfito and Puerto Jimenez. It is, however; important to understand the logistics of the peninsula to save yourself travel time and to avoid missing out on the best experiences of the area. If you wish to visit Corcovado National Park, plan on flying into Drake Bay or Palmar Sur. You can then take a short taxi ride to Sierpe where you will catch a boat transfer to some of the lodges in the Drake Bay area. There are many great places to chose from. Everything from tent camping, to luxurious rain-forest bungalows. In Corcovado you can enjoy walking the trails with your Naturalist/guide. You will see the most diverse array of plants, birds, mammals, and reptiles in the country. It is also your best chance at possibly viewing the elusive jaguar and tapir. The park is also home to the largest, oldest trees in the country. If you enjoy diving, take a trip to Cano Island. Not only is it of huge archaeological interest (the sight where the stone spheres were discovered) it is also a fantastic dive spot. The Humboldt stream, from South America, brings a tremendous number of fish to the Pacific coast of Central America. Cano Island plays a very important role as a cleaning station for true pelagic species like whale sharks, pacific mantas, and nurse sharks that come to get “manicured” by the reef species of the island.

If you want a jungle experience, without venturing so far into the Osa, you can fly into Puerto Jimenez and visit one of several luxury jungle lodges. There are great lodges within one hour of landing in Puerto Jimenez. The opportunities for wildlife viewing are very good, accommodations are excellent, and you can still enjoy the Osa Peninsula without braving the total wilderness. Do not count on seeing Corcovado National Park from this area though. It is very difficult, timely, and expensive to get to the park from this area.

If you were ever wondering how Central America looked hundreds of years ago, prior to European conquest, come to the Osa Peninsula and Corcovado National Park. In 1975, the Costa Rican government closed a very profitable gold mine operation in Corcovado. That was the year the area was declared protected, and it became Corcovado National Park. By preserving this special place, the Costa Rican government has given us all the chance to enjoy the very best of Costa Rica. It is pristine, it is spectacular and it is a trip you will never forget.

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Filed under: Travel on August 25th, 2007