... Corcovado National Park ...
by Infocostarica Staff

Indiana Jones would have a ball in Corcovado National Park, located 368 km. southwest of San Jose, in the Osa Peninsula. He would thoroughly enjoy being bitten by insects, being chased by peccaries and crossing rivers full of crocodiles and even a few sharks! Corcovado National Park is definitely the wild frontier of Costa Rica, and even if you’re not into living on the edge, like Indiana, you could still go there with the guidance and comfort of a tour agency.

Corcovado is open daily from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the fee is $15 or $7 if purchased in advance. Unless you go there with Costa Rica Expeditions (257-07-66 or fax 257-16-65), you have to acquire a permit through the SPN office in San Jose (257-09-22 or fax 223-69-63), but you may do so by simply phoning or faxing them. Once inside the park, you may choose to pay for the simple meals that are offered and to stay at the campsite ($ 2 per person) or to stay someplace else, in you own tent. Even though rangers will go looking for you if you are delayed in reaching a certain “puesto” or station, you should always follow certain precautions. You should hike early in the morning but not before dawn because of snakes, and you should always take enough water (available at stations or waterfalls), insect repellent and sun block. Most importantly, however, never hike or camp alone. The most important article that you must bring to Corcovado, is at least one partner.

Having discussed the practicalities, it’s possible to talk about the reason why Corcovado National Park draws so many people to it every year. This park protects 41,788 hectares of rainforests, swamps, rivers, lagoons, marshes and paradisiacal beaches. Because of its isolated location, Corcovado protects animals that are scarce in other areas, such as the tapir, the crocodile, the ocelot, the jaguar, the giant anteater and the harpy eagle. Marine turtles such as the leatherback, the olive ridley and the green turtles arrive to nest at Llorona Beach, which is fortunately included in the park.

There are at least 500 species of trees, 140 of mammals, 40 of freshwater fish, 117 of amphibians and reptiles and 367 of birds. Fortunately for the ecosystem, but unfortunately for some hikers, there are over 6,000 species of insects. There are also deposits of gold, which proves to be a terrible ecological threat to the area, since “oreros” (gold miners)invade the park’s boundaries in search for the precious mineral.

The Osa Peninsula, where Corcovado is located, is extremely humid and hot, and rainfall increases drastically from April to December. The terrain in the park includes beaches of soft sand , swamps and mangroves and tropical forest, but hikers spend most of their time on beach trails. The high humidity can increase increase the sensation of hotness, which is why visitors must dress appropriately and use a lot of sun block.

There are several ways to reach this pristine area of Costa Rica. From Puerto Jimenez, which is the area’s largest town, Corcovado can be accessed by car, bus, taxi, plane or boat. A bus can take you from Puerto Jimenez to La Palma, but from there on there isn’t a bus. A taxi can take you all the way to Carate, which is closer to the park, but it’s advisable to ask for this information through the SPN office. If you don’t mind small planes, you can fly in to Sirena (where the ranger station is) or Carate all the way from San Jose, by making a reservation with SAETA (tel.232-14-74). Aeronaves de Costa Rica (tel.575-02-78) will fly you in to Golfito, which is still somewhat far from the park. Last but not least, boats from Marenco Biological Reserve or Drake Bay can take you all the way to the park’s main station at Sirena.

Corcovado National Park is truly a biological gem. It can also prove to be an incredible adventure, both before getting there and afterwards. This is where visitors have more of a chance of spotting rare wild animals, and of temporarily inhabiting one of the world’s most pristine and unsoiled areas. Its isolation, rather than being a disadvantage, is a great benefit for the area, because it keeps the effects of civilization down to a minimum. Corcovado National Park should be visited before the number of visitors increases, thus spoiling its virginal nature.