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Osa Discoveries offers many tours and options for exploring Corcovado National Park depending on interests and physical capabilities. Please choose from the links listed below for more information or click here to contact us.
General Information about Corcovado National Park
 Corcovado National Park was established in 1975 and in 1980 it was extended to its current size of 43,735 hectares. It encompasses some 13 major ecosystems ranging from coral reefs and beaches to a variety of forest types including cloud forests. In terms of flora and fauna Corcovado is one of the most outstanding examples of tropical rainforest worldwide and by far the most exuberant in Central America. It is comparable only to the best the Amazon basin and South East Asian rainforests have to offer.
Corcovado has been named the “Most Biologically Intense Place On Earth” by National Geographic and is currently being considered as a World Heritage Site. It is home to almost every species that can be found in Southern Costa Rica. Because of its closeness to South America, the park contains plants and animals found nowhere else in Central America. It is the most significant refuge and safe haven left in all of Central America for populations of large and or endangered mammals including squirrel monkeys, tapirs, peccary, pumas, jaguars and ocelots as well as an unusually high number of endemics. There are more species of birds found in Costa Rica than all of North America combined and well over half can be found in and around the park.
So far approximately 10,000 species of insects, 2,420 species of plants, 750 species of trees, 140 species of mammals, 400 species of birds, 120 species of amphibians and reptiles and about 40 species of freshwater fish have been recognized in the park. However, scientists and researchers are still discovering new species to add to the list on a fairly regular basis, some totally unknown to science, but mainly limited to plants and insects.
What kind of Corcovado Hiking Tours do we offer?
 Osa Discoveries offers many tours and options for exploring Corcovado National Park depending on interests and physical capabilities. We generally like to custom tailor every tour we take into the park. Although it is not required, we highly suggest you take a guide as you will see much more. They are familiar with species habitats and are closely in tune with all the sights and sounds of the rainforest. Let their lifetime of experience benefit you and make your adventure all the more rewarding. Also, if you plan on taking the trail from Sirenna Station to San Pedrillo, the use of an experienced guide is a necessity as some parts of the trail can be hard to follow and at times rivers can be impassable.
Since there are so many options available for touring the park, Osa Discoveries likes to custom tailor every tour to suit the budget, time limits, physical abilities, and areas of interest of our clients. We offer tours for as little as one day up to full expeditions for researchers and filmmakers.
Please contact us to request information and answer any questions. We will gladly put together a sample itinerary and price based upon the tour you would like to take and any information you provide us.
What do our Corcovado Hiking Tours Include?
All of our tours include officially licensed bilingual guides, park entrance fees, accommodations in the park, all meals in the park, and all basic camping equipment (tents, mosquito nets, etc.). Lodging, food and transportation outside of the park are all separate expenses as well as personal items and extra snack foods.
All other costs are dependant on your planned itinerary. There are several modes of transportation available from 4x4 taxis to light aircraft charter. Below are current transportation rates but they are subject to change.
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 Available transportation to and from the park:
Private 4X4 taxi from Puerto Jiminez to Carate
(Osa Discoveries has its own deluxe 4X4 taxi that can carry 6-8 passengers with a guide and gear).
Private aircraft charter between Puerto Jimenez and Sirena Biological Station. (Capacity of 4 persons plus guide)
Private aircraft charter between Drake Bay and Sirena Station.
(Capacity of 4 persons plus guide)
Boat from Puerto Jimenez to Sirena Station (up to 6 people plus guide)
(It is possible to book groups of up 10 people on a single boat with enough advance notice.)
Boat from Drake Bay to Sirena Station (up to 6 people plus guide)
Although Corcovado is isolated, it is a major destination for nature enthusiasts worldwide. Unfortunately, the original facilities have not expanded quickly enough to keep up with the growing number of visitors. The ranger stations, and especially Sirena Biological Station, are consistently filled to capacity during the dry season. (December to April). It is very important to give Osa Discoveries all the advance notice possible in booking one of these tours during the high season in order that we may secure a reservation in the park.
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Corcovado Hiking Trails:
 Los Leona to Sirena: This hike starts or ends near Carate at the end of the coastal road linking Puerto Jiminez to Carate. It is a 12 mile long (17.4km) trail along secluded beaches and coastal forests. Between Carate and Sirena we stop at Los Platos Station but we usually continue on to Sirena the same day as the wildlife viewing and accommodations are better there.
Sirena to San Pedrillo: This is the longest and probably the most spectacular trail in the entire park. It is 16 miles long (25.5km) and only open in the dry season (Dec.-Apr.). The first 11 miles or so are on the beach so in order to avoid the intense tropical sun we only walk this section at night. Since the beach portion of the trail includes some 3 tidal estuaries that can only safely be crossed at low tide, the departure time from Sirena Station changes daily. Once off the beach the remaining 4.5 miles lead you through what has to be the most intense area of the park with trees towering up to 250 feet high.
Los Platos to Sirena: This is an inland trail of about 11 miles (17.4km) that passes through the interior of the park. It runs from Los Platos Ranger Station in the northeast to Sirena Biological Station in the southwest. It is an incredibly scenic trail, rich in wildlife and winds through the majestic primary forest the whole way.
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Park Stations and services:
 Sirena Biological Station: This is the largest station in the park and by far the most frequented by visitors. It is situated on the coast and has a small grassy airstrip so it can be reached by foot, plane or boat. It is possible for those with very little time and lots of money to fly into the park and leave the same day if desired. Facilities at this station exist but must be reserved in advance. These include dormitory style rooms and meals. Flush toilets, showers, drinking water and camping areas are all available at the station.
La Leona: This is the southern route into the park reached by driving to the end of the coastal road between Jiminez and Carate. Located on a beautifull beach, facilities here are limited to camping, flush toilets, showers and drinking water.
San Pedrillo: This station is the northern route to the park and also sited on the coast. It is the most scenic station in the park and only camping, toilets, showers and water are available.
Los Platos: This is the eastern route to the park and the only station located in the park’s interior currently open to visitors. Camping, toilets, showers and water.
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