Corcovado National Park is located on the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica and is one of the most biologically diverse areas in the world. It was once described as the “most biologically intense place on earth” by National Geographic and it is home to 2.5% of the planet’s biodiversity in just 0.001% of its surface area. The park is home to many rare and endangered species, including jaguars, tapirs, sloths, anteaters, and scarlet macaws.
There are many activities to do in Corcovado national park, such as hiking, birdwatching, and wildlife spotting. The park offers many different trails for all levels of hikers, ranging from easy walks to challenging treks through the jungle. The Sirena Biological Station is a popular destination for visitors and offers a variety of tours and activities. This station is the best in the park because it is the one where wildlife is easier to spot.
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Plan your visit
Hours and Entrance fee:
Corcovado national park is open every day from 7am to 4pm. In October the Sirena station is closed for visitors but the other sectors remain open. The entrance fee is $15 USD for non-residents and $5 USD for children. For residents and nationals the fee is ¢1600 colones and ¢500 for children. You can purchase your tickets online in the SINAC official website.
Stay:
Since Corcovado is a protected national park there are almost no accommodation options inside the park so most people only visit Corcovado during the day. Most travelers either stay in Drake Bay or Puerto Jimenez during their visit. If you’r keen to adventure and don’t mind a little of discomfort you can try to stay in a campsite or a simple lodge inside the park, which are the only options for accommodation if you want to stay overnight.
How to get there:
Corcovado is not an easy place to reach since the park is isolated in the peninsula and there are no roads you can drive in to get to the park. I am even confident in saying that Corcovado is probably the most unreachable place in Costa Rica, but for the most adventurous travelers it is a destination you cannot miss. The only way to get to Corcovado National Park is taking a boat ride from either Puerto Jimenez or Drake Bay. So you basically have two options to visit the park. Traveling from Drake Bay is the best option by far since you can also explore other cool destinations in the Osa Peninsula like Drake Bay and Sierpe. Take a look at our page on Drake Bay for more information. Have in mind, that the journey in boat is often a little uncomfortable since part of the voyage is in the open sea.
You can take a flight from San Jose or other places around Costa Rica including Quepos to Puerto Jimenez or Drake Bay directly. The cost of the flight is approximately $150 USD and are run by Sansa Airlines.
Once in Puerto Jimenez or Drake Bay you can schedule a boat ride that will take you to Corcovado directly. To schedule a boat ride you can easily talk to the personnel of the hotel or lodge in which you are staying, they will have all of the information necessary to plan your visit.
How to get to Puerto Jimenez
If you’r driving you can easily make the ride and park the car in your hotel. The trip takes around 6 hours from San Jose. For travelers without a car you can take a bus from San Jose.
Bus options from San Jose:
The buses from San Jose are managed by Transportes Blanco. Tel.: 2735-5189. The journey takes about 8 hours.
Departure time options from San Jose: 8am and 12pm
Return time options from Puerto Jimenez: 5am and 9am
How to get to Drake Bay
Getting to Drake Bay is a long journey by itself so having patience is key. To get to Drake Bay you first have to reach Sierpe. Sierpe is a small town that sits along the Sierpe river. You can either drive to Sierpe or take a bus and both journeys take around 5 hours from San Jose. Once in Sierpe you have to pay for a delightful and scenic boat ride from Sierpe to Drake Bay.
Bus options from San Jose to Sierpe:
The buses from San Jose are managed by Tracopa. Tel.: 2221-4214. The price for a one way ticket is $12.
Departure time options from San Jose: 8:30am
Return time options from Sierpe: 7:30am
