If you ever thought of finding a natural setting isolated from modern world, where you could hike endlessly through different life zones while meeting the most diverse wildlife and overwhelming flora, don't think twice about getting yourself to Corcovado, for that's just what this Costa Rican National Park has to offer, and more.
Corcovado is a 54,539 hectares national park, located in the Osa Peninsula on the South Pacific coast of Costa Rica. Established in 1975, the park covers a large coastal and inland area, providing the best access to beautiful, ever-changing beaches and estuaries. It has been identified as a tropical and premontane wet forest, and it holds several habitats that can be found as you hike its challenging trails: mountain forest, cloud forest, deep canyons, coastal vegetation, herbaceous swamp (such as Corcovado Lagoon), mangrove, alluvial plain forest, holillo forest, and palm forest.
Adjacent to the park, national policy established Golfo Dulce Forest Reserve in 1978, providing better protection to the area. Gold mining and farming continued to happen for many years, and gold panniers are still a threat to the environment, although to a lesser extent than in past years.
At some point conflict arose: What's the best alternative, long term protection or short term survival? Local communities depending on the area's natural resources fought against national authorities' concern over environmental protection and tourism. Troubled waters seem now calm, and many locals have found an alternative market: providing lodging facilities to the many tourists and researchers visiting the area every year.
Today, the park is home to more than 100 species of mammals, such as slots, tapirs, anteaters, monkeys, and five species of cats (including the jaguar); 367 species of birds: parrots, scarlet macaw, toucans, the white hawk, and even the harpy eagle, the largest bird of prey in the world; 117 species of amphibians and reptiles: caymans, crocodiles, snakes and lizards. There are at least 500 species of trees that will accompany you along the trails, some of them reaching up to 70 meters high.
Some of the 6,000 species of insects might try to turn you journey into a big annoyance: make sure to bring the right amount of mosquito repellent; other species may be more benevolent to you, such as the 123 species of gorgeous butterflies.
Marine life is just as rich. Sea turtles nest on some of the beaches, and sperm whales have been spotted offshore. There is a live coral reef, but snorkeling is hardly recommended: sharks have been sighted near the area. There are also 40 species of fresh water fish in the many rivers that bathe the area.
The Park has several entrance points for self-guided expeditions: La Leona, Sirena, Los Patos and San Pedrillo. They each have a station where park rangers live and provide visitors with handy, and some times life-saving information. In the surrounding areas to each entrance you will find some other options for lodging. Camping is also available. As many ecological projects of Costa Rica, Corcovado National Park has become a laboratory where social and environmental paradigms are being studied and developed into new alternatives.
Stations usually turn into the meeting spot for scientific researchers and biologists, as well as nature lovers and curious tourists. Casual conversations will provide you with amazing first hand information about rare animals or specific habitats. But when hiking, your only companion will be the sounds of nature so many, and yet so anonymous-, and you will hardly meet any other human on the trails, but yourself.
