Costa Rica Vacations Blog

National Treasure of Southern Costa Rica

If I had to choose only one destination to recommend to travelers that would best represent the incredible natural beauty Costa Rica has to offer, it would have to be the stunning Osa Peninsula.  This  area is within the province of Puntarenas and includes the towns of Dominical, Uvita, Drake Bay, Puerto Jimenez and Golfito to name a few.  Considered a haven for world-class ecotourism, surfing,  hiking, sport fishing, diving, and cycling, the Osa is simply one of the world’s top “must- experience” natural wonders.  It was with great care and forethought that NatureAir chose to focus reforestation and protection efforts of its carbon neutral program in the Osa.  The Nature Conservancy calls this amazing area Costa Rica’s last wild frontier.

The national parks of the Osa include Marino Ballena, Corcovado and Piedras Blancas.  Named for the Humpback whales that migrate there, Marino Ballena is on the Pacific coast stretching from Playa Hermosa just above Uvita down to Playa Pinuela and spans into the sea around 9 miles.  In addition to the breathtakingly beautiful Humpback whales, you may also experience Olive Ridley and Hawksbill turtles, bottle nose and common dolphins, green marine iguanas, many birds, corals and countless other creatures that inhabit the beach, mangroves and coral reefs.  You can’t miss the “whale tail”sand bar that juts out into the sea in Uvita.  For lodging, Dominical has Villas Rio Mar which is very well priced and has nearby local restaurants and down to earth Costa Rican hospitality.  For the ultimate splurge head to Rancho Pacifico on the cliffs of Uvita which has lovely rooms, a wonderful spa, and an elegant restaurant all framed with spectacular cliff-side ocean views.   From either of these you can experience Marino Ballena as well as other local activities easily.

Whale Tail in Uvita Marino Ballena National Park

Next is the crown jewel of Costa Rica’s national parks: Corcovado.  This vast and lush park has the largest remaining primary forest on any Pacific coast and is comprised of 41, 788 hectares (103,000 acres) which cover practically the entire southern tip of the peninsula.  National Geographic cited Corcovado as “the most biologically intense place on earth”and once you visit you will know why!  It is literally teeming with an abundance of flora and fauna, protecting more than 120 species of mammals, 375 species of birds, 117 species of reptiles and amphibians, 66 species of freshwater fish, 70 species of marine crabs, 700 species of trees, 4 to 5 thousand species of vascular plants, 100 species of butterflies, an estimated 10,000 types of insects, not to mention all the marine life in the coastal areas. The park’s rivers and lagoons have large populations of both the American crocodile and Spectacled caiman as well as some Bull sharks. Corcovado is also one of the last places you will find the jaguar within Central America and several other felines including ocelot, margay, jaguarundi, and puma.  All four species of Costa Rican monkeys can be seen within the park, including the endangered Squirrel monkey, White-faced capuchin, Mantled howler and Goeffroy’s spider monkey.  You may also find two and three-toed sloths, coatmundi, silky anteaters, red-eyed tree frogs, glass frogs, Fer-de-Lance, peccaries, the Baird’s tapir, the rare Harpy eagle, toucans and the largest concentration on Central America of the gorgeous Scarlet macaw.  There are 13 different ecosystems that house these amazing creatures including lowland rain forest, highland cloud forest (montane forest), jolillo forest (palm swamp), alluvial plains forest, mangrove, and coastal or marine beach habitats.  The rainfall is intense with 13 feet of rain annually; the wettest months being September and October, and the least amount of rainfall January through April.  The beauty of all this wildlife, and of the lodges that service the area, is you may truly experience and adventure at your own level. You can go all adrenaline and camp within the park at various ranger stations, or at the other extreme stay at a luxury eco-lodge such as the beautiful and one-of-a kind La Paloma in Drake Bay  There are many fantastic lodges for the mid-range budget  as well in this area.  From La Paloma you may enter Corcovado with an expert guide and experience the park at your pace.  Some advantages to the Pacific side of the Osa are: the ability to experience Cano Island (which is a great day boat trip for snorkeling, diving and sightseeing) as well the whales, dolphins and other marine life abundant in the area.

Sunset in Corcovado National Park

The third national park in the Osa is Piedras Blancas, on the east side of the peninsula near Golfito.  The terrain changes as the rainforest meets the mellow inlet gulf called Gulfo Dulce.  Between Corcovado and Piedras Blancas is the Golfo Dulce Forest Reserve.  Efforts in this area continue to  preserve this area as it is a vital animal corridor between Corcovado and Piedras Blancas.  Really the entire southern part of the peninsula is made up of wildlife refuges, wetlands, forest reserves, and national parks that are all connected, which accounts for the incredible density of wildlife.  The beauty of this area encompasses the calm gulf,secluded beaches, and lazy rivers surrounded by dramatic tall evergreen rain forest.  You may access the park through La Gamba and stay at Esquinas Rainforest Eco Lodge.  Also Playa Nicuesa is an excellent sustainable lodge near Golfito. The other side of the Golfo Dulce is great as well and has the amazing lodge of Lapa Rios which is accessible through Puerto Jimenez. From previous articles you will see that Lapa Rios is a family favorite and truly a gold standard for luxury eco lodges in Costa Rica.  It is a stunning overall experience in hospitality, true sustainability, elegance, and great dining; all in a gorgeous setting with monkeys, macaws and much more in abundance as you lounge in your bungalow or dine in the tree-top restaurant.  Bosque del Cabo is another super option in this area.  La Luna Lodge in Carate is fantastic as well.

View from Bungalow at Lapa Rios

My experience has been that I consistently see more wildlife here than anywhere else in Costa Rica, and many times without any specific hike or excursion whatsoever.  When you are staying in a private reserve which is part of a lush animal corridor, it is easy to see why.  The Osa simply has that special something, a unique energy resulting in the type of experience that stays with you forever.  Long after your visit you will look forward to the way you feel when you call up your layered, sensory-filled memories.  Whatever you do, don’t miss the Osa!

Macaw in Osa Peninsula

Osa Peninsula Costa Rica Vacation

National Treasure of Southern Costa Rica

by Lisa Khajavi

by Wayward Traveler

So here I am flying over this sea of green to my ‘Luxury’ vacation in the jungle.  Can somebody please explain HOW I am going to be given a luxury experience in this place?  I have not seen anything resembling civilization in some time let alone a luxury resort.  Where I am flying to is a place in southern Costa Rica, in the Osa peninsula where researchers have labeled the region as one of the most rich in the world for bio-diversity.  It is not that I NEED a luxury vacation; I am a workaholic so anything resembling relaxation is luxurious to me but I am now a bit critical as we have paid for a luxury vacation in Costa Rica and I am now looking forward to seeing how that can be accomplished here.

So as we start to descend we get a wonderful look at a rural village in Costa Rica and we circle in for an approach to what I thought was a small dirt road but turned out to be the airport!  I brace for a rough landing but am gifted with a soft touchdown, obvious showoff from the pilot.  The terminal is a thatch hut but despite the lack of modern airport look and feel, out come the baggage handlers and support people with efficiency rivaling any International airport.  I thank the Captain and give him a thumbs up for his landing and we are whisked into our Land Rover.

‘So everybody welcome to Drake Bay, we will be crossing a river in a mile or two, don’t worry it is not very deep and we will get you to your boat’ says our happy-go-lucky driver.  ‘Boat, what boat’ I think to myself with a bit of a smile.  Sure enough there is was a nice river which was not too deep but the water was washing over the hood!  Despite my nervous dance in my seat we navigated through without getting even our toes wet.  ‘By the way, you may want to take off your shoes for the boat’ our driver advises.  ‘Huh?’, ‘What does he mean?’, I ask my wife.  She smiles as if to say, go with the flow.

As we make our way through the jungle the driver stops and points out a small building painted a playful blue color.  He says ‘This is our school sponsored by NatureAir, called Nature Kids.  We teach English to the village kids for free.’.  ‘People who speak English make more money than those that don’t, so we are helping the community to help themselves, if we work in tourism we don’t need to cut the trees.’  My wife is a teacher and she gave me that look, ‘impressive’.

We arrive in town, which is saying a lot but they have a Church, a School, and a store and everyone was jumping in to help us get our things down to the beach.  Well here comes the barefoot part, no dock so into the water we go as the villagers carry our bags overhead to the boat.  Our boat ride is short as the cove is just a few hundred meters away but as we enter the cove our boat driver says ‘Up there is the river, you can paddle up there when the tide comes in and see lots of animals then have an easy paddle down as the tide goes out again.’.  I look at my wife, ‘like we are going to do that, looks like animal kingdom up there!’.

Our boat driver docks us quickly and helps us out where we are greeted by a young girl who is obviously from the States, “Welcome to La Paloma Lodge, let’s get you settled in.”  So we walk up into what looks like a scene from Swiss Family Robinson.  We start to see small huts built into the jungle, each with a unique personality.  These are NOT cookie cutter modern construction units you see in every corner of the globe, these are the real deal.  They are made from bamboo, teak and other local woods and look like they belong there.

We arrive at the main building and are offered a drink which was made from jungle juice, literally!  We are escorted to our two story cabin and allowed to start our vacation.  So off to the upper deck I go with my book in hand for a bit of reading.  My wife points out, no computers, no phones, no TVs!  I get about one chapter in when I hear a rustling in the trees, I look up to see the squirrel or swallow or what not but nope, it was a Toucan, sitting about 1 meter away on a tree branch, hmmm thats interesting!  My wife whispers up from downstairs, there is some giant furry thing out here!  So down I go, and sure enough there is a dog-sized animal in the trees moving very very slowly, a three-toed sloth I am later told.

So off to dinner we go and we find large tables set up where we sit with two other couples who share in great conversation over great home style cooking with the best fruit and vegetables found in Costa Rica.  Every need is catered to and we are treated like honored guests.  After dinner with a Cognac in hand we are treated to monkeys visiting us and the other adventurers for what seemed like hours.  Time moves slower here and the mind is free to think, no electronic intervention necessary.

We welcomed our bed that night and there is new meaning to the word dark as the lack of civilization makes for darkness deeper than any I have seen, then the rain.  Down comes the rain, not rain in the typical sense but rain that has personality.  The power of the rain is felt but at the same time is comforting, it lasts a few hours and is replaced by the most wonderful smell of the jungle.  We are asleep quickly and completely.

No it is not the sounds of car horns and sirens or the car alarms, it is the Howler.  If not for the guide book borrowed from the library after dinner we would have been looking for a good hiding place.  Despite their small size the Howler is monstrous in voice.  That is a new kind of wake up call I think to myself!

Off to breakfast and a new day’s adventures!  ‘So what will it be…diving with White Fin Sharks off Canos Island, whale watching off shore, nature hike into the jungles of Corcovado?’, they ask.  My wife and I look up at each other…’Nope, how about paddling up the mouth of the river at high tide?’.

“Man this is luxury isn’t it honey?”, she only smiles…”Yes honey, it is.”

Wayward Traveler