Corcovado National Park and Caletas Beach in the Osa Peninsula
Most Costa Ricans have never been to Corcovado National Park, which is one of the most pristine forests in the country. In order to get to it, one has to take a plane from San Jose, then a car to Sierpe River, and a boat that goes through the river and into the mangroves. The boat then goes into the ocean and then on a two-hour ride to Corcovado. Only real nature lovers will go through all this trouble to get there, however, once in Corcovado the journey proves to be worthwhile. On the other hand, there is the alternative of coming the way we did: sleeping comfortably through the night and waking up in front of this magical place.
After breakfast we boarded the Zodiacs and disembarked on San Pedrillo Beach. Our boatmen impressed us with their skillful maneuvers in the rough surf. Then we divided into small groups and entered the most fabulous forest we have visited throughout all these days. Gigantic trees dominate the landscape and serve as the silent guardians of this precious ecological jewel, which hosts more biodiversity per square meter than any place on earth. The four types of monkeys in Costa Rica can be found there as well as jaguars, scarlet macaws, toucans, peccaries and sloths, just to mention a few. Of course, we did not see all of these animals, but just the feeling of visiting their home and listening to the symphony that all the creatures perform is a treat by itself. All human senses are assaulted when one walks through the forest. The lush green of the vegetation, the freshness of the clear waters and the soothing heat of the sun all combine to tell us that life is worth living and exploring.
After lunch the ship was repositioned to Caletas Beach where the crew had prepared a barbeque for us. We spent the afternoon enjoying the company of scarlet macaws and capuchin monkeys, which showed up unannounced. Then some of us went on a horseback ride along the beach and through the forest or simply lay down under the trees by the beach.
Most Costa Ricans have never been to Corcovado National Park, which is one of the most pristine forests in the country. In order to get to it, one has to take a plane from San Jose, then a car to Sierpe River, and a boat that goes through the river and into the mangroves. The boat then goes into the ocean and then on a two-hour ride to Corcovado. Only real nature lovers will go through all this trouble to get there, however, once in Corcovado the journey proves to be worthwhile. On the other hand, there is the alternative of coming the way we did: sleeping comfortably through the night and waking up in front of this magical place.
After breakfast we boarded the Zodiacs and disembarked on San Pedrillo Beach. Our boatmen impressed us with their skillful maneuvers in the rough surf. Then we divided into small groups and entered the most fabulous forest we have visited throughout all these days. Gigantic trees dominate the landscape and serve as the silent guardians of this precious ecological jewel, which hosts more biodiversity per square meter than any place on earth. The four types of monkeys in Costa Rica can be found there as well as jaguars, scarlet macaws, toucans, peccaries and sloths, just to mention a few. Of course, we did not see all of these animals, but just the feeling of visiting their home and listening to the symphony that all the creatures perform is a treat by itself. All human senses are assaulted when one walks through the forest. The lush green of the vegetation, the freshness of the clear waters and the soothing heat of the sun all combine to tell us that life is worth living and exploring.
After lunch the ship was repositioned to Caletas Beach where the crew had prepared a barbeque for us. We spent the afternoon enjoying the company of scarlet macaws and capuchin monkeys, which showed up unannounced. Then some of us went on a horseback ride along the beach and through the forest or simply lay down under the trees by the beach.
