Corcovado National Park On The Osa Peninsula Of Costa Rica

Posted by Victor C. Krumm

June 22, 2009

by Victor C. Krumm

Corcovado National Park (Parque Nacional Corcovado) is known as the Amazon of Costa Rica. With good reason. This tiny park, just 42,000 hectares (about 100,000 acres) in size, is found on the Osa Peninsula, located along the south Pacific coast of Costa Rica, close to the Panama border. It is the largest remaining primary forest in Central America.

When Christopher Columbus explored the Americas in 1502 he traveled the Caribbean from Mexico south to a land he called ‘Costa Rica’, the ‘rich coast’. The name stuck. Fabulous tropical forests covered the land from the Atlantic to the Pacific and there were so many sea turtles that sometimes mariners, lost in the fog, found land by listening to the sounds of tens of thousands of animals paddling towards nesting beaches. Unfortunately, the passage of 500 years has not been kind to either the forests or animals and today most of the primary forests from Mexico to South America have been cut down or burned. Fortunately, Costa Rica had the good sense to preserve Corcovado.

About 75 years after Columbus landed on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica an English sea captain, Sir Frances Drake (you may recall that he is the fellow who destroyed the Spanish Armada in 1588 and saved England from Spain), explored its Pacific coast and, indeed, landed in a lovely bay on the north end of the Osa Peninsula. Famous for its gateway to the Osa and its fabulous sports fishing, you may have heard of it: Drake Bay.

Though Corcovado is very tiny, only about 20 miles long and 8 miles wide—-less than half the size of New York City, it is, as National Georgraphic says: the most biologically intense place on the globe. Consider this: There are 400 different species of birds crammed into this teeny place (the 48 States of the continental United States have about 900). The largest remaining Central America population of the spectacular, and increasingly rare, scarlet macaws, is still common here. The Corcovado mammal species represent 10% of the kinds of mammals to be found in all of the Americas and they exist on just 0.000101777 percent of the landmass. There are 116 species of reptile and amphibians and 139 different mammals found here. To put this parks size in context, you could fit it into Yellowstone more than 22 times! Yet, it contains six different kinds of wild cats, including the magnificent jaguar and puma.

If you like frogs (and who does not?) then visiting this national park will be a rare treat. There are species of poison-arrow, glass, and re-eyed tree frogs which make this park their home. It is one of just a couple of places in Costa Rica to find squirrel monkeys, and visitors are able to watch fishing bats fish the rivers of the reserve at night. At one time you could also find the harpy eagle in Corcovado, however, it has not been see for a number of years and is believed to be extinct in the area.

At Corcovado, you will find miles of apparently deserted beaches. I say apparently because these beaches provide nesting grounds for huge leatherback (weighing more than half a ton), Pacific Ridley, green and hawksbill sea turtles. Tapirs are plentiful and provide food for ferocious jaguars and crocodiles. The spoor of these large cats is regularly found in the muddy trails around the Corcovado Lagoon and they are also sighted frequently. Bring your camera and stay alert!

Corcovado is one of the best tropical rainforests on earth. You will see why it is called the Amazon of Costa Rica because it is as impressive as any rain forest in Brazil, Indonesia, or Malaysia. Torrential rains fall in the area from April to December so the best time to visit is in the dry months from January to April.

About the Author:

Victor C. Krumm writes from tropical Costa Rica in his popular Costa Rica Vacations website. Check out unique Corcovado Park here.

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