Described by National Geographic Magazine as ‘one of the most biologically intense places on earth,’ the Osa Peninsula is a unique and remote area in the southwest of Costa Rica. Home to the Corcovado National Park, this region is perfect for those seeking an off-the-beaten-track experience away from more popular tourist areas. The Osa Peninsula boasts vast biodiversity and is a natural wonderland with much of its parkland protected since 1975. It is even possible, though elusive, to sight pumas and jaguars.
Puerto Jimenez and Drake Bay are the two main towns from which you can access the peninsula, both of which offer good connections to San Jose.
The landscapes of the Osa Peninsula are a varied and untamed blend of beaches, mangroves, winding rivers, and thick rainforest, all ideal for exploration.
Corcovado National Park holds the largest expanse of lowland tropical rainforest in Central America, covering 41,000 hectares, and is also one of the world’s tallest rainforests. Fer-de-Lance, the country’s most venomous snake, is found here, so our experienced naturalist guides will take you through established hiking trails with safety as a priority.
Some of the wildlife you may encounter include margays, ocelots, tapirs, sloths, and crocodiles, as well as the endangered squirrel monkey, spider monkey, howler monkey, and white-faced monkey. Poison arrow frogs are among the 116 amphibian and reptile species, and of the 400 bird species, 20 are endemic.
For those who enjoy snorkelling and scuba diving, Isla del Caño offers pristine coral reefs teeming with technicolour tropical fish, manta rays, turtles, and sharks. Fishing tours of the mangroves can also be arranged from your lodge.
A beautiful eco-lodge situated on the beachfront overlooking the Golfo Dulce and backed up against the remote Piedras Blancas National Park. It is also an excellent base from which to explore the nearby Corcovado National Park. With only 18 guest rooms, all of which are tastefully furnished and surrounded by nature, Playa Cativo Lodge provides a unique luxury and wilderness experience.
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Enjoy the pristine beauty of Lapa Rios’ private reserve on the Osa Peninsula. Within a 1,000 acre private nature reserve the lodge boasts spectacular views over the last remaining lowland tropical rainforest in Costa Rica and on to the glistening ocean; it is hard to imagine paradise as anything but this. Built using locally sourced materials, the 17 individual, thatched huts are built over 350 foot above sea level to catch the ocean breeze, overlooking where the Pacific Ocean meets Golfo Dulce.
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