March 2010: With a week in Costa Rica, I often the wildest and most ecologically unique place to visit and not only did I find Corcovado National Park in the Oso Peninsula of Costa Rica to be a gem in that country, but it is also one of the finest rainforest national parks I have visited in the world for its immense wealth of wildlife and diversity and raw beauty. It is one of the best protected lowland rainforests left in Central America but to get there you have to put some effort and sweat into it.
Corcovado location
This was my itinerary for getting there anf my week in CR.
Day 1
Depart San Diego at 9:30am. Arrive San Jose at 11:05pm
Barrio Amon and Sorrounds: Hostel Pangea
Day 2
Blanco Lobo bus to Puerto Jimenez located
Arrive Puerto Jimenez
Day 3
Transportation colectivo 200 meters south of the bus station Soda Deya,
Carate to La Leona ranger station 3.5km (1 hour), La Leona station to Sirena station (16km).
Camp at beach before Sirena station.
Day 4
Camp at Sirena station (Tapirs at airstrip after dusk). Camping only permitted at ranger stations.
Hike area trails
Day 5
Camp Sirena station
Hike along coastal trail to Rio Sirena to see crocodiles and sharks (1 km north of Sirena). Hike along San Pedrillo trail.
Camp Sirena station.
Day 6
Hike to Carate
Collectivo at 4pm to Puerto Jimenez-Carate road take Collectivo and turn off on Cabo Matapalo Road around 5:30pm-left hand side through a white cement gate called El Porton Blanco.
Accommodation -Ojo Del Mar
Day 7
Transfer by taxi or collective to tip of Oso peninsula 17 km south of Puerto Jimenez
Cabo Matapalo. Playa Pan Dulce-double point break.
Accomodation Ojo Del Mar
Day 8
Collectivo to Puerto Jimenez depart morning connect on Carate road at 10am.
Depart to San Jose San Isidro at 5am or 11am ( 8 hours), Blanco Lobo. (Buy tickets in advance)
Arrive San Jose and find accommodation.
Day 9
Depart at 7am and arrive San Diego at 8:45pm.
Puerto Jimemez main street
Plane I hitch hiked in to the landing strip at carate near the entrance of Corcovado NP
17 KM hike to Serene Station along beaches, jungle paths and crossing crocodile and shark infested rivers
17 KM hike to Serene Station along beaches, jungle paths and crossing crocodile and shark infested rivers
Tapir on the trail
Rivers I crossed
Common iguana
Monkeys
Couti
Tapir on the trail
Parrot common on the trail
Peccory
Jesus Lizard
Where I stayed in Carate on the beach after emergeing from a few days in Corcovado NP
After Corcovado I traveled overland by bus to the Oso Peninsula surfing all the way back to San Jose.