Osa Peninsula · Puntarenas · Costa Rica
The wildest rainforest in Costa Rica: tapirs, monkeys, scarlet macaws and empty beaches, reached by boat from Drake Bay or on foot from the south and east.
Corcovado National Park covers a large part of the Osa Peninsula in the south-west of Costa Rica. Its rainforest, rivers, mangroves and wild beaches are among the richest places for wildlife in Central America, and the park is often said to hold about 2.5 % of the biodiversity of the world.
Visitors can see tapirs, peccaries, all four Costa Rican monkey species and scarlet macaws, and with luck even a jaguar. Sea turtles nest on the beach of La Leona, and bull sharks and crocodiles can be seen near the river mouth at Sirena at high tide.
The park has five sectors with their own stations: San Pedrillo and Sirena, which most visitors reach by boat from Drake Bay, La Leona and Los Patos on the southern and eastern side, and El Tigre. Most visits are one-day guided trips; the only place where visitors can sleep in the park is Sirena station.
The heart of the park and the best place for wildlife. About 20 km of trails, a pool in the Calor River and the only airstrip in the park. It is the only place in the park where visitors can sleep, in shared bunk beds with shared bathrooms. Sirena is closed to visitors in October.
The sector closest to Drake Bay. It consists of the Catarata–San Pedrillo trail (0.93 miles / 1.5 km), the Llorona trail (4.3 miles / 7 km) and other local trails. A shorter and easier day than Sirena, visited as a day trip: there is no overnight stay at San Pedrillo.
The entrance from the south, near Carate. Sea turtles nest on the beach, and hatchlings can be seen in the nesting season. The trail from La Leona to Sirena must be walked with an authorised guide.
The eastern entrance, with trails to the Río Rincón and a waterfall near the Guaymí indigenous reserve. It is the usual start of the crossing to Sirena, which must be walked with an authorised guide.
A 7 km walk with viewpoints. Meals can be ordered here with a reservation.
Entrance tickets to the national parks are sold online through the official SINAC reservation system. Booking your own ticket there is the quickest and cheapest way.
If you book a tour, a stay or an itinerary with us, we can also arrange the reservation for you.
Fees, hours and rules are taken from the information published by SINAC (the National System of Conservation Areas) and the Corcovado community association ADI Corcovado, and can change. We confirm the current conditions when you book.
There is no road to Sirena or San Pedrillo. Boats leave Drake Bay early in the morning and reach the stations in about an hour. The boat is booked through an agency, together with the guide and the reservation. Drake Bay is reached by road to Sierpe and about one hour by boat, or by a domestic flight.
La Leona is reached from Carate and Los Patos from the village of La Palma. The trails to Sirena from both sides must be walked with an authorised guide.
Domestic flights land at the Drake Bay and Puerto Jiménez airstrips. The Sirena airstrip is only used by the park.
Corcovado Day Tour from Drake Bay – Sirena StationCorcovado Overnight Tour from Drake Bay – Sirena
Corcovado Day Tour from Drake Bay – San PedrilloFull Day: Sirena + San Pedrillo StationsSan Pedrillo Wild — 1 DayBahía Drake — Corcovado Essential · 3 Nights
Bahía Drake — Corcovado Classic · 4 NightsBahía Drake — Corcovado Deep · 5 NightsYes. Walking in the park requires an authorised guide. It is also practically necessary to book the visit through a tour operator, because Sirena and San Pedrillo can only be reached by boat from Drake Bay, and the boat, the guide and the reservation are organised together. Our tours include all of it.
We advise against it. A ticket and a guide are not enough: without a booked boat you cannot reach Sirena or San Pedrillo from Drake Bay. Please contact us first.
$15 per adult per day for foreign visitors, $5 for children 2–12 and free under 2, according to SINAC. Our tours include the entrance.
Sirena has the most wildlife and is a long day; San Pedrillo is shorter and easier. Tell us your group and fitness level and we recommend the best option.
The Sirena sector is closed in October. The other sectors stay open. Please confirm before booking.
Officially only at Sirena station, in shared bunk beds. Sleeping at Sirena must be reserved in advance through IONAKA Travel or another agency that can organise the stay. There is no overnight stay at San Pedrillo, and we do not offer camping.
Children of different ages take part, and we have had even toddlers. Their presence makes the logistics of the trip harder for the whole group, so please consult us before booking so that we can confirm whether the tour suits your child.
As early as possible: places are limited, especially in the high season (December to April).
