Corcovado National Park, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica
Drake Bay was named after the famous English buccaneer who visited this area when he was being chased by Spanish ships, during the colonial days. After a nice quiet night spent anchored in the bay, we made the seven nautical mile trip to our next site on the Osa Peninsula, to visit one of the most remote and unspoiled places in Costa Rica: Corcovado National Park. This is where the tallest trees of the country are found, and a jaguar research project is being run in this pristine primary rain forest thanks in part to the National Wildlife Federation.
Our groups went for various adventures in the rain forest, including crossing rivers with water up to their chests, but with wonderful rewards—as it was here we found a nice waterfall and were able to take a dip in a water hole to cool off in this pristine river.
Back on the ship at lunch time, we started hearing all the different stories of our rain forest explorers: poisonous snake encounters with the fer der lance, prints of peccaries all over the place, Great Curassow birds where spotted, tanagers, different kinds of parrots and so much more.
After a good lunch, a group went horseback riding along the beach, going in and out of the rain forest, and soon a sloth was spotted. Our guests enjoyed having their horses rest in the shade while they went swimming to cool off in the Rio Claro surrounded by the lush vegetation. Hardly a person was spotted all day due to the isolation of this place, indeed here the only access is by boat.
At sunset, just to end the day, a group of Spotted Dolphins were seen and we approached them in Zodiacs and let them have fun with what was for them a very slow boat. A perfect ending for a Costa Rican rain forest day.
Drake Bay was named after the famous English buccaneer who visited this area when he was being chased by Spanish ships, during the colonial days. After a nice quiet night spent anchored in the bay, we made the seven nautical mile trip to our next site on the Osa Peninsula, to visit one of the most remote and unspoiled places in Costa Rica: Corcovado National Park. This is where the tallest trees of the country are found, and a jaguar research project is being run in this pristine primary rain forest thanks in part to the National Wildlife Federation.
Our groups went for various adventures in the rain forest, including crossing rivers with water up to their chests, but with wonderful rewards—as it was here we found a nice waterfall and were able to take a dip in a water hole to cool off in this pristine river.
Back on the ship at lunch time, we started hearing all the different stories of our rain forest explorers: poisonous snake encounters with the fer der lance, prints of peccaries all over the place, Great Curassow birds where spotted, tanagers, different kinds of parrots and so much more.
After a good lunch, a group went horseback riding along the beach, going in and out of the rain forest, and soon a sloth was spotted. Our guests enjoyed having their horses rest in the shade while they went swimming to cool off in the Rio Claro surrounded by the lush vegetation. Hardly a person was spotted all day due to the isolation of this place, indeed here the only access is by boat.
At sunset, just to end the day, a group of Spotted Dolphins were seen and we approached them in Zodiacs and let them have fun with what was for them a very slow boat. A perfect ending for a Costa Rican rain forest day.
