Costa Rica (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Matthew Firestone [370]
Add more than a dozen endemic subspecies to your bird-watching list.
Explore the country’s largest remaining tract of Pacific tropical rainforest.
Pass through no less than 25 unique and varied terrestrial and marine ecosystems.
Because of its remoteness, Corcovado remained undisturbed until loggers invaded in the 1960s. The destruction was halted in 1975 when the area was established as government-administered parklands. The early years were a challenge, as park authorities, with limited personnel and resources, sought to deal with illegal clear-cutting, poaching and gold mining, the latter of which was causing severe erosion in the park’s rivers and streams. By 1986, the number of gold miners had exceeded 1000, which promptly caused the government to evict them (and their families) entirely from the park environs.
Unfortunately, poaching remains a severe problem in Corcovado to this day. The highest-profile victims are the highly endangered Central American jaguar and its main food source, the white-lipped peccary. Heavily armed hunters regularly gun down peccaries en masse and sell their meat, which has resulted in a drastic decline in population size over the last decade. Jaguars, suffering from a diminishing food supply, prey on domestic animals in the area, making them a target of local residents (not to mention the fact that jaguar pelts and bones fetch hefty sums, as well). The Ministry of Environment and Energy (Minae; Ministerio del Ambiente y Energía) has stepped up its police patrols, but has been unable to completely stop the poaching.
On the bright side, illegal logging has all but subsided, primarily since increased tourism has lead to an increased human presence in the park. Furthermore, in an effort to control hunting, agencies such as Conservation International, the Nature Conservancy and the World Wildlife Fund, as well as various other NGOs and charities, have banded together to help organize and fund the park’s anti-poaching units.
Since 2003, Corcovado has – much to the chagrin of Minae – remained stagnant on the ‘tentative list’ of Unesco World Heritage Sites. While no official disclosure has been released as to the reason behind the park’s perennial failure to achieve recognition, local media speculates that mismanagement, poor funding and the inability to control illegal poaching may serve as contributing factors.
Return to beginning of chapter
ORIENTATION & INFORMATION
The 425-sq-km park is nestled in the southwestern corner of the Península de Osa, and protects habitat ranging from mangrove swamps to primary and secondary rainforest to low-altitude cloud forest. The most accessible and visible habitat is the 46km of sandy coastline.
Information and maps are available at the Oficina de Área de Conservación Osa (Osa Conservation Area Headquarters; 2735-5580; park fee per person per day US$10; 8am-noon & 1-4pm) in Puerto Jiménez. Contact this office to make reservations for lodging and meals at all of the ranger stations and to pay your park fee. Be sure to make these arrangements a few days in advance as facilities are limited, and they do fill up on occasion in the dry season.
Park headquarters are at Sirena ranger station on the coast in the middle of the park. Other ranger stations are located on the park boundaries: San Pedrillo station in the northwest corner on the coast; the new Los Planes station on the northern boundary (near the village of the same name); La Leona station in the southeast corner on the coast (near the village of Carate); and Los Patos ranger station in the northeast corner (near the village of La Palma).
Always check with rangers before setting out about trail conditions and possible closures (especially during the wettest months, from June to November).
Return to beginning of chapter
ACTIVITIES
Wildlife-Watching
The best wildlife-watching in Corcovado is at Sirena, but the coastal trails have two advantages: they are more open, and the constant crashing of waves covers the sound of noisy walkers. White-faced capuchin, red-tailed squirrel,