Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
In order to protect the conservation status of the island, all visitors must apply for a permit
at the
Área de Conservación Marina Isla del Coco
(Acmic; in San José 2291-1215;
Sabana Sur; 8am-3pm Mon-Fri)
in San José. However, unless you're sailing to the island on
a private boat, tour operators will make all the necessary arrangements for you.
Getting There & Away
With advance reservations, both of the tour companies listed earlier will arrange transfers
from either San José or Liberia to Puntarenas, which is the embarkation/disembarkation
point for tours.
TO CORCOVADO VIA PUERTO JIMÉNEZ
The first of two principal overland routes to Parque Nacional Corcovado, the Puerto
Jiménez route on the eastern side of the peninsula is much more 'developed.' Of course, as
this is Osa, development doesn't amount to much more than a single, devastatingly
potholed road and a sprinkling of villages along the coast of Golfo Dulce. The landscape is
cattle pastures and rice fields, while the Reserva Forestal Golfo Dulce protects much of the
inland area. The largest settlement in the area is the town of Puerto Jiménez, which has
transitioned from a boomtown for gold miners to an emerging ecotourism hot spot.
GETTING TO CORCOVADO
If you're heading to Parque Nacional Corcovado, there are three primary routes of entry:
via Puerto Jiménez; via Bahía Drake; and chartering a flight into the park directly. Bahía
Drake is dominated by more upmarket, all-inclusive lodges, while Jiménez offers plenty of
options for budget and midrange travelers.
Reserva Forestal Golfo Dulce
The northern shore of the Golfo Dulce is home to this vast forest reserve, which links
Parque Nacional Corcovado to the Parque Nacional Piedras Blancas. This connecting cor-
ridor plays an important role in preserving the biodiversity of the peninsula, and allowing
the wildlife to migrate to the mainland. Although much of the reserve is not easily access-
