Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
CORCOVADO LOGISTICS
As of February 2014, Minae (Ministry of Environment & Energy) made the Osa-shaking
announcement thatallvisitors to Parque Nacional Corcovado - including day-trippers -
must be accompanied by a guide certified by the ICT (Costa Rica Tourism Board). While
this change puts the kibosh on DIY expeditions and represents a significant addition to
travelers' expenses, it does mean that all visitors will receive a more in-depth Corcovado
experience, enhanced by the rich expertise of a local guide. It will also allow a greater
number of qualified guides to make a living, while lessening the environmental impact on
this increasingly popular wilderness area.
Though hiring a guide may require a bit more advance planning, guides or agencies will
typically organize all of the reservations and logistical arrangements for your party.
Guides' fees are usually on a per-day basis, so if you can round up another fellow traveler
or three, the cost is more than reasonable.
History
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. In the early days park authorities had limited personnel and re-
sources to deal with illegal clear-cutting, poaching and gold mining, the last 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) from the park.
Illegal logging has all but subsided, primarily since tourism has led to an increased hu-
man presence in the park. Furthermore, a coalition of organizations - including Conserva-
tion International, the Nature Conservancy and the World Wildlife Fund - has banded to-
gether to help organize and fund the park's antipoaching units.
Since 2003 Corcovado has - much to the chagrin of Minae (the Ministry of Environ-
ment and Energy) - 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 per-
ennial failure to achieve recognition, local media speculate that mismanagement, poor
funding and the inability to control illegal poaching may be contributing factors.
