THE OSA PENINSULA II
An excerpt by Alexander del Sol
author of The Southern Costa Rica Guide
The world-famous Osa Peninsula,
one of the most bio-diverse places on the entire planet, has been described as
"the most biologically intense place on Earth" by no less an
authority than National Geographic.
The main feature of the Osa
is the 42,000 hectare Corcovado National
Park, home to almost 400 species of birds, 140 species of
mammals, 116 species of amphibians and reptiles, over 500 species of trees and
more than 6,000 species of insects. The park protects endangered species such
as the jaguar, puma, crocodile, tapir, poison dart and golden frogs, and the
harpy eagle. The beaches of the Osa
are also major nesting sites for several varieties of sea turtles. If you want
to really experience a lowland tropical rainforest in its most pristine and
natural state, yet also enjoy the tropical beach environment, the Osa Peninsula
awaits you.
Sierpe
This small river town on the picturesque Rio Sierpe is the entry point to the extensive wetlands of the
lower Diquis Valley
and Delta of Terraba, the largest mangrove reserve in
Central America.
Towering mangrove trees line the banks of the Sierpe River
and its tributaries as it meanders its way out to the Pacific
Ocean, where it empties into the sea just a few miles north of
Drake Bay
and the Osa Peninsula. The Sierpe River and its environs house crocodiles, caimans, monkeys, and
hundreds of species of birds, including rare varieties of tanager, heron,
trogon, kingfisher, etc. There is
also fantastic fishing throughout the year. The town has a general store,
public telephones, and several boat docks.
Drake Bay
Named after Sir Francis Drake, who once moored here for a
spell and, as legend has it, buried a rich treasure somewhere along the coast
in the area, this wide bay and the coastline to its south on the Pacific is one
of the most picturesque spots in Costa Rica, where lush lowland Rainforest
flows down verdant mountainsides to meet the warm, rolling surf of the Pacific
Ocean. The bay itself lies at the base of the base of the Osa Peninsula,
home of the world-famous Corcovado National
Park. A Guyami Indian Reservation
is located on the border of Corcovado,
with its own primary Rainforest and handicrafts for sale, though it's quite a
trek to the tiny village and you really need a guide. Caño Island,
a land and marine biological reserve famous for pre-Columbian spheres, world
class diving, and excellent sport fishing, can be seen from the shore. The
traditional way to get there is by water from the town of Sierpe
[which means 'serpent']. The trip down the Sierpe River
is breathtaking as it meanders its way towards the Pacific among giant mangrove
forests.
The east side of the Osa Peninsula
is bordered by the Golfo Dulce
(Sweet Gulf),
an incredible marine paradise where humpback whales, whale sharks, three
species of dolphins, and schools of tuna come to breed and play. The unique
ecosystem here provides an ideal environment for aquatic mammals..... Whether
you visit Drake Bay
on its northern base, Corcovado National
Park in its heart, the gulf and Pacific coastlines around its
southern end, or a combination of all these exciting and picturesque areas, the
exhilarating beauty and energy of the Osa
will leave an indelible impression upon your psyche.
The Osa Peninsula
is the most southern zone of Costa Rica (known as the 'Southern Pacific Zone')
as the Atlantic coastal areas of Costa
Rica (far to the northeast
and geographically isolated) are not considered part of this region. Most
people simply call it the 'Southern Zone,' (or the Osa Peninsula)
claimed by many to be the most beautiful spot on this planet. With one of the
last great stands of unspoiled primary Rainforest in Central America, its deep,
sweet gulf teeming with abundant aquatic life, scenic cascading rivers and
waterfalls, and one of the highest levels of bio-diversity in the entire world,
this often overlooked region of the country is a treasure trove of experiences
for the nature and adventure traveler. This is where 'the rubber meets the
road' in regards to issues such as bio-diversity, sustainable development, and
environmentalism, and where individuals such as yourself, even as a visitor,
can really make an impact. Verdant mountain peaks rise up out of forested
valleys as clear sparkling streams tumble down from the heights. Farmland,
pasture and rainforest blend with giant mangrove swamps, where both the fishing
and bird watching are unparalleled anywhere. Over 60% of the land is covered by
Rainforest, and this region is home to the largest concentrations of indigenous
peoples in the country. This area is by far the most bio-diverse in the country,
and Costa Rica
is one of the most bio-diverse countries on the planet, with over 5% of the
known species of life forms on Earth. There are four national parks and a
national reserve, plus many private reserves and wildlife refuges. The Osa Peninsula
is situated between the Talamanca Mountain Range and
the Pacific Ocean,
and stretches from San Isidro
and Dominical in the north to Punta Burica and Panama
in the south. It covers a vast array of complex tropical ecosystems from
lowland wet forests and mangrove swamps to ridge top cloud forests and rocky
highlands."
More on The Osa Peninsula
An excerpt by Jeff Lantz
Much of the Osa Peninsula
is still without electricity. The population of the entire area is about 5,000
people with approximately 100 foreigners, mostly Americans, living on the Osa at least part of the year. For
those of us that live here, the Osa
is what Costa Rica
is all about. Not only in terms of landscape and outdoor adventure, but also
the culture and the Costa Rican people.
The Osa's
unique bio-diversity is made up of eight different habitats including cloud
forest and the largest and most exuberant lowland wet tropical forest remaining
in all of Pacific Central America. Species density and geographical location
make it totally unique. The Osa
is home to Corcovado National
Park, the crown jewel of Costa
Rica's National Park
System and habitat where many endangered animal and plant species still thrive.
The largest trees in Costa
Rica are found in the
forests of the Osa. Corcovado
and the surrounding area has been called one of the
most biologically diverse places on Earth by none other than National
Geographic. Truly a paradise, it is a place where jaguars still roam the
jungles, Scarlet Macaws fly freely around the towns, and monkeys are found in
numbers unmatched in all of Costa Rica and most of Central America. Non "mainstream" travelers have discovered this
previously little known, rugged paradise and come from around the world to
experience the "wild side" of Costa
Rica and sample some of
the world class fishing, surfing and exploring. The Osa Peninsula
is unquestionably Costa
Rica's best kept 'secret'!
A naturalist's paradise and an outdoor adventurer's dream, Outside Magazine calls it... "The last best
peninsula!"
Bugs: There is an
incredible variety of insects in Costa
Rica. Over 10,000 species
right here in the Osa.
However, all the hype about the bothersome types like mosquitoes is quite
overrated. It is surprising to most people that they don't encounter massive
swarms of these insects like they do in many parts of the Midwestern
United States. Snakes and lizards are also plentiful but you don't see the
majority of them unless you are out in the Rainforest at night or disturbing
their hiding places in the daytime.
Climate: How's the
weather? Warm all year, of course... it's the tropics! However being a
peninsula of land surrounded by water creates a more favorable climate - more
so than south Florida (United
States), for example. The
land in the Osa Peninsula
is green year-round with December through April being Costa
Rica's "summer."
Daytime temperatures are usually in the 90's with little or no rain. The rainy
season starts around May or June in the form of afternoon showers or rain at
night. This weather pattern continues until September and the month of October
is when the heavy rains begin. Daytime temperatures during the rainy season are
normally in the 70's and 80's but can dip into the "chilling" 60's at
times. Be reassured, that even in the rainy season, there is sun and one can
still get a tan. An important point is that Costa
Rica is not located in the
hurricane belt. Some hurricanes will pass as far south as Honduras
and on occasion, Nicaragua.
At times, we may experience the affects of these catastrophic storms but only
in the form of rain and moderate winds.
Why is the Osa Peninsula
so special?
With pristine beaches and virgin forest, the Osa Peninsula
is considered the most bio-diverse area in the world! Without a doubt, the most
unique area in all of Costa
Rica, the Osa is a place where Jaguars still
roam the jungle and Scarlet Macaws fly around in the towns (something you will
not see anywhere else in the country). You will also find world-class fishing,
surfing, exploring, and a classic mixture of ex-patriots that now call this
place 'home!' After a couple of days of exploring, you know for sure.....that
the Osa is different than
the other places you've been in Costa
Rica. Before long, you
won't want to go home and when you do get home.....you can't stop thinking
about this place. You feel what those of us that live here have
discovered.....a rare place.....and you will say....."There is no place
like the Osa!"
The Osa
is not for everyone.....
You will not find big hotels, condos, or large
development projects here. If that's what you are looking for, there are other
places in Costa Rica
to visit. However, if you are looking for a close encounter with raw Nature,
both land and sea, and it excites you thinking about being in beautiful rural
settings not overrun by foreigners, small town life, real Costa Rican culture,
where campesinos from the mountains still ride a
horse to town, operating on solar energy, getting your water from a well or
mountain spring.....then do come to visit Guaria de Osa in the Osa Peninsula of Costa
Rica!
Osa
Peninsula
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Pacific waves meet tropical rain forest
in the Osa Peninsula.
© Jon Kerr
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Located
in the southwest corner of Costa Rica, the Osa Peninsula encompasses lush primary rain
forests and a complex system of freshwater and marine resources.
With an
assisted land acquisition of 86,485 acres in 1975, The Nature Conservancy
helped the Costa Rican government create the more than 100,000 acre Corcovado National Park on the western part of the peninsula. In
2000, The Nature Conservancy renewed efforts in the Osa Peninsula after identifying the region
as a priority site in the Central
America
ecoregional portfolio.
Location
Jutting out into the Pacific Ocean, the remote Osa peninsula region also includes the Piedras Blancas National Park and off the southwestern coast, the Isla del Caño Biological Reserve.
Animals
This area hosts a rich array of fauna including:
- Jaguar
- Central American squirrel monkey
- Baird's tapir
- Three species of sea turtles (olive ridley,
Pacific green, and leatherback)
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Palms in Corcovado National Park
© Janie M. Mertz
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More than
375 bird species are found on the Osa Peninsula including the country's
largest population of the threatened scarlet macaw. Osa is also home to the harpy eagle and the
yellow-billed cotinga.
Plants
A fourth of Costa Rica's tree species, are found on
the Osa Peninsula, including the newly
discovered genus, Ruptiliocarpon
(Lepidobotryaceae). Also, the Osa Peninsula supports more than 4000-5000
vascular plant species, many of which are endemic.
Why the Conservancy Works Here
- The Osa Peninsula is a geological formation which developed
independently from the rest of Costa Rica and then joined the isthmus several million
years ago. Its unique formation and naturally wet systems - which
differ from the rest of the dry Pacific - have produced high levels of
biodiversity.
- It is estimated that outside of the National Parks, less than 10
percent of the lands on the Osa Peninsula are under secure title. This has resulted in
lands being cleared for logging and agriculture at a higher rate than
anywhere else in Costa Rica. Gold mining in the rivers and streams has also
led to serious environmental threats including, water pollution and soil
erosion.
What the Conservancy Is Doing
The Osa Campaign:
The Nature Conservancy is collaborating with several international
organizations to raise $10,000,000 to protect the Osa Peninsula through land acquisition,
land stewardship activities and the development of sustainable financial
mechanisms.
To reduce
deforestation around Corcovado and prevent additional threats to the Osa Peninsula, the Conservancy is working
with the Osa Biological Corridor Coalition - a group
of local NGOs and governmental institutions. The coalition is working
together to consolidate Piedras Blancas National Park and to create a 10,000-acre
conservation corridor between Corcovado and Piedras Blancas National Parks. Within the coalition, the
Conservancy is providing technical support in:
- Site conservation planning for the Osa Peninsula
- Developing incentives and strategies for private lands conservation
activities in collaboration with CEDARENA
- Providing technical and financial support for land acquisition to
consolidate Piedras Blancas National Park
- Supporting the implementation of three priority strategies, in
coordination with the Costa Rican government, from the Osa Site Conservation Plan:
- Consolidate Protected Areas;
- Improve Protected Areas Management;
- Improve mechanisms for the Program for Payment
of Environmental Services in the Osa
Corridor.
Nestled
between the Osa Peninsula and Costa Rica’s south Pacific Coast is Golfo
Dulce (Sweet Gulf), a large bay ringed by
secluded beaches and the wonderful biodiversity of the region. Of the many
tourist attractions Costa Rica has to offer, Golfo Dulce is the perfect
destination for nature lovers, both those seeking adventure and those who want
only to relax under a palm tree on the beach.
Circling the warm blue waters of Golfo Dulce is a tropical rain forest where one may encounter
four species of monkey (spider, white-faced, squirrel and howler), Poison Dart
frogs, Morpho butterflies, anteaters, agoutis, coati mundis, jaguars, ocelots and margays.
Beautiful birds abound, such as scarlet macaws, toucans, hummingbirds, great
curassows, crested guans, trogons, aracaris, honey
creepers, herons, tinamous, woodpeckers, wood creepers,
ant birds and manikins.
During a 1996 visit by the Greenpeace ship Moby Dick, Captain Joel Stewart commented that there is
"so much biodiversity... so many species, that one is almost forced to
defend it." And on the western shore of Golfo Dulce is the Osa Peninsula, which National
Geographic has called "the most ecologically intense place on earth."
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Canopy
Tour Info
Our
guests traverse from tree to tree and platform to platform using pulleys on
horizontal traverse cables, as they sail through the treetops of the tropical
rainforest canopy, and over the trails far below. Expert guides assist you in
this exciting journey through the different layers of the virgin rain forests
and explain whats going on around you, from the
time you leave the ground, until you rappel back down to the forest floor.
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Our main objective is to provide tourists a unique activity
and ecological experience while, at the same time, helping to aid in the
preservation of the worlds endangered rain forests through direct financial
support to conservation, education and reforestation efforts.
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By
modifying techniques and equipment
originally used by spelunkers (cavers) and canyon rappelers,
The Original CANOPY TOUR® offers any adventurous tourist the opportunity to
ascend into the forest canopyand see jungle life
from a perspective available previously to only a select few researchers and
photographers.
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This is the latest site of The
Original Canopy Tour, located in the Osa Peninsula near Corcovado National Park one of the last large untouched
rainforests left in the country. This area is one of the most recently
developed zones for tourism in the country. It is more remote than other
areas and therefore less tourists are going here. This is what makes it
perfect for our type of adventure · less people, therefore more animals. The Osa Peninsula is known for it·s hiking or trekking through
lush tropical rainforests, wild animal and bird viewing, scuba diving (at Caño Island), deep sea fishing
and ocean kayaking, all of which can be done here with us.
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TOUR DETAILS
The site is located just a short distance from the town of Drake Bay,
and is usually accessed by a combination of either horseback or 4x4 and on
foot. This tour consists of 7 platforms, 4 traverse cables (one over 70
meters long), a 9 meter suspended observation walkway and a 25-meter rappel
down to the edge of a stream where wildlife abounds. The platforms vary in
height from 10 meters to 33 meters above the forest floor and the tour is
built on a high point of land where two rivers join. Usually, where there ais water, you will see lots of
birds and animals. This is a true rainforest and the canopy level generally
has several layers to it, all of which can be seen on the tour.
The tour starts with a climb up a tower to the first
platform, a large viewing platform about 12 meters (40 feet) off the ground.
The first traverse is a long one, over 70 meters (200 feet) where you will
soar above the jungle floor. The next tree has several platforms at different
levels and then its off to the third tree with a 9 meter observation walkway
stretching between 2 large trees, about 25 meters (85 feet) high. From this
vantage point we can normally see lots of birds and some mammals, although
everyday is different and sometimes the animals are not too cooperative. From
here there are 2 more traverses and then from the last platform there is a 17
meter (60 foot) rappel back down to the ground, beside a beautiful stream
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Pick-ups can be arranged from most lodges in the Drake Bay area at no extra
charge, although check with us in advance, as some hotels are quite far from Drake Bay and require an
extra fee. This area is very hot and humid and we recommend shorts or long
pants and hiking boots and insect repellant. Cameras can be taken, but try to
bring along a waterproof bag, in case it starts raining. The tour takes
approximately 2 ½ - 3 hours to complete. Check with us for tour times.
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Please contact us at the following adresses:
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International Mailing Address
The Original Canopy Tour
Interlink 227
P.O. Box 25635
Miami, Fl. 33102
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Main Office (San José)
Apdo: 751-2350
San Francisco, Dos Ríos
Tel: (506) 257-5149
Fax: (506) 256-7626
Cellular: (506) 380-5060
(From the US and Canada dial 011 before the area code)
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Main Office: canopy@canopytour.com
Volunteer Programs: volunteer@canopytour.com
TRAVEL AGENTS CONTACT US : pros@canopytour.com
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Travel agent
Solon Vargas at
Vargas Travel from USA
Vargas Travel
611 Gregory Lane
Pleasant Hills CA 94523
Tel: (510) 943-6588, (800) 54-Vargas
Fax: (510) 943-6560
E-mail: vargastravel@msn.com
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Jungle Tours
The Osa Peninsula and the Golfo Dulce
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Jungle Hiking
There is nothing quite like hiking through a primary forest...with
monkeys and big cats, sloths, anteaters, and birds
of all kinds. There are paths through this area that are unbelievably
pristine and wild. Combine that with some waterfall repelling or
cave exploration and you have quite an exciting day. Many different tour
companies, as well as local taxi drivers, offer a variety of hikes and tours
through this magnificent jungle. Some companies even
guarantee sighting of monkeys...we have four kinds here in the Osa: the Cara Blanca (white face monkey), the Colorado (spider monkey), the
comical Tse Tse (squirrel
monkey) and the boisterous Black Howler monkey called the Congo.
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Macaw
parrots abound in this area along with Toucans, Giant Iguanas, Sloths, Poison Dart Frog and others. Giant trees and
plants look like they are from another planet, not to mention the most
bizarre insects you will ever see. Camera buffs should bring long lens and
fast film as the lighting inside the forest is low. Tours vary in price, but
the average is $40-50 with lunch provided. There are also some local guides
that can offer even better prices.
Remember...there is something for everyone here. Stroll
through the jungle with American biologists...take a rigorous hike with a
local Costa Rican...or fly directly into Corcovado National Park for the day. Repel down
waterfalls or trees so high that you are above the monkeys...The jungle s a
treasure trove of wildlife.
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