In Cañaza, on the Osa Peninsula

The park also holds traces of life before its creation. In the La Leona sector, the Madrigal trail passes a cemetery used by former residents. Los Planes preserves traces of one of the earliest ranger stations. These places add another dimension to a visit: Corcovado is also a landscape with a human history.

The park’s creation and later expansion mark two important stages in its conservation story. For visitors, the dates are only the beginning: today’s designated sectors offer different ways into the same protected landscape. Returning visitors, or those choosing different tours, can discover more than one side of Corcovado.

A rewarding visit combines curiosity with restraint. Follow the agreed route and take your time instead of trying to collect kilometres or species. Ask your guide about traces of former residents and work in the protected area too. A walk can then become more than a sequence of attractive photographs.

Today, designated trails offer a way to discover this natural heritage. Watch animals from a distance, leave plants and other natural materials where they belong, and carry your rubbish out with you. Allow time to look around and follow your guide’s instructions, making your excursion a respectful visit to a protected habitat.

Each access area has its own character. At La Leona, the Pacific coast shapes the walk. Los Patos opens onto forest with tall trees and the Rincón River. Sirena is a central station with several local trails and can also be reached by sea. When choosing a tour, consider whether you would most like to experience the coast, walk through forest or explore the paths around a station.

Smaller observations deserve attention too: look at leaf shapes, roots beside the path and changes between open and densely vegetated sections. Ask your guide to explain an unfamiliar plant or sound. There is no need to work through a species checklist to appreciate differences between habitats.

When taking photographs, consider landscapes and details alongside possible wildlife encounters. A wide coastal view tells a different story from a close view of the forest. Keep your distance from animals and stay on the trail; a clearer view or closer photograph should never matter more than an undisturbed habitat.

Tapirs and peccaries are among the park’s animals, but encounters cannot be promised. Weather, season and local conditions affect what you may see. Give the landscape your attention too: waterways, different vegetation and the transitions between forest and coast can be just as rewarding as an individual wildlife sighting.

The Ngäbe language is Ngäbere. Cultural expressions include dresses known as naguas, with geometric decorations, and chácaras, handmade carrying bags. These objects also have everyday uses. Knowledge and skills are shared through storytelling, observation and practice together. This is a living culture that continues to develop.

Alto Laguna is a specific community with its own history. It does not represent all Indigenous peoples of southern Costa Rica. Individual Ngäbe territories also have their own experiences and perspectives. When discussing culture, it helps to ask which place and whose experience is being described.

Naguas combine a loose cut and colourful geometric applications with individual choices in design. Chácaras are practical objects, not simply souvenirs for visitors. Our suggestion is to ask about materials, making and everyday use, rather than assuming that a pattern must carry a particular meaning.

Cultural continuity and change belong together. Maintaining traditions does not exclude personal ambitions for education, work and the future. Meet your hosts as people living in the present, who choose for themselves what to share. A good encounter begins with listening and allows space for different life experiences.

Learning about Osa can therefore mean listening to its residents as well as exploring its natural surroundings. Our suggestion: listen, ask open questions and let people explain in their own words what their work and traditions mean to them.

If you would like to meet the community, arrange a visit in advance directly with its representatives. Ask permission before taking photographs and respect private spaces. When buying crafts, ask about the people who made them. A souvenir can then carry a personal story too.

The park is hot and very humid, and rain is possible even during the drier season. Prepare lightweight, quick-drying clothing, suitable closed footwear, rain protection and sun protection. Keep your phone and documents protected from moisture. Agree on drinking water, meals and the exact packing list with the operator; Sirena has specific restrictions on bringing food.

Before booking, clarify how much time will be spent walking and how much travelling. Ask about breaks, the expected terrain and any boat journey. Especially with children or limited hiking experience, a specific itinerary is more useful than a general description such as “easy” or “demanding”.

Shortly before your outing, reconfirm the meeting point and that the trip is going ahead, and leave some flexibility in your travel plans. Keep the operator’s contact details and pack the agreed equipment the evening before. Clear arrangements make it easier to focus on the landscape once you are on your way.

We can enquire about La Leona, Sirena or Los Patos for you, whether or not you are staying at Casa Barrigones. Tell us your preferred date, group size, the ages of any children and your hiking experience. We then clarify availability, meeting point, travel arrangements, possible pickup, duration and included services. Before you commit, you will know the planned itinerary and what preparation your chosen tour requires.