This Jungle Hike in Costa Rica was a life-changing experience
This Jungle Hike in Costa Rica was a life-changing experience
Itinerary, Difficulty level, Pictures and Sounds from a 2-day forest hike in Corcovado National Park
One of the experiences I really didn’t want to miss when I visited Costa Rica was an excursion in the rain forest -and it had to be a real adventure.
But with hundreds of different activities in Costa Rica to choose from, finding the right one wasn’t easy.
Finally, after evaluating several options, a forest hike in Corcovado National Park in the Osa Peninsula seemed the right choice.
And so, one morning in Puerto Jimenez, shortly before sunrise and after eating a light breakfast (too light, as we’ll soon find out) we met our guide Carlos and departed for our adventure.
About Osa Peninsula and Corcovado National Park
First, a few words about the Osa Peninsula. This area is located in the south-west of the country and remains one of the most remote places of Costa Rica, home to an incredibly diverse range of wildlife, including the tapir and puma.
The National Park of Corcovado takes up almost half of the Osa Peninsula and is the last great original part of tropical rainforest in Pacific Central America.
Jungle Hike in Corcovado National Park: What to know before booking
The first thing to know is that not every jungle hike in Corcovado National park is the same. Keep that in mind when reading reviews of similar excursions.
What are the main differences between jungle hikes?
Place of departure and arrival: Excursions usually depart depart/arrive either from/to Puerto Jimenez or Drake Bay
Duration: Usually between 1-4 days
Means of transportation: Excursions start/end either by hiking or by speedboat
The excursion we did was a 2-days jungle hike in Corcovado National Park, “walk-in/boat-out”, starting in Puerto Jimenez and ending in Drake’s Bay, with one overnight stay at La Sirena Ranger station.
There are many agencies offering jungle hikes in Osa Peninsula. After contacting a few, we chose Rancho Tropical due to their fast response times and transparent conditions.
How much does a jungle hike cost?
Prices for jungle hikes in Corcovado National Park vary depending on the agency, the duration of the excursion and whether it’s high season or low season. In our case, for a 2-days jungle hike we paid 365 USD.
Here are a few more things to know:
A non-refundable deposit had to be transferred in advance. The rest was paid in cash to the guide at the moment of departure.
Jungle hikes are more expensive during high season
You should try negotiating the final price, especially during low season
Make sure you have enough cash before arriving in Puerto Jimenez. There are just 2 ATMs in town, and the day before our excursion they were both out of service!
What to pack for a jungle hike?
Our agency sent us a very comprehensive list of things to take with us. Based on my experience, for a 2-day forest hike I would especially recommend:
Extra water and food, especially during hot days
A small binocular/monocular. All tour guides usually carry a very powerful monocular with tripod. Everyone in the group can use it, but sometimes you’ll have to queue and might miss some action. Therefore, having your own (I had this one), could be a good idea.
Earplugs for the night
Note: When you’re spending one night in the jungle, you’ll have to carry your own stuff + water and food for the entire 2 days. Therefore, pack wisely!
2-day Jungle Hike in Corcovado National Park: My experience
So, we’ve covered the things you should know before booking and in preparation of the hike. Now let’s move to my experience on the ground!
The itinerary
The 2-day hike starts in Carate and ends in La Sirena Ranger station, where we will spend one night.
On the first day the tour guide picks us up at 5:00 AM in Puerto Jimenez and drives us on a jeep to the trail head, near the airstrip of Carate. After a short briefing, the hike begins.
The trail from Carate to La Sirena Ranger Station crosses some sections of jungle and long, pristine beaches, with breathtaking views on the Pacific Ocean and the lush green tropical forests bordering the coast.
After a few hours we reach the Madrigal jungle river. The waters are shallow and we are told that usually, crocodiles or hammer sharks only swim here when the tide is high.
That’s encouraging to hear, so we have a refreshing swim before resuming our march.
As we reach the central hours of the day, temperatures rise. The majority of the hike is on the sand, under the sun, and with very high humidity. Everyone’s water bottles are half empty already, but we didn’t even reach half of our journey!
In between we have the chance to stop a few times and eat something. But these are short stops because, according to our guide, we are behind schedule: In fact, we need to cross the Rio Claro -another river some kilometers ahead of us- before the tide goes up!
Along our way there’s no sign of civilization: This is one of the most remote places I’ve ever seen -just toucans, scarlet macaws, monkeys and a tapir make their appearance from time to time.
We keep marching and marching. When we finally reach the Rio Claro, we are relieved: The tide didn’t go up yet, and the waters are still shallow enough for a short swim. We’re exhausted, so we jump into the water before continuing our march.
Everyone’s water bottles are empty already, but we still have 2 km ahead of us. Luckily, the sun is less strong now, and we enter the final part of the hike, this time in the jungle.
After almost 9 hours of march we finally reach La Sirena Ranger station.
It’s 5 PM and we are exhausted, thirsty and hungry.
I check my watch: Today we‘ve walked more than 25 km (15.5 miles), at temperatures of up to 35°C (95°F)!
We are welcomed with a refreshing pineapple juice and can rest on the porch of the camp, before getting ready for a well deserved shower and early dinner.
La Sirena Ranger Station
After such a challenging march, staying at La Sirena Ranger station was definitely the highlight of our excursion.
Over the past years, this place has turned from a simple ranger station into a lodge, fully equipped to accommodate around 100 visitors at the same time.
What makes this place so special? Its location in the heart of the jungle, and the fact that most rooms -including the dormitories- have no external walls, making us feel so close to nature at all times!
The food at La Sirena is delicious, and portions are generous. We have dinner, breakfast and lunch with Costa Rican specialties such as rice, beans, eggs, grilled plantains, fresh fruits and much more.
And yes, there is hot water in the camp and even wifi (the latter for a small fee).
At night we sleep in comfortable bunk beds in large dormitories, protected just by mosquito nets -just the forest around us.
The lights go off at around 9pm and it gets quiet after that -except for the noises coming from the forests, like birds and howler monkeys, which make the experience more immersive than ever:
An audio from the jungle: Howler monkeys and tropical birds
The jungle night walk
On the second day we wake up at 5 AM to explore the jungle at night. The feeling of wandering in the darkness, just with our headlamps and while hearing howler monkeys and other (unidentified) animals occasionally screaming at distance can be scary at times, but is truly a once in a lifetime experience!
The return journey
The return journey by speedboat is a little adventure by itself. After boarding our boat, we notice that it's full, so we need to wait for another boat to pick us up. Once we're transferred to a new boat, our final journey to Drake Bay begins: The sea is rough but we arrive at destination safely.
We will spend a couple of days in Drake Bay, relax and do a snorkeling excursion to Caño island.
How to get from Drake Bay to Puerto Jimenez?
The road connecting Drake Bay with Puerto Jimenez is challenging without a 4x4 vehicle, especially during the rainy season.
There are three ways to get from Drake Bay to Puerto Jimenez:
With your own car
By public bus via La Palma (only a few times per day)
By car transfer (private or shared)
We had booked a private transfer by car with the same agency where we booked our tour. The car picked us at our hotel in Drake Bay and it took us around 1.5 hours to reach Puerto Jimenez.
2-days jungle hike in Osa Peninsula: Final thoughts
Visiting the Corcovado National Park was a once in a lifetime adventure: Especially staying at La Sirena ranger station and the forest night walk were absolute highlights of our entire trip to Costa Rica.
What makes this area unique is that it’s one of the few in Costa Rica without any sign of civilization.
However, the first day of the excursion was simply too intense to fully enjoy it. To be fair, our agency had warned us about high temperatures and long distances -But we still felt we weren’t sufficiently prepared.
Among all hikes I did in the past (including the 4-Days Inca Trail) the first day of this jungle hike was the most intense -hands down.
Would i do this same excursion again?
In cooler weather conditions, and better prepared, definitely yes! Therefore, if you’re planning to visit Corcovado National park, I’d recommend avoiding the hottest months, or choosing a different tour where you don’t have to walk so much.
About me
As a passionate traveler and tourism professional I’ve experienced hundreds of journeys, from common to exceptional: From hiking the Andes to flying Business Class, from camping in Serengeti to staying in luxury resorts in Maldives.
In my career I’ve driven brand collaborations, scaled up communities and websites and helped tourism companies tell their story and sell their products worldwide.
On Beating Jetlag I'm wearing the traveler's and tourism insider’s hat to talk about unique traveler journeys and other "juicy" topics in travel & hospitality.