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Corcovado Costa
Rica
 
South
Pacific Region of Costa Rica: Corcovado National
Park “the most biologically intense place on earth”
by National Geographic
The Peninsula of Osa stretches for
more than 50 kilometers in to the Pacific Ocean, like
a gigantic rocky food and it constitutes most of the
southern region of Costa Rica. There are headlands,
hills, rivers, torrents and plains that occasionally
interrupt the harsh profile of the rocks: one exciting
discovery after another in this universe that looks
uncontaminated, a last fortification protecting the
plants and animals.
The Peninsula forms the large protective
creek of the Golfo Dulce, with small towns like Rincón
and Puerto Jiménez, the River Coto’s large
estuary at Punta Blanco and Golfito on the eastern coast
of the creek, with is faraway, exotic atmosphere and
open air cafes in front of the jetties.
 
The original inhabitants of the region,
the Diquis indios were clever craftsmen and particularly
good goldsmiths. They were able to make splendid ceremonial
ornaments from the gold they found in the rivers Tigre
and Claro. During the Spanish Conquest, attracted by
the news of the presence of this precious metal, there
were several expeditions to the peninsula in the search
for the legendary mines of Veragua. The indigenous populations
were destroyed and the gold reserves were, as usual,
plundered.
Nevertheless, they let us one of the
rich, wildest and most spectacular regions in Costa
Rica: National Park Corcovado; it dominates the Peninsula
de Osa with its 54,538 hectares that is why has been
called “ the most biologically intense place on
earth” by National Geographic. Do you like to
know why ?
Because the southwest coast contains
an amazing amount of endemics and species which are
not found else where in the planet. Its geographical
situation, its climate influence and the acidic conditions
of its soils plus its topography all contribute to this
special place to have potential diversity where you
will find thirteen different habitats characterize the
complexity of this natural environment, with its pluvial
type virgin forest; also five hundred species of tress,
often entwined with shoots and lianas, an entangled
brushwood of plants and roots, orchids, ferns, bromeliads,
an endless collection of epiphytes, and in this extraordinary
vegetable world, ocelots and tapirs, jaguar, pumas,
10.000 species of insects, hundreds of varieties of
birds, with the largest colony of scarlet macaos on
earth and also some of the most poisonous snakes, like
the coral snake.
All these in conjunction of the low on tourist, which
makes it an ideal destination for anyone who wants to
stay from the beaten path.
Besides, in Península of Osa
you will find a vast area of mangrove forest, of vital
importance to the country, has developed along these
canals and estuaries, it is home to more than 285 species
of birds, 139 mammals and 116 amphibians and reptiles,
also Caño Island Biological Reserve, it has a
great archeological history of great importance for
the country. The island was used as a sacred burial
ground, leaving behind in the carved spheres and different
carved artifacts with an area of some 6.877 acres of
land reserve and 6.210 of marine reserve, it has several
fresh water rivers.
Then after mangrove area, you find
long, open sea beaches, such as: Colorada, Corcovado,
Las Caletas, Carate and Piro that are part of the park.
Finally activities like hiking, bird
watching, snorkeling, diving, marine photography, fishing
and kayaking are specials on this zone.
Let us arrange for you an opportunity
to experience Costa Rica Pacific South Region in a splendid
way !!
Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica
If you are planning to visit Costa Rica we would like
you to have the most extraordinary experience by visitng
with our advise. The information we bring is about the
Corcovado National Park, the last remaining Pacific
lowland rainforest of sustainable size in Central America.
Located on the Osa Peninsula in southwestern Costa Rica,
Corcovado is the "crown jewel" of a world-renowned
national park system.
Including thirteen separate ecosystems,
almost one hundred species of trees and nearly four
hundred species of birds, Corcovado has been called
"the most biologically intense place on earth"
by no less an authority than the National Geographic
Society. Here among the largest trees of Costa Rica,
can be found the densest population of tapirs, jaguars
and scarlet macaws in Meso-America.
Preserving the rainforest is vital
because already one-half of the earth's rainforest has
been destroyed at a rate of fifty acres a minute - an
area the size of New York state every year. Gone will
be the rainforest where 25% of our prescription drugs
have already been found and where many others wait to
be discovered. The world's first studies of the tropical
forest canopies were done in Corcovado. Because of the
astonishing variety of unknown life forms discovered
within these "hidden worlds" the estimation
of life upon this planet had to be increased twentyfold.
The geography of the Osa Peninsula
is diverse, allowing for many different habitats and
contributing to its spectacular biological wealth. While
an undulating landscape of knife blade ridges and steep,
stream-cut ravines dominate the majority of the peninsula,
many other landscapes can also be found. In the western
end of the peninsula, a large uplifted plateau drops
off into the ocean from hundred foot high rocky bluffs.
Further to the North, vast stretches of mangrove swamp
surround the mouth of the Sierpe, a large river that
borders the peninsula.
The forests of the Osa Peninsula are
generally classified as Lowland Pacific Rain Forest.
Unlike the Caribbean coast which was historically covered
with a long unbroken rain forest, the Pacific coast
of Central America typically receives far less precipitation
and has many tropical dry forests. The west coast from
southern Costa Rica through Panama has rain forests
due to the Talamanca mountains which act as a barrier
to the moist west winds causing them to precipitate
on the Pacific coast and deluging the Osa Peninsula
with 350-600 centimeters of rain per year.
Another unique aspect of the Pacific
lowland rain forest is that it retains a biogeographical
link to the Amazon basin. Many of the plants and animals
found on the Osa are more closely related to species
found in the Amazon Basin than any other part of Central
America or northern South America.
Development and logging have severely
fragmented most of the rain forest on the Pacific coast,
but the Osa has retained the largest unbroken tracts
of this quickly disappearing habitat.The importance
of conservation in this area has not been lost on the
government of Costa Rica. In 1975 the Costa Rican government
created a national park on the isolated Pacific coast
of the peninsula. Shortly after that another 330,000
acres of the peninsula were set aside as forest reserves.
Most of this land is in the Golfo Dulce Reserve, which
runs along the spine of the peninsula. When you add
these reserves to the land encompassed by Corcovado
National Park the total amount of protected land on
the peninsula comes to 430,000 acres, or eighty percent
of the peninsula itself.
More information about Corcovado...
Hystorical Background
Corcovado National Park protects the last portion of
Tropical Humid Forest of the Mesoamerican Pacific. Due
to its geographical location, climate, soil conditions
and topography, this area is home to an amazing diversity
of biological species.
Blessed with such richness, the area has awakened great
interest among Costa Rican and foreign scientistis,
and its resources are continuously being investigated.
The genetical potencial found in the
living forms that find refuge in Corcovado could be
of invaluable benefit to agriculture, medicine and other
equally important fields that seek the well being of
humanity.
Before the Spanish conquest, the region was inhabited
by indigenous groups who probably settled there due
to the abundance of wildlife.
Arqueologist believe the area is important because of
the information that could be discovered about the relationship
these people maintained with Nature and the manner in
which they made use of their resources.
These expectations are based on evidence found to date
even though the area has been virtually unexplored.
Until 1978, there was no access by land
to the Península and the population in the region
was very sparse. In 1975, when Corcovado National Park
was created, the 300 farmers who lived in the area were
compensated for their land and relocated in other areas.
Since then, the park has been destined exclusively to
conservation goals, scientific investigation, environmental
education and the type of tourism suitable to a National
Park.
Location
Corcovado is located 368 km from San Jose, following
the Pan American Highway south, taking the detour toward
Puerto Jimenez at the community of Chacarita.
It is also possible to enter by boat from Sierpe.
Flora and fauna
Corcovado is made up of a unique combination of terrestrial
and marine ecosystems which interact in harmony and
whose origins science has yet to fully understand.
The area as a whole posesses thousands of species of
flora, many only found in this area and others which
have disappeared from other regions.
We can cite the case of the 'ajo' (Caryocar costarricense),
the 'ojoche' (Brosimun costaricanum) and the caracolito
cedar (Ruptiliocarpon caracolito).
Corcovadoºs diverse fauna is remarkable;
many of the species of this region are in danger of
extinction, despite the large numbers still found in
the region.
The red macaw or 'Guacamaya' (Ara macao), the wild boar
(Tayassu pecari), the jaguar (Felis onca) and the crocodile
(Crocodylus acutus) confirm this fact.
Just as in the case of the caracolito tree, in the future,
studies could reveal the existence of other unknown
species, which if it were not for the conservation of
the park, would be lost forever without ever having
been described.
Services
Nature trails, drinking water, camping areas, information.
Interest facts
Location: South Western sector of the Osa Peninsula,
Puntarenas Province, South Pacific region of Costa Rica.
Surface Area: 41, 788 hectares
Maximum Altitude: 782 meters above sea level
Climate: Hot, rainy and very humid.
Dry season: mid-December to mid-April, with sporadic
rain showers.
Rainy Season: mid-April to mid-December
Regulations
* For your security and the care of the areaº s
resources, use only the authorized trails and do not
wander off them.
* Even though accidents in the park are not common,
we ask you to please be careful.
* The main goal of the National Parks is conservation.
Hunting is not allowed, nor harming the flora, nor the
extraction of any materials.
* A serene attitude and silence is ideal, in order to
observe animals and better enjoy the areaºs resources.
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