The Corcovado National Park or Parque Nacional  Corcovado is located on the untamed Osa Peninsula on the South Pacific coast  in the southwest corner of Costa Rica. This  national park is extremely beautiful and is one of the most remote parks in the  country. It covers a third of the Osa  Penninsula and is home to the largest and only tropical primary lowland  rainforest in the world. The Corcovado  National Park is also the habitat of a plethora of endangered plant and animal  species.

The park was originally created in 1975 to protect this region from illegal  gold mining and logging. It is now an  extremely popular ecotourism destination. It is mostly undisturbed because of its isolation and  inaccessibility. Because of this, it is  home to the Scarlet Macaws as well as the Quetzals, the Red-Eyed Tree Frog and the Tapir, the  largest terrestrial mammal in Central and South America.

Corcovado National Park protects 13 major habitats including a montane  forest, which covers more than half the park, a cloud forest located in the  highest region and richly populated by oaks and tree ferns, swamp forests that  are flooded practically year-round, a holillo forest predominated by palms, a  mangrove swamp located on the estuaries of the Llorona, Corcovado and Sirena  Rivers, and a freshwater herbaceous swamp.

It encompasses over 41,000 hectares (103,000 acres)  and protects over 140 different mammal species, 400 bird species (20 of which  are endemic,) 116 amphibian and reptile species, 40 species of freshwater fish,  6,000 species of insects and at least 500 species of trees. The Corcovado Park is a great place to spot the  rare Harbor Squirrel Monkey and Harpy Eagle.   One can also see the poison arrow frog, indigenous wild cats,  crocodiles, spectacled caimans, pumas and jaguars, all 4 species of monkeys in Costa  Rica, sloths, the silky anteater, bull sharks, 220 species of butterflies, 4  species of sea turtles, and several species of snakes including the poisonous  Fer-de-Lance and the Bushmaster. Because  of all this, Corcovado National Park has been called "the most biologically intense  place on Earth" by National Geographic.

You can get to the Corcovado National Park via Puerto Jimenez or Drake Bay. These  two towns serve as the main entry points to the park.  By bus or car, Corcovado National Park is  approximately 10 hours from San Jose. The park can be accessed from Puerto  Jimenez by driving south 27 miles (44 km) along Hwy 245.

The weather is extremely hot and humid most of the  year and gets plenty of rainfall. It is  fun to hike through with its dense forestation that opens up onto stunning  beaches. You need to be in good shape  and have at least two or three days, good planning, and be cautious to go  through the whole park.  The best time to visit is when the park receives the least amount of  rain, which is from January to April. From May to December the park receives the  most precipitation which can leave some of the trails unrecognizable and parts  of the park will be closed.

One can camp or stay indoors at one of the ranger stations equipped with  bunks, but you will have to bring your own food with you. The Park has four ranger stations, Los Patos,  Sirena, San Pedrillo, and La Llorona. Hiking from one ranger station to another is a great way to experience  the park and at the same time see Corcovado Lake (Laguna Corcovado), where  tapirs are known to stop and get a drink frequently. La Llorona Waterfall (Catarata La Llorona),  which plummets 100 ft (30 m) onto the sandy shore along the beach between  Sirena and San Pedrillo is also something to see.

There are two paths, one coastal and one inland and many trails that branch  off of them. One path runs northwest to  southeast along the coast to the La Leona station, with the Sirena Station in  the middle. The second path runs inland from Sirena Station to Los Patos  station at the Eastern end of the park. One can fly into the park (by chartered aircraft) to Sirena Station,  from where one can follow relatively short loop-trails. Carate (La Leona Station) also has an airstrip  and road access from Puerto Jimenez.

The Sirena beach is a beach with rip currents and bull sharks. The Sirena River is home to crocodiles, bull  sharks and sting rays. Swimming is not  recommended, but you can swim in the Río Claro.

The Corcovado National Park is a great place for  nature lovers that love a challenging hike and seeing incredible flora and  fauna in Costa Rica.