Costa Rica Wilderness

Go where the road ends

Some of Costa Rica’s best wild places take a boat, a light aircraft or a long dirt road to reach. This guide is for planning those trips safely: getting in, guiding rules, where to sleep, and what to expect when nature does not perform on cue.

Osa & Corcovado Wild stays

Scarlet macaw in flight, Corcovado National Park area, Osa Peninsula · Photo: WildPhotography.com

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Wild regions

Mantled howler monkey in Corcovado, Costa Rica · Photo: WildPhotography.com

South Pacific

Osa & Corcovado

Primary rainforest, reached by boat from Drake Bay or Uvita.

Caribbean

Tortuguero

A roadless network of canals and forest.

Tropical flowers, Costa Rica · Photo: WildPhotography.com

Whitewater

Rivers

Pacuare and Balsa rafting.

Forest bird perched near Arenal, Alajuela · Photo: WildPhotography.com

North

Volcanoes & hikes

Río Celeste, Rincón de la Vieja and Arenal.

Signature trips

Drake BayViator

Pacheco Tours - Corcovado National Park Sirena from Drake Bay

A full day at Corcovado’s Sirena station from Drake Bay.

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UvitaGetYourGuide

From Uvita: Day Trip to Corcovado National Park by Boat

A boat day trip to Corcovado from Uvita.

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San JoséViator

Rafting Pacuare River One Day from Turrialba

One-day Pacuare rafting from Turrialba.

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TortugueroViator

Tortuguero National Park Canal Tour with Canoe

Tortuguero canals by canoe.

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Field notes

Drake Bay, Osa Peninsula (network archive image) · Photo: Network archive (stand-in)

Field notes

Drake Bay or Uvita for Corcovado?

Drake Bay is closer to the park; Uvita is easier to reach from the highway.

Field notes

What Guided-Only Entry Means in Corcovado

You cannot walk into Corcovado alone. That is a good thing.

Field notes

Rafting the Pacuare: A Planning Guide

An early start, a long drive and a day in one of the country’s wildest canyons.