Explore the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica

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Experiences You Should Have Podcast Show Notes: Traveling to the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica with Lynn Smith

Interview with Lynn Smith:

I interviewed Lynn Smith who is an inspiring adventurer and traveler and I love how she travels! Check out her travel blog for more ideas and also listen to the interview above by pressing the play button or listening wherever you listen to podcasts! Also, check out her post about her trip to the Osa Peninsula here.

Where is the Osa Peninsula and What Makes it So Special?

Located in the remote and lush Southern Pacific Coast of Costa Rica, the Osa is approximately 700 square miles, or a bit larger than the city of Houston, TX which is approx 600 square miles. The Osa is bound on the west by the Pacific Ocean, and on the east by the Golfo Dulce (a tropical fiord, over 600 feet deep!), and on the northwest by Drake Bay.

What Makes the Osa Peninsula so Unique?

• You can encounter all four species of monkeys found in Costa Rica (spider, white-faced, squirrel and howler), Poison Dart frogs, Morpho butterflies, anteaters, agouti, coatimundi, agoutis, sloths, parrots, toucans, forest turkeys, exotic waterfowl, jaguars, ocelots, and margays. We saw all but the cats (we did hear a margay at night!), and we also saw many of the more than 460 species of birds, as well as a few snakes, lots of insects, and the footprints of forest peccaries (wild pigs) down on the beach.
• 2-3% of flora found nowhere else in the world
• The largest remaining tract of lowland rainforest in Pacific Mesoamerica
• More than 700 species of trees (which is more than all the Northern temperate regions combined)
• 140 mammals, including 25 species of dolphins and whales
• 4 species of sea turtles
• The largest population of scarlet macaws in Central America

…and the only known place on our planet where populations of both Northern and Southern Humpback whales meet to give birth to their young- in the Golfo Dulce.

Why Go Visit the Osa Peninsula?

This is one of the richest and most diverse tropical areas on the planet, known (or not so well known yet!) for its fragile ecosystems and enchanting beauty. 

The Osa is wild! It’s estimated to house 2.5% of the biodiversity of the entire world – while covering less than a thousandth of a percent of its total surface area, earning it the title of the most biologically intense place on earth, according to National Geographic.

The Osa Peninsula offers breathtaking, untouched scenery, secluded beaches, and abundant wildlife encompassing lush primary rainforest and a complex system of freshwater and marine resources. These primary and secondary rain forests hold stunning biodiversity, which for us translated to being well off the grid, very remote and removed, and what we most desired–wildlife encounters literally every day we were there!

 

When is the Best Time to Visit the Osa Peninsula and What is the Weather Like?

The weather and time of year will determine just how relatively easy it is to get to the Osa, and your experience there. I chose early March, just after the tourist “high season” ends and when the costs to get there and stay can be lower. March is still the dry season, and it can be quite hot during the day, with highs well into the 80s.

How Do You Get to the Osa Peninsula?

Most people fly into the international airport (SJO) in San Jose, the capital. You can rent a car and drive the 5-6 hours on well-paved roads (some are tolls, pay in $US or CR Colons). Lynn planned for them to get to their chosen resort and use it as a base for the day and nighttime excursions into the rain forest. They knew a car wouldn’t gain them anything. Plus the driving along those steep, slippery and rough jungle roads was bone-crushing! 

They scheduled a flight to the Osa from SJO via Sansa Airlines to Puerto Jiminez on the Osa Peninsula for approx. $240. R/T per person. One or two other carriers fly out of SJO to Puerto Jiminez. Rates and seat avails vary, so book early!

 

Osa Peninsula Recommended Hotel: El Remanso Lodge

They stayed at el Remanso Lodge, way down on the southwest tip of the Osa, in an area called Matalpo. The road in from the town of Puerto Jiminez is rough, about 45 minutes of bone-jarring travel, but so worth it. 

Simply magnificent, this strictly sustainable, small-scale rainforest hideaway is about as off the grid as you can get, yet with all the amenities you’d expect from an eco-lodge lauded by Frommers, Travel & Leisure, Lonely Planet and of course TripAdvisor reviewers. 

The lush property is perched on a high bluff with views out to the Pacific ocean and 360 views of the rain forest surround the property. Hike down to the beach to visit tide pools and freshwater lagoons appearing like movie sets, but with no people, no traffic, no boats, no airplanes. Just jungle noises, from frogs and owls at night to howler monkey calls waking you before dawn.

You can stay in a superior room, a private bungalow or a villa. A garden view room can be $135/night (double), and a deluxe villa with plunge pool goes for $410/night at high season.

El Remanso Tours and On-Your-Own Exploring

From night rain forest walks to spot all manner of critters, to jungle hiking and rappelling down waterfalls, to canopy tours, zip-lines, bird watching, horseback riding, dolphin watching or kayaking, this is the place for the adventure-minded naturalist who enjoys unscripted, virtually private “tours” featuring genuine encounters with wildlife.

On your own, you can walk the many jungle trails on the property, cross bridges, and gaze into the canopy spotting for toucans, scarlet macaws, sloths, monkeys, and other wildlife. 

You can hike down the hill along a well-kept trail to the deserted beach, where tide pools and pristine, freshwater lagoons can be visited at low tide along this wild, rugged coast where the jungle meets the ocean. Or just hang out at the pool next to the cavernous restaurant and enjoy the shade, the breeze and the calls of the scarlet macaws as they wing their way overhead.

Tour Prices range from $35 for a canopy tour or bird watching to $75 for jungle trek and waterfall rappelling. Prices are on the el Remanso website.

Other Places to Stay in Matapalo and on the Osa Peninsula

A full range abounds, from $40/nite hostels to all-inclusive hotels to the Lapa Rios luxury resort (5 stars) $680/night and up.

The trick is- decide if you are on the Osa to drive around and see what you can, or stay in one place to soak up the jungle experience. You may want to visit or even stay in Corcovado National Park, the largest in Costa Rica. At over 164 square miles of primary and secondary rainforests, it is the gem of all Costa Rico’s National Parks. Note that el Remanso is in the same jungle, along the same coast, with wildlife guides. 

Whether you’re back-packing, luxuriating or something in between, you’ll be in a primitive dreamland unlike any other area on our planet. Get there soon, before yet another Big Development threatens the peace and natural wonder that is the Osa Peninsula*.

San Jose Costa Rica Tips:

Domestic air carriers from San Jose to Puerto Jiminez fly out of two airports- one is the international airport (SJO) and the other is Tobias Bolaños airport north of Pavas. We chose SJO because we didn’t want to sit in San Jose traffic for a shuttle ride to Tobias Bolanos. The traffic in San Jose is just awful, and due to one-way roads and congestion, a 10-minute shuttle can take over an hour. Same applies if you are driving anywhere around the city- just saying!

Weight restrictions on domestic flights need to be taken into account. This includes your luggage and your own weight. Know before you go! Tip Sheet: https://costa-rica-guide.com/travel/transportation/air/costa-ricas-domestic-airlines/#green

Look for updated information on carriers and flights to Puerto Jiminez as they are changing in 2019.

You can be severely delayed at Customs & Immigration upon arrival from the U.S., due to numerous international flights arriving simultaneously, so be prepared! Our other trips to Costa Rica we have stayed the night at the nearby and comfy Hampton Inn & Suites, which is a quick shuttle ride from the airport and literally next door to a Denny’s restaurant and several rental car firms in a row, among them Vamos Rental Car, which we highly recommend from yet another trip to Costa Rica.

An easy 3-minute drive from the Hampton Inn or Vamos Car Rental is a Super Walmart, where we usually get our water, beer and other goodies before heading out on self-drive trips of Costa Rica.

Hampton Inn room was like $124. for double, with comfy beds and great free coffee in the morning! 

Self-Driving Vacation Tips

Vamos offers intermediate SUVs for about $27.00 day. We do recommend you get an SUV to get you off the gravel and deeply potholed roads you will likely encounter on a self-drive vacay, especially if your plans are a bit more adventuresome. Also- look up and understand rental car insurance requirements for Costa Rica!

Another common, sensible tip for self-driving is ALWAYS locking your car and leave NOTHING of value in it. Keep an eye on your car the entire time you park it if you stop to eat or shop unless there is someone to guard it for you. Well worth paying them a few colons. We travel quite off-road, and you need to use all due caution as tourists are and have been targeted for petty theft in Costa Rica for many years.

Truly, don’t drive after dark unless you are absolutely familiar with your route. Roads and countryside are dark, unsigned, with dogs and other animals about.

More Lynn’s Costa Rica Road Trip Tips

Wildlife Spotting and Tours

GET UP EARLY! The animals and birds are active just before sunrise, in the first hour or so and again at dusk and after dark. To see wildlife you must be out when they are active, and before the heat of the tropical day builds. After 9 am, the show is over, so that’s a good time to hang by the pool or walk the trails on the property.

The guides are amazing wildlife spotters and you will see FAR more wildlife when you are with a guide. Also, it’s best to let the staff know if you go off on a trail or a hike way down to the beach to the tide pools, for instance. Just in case. You are in the wilds, way far from hospitals or anything really, and there are dangers in the forest, slippery and sandy trails, and a fast-moving, pounding incoming Pacific tide that can strand you. Be aware of your surroundings and keep a wary eye peeled for snakes.

Stay hydrated- the tropical heat will catch up to you quickly. Protect yourself from sunburn, insects and stay on trails, as there are many plants that can cause an allergic reaction if they are just brushed up against!

Carry a flashlight when you go up to the restaurant for dinner- you will want it for your walk back to your digs!

 

Other Stuff To Do on the Osa Peninsula:

• Take a day trip out to Canyo island to snorkel
• Go sea or mangrove kayaking, whale or dolphin watching out of Drake Bay
• Surf Playa Matapalo
• Go deep-sea fishing.
• The ultimate activity in the Osa Peninsula is hike Corcovado National Park. You can hike overnight or do a one day hike.
• The most popular ranger stations to visit are San Pedrillo and Sirena.

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