Best things to do in Corcovado National Park
Chances are, you’ll have read about Corcovado National Park's unparalleled biodiversity before your arrival, but that does little to prepare you for the sheer scope of it when you arrive. Suffice it to say, there's much to feast your eyes on in Corcovado, and challenging trails along which to do exactly that.
#1 Hike hardcore trails
First up, be aware that hiking in Corcovado is not for the faint-hearted. Quite apart from the distances and the terrain, hazards include insects (lots of them, especially in the rainy season, so take a mosquito net and tons of repellent.
In addition, herds of peccaries have been known to menace hikers, there are rivers full of crocodiles (and, in one case, sharks) and nasty snakes. These include the terciopelo and bushmaster, which can attack without provocation. Also bear in mind that there are sharks in the sea here, though everyone swims and no attacks have ever been recorded.
That said, most of these hazards are present elsewhere in the country, and everybody seems to make it through Corcovado fine. Just be prepared to get wet, dirty and incredibly hot.
Trails in Corcovado National Park
The park’s three longest trails all lead from the peripheral ranger stations to Sirena, where you can stay for a day or two in the simple lodge, exploring local trails around the Río Sirena.
Though there is some overlap in the type of flora and fauna you might see along the different trails, each offers a distinct experience. For this reason, and if your schedule permits, it’s a good idea to walk into Sirena on one trail and back out via another.
If you plan to spend a few days in the park, consider hiking in from Los Patos, spend a night or two in Sirena and then back out to La Leona. It’s much easier to move on from La Leona at the end of a hike than from Los Patos.
Los Patos
The well-marked twenty-kilometre inland trail from Los Patos to Sirena is, for many, the holy grail of Corcovado hikes. From Los Patos the trail takes you steeply uphill for some 5km into high, wet and dense rainforest. After this, the walk is flat, but extremely hot.
This is a trail for experienced rainforest hikers and hopeful mammal-spotters, giving you a reasonable chance of coming across, for example, tapirs, peccaries, margay or the tracks of tapirs and jaguars.
It’s a gruelling trek, especially with the hot inland temperatures (at least 26°C, with 100 percent humidity) and the lack of sea breezes. In all honesty, this trail is probably best avoided if you’ve not done much rainforest hiking before.