How to get from Puerto Jimenez to Corcovado

Why visit Corcovado?

Standing proud on the southwest coast of Costa Rica is the gem of its natural parks, Corcovado National Park. It is said to hold 2.5% of the world’s biodiversity and is home to a wide variety of animal species, many of which are considered rare elsewhere.

Tapirs are a common sight on the Corcovado shores, scarlet macaws brighten its trees, bull sharks inhabit its rivers, and jaguars roam its forests.

Corcovado is the largest of Costa Rica’s national parks and is a traveller’s dream destination. It’s important to know that there are several entrances and each will lead you to different hiking trails.

Another thing you should know is that you can only enter Corcovado through a guided tour. These tours can be booked from any of its base camps in the Osa Peninsula. The most popular basecamps to visit Corcovado National Park are Puerto Jimenez and Drake Bay.

Permits and Guide into Corcovado National Park

There are two things you must have when entering Corcovado National Park (apart from drinking water):

• a permit
• an accredited local guide from a certified tour operator

A permit costs 7,000 CRC ($15) per day. But technically, you won’t have to worry about securing it because your guide will do it for you.

How to find a guide?

The easiest way to find a good guide is through the assistance of your accommodation in Puerto Jimenez. They already know the best operators and the most trusted guides. But if you want to check out other options, you can also visit some of the many local tour offices in town.

Rates for a tour guide include the entrance fees and permit to enter the park. Accommodations are also normally included for multiple-day tours. It’s worth noting that food is quite expensive inside Corcovado, so we suggest choosing tours that include meals.

See below an indication of the rates (per person):

• Day tour – from 51,000 CRC ($110) per person
• 2-day tour – from 166,000 CRC ($355)
• 3-day-2-night adventure – from 262,000 CRC ($560)

Now you have an idea of how to enter the park from Puerto Jimenez, let’s find out how to get there.

New to Drake Bay/Corcovado? Our compact Drake Bay/Corcovado guide shows you the best areas to stay, restaurants you don’t want to miss and many more tips for your visit to Drake Bay/Corcovado!

There are 4 ways to travel the 30 kilometre (19 miles) distance from Puerto Jimenez to Corcovado. You can choose between the colectivo via La Leona Ranger Station, taxi via Los Patos, flight via Sirena and day trip via Sirena. The journey takes 15 minutes - 8 hours and the quickest way is by flight via Sirena. If you're on a budget, the cheapest option is by colectivo via La Leona Ranger Station with tickets starting at 8,000 CRC ($17.10).

The cheapest way to get from Puerto Jimenez to Corcovado National Park is by taking a colectivo. By colectivo, we mean a pickup truck with benches on the back. It’s a shared transport so expect to join the ride with a few other people.

A seat costs 8,000 CRC ($17.10) and travel time is a little over 3 hours. That includes the hike to La Leona Ranger Station, the park’s entry point.

Below, we explain how you can reach the park step by step.

La Leona Ranger Station is about a 2h 30m colectivo ride from Puerto Jimenez. But here’s the catch: the ride only goes as far as Carate, a small town 30 km southwest of Puerto Jimenez.

There are two colectivo trips daily: one at 06:00 and another at 13:30. You can catch the colectivos across Supermarket 96 in Puerto Jimenez town centre.

A ticket costs 8,000 CRC ($17.10).

Once you reach Carate, you’ll need to hike for about 45 minutes through the jungle to get to La Leona Ranger Station.

For most of the trail you will be walking by the beach, but be prepared that it will be hot! Keep an eye out for wildlife, you’ll most likely spot a few of them along the way.

What to expect in the trail starting from La Leona Ranger Station?

From La Leona, it’s a 15 km hike northwest to Sirena, the centre of Corcovado. The trail is mostly flat and dry, making it a great route for beginners and occasional hikers.

A great thing about this route is the wildlife sightings. Dry weather equals thin forest, which gives plenty of opportunities to spot various animals along the way.

The hike from La Leona to Sirena takes around 8 hours.

Los Patos is another entry point that you can reach from Puerto Jimenez to Corcovado. The only way to get to Los Patos is by a 1 hour taxi via the town of La Palma. Rates start from 37,000 CRC ($80).

What to expect in the trail starting from Los Patos Ranger Station?

You can find Sirena about 20 km southwest of Los Patos Ranger Station. The main difference of this trail compared to that from La Leona is that it’s mostly hilly, making it more physically challenging.

We recommend this 8 to 9-hour hike only for experienced hikers. The jungle here is thick and beautiful, but there may be fewer sightings of wildlife.

You can also reach Sirena by a 1 to 1.5-hour boat trip from Puerto Jimenez. It’s not a common option, though. So if you want to take this route, you’ll have to either join a day trip or rent your own private boat.

Costs for a day trip start from 84,000 CRC ($180) per person, while you can rent a boat with prices from 183,000 CRC ($390).

This option is a great choice if you’re travelling with family, especially with young kids.

With a day tour, you will travel by boat from Puerto Jimenez to Corcovado via Sirena.

Osa Wild, a trusted local operator, offers this experience for 84,000 CRC ($180) per person. Their tour includes roundtrip boat transfers, lunch, park entrance fees and a nature guide to help you spot wildlife. The tour takes around 8 hours, including the 3-hour boat rides to and from the park.

You can book directly through the Osa Wild website, but check availability beforehand since tours depend on a minimum number of participants.

Alternatively, you can book a Corcovado National Park Day Tour through GetYourGuide. This option costs 51,000 CRC ($110), but you’ll need to pay an extra 30,000 CRC ($64) for the boat transfers the day before your trip.

Like the Osa Wild tour, it includes park entrance fees and lunch. The meeting point for both day trips is at the public pier in Puerto Jimenez.

There is also an option to rent a private boat from Puerto Jimenez to Sirena Ranger Station. You can ask your hotel to help book this for you. Rates for a private boat start from 183,000 CRC ($390). Note that this may not yet include park entrance fees or the local guide.

The great thing about taking a boat is that you will see a lot of marine life on the way. So even the boat transfers will be a fun ride for the whole group.

For the fastest option from Puerto Jimenez to Corcovado, you can take a 15-minute flight. Alfa Rome Air offers private plane rides that will take you straight to the heart of the national park, which is Sirena Ranger Station. Rates start from 468,000 CRC ($1,000) for a small plane that can accommodate up to 5 people.

Flying gives you stunning aerial views of Corcovado National Park’s lush rainforest and saves you from the long hikes required for other routes, like La Leona or Los Patos.

Alfa Rome Air offers private rides daily. For reservations, you can e-mail them through reservations@alfaromeoair.com or visit the Alfa Rome Air website.

The trail from Sirena Ranger Station

As the heart of Corcovado, Sirena is where you’ll spot the most variety of flora and fauna. From here, the trails are beautiful and easy. We recommend heading straight to Sirena, especially if you’re not into long hikes or if you’re travelling with kids.

It’s possible to visit Sirena on just a day trip, but you can also stay overnight at the ranger station for the ultimate experience! This will allow you to explore Corcovado at night and in the early morning when fewer people and more animals are roaming the grounds.

A note on accommodations at Sirena Ranger Station: don’t expect luxury. They provide basic amenities like dorm-style bunk beds and clean toilets. The food is good too! But if you’re looking for private rooms and hot baths, this may not be the place for you.

TIP: If you decide to travel by plane, please consider including a carbon compensation fee to reduce your impact on the environment.