OSA: Your Getaway to Paradise
The Osa Peninsula area is my favorite part of Costa Rica, so I happily accepted an invitation in December 2020 to visit Puerto Jimenez with a group of friends.
My trip highlights, shared with insider tips in the full online version of this story (see “click” logo above), are meant to encourage Howler readers to plan your own getaway to paradise. I’m already looking forward to my next Osa adventure.
Our first full day in the peninsula began with a boat trip on the Pacific Ocean to see aquatic wildlife and sea birds. The adventure did not disappoint. Before long, the boat was surrounded by hundreds of dolphins, which swam by the boat for a long duration. We also saw sea turtles, a manta ray and many birds.
That night, our group took a bioluminescent kayak tour. Immediately after setting out, we saw the gorgeous blue-green lights in the water where the plankton hit the paddle. Above us was a sky full of stars and below us, the entire sea lighting up from our paddles and hands in the water. It was pure magic ... the magic of nature that is!
On day two, the group headed to Corcovado National Park, where our hike took us through beautiful jungle and beach paths. One of the first animals we saw was a tayra, sitting quietly above us high in the tree. The tayra is difficult to see and is usually very shy and skittish around humans, so we were very lucky to spot it.
Other highlights of our park visit included seeing a group of coatis raiding a turtle nest and seeing all four monkey species at the same time.
Night hikes can be amazing in the Osa Peninsula. There is much more wildlife activity at night than during the day, even if the animals are harder to spot. I was lucky to have help from our guide, Cesar Moraga Ruiz, during both of our late-night walks.
It was very cool to observe all the creatures we found within a very short distance of our accommodations. We spotted and heard several owls. We also saw a venomous terciopelo snake lying across the path we were walking on. Without Cesar's warning, I would have stepped right on the snake. Yikes!
The Osa Peninsula has amazing views, beautiful beaches and abundant wildlife.