- Book through ACOSA before you go. Corcovado is not a SICORE ticket, as of 5 Oct 2026.
- A guide is required on the trails to Sirena, as of 5 Oct 2026.
- The park is open every day, 7:00–15:00. Leave at first light, as of 5 Oct 2026.
- A foreign adult pays US$16.95. IVA is included, as of 5 Oct 2026.
Corcovado National Park
Costa Rica
The big lowland forest on the Osa. You go with a guide, by boat or a long beach walk.
Check before you go
Facts
Tickets: ACOSA. Book before you go.
Fee: US$16.95 for a foreign adult. IVA included, as of Oct 2026.
Hours: Every day 7:00–15:00.
Guide: Required on the trails to Sirena.
Map
- Sirena ranger stationThe station is inside the park. You reach it with a guide, by boat or a long beach walk. It is a hard day, or a night there, not a roadside view.
- Carate and La LeonaThe rough road ends at Carate, then a beach walk enters the park. Go in daylight. Do not start after lunch.
- Drake Bay boatThe launch from Drake enters with a guide. A late start misses the tide window. You do not go in alone.
- The trailStay on the marked path. If a section is roped off, do not step around it. Do not leave the path to follow an animal.
The forest is why you go. Scarlet macaws cross the Osa, and the useful hour on the trail is first light, with a guide. By late morning the heat is up. Do not leave the path to follow an animal.
You enter by boat or the long track from Carate. Sirena is inside, with a guide, by boat or a long beach walk. From Drake Bay the launch goes in with a guide. Do not start after lunch.
This is lowland forest, and it is hot. On this Pacific side the dry window is December to April. May to November is wetter, and the rain usually builds in the afternoon. Leave at first light.
The Osa is a long drive or a domestic flight to Puerto Jiménez. From town you continue by boat or the Carate track. Drake Bay is a launch from Sierpe. Go in daylight.
Yes. Book through ACOSA before you go. Corcovado is not a SICORE ticket. A guide is required on the trails to Sirena.
A foreign adult pays US$16.95. IVA is included, as of Oct 2026. Fees differ for residents.
It is open every day, 7:00 to 15:00. Leave at first light. A late start can miss the tide window, and you do not go in after lunch.
Yes. A guide is required on the trails to Sirena. That is the rule here, not a rule for every park. You do not go in alone.
Book before you go. A guide goes on the trails to Sirena. Stay on the trail. If a section is roped off, do not step around it. Do not start after lunch.
Where to stay
The peninsula, the gulf town, and the boat-in bay are the ways in.
Osa Peninsula
Costa Rica
The largest lowland rainforest on this side, and the way into Corcovado. Worth a night among the trees.
Puerto Jiménez
Costa Rica
The gulf town on the Osa, and the road toward Corcovado. A warm base for the forest, the boats, and the park.
Drake Bay
Costa Rica
A boat-in bay on the Osa, for Corcovado and Caño Island. Arriving by boat is half the pleasure.
Thinking about living in Corcovado?
See homes and land for sale in Corcovado through Costa Rica MLS, or ask a local agent a question.
Parks near
Piedras Blancas
Rainforest on the Golfo Dulce, near Golfito. Rivers decide the day in the wet months.
Marino Ballena
The whale-tail sandbar at Uvita. You walk it only at low tide, and pay at the ranger hut.
La Amistad
The largest park in the country, shared with Panama. Remote trails from the Coto Brus side.
Chirripó
The highest peak in the country. A booked permit, a 3 a.m. start, and a night at the base lodge.
Manuel Antonio
The short Pacific park: monkeys, sloths, and a swim inside the gate. Closed Tuesdays.
Los Quetzales
Cold oak forest at km 76, for quetzals. Pair it with a night in San Gerardo de Dota.