Osa Peninsula Real Estate Area Tours       

        Osa Pacific Properties / South Costa Rica / Osa Peninsula Region                                                                                     

                               

Sierpe River  

 

This trip will immerse you in incredible scenery and wildlife. We take you down the Sierpe  river in a  very comfortable covered boat. Its a nice and relaxing ride offering a 360º view of the Terraba-Sierpe National Wetlands (declared a world Ramsar site), one of the most important biological habitats in the world.  It is the largest conservation area of lowland mangrove swamps in all of Central America. While enjoying the boat trip, you'll have a great opportunity to see the diversity of local wildlife and inhabitants that occupy these mangrove and river lands. Blue Heron, Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets, Green Herons, Tiger Herons, Yellow Crowned Night Herons, Boat Bill Herons, White Ibis, Northern Jacanas, Wattle Jacanas, Purple Gallinules, Kiskidee, Gray Necked Wood Rails, Toucans, and Scarlet McCaws, all make their way by flight, float, or paddle through the mangroves. It is  also very common to see Iguana, Sloths, Racoon, White Faced Capuchin Monkeys, Howler Monkeys, Squirrel Monkeys, Snakes, Crocodiles, Caiman and Fruit Bats. An expert guide will be with you to identify the species you see, provide you with details about the area, and answer any questions you have. Once back in Sierpe you can relax and enjoy your favorite food and beverage at Las Vegas restaurant, overlooking the Sierpe River. 

We only travel by boat with the very best and the most experienced captains. Our boats and  life jacket equipment are well maintained and in excellant condition.

 

 

Drake Bay

Drake Bay (Bahia Drake) lies on the northern end of the Osa Peninsula in the Puntarenas province. Probably one of the most well known destinations in the region, this tiny town by the bay is actually one of the most in-accessible places in the entire country.  You can take a day trip but 2-3 days are recommended. With a rich history of first being discovered by Sir Francis Drake in 1579 during his circum-navigation of the globe, Drake Bay is the gateway to Isla del Caño island and Corcovado National Park. There are plenty of outdoor activities in the area including ocean kayaking, river canoeing, horseback riding, hiking,  surfing, swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving,  and zip lines. Bird watching and photography are also very popular around the bay and beaches. Isla del Caño island offers some of the best snorkeling and scuba diving in all of Costa Rica. This small tropical island has a wealth of underwater beauty. Pacific coral reefs teeming with brightly colored tropical fish, and a wide variety of marine animals and plantlife. Nearby Corcovado National Park, with the tallest rainforest on the planet, is home to many endangered animal and bird species that are indigenous to these protected lands. Drake Bay is only accessible year round by boat, with  a limited number of lodges and cabins in the area. Most of the lodges here offer all inclusive vacation packages and many lodges run on solar power generators making them ‘eco-lodges’ in the truest sense of the term. Due to the remoteness of this region, many of the lodges and hotels here offer their own pick up services from towns like Sierpe by boat. When visiting Drake Bay, it is key that you keep in mind that communication links to this small town are quite limited. Cell phones may not always work properly here and the best way to get communications through is via a shortwave radio or radio phones.

 

 

Daily Departure from Sierpe

200 HP Motor

 

 

 

 

  

                          Cano Island Biological Reserve

Full Day Snorkeling and Scuba Diving Tour

Isla del Caño Island is a biological and archaeological reserve thats comprised of 494 acres of land area and 6,669 maritime acres. The island protects the remains of its Pre-Columbian inhabitants, the Diquis tribe. Several mysterious granite spheres here suggest that Isla del Caño was previously used as an ancient burial ground. The islands terrain above water level is covered with evergreen trees that reach staggering heights of up to 164 feet. This landmass is the exposed part of an underwater mountain thrown up by the ancient collision of two tectonic plates on either side of Costa Rica. Isla del Caño is an exciting expedition for undersea water lovers in Costa Rica. Unique in its location and thriving with diversity, island waters offer visitors an amazing symphony of colorful coral reef, underwater plant life, exotic tropical marine life, and what seems like an endless rainbow of fish in every size, shape, and magnificent color. The island is surrounded by  an incredible15 species of coral reefs. Large schools of fish frequent the reef with jacks, barracudas, snapper, rainbow fish, parrotfish, damsels, grouper, king angel, puffers, surgeonfish, tuna, and a variety of eels. Manta rays, white tip sharks, and sea turtles are species commonly sighted, and there are plenty of dolphin and whales that frequent the waters dependant on the season. 

Enjoy the boat ride  and the breathtaking beauty of Drake Bay on the journey to Caño Island Biological Reserve. The boat trip takes 45 minutes from Drake Bay and 90 minutes from Sierpe. Once we reach our destination, we’ll take a plunge under water, and begin a morning of snorkeling or diving. Afterward, we’ll set up the tables and enjoy a prepared picnic lunch and drinks on the beach. Following lunch, we’ll have time to relax or  take a nature hike to see the islands archeological sites. The Mirador (look out)  Archeological Area trail is the sole hiking path on the island, and it only takes one hour round trip to complete. After the mid-day break,  we'll return to the water for more snorkeling or diving before an afternoon boat ride back to Drake Bay or Sierpe.   

 

                                  Corcovado National Park

                                      Sirena and San Pedrillo Ranger Stations

Exotic and lush, Corcovado National Park is home to thirteen major ecosystems that range from mangrove swamps and jolillo palm groves to montane forests, lagoons, beaches, freshwater herbaceous swamps and primary lowland rainforests. Encompassing over 41,000 hectares the park protects over 140 different mammal species, 400 bird species, 20 of which are endemic, 117 amphibian and reptile species, 40 species of fish, and at least 500 species of trees. Parque Corcovado is widely considered the crown jewel in the extensive system of national parks and biological reserves spread across the country. The park conserves the largest primary forest on the American Pacific coastline and one of the largest area of lowland tropical rainforests in the world. Corcovado is also one of the final strongholds of the jaguar within Central America and several other felines, including ocelot, margay, Jaquarundi, and puma. All four Costa Rican monkey species can be seen within the park, including the endangered squirrel monkey, white faced capuchin, mantled howler, and spider monkey. Other mammals include two and three-toed sloth, northern tamandua, the silky anteater, agoutis, tayras, and coati mundi. There is a large variety of bird species with trogons, tiger herons, guans, hawks, tanagers, parrots, toucans and two distinct macaw species. All four of the sea turtle species that nest in Costa Rica visit the beaches of Corcovado as well. Over 40 species of frogs including red-eyed tree, rain, glass, dink, and poison dart varieties, dozens of snakes including a variety of boas and the bushmaster, 28 species of lizards, and more than 100 species of butterflies call the Osa Peninsula home. There are  16 different hummingbird species and the largest number of scarlet macaws anywhere in Central America. Sirena ranger station is an expedition to the heart of the Corcovado National Park, the most remote ranger station from any possible access in the Osa Peninsula. San Pedrillo is the closest Corcovado National Park Ranger Station to Drake Bay. Once we get to sea we take a southward heading, traveling parallel to the shoreline and one of the few places around the world where it is still possible to see virgin primary rain forest adjoining the beach and the Pacific Ocean, the last remaining tropical rain forest on  the Pacific Meso-American coast.  When we arrive we will hike through diverse trails that will take us deep into the primary forest and jungle. There you will be guided by extremely knowledgeable naturalist guides, who will help you discover the secrets of this amazing and unique habitat.  After a morning  hike through the rain forest, we will enjoy a prepared picnic lunch and drinks, take a restful break, and then finish the expedition and make the return trip back to Drake Bay or Sierpe. On the way back your guide will point out the native species in the protected wetland areas and why they are important to the eco-system and our environment.  If you have ever imagined yourself swimming up to a deserted golden sand beach lined with coconut palms, then rinsing off under a waterfall surrounded by  rainforest, then you'll find that Corcovado's 23 miles (39 km) of beaches live up to your dreams. 

 

                                                  

                                              Poison Dart Frog Tours

Poison dart frogs, members of the Dendrobatidae family, wear some of the most brilliant and beautiful colors on Earth. Depending on individual habitats, which extend from the tropical forests of Costa Rica to Brazil, their coloring can be yellow, gold, copper, red, green, blue, or black. Their elaborate designs and hues are deliberately ostentatious to ward off potential predators, a tactic called aposematic coloration. Some species display unusual parenting habits, including carrying both eggs and tadpoles on their backs. Although this "backpacking" is not unique among amphibians, male poison arrow frogs are exceptional in their care, attending to the clutch, sometimes exclusively, and performing vital transportation duties. Dendrobatids include some of the most toxic animals on Earth. The two-inch-long (five-centimeter-long) golden poison dart frog has enough venom to kill 10 grown men. Indigenous Emberá people of Colombia have used its powerful venom for centuries to tip their blowgun darts when hunting, hence the genus' common name.

  

 

Ocean Sport Fishing

Drake Bay claims a total of more than 40 fishing records. Fshing is excellent all year-round, although the catch  varies according to the season and tides. It is common to land the following species:

Blue and Black Jack (Jurel Azul y Negro)
Spanish and Sierra Mackarel (Macarela Española y Sierra)
Rainbow Runner (Macarela Arco Iris)
Pacific Barracuda (Barracuda)

Roosterfish (Pez Gallo)

Big Eye and Yellowfin Tuna   (Atún ojo grande y aleta amarilla)

Dolphin Fish, Mahi Mahi (Dorado)

• September to October.

Wahoo 

• August to December.

Rock Snapper (Pargo Rockero)
Sea Bass  (Corvina Reina)
Sailfish  (Pez Vela) 

• Febrary to April is the peak season.

Blue, Black and Stripe Marlin  ( Marlin Azul, Negro y Rayado)

• Febrary to April is the peak season especially when the water is warm.

Swordfish (Pez Espada)
AmberJack  (Ojaran)
All year around

Once back in Sierpe, you can relax and enjoy your favorite beverage while your fish is prepared and cooked to your specifications at Las Vegas restaurant, overlooking the Sierpe river. 

 

 

                

                                            River Sport Fishing 

The Térraba and Sierpe rivers begin on the southern slopes of the Talamanca mountains and flow toward the Pacific Ocean. Once near the ocean, they form a network of channels and waterways that weave around the Central America`s largest mangrove swamp. Fishing is excellant in these waters can be sensational, always contingent on the flow of the tide.  It is common to boat the following species:

Snook (Robalo)

Red Snapper ( Pargo Rojo)

Sea Bass (Corvina)
Grooper (Mero)
Tilapia
Vieja (Mojarra)
Machaca
Pacific Grunt (Roncador) 

 

We only travel by boat with the very best and the most experienced captains. Our boats and  life jacket equipment are well maintained and in excellant condition.

 

Visit The Boruca Indian Tribe

The Boruca Indians are an indigenous people living in Costa Rica. The tribe has about 2,000 members, most of whom live on a reservation in the Puntarenas Province of the southern Pacific zone. The ancestors of the modern Boruca were made up of a group of chiefdoms that ruled most of Costa Rica's Pacific coast from Quepos to the border that is now known as Panama, including the Osa Peninsula Region. The Boruca tribe, as well as the Coto, Turrucaca, Borucac, Quepos, and the Abubaes, are part of a composite group that formed the Talamanca Indians. 

 

Wilson Botanical Garden

The Orginization for Tropical Studies maintains three Biological Stations in Costa Rica in connection with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institution. Wilson Botanical Garden is found in Las Cruces Biological Station on Costa Rica's southern Pacific coastal range, and is noted for its extensive collection of palms, bromeliads, ferns, aroids, gingers, heliconias, marantas, many native and non-native endangered plant species, tropical and subtropical ornamentals, and its wet and dry rain forests. More than 1,000 genera in 212 plants families can be seen along trails that wind around palm-covered hillsides, through agave and lily beds, under rain forest canopy, through banana and heliconia groves, all across Wilson Botanical gardens.

 

Snorkeling and diving tours at the reefs of Marino Ballena National Park. 

Blue Morph Butterfly Tour in Palmar. 

Two hour Terraba river mangrove tour from Ochohal.   

Ultra-lite airplane flites over the  Pacific  coastline and surrounding forest lands.

 

Please contact Ted Petersen at Osa Pacific Properties for prices, reservations and availability.

  

         Osa Peninsula Real Estate Area Tours

  Osa Pacific Properties / South Costa Rica / Osa Peninsula Region