THE JAGUAR'S JUNGLE
Overnights
Unrivaled access to pristine coastal jungle
San Pedrillo Station - 1 Night
Camp in the jaguar's stomping grounds!
$290 per person
Explore Corcovado on a deep level by camping in the jaguar hotspot area of the primary forest with our experienced guide. Our exclusive spot in the San Pedrillo sector, allows us to do night hikes during the time when jaguars and other big cats are most likely to be spotted! This tour option is exclusive to The Jaguars Jungle Lodge because of our location, and its the only Corcovado tour that allows night hikes!
Departure: 7am
Return: ~12:30 the next day
Trip itinerary:
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7am hike to the park and check in with the rangers
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Explore Rio Pargo trails
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Lunch
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Explore upper trails and waterfall
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Set up camp deep in the forest where jaguars are consistently spotted via camera trap and eye witness
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Dinner is delivered by our staff
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Night adventures
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Breakfast in the morning
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Hike back to the Lodge
*All prices include a naturalist guide, food, camping gear/accommodation, & park reservations
San Pedrillo Camping Trips are only for hikers who truly want to camp in the jungle. However, if you are willing to rough it, this trip can bring high rewards like a wild jaguar sighting which very few people on this earth have experienced.
About your guide
Yasnir Salazar was born and raised just a few kilometers from the lodge in a remote area where economic opportunity is scarce. He grew up hunting and fishing in the area and started his career in tourism doing odd jobs at the lodge. Over the years, he learned to captain the boat and lead tours to Cano Island. Based on the smiles and excitement from anyone who went on an excursion with him, it was evident that he could become one of the top guides in the area. His upbringing gave him a deep knowledge for the forest, and his positive attitude made him a natural guide. By working at the lodge, he was able to save up for his guiding certification and now he is one of the top rated guides in Corcovado.
Which station should I go to?
San Pedrillo Station
A tour to San Pedrillo is less of a touristic affair and more of a raw experience. The San Pedrillo Station is primary rain forest so you can expect to see massive old growth trees and undisturbed landscapes. The station also boasts an impressive waterfall and stunning beaches. Statistically, the San Pedrillo Station gets more puma sightings and the Sirena Station gets more tapir sightings (not as many as on the Jaguar's Jungle property however). The only animal that can be spotted at Sirena and not San Pedrillo is the Squirrel Monkey.
A tour to San Pedrillo generally starts with a 10 minute boat ride or a hike from the lodge to the Station. Your guide will start by leading you through the flat trail to Rio Pargo where visitors can spot three species of monkeys, coatis, agoutis, great currasows, peccaries, and hopefully the tapir or the puma. This trail includes a beach section. Later, the guide will lead you through the waterfall trails where crocodiles can be spotted. Visitors can swim in the lower waterfall. After lunch at the station, groups get back on the boat to return to the lodge. Extreme hikers have the option of hiking back to the lodge.
Overnight tours at San Pedrillo are camping trips. We provide you with tents, hot food, all equipment needed, and a knowledgeable guide. No other tour agencies carry out this tour because it is heavily involved. We are able to do this because of our strategic location and our fit and dedicated staff.
Sirena Station
The Sirena Station is more popular than the San Pedrillo Station, because the area is a flat, easy hike that practically anyone can do. Therefore, you should expect many more tourists there than at San Pedrillo. The entry limit of each station is 100 tourists per day, and the Sirena Station tends to fill those spaces weeks in advance. The reason for its popularity is because it is believed to guarantee more animal sightings which is not always true. The rain forest at Sirena is secondary growth, which means it has been cut down before and later revived. The Sirena Station has dorm beds and a cafeteria for those participating in overnight tours.
What to expect
Corcovado is the most exclusive national park in Costa Rica with the strictest rules and limitations on how many people can enter, who can guide tours, and activity protocols. Only a select list of local guides are allowed into the park, and the stations are boat access only.
These rules and protocols have saved many critically endangered species on the Osa Peninsula from extinction. This conservation success is an example of the measures that must be taken to save and bring back rainforests and their inhabitants. Up until recently, it was very difficult to spot any large wildlife like a tapir due to overhunting and habitat destruction. Now, the tapir sightings are part of what makes the area so attractive for tourism.
The park is an incredibly special place precisely because it is a wild and undisturbed rainforest. The fact that it is so exclusive and has such strict regulations helps to ensure that it remains that way, providing a haven for critically endangered species and allowing visitors to witness nature in its purest form. While it's true that there's no guarantee of specific animal sightings, visitors to Corcovado can appreciate the beauty and wonder of the rainforest as a whole, and the chance to catch a glimpse of some of its incredible inhabitants is truly a bonus.
About the Park
Corcovado National Park was established on October 24th, 1975 by presidential decree during the Daniel Oduber Quirós administration. At this time Corcovado was settled by gold miners and farmers who were eventually relocated by the government in order to protect the flora and fauna of the park.
Today Corcovado protects the largest tract of Pacific Lowland Rainforest in all of Central America and is home to the country’s most endangered animals. Hiking through Corcovado’s impressive forests and experiencing the park’s rich biodiversity is truly memorable and highly recommended.