The Pensinsula de Osa sits on the Pacific side close to the Panamanian border and holds the largest park in Costa Rica: Corcovado National Park. Quoting Wiki, National Geographic describes it as “the most biologically intense place on Earth in terms of biodiversity”. Since it was a few hundred kms to get down there and time was slipping through my fingers I decided to leave the bike in Cabuya and took an opporunistic ride down there for Christmas and New Year with my friend Vanessa. Through the bicycle touring website warmshowers.org I´d also connected with another touring cyclist (Leah) who was also on the peninsula by coincidence. Follow her amazing story here, cycling on her own through Latin America all the way to Argentina. Unfortunately entry into the park was fully booked so we camped on the beach at Matapalo, again taking full advantage of the public land 50 metres from the high tide mark. The wildlife and nature were phenomenal…
The lancha from Golfito to Puerto Jiménez, Christmas Day
Although we didn´t make it into Corcovado National Park we explored the wilderness around Matapalo and I´d be surprised if it was much different.
For a couple of nights, we camped on top of a roof of an amazing house where our new friend´s Adriana and Chris were staying with their family. This roof was also a well used path by a tribe of white-faced monkeys and we were woken in the morning to find ourselves face to face with the alpha male dancing agressively and pulling at Leah´s mat. This was presumably an effort to distract us whilst the other monkeys passed…
A caterpillar?
Crocodiles (Caimans), a 10 minute walk from Puerto Jiménez. This girl knows no fear…
Sunrise from the tent.
After Peninsula de Osa, I caught the bus back via San José and then the ferry from Puntarenas back to Nicoya. Although the ferry ride was pleasant, I realised at that point how glad I was that I normally travel by bicycle and looked forward to continuing on two wheels.
