Named as one of the bio-diverse spots on earth, Corcovado National Park attracts nature and wildlife lovers from around the world. As the crown jewel of Costa Rica’s national parks, the government works hard to preserve the natural environment and maintain the lowest amount of disturbance possible while allowing visitors to hike, camp and view wildlife in their natural habitat.
Most people take day trips to the 163.7 mi² park but you can also hike to the various ranger stations and camp. The most popular place for day tours are San Pedrillo and Sirena Station. Both are easily accessible by boat and allow for wonderful wildlife watching.
If you only have one day to visit Corcovado National Park but aren’t sure which station to go to, I’m going to describe my experiences hiking at both of them. There are some significant differences which will help you decide.
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Corcovado National Park Location
San Pedrillo Station
San Pedrillo station is the northernmost station in the park and is the closest one to Drake Bay, a 20 minute boat ride. It’s about 1.5 hours from Uvita.
We visited San Pedrillo Station during our stay at a nearby hotel since they have their own private trail to the station. Otherwise, people arrive by boat to San Pedrillo Station.
The station has bathrooms and picnic tables. Day tours to this station include lunch and a couple hikes on the trails. The beach is right in front (where you disembark if you boat there), so you can also walk along the shore or check out the river mouth.
Hiking Trails
The trail we took from the lodge connects to one of the main trails from the station that splits into two: along the beach or through the forest. We stuck to the forest since we were nearing high tide.
Then we went to a waterfall that took us about 30 minutes. The trails at San Pedrillo station are fairly well laid out, but there are some spots that get slippery and muddy when it rains.
I really liked this hike. We crossed a river by walking on a small plank and there are a couple viewpoints, so you can stop and see if you can spot any crocodiles or other wildlife.
The waterfall is the end of the trail but unfortunately, it was very strong from the previous rains so we couldn’t go in the water. Normally, you can take a dip when the falls aren’t too full.
It’s not the prettiest waterfall but it was a nice spot to rest after hiking.
Wildlife
As one of the most biologically diverse places in the world, there is a ton of wildlife at Corcovado National Park.
However, it is known that San Pedrillo doesn’t have as many mammals so if you’re intent on seeing anteaters, tapirs and the pumas, it’s not easy to see them here. That doesn’t mean it’s impossible or that there aren’t mammals at San Pedrillo at all, just your chances of seeing them are fairly slim.
We only saw two mammals: the spider monkey and an agouti for a fleeting second. We did see tapir and coati footprints on one of the muddy trails, so they are definitely there.
However, if you like birds, we saw a ton of cool birds like hawks, tanagers and trogons. We even saw the Black-cheeked Ant Tanager which is endemic to the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica.
Sirena Station
Sirena Station is the biggest station in the park and this is where most people camp and hike to from the other stations.
All day tours arrive at Sirena station by boat which is about an hour from Drake Bay. When you depart for Sirena, I recommend wearing flip flops for the boat ride and bringing your socks and hiking shoes because it’s a wet landing. Also bring a small towel to wipe off the sand and dry your feet.
There are bathrooms at Sirena station but no convenience stores so bring plenty of water and snacks. When people spend the night here, they usually bring a tent, sleeping bag or hammock.
**They have recently renovated the Sirena station with new rooms, bathrooms and living space.**
Hiking trails
There are several trails from Sirena Station which loop around the area. We walked along the Sendero Rio Claro, along the beach and one of the loops.
The trails are really well laid out and easy to walk. Our guide would sometimes walk off the trail to look for animals but if you’re not with a guide, I don’t really recommend doing that on your own unless you see another guide do it. You never know what you might step on!
We walked through both secondary and primary forest and it was a really nice hike. Since there are many trails, we walked for about 5 hours. People who camp overnight have the advantage of spreading the hikes out during optimal wildlife viewing hours.
As Corcovado National Park was established back in 1975, the flora and fauna have grown freely and without major disturbances.
Wildlife
Wildlife watching at Sirena Station is considerably more than San Pedrillo. Since Sirena is in the Corcovado Basin, there is a larger diversity and concentration of wildlife. That is why majority of people who spend just one night see tapirs, anteaters, peccaries and the elusive pumas.
Unfortunately we didn’t see any jungle cats but we did see a tapir which I had been hoping to see. It was happily taking a nap in the river. They’re more active in early morning and dusk so people who camp often see tapirs out and about on the beach or on the trails.
As for other wildlife, we saw plenty. As soon as we got off the boat, we could hear spider monkeys screaming and howler monkeys grunting. When it comes to mammals, there are considerably more of them at Sirena than San Pedrillo. Within 5 minutes of walking the trail, we ran into three coatis fighting over territory with a troop of spider monkeys right above us.
An animal I wasn’t expecting to see were sharks. We saw bull sharks when we walked on the beach and they were swimming very close to shore. That part of the ocean connects with the Sirena river mouth so sometimes sharks will swim into the river which I’ve heard, people cross.
We also saw bats, squirrel, white face and howler monkeys, scarlet macaws, an osprey, Black-mandibuled toucan, a Great Curassow and a deer. Other animals that can be seen are peccaries, jungle cats like pumas, ocelots and jaguars, snakes, turtles, anteaters and sloths.
Tips for visiting San Pedrillo and Sirena Station in Corcovado National Park
- I recommend wearing rubber boots if you’re going in rainy season which you can buy in Puerto Jiminez or Drake and some hotels may provide them for you. In dry season, regular hiking shoes will be fine. Read more about best shoes for Costa Rica.
- Wear long pants and a fast drying t-shirt or long sleeve shirt. It is insanely humid in this area and we were sweating buckets. I highly recommend getting an outdoor shirt that has insect blocker, UPF 30 and fast drying/advanced evaporation technology to protect you from bugs and the sun while keeping you cool. It also helps to bring a small towel to wipe your face. Columbia is a good brand to check.
- Insect repellent is also a must but the best protection is long pants and shirts. However, you should still put bug repellent on the exposed areas since you’re going deep in the jungle. I wore a tank top because I didn’t have a long sleeve t shirt, put on 98% DEET bug spray and it worked like a charm.
- If you’re there to photograph wildlife, you absolutely have to have a good zoom lens. We used our 100-400mm Canon lens along with our Canon T5i (crop). One of our fellow hikers brought a Tamron 150-600 on his Canon 7d and his pictures were amazing. A good pair of binoculars doesn’t hurt either. If your guide brings a telescope, you can take pictures with your phone on the eyepiece.
- Use sunscreen. Even though you’re walking under the canopy, the sun is still intense. You’ll definitely need it for the boat ride and when you walk on the beach.
At both San Pedrillo and Sirena Station, you’ll be able to see plenty of wildlife. However, if you are intent on seeing as many mammals as possible, go to Sirena. You may not see the puma, but you will have a much higher chance of seeing them plus other mammals than at San Pedrillo.
If you’re not dying to see mammals, San Pedrillo station is perfectly fine. You can see many birds and you still have a chance to see tapirs, sloths, monkeys and other animals. Corcovado National Park is rightly named as one of the most bio diverse places in the world, once you step off the boat you’ll see exactly why!
Read about other things to do in the South/Osa Peninsula here!
10 things to do in Uvita and Dominical
If you’re planning on going to Manuel Antonio National Park, another wildlife hot spot, check out our post on hiking the Manuel Antonio trails.
Susan Davis says
Hi, hoping to get some of your great insight for a day trip to Corcovado. We’ll be in Uvita for 5 days in July. Plenty of options for a tour to the San Pedrillo Station, which includes 3 hours (round trip) ocean boat ride. This is our 3rd trip to Costa Rica in the green season. We’ve experienced a lot of rain, and a lot of sunshine, it’s all good. I’m a little hesitant about an ocean boat ride in the rain. I’ll have meds for motion sickness, but I also worry about the choppiness and constant bumps. I’m looking at options for the Sirena Station, we could drive to Sierpe from Uvita (unless you don’t recommend that drive for the unexperienced) But I’m only finding vendors from Drake Bay. Do you have any recommendations? Thanks as always, Susan
Sammi says
You can drive to SIerpe from Uvita, that is actually a nice easy drive as it is just down the main highway, we do have a partner that runs a San Pedrillo day trip from Uvita, it does require a 1.5 hour boat ride however. In the green season, it really depends as rainy season weather can be a bit more unpredictable, some days can be beautiful with no wind, some days can be clear and dry but choppy and stormy out in the ocean and it also depends on which month. July tends to have what we call a “little summer” so the weather dries up a bit like dry season, but this is variable and not always 100%. July should normally be OK though, in the mornings it tends to be less windy and the tour departure time is at 7 AM. It just does tend to rain in the afternoons so you do need to be prepared for any rain on the way back.
Emily Marie says
Hello we are looking to stay in Drakes Bay and visit the Sirena ranger station, I was looking to book with someone on Airbnb who says you need to book this place 30 days in advance and they are welcome to do it for us but need our passport numbers and full names. Does this sound accurate to you?
Sammi says
Hi Emily all visitors have to go with a guide to Corcovado National Park and purchase tickets in advance, the SINAC national park ticket system requires the passport number, country, birthday, and full name of each guest as there are different ticket prices for foreigners and nationals
Mel says
Hello!! Your blog has been immensely helpful for getting our bearings with planning a 2-week trip to Costa Rica. We’ll be going in early Feb 2025 and Corcovado National Park has been on my bucket list, so I’m super excited to finally be able to go.
Do you have any recommendations for tours or guides that would include an overnight stay at Sirena Station?
Sammi says
Hi Mel, check with Sucros!
Liv says
Is there any way to access Corcovado without a boat by parking and walking? I have a prior back injury that has me worried about getting into a small boat on big choppy waves. I’ve looked all over the internet but still cannot find a clear answer. I have found a few hotels in Drake that arrange park tours for you, but I’m concerned they depart by boat. Thank you in advance!
Sammi says
Yes there is, but you will need to book a hotel close to the station in order to visit the national park by land. We stayed at La Leona Lodge before and it was literally right next to the Leona station so we just walked out of our hotel with our guide right to the park to do a guided walk in the park.
Silvia Siren says
Hello – you are great ambassadors for Costa Rica! We’ve been there two times and your site has given us a ton of information and helped make our trips fantastic. Have you visited the Finca 6 to see the round rocks? I’ve been doing some reading and it sounds like they are near Corcovado. We will be visiting again next year and are starting to look at places we want to visit.
Thank you for all you do@
Silvia
Sammi says
Hi Silvia, I’m glad the website is helpful. We have been to Finca 6 but many years ago, so I would check for updated information on roads, hours and the ticket price, it’s in Palmar Norte. Here is our post from back then: https://mytanfeet.com/activities/stone-spheres-in-costa-rica-finca-6/
Silvia says
Thank you! What are the places to stay if we want to go there?
Sammi says
Anywhere in the South Pacific is close by
sally says
I would like to take a day trip to Sirena Station from Uvita. I’m reading that this isn’t an option. How can I arrange transportation to Drake Bay so that I can make this happen? Hoping to do this the 2nd week of February.
Sammi says
You can go to Drake Bay to go to Sirena, the best way from Uvita is to go to SIerpe to take the boat to Drake, here is our guide: Sierpe to Drake Bay boat and then your host can probably help you arrange the tour.
Bonnie says
Is it normal for the tour guides to ask for a copy of our passport for reservation? We are going in March and doing the three days 2 nights sleepover in Sirena station and I wanted to know if that was ok for security reasons if you know what I mean. Thank you
Sammi says
Yes, for Corcovado National Park, park tickets must be purchased in advance and the SINAC asks for passport numbers, nationalities, ages and full name of each person purchasing a ticket. So your tour guides who is purchasing your park ticket for you, needs this information
Lucie says
Hey
Thanks for this post. Do you still have the contact info of your guide and do you approximately remember how much that was? Thanks
Sammi says
No sorry 🙁 He was a guide assigned to us by Casa Corcovado Jungle Lodge
Bryn says
Hello! How do you suggest we get to the Sirena Station if we are staying in Drake’s Bay? Should we maybe stay in Puerto Jimenez instead? We are definitely going to this park for the mammals so I want to make sure we start at the right spot to get the most out of the park. Thank you!
Sammi says
You will need to take a boat from Drake to get to Sirena station
Simona says
Is it possible to visit Corcovado Park without a guide? Which part of the park is best to visit from Drake bay.
Thank you very much in advance. Simona
Sammi says
It isn’t, by law all visitors must go with a guide to Corcovado.
From Drake Bay, the closest station is San Pedrillo (boat). Sirena is a bit further (boat only).
Marian Mckinney says
Your blog is the best travel blog I have read!! Your information is both extremely detailed and useful. We travel all over the world and I am grateful for your extensive discussion on avoiding dengue and other vector diseases. I have seen travellers who got very sick and it ruins your trip, total waste of time and money, plus the agony and the danger to your overall health. Also love the detailed descriptions of the hikes in Corcovado. We have been to Costa Rica before and love it. We hav mever neen to Osa and your blog is really helping us plan ahead ,no guidebook that I hav seen comes close. Thank you so much!
Sammi says
Hi Marian, thanks so much for your kind words and I’m glad that the blog is helpful! 🙂
Cathy says
Thanks for another helpful post guys! We will be spending two nights at Sirena Station in March hiking in from La Leona and out via Los Patos. A little nervous about some of the river crossings and wildlife (crocodiles and sharks!) but sound like it’s an amazing place. Great to see what the trails look like from your photos.
Sammi says
It’ll be a tough hike but definitely worth it! As long as you time it right and cross at low tide, the possibility of sharks is a lot lower. I havent heard on the news anyone getting attacked so thats good! We are hoping to do the long hike and spend two nights at Sirena in low season. Be prepared for a ton of people in March if youre going the last two weeks because of Semana Santa, but I’m sure you’ll have an amazing time!