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Southern Pacific Region

The Southern Pacific is considered the least developed and most remote of Costa Rica's regions. Made up of varying landscapes including mountains, jungle, agricultural land and beaches, what it lacks in accessibility it makes up for in beauty.

Dominical

A popular place with surfers is the coastal town of Dominical. Its waves can reach 10 ft overhead appealing to the more advanced surfer. But if surfing isn't for you, you can always horseback ride down the 4km stretch of beach, kayak, snorkel, spot humpback whales and turtles off the coast at Playa Uvita, take a canopy tour in the rainforest or take a trip to the near-by Nuayaca falls. With balmy daytime temperatures and cool, refreshing night time temperatures Dominical is also the perfect place to simply relax and perhaps sample some of the delicious seafood in one of the local restaurants.

Chirripo National Park

Covering an area of 195 square miles within the Talamanca Mountain Range, Chirripo National Park includes the second tallest mountain in Central America - Mount Chirripo, which stands at an imposing 3819m.

New species of plant life are still being discovered within the ferns, cloudforests, Madronos and Paramo of the park. Perhaps the plateaus of shrubs and leafy plants of the wind-swept Paramo have remained uncharted because it is believed to be sacred by the indigenous people of the area. The extraordinary environment plays host to equally extraordinary animals such as the tapir and peccary, pumas and jaguars.

Another distinguishing feature of the park is its water. The word Chirripo means "Land of the Eternal Waters" and there certainly is plenty of it. Lakes, rivers, streams, lagoons and swamps abound here.

Corcovado and The Osa Peninsula

Described by the National Geographic magazine as; 'one of the most biologically intense places on earth', the Corcovado National Park is part of the corridor of flora and fauna that formed when the continents of South and North America were joined by the Central American isthmus. The park teems with diversity, protecting over 500 species of trees and 140 species of mammals - a number of which are threatened with extinction. Spanning 425km sq. the park contains one of the tallest rainforests in the world and the biggest lowland humid rainforest in Central America.

The focus of Corcovado National Park is conservation; the very presence of tourism jeopardizes the fragile ecosystem here. However with so much to see and learn from the environment the park attracts scientists, holidaymakers and hikers out to spot some of the unique wildlife.

If not flying into the area, reaching the park can be tricky. Most people access the park from Drake bay - reachable by boat or plane or Puerto Jimenez, which involves navigating an extremely bumpy road. Allow yourself plenty of time to get here and be prepared for rain; this area receives more rainfall than anywhere else in Costa Rica.

Drake Bay and Isla del Cano

Discovered by Sir Francis Drake in 1579, Drake Bay consists of two hamlets containing around 1,000 residents, one store and several all-inclusive solar-powered lodges. Its remote location, 12 miles north of Corcovado National Park is not easy to reach, only possible by boat or plane or road only during the dry season. Plenty of tours operate out of Drake Bay and these include canoeing, kayaking , horse riding, sportsfishing and snorkeling tours from the nearby biological reserve of the Isla del Cano. It also has perfect sandy beaches for sunbathing or simply enjoying the spectacular sunsets.

The monolithic stone ball sculptures and Indian Graves that can be seen on Isla del Cano suggest that it was once a pre-Columbian cemetery. Some of these archaeological remnants can be found at the end of one of the two trails on the island. The other trail leads to a lookout on the South of the island. But Isla del Cano is most famous for snorkeling, it is the principal destination for this in Costa Rica. A multitude of colorful fish swims through the tidal pools and corals. Giant conches, lobsters, starfish, sea urchins, dolphins and whales frequent these waters.

Golfito

Only 33km North of the frontier with Panama, Golfito was formerly the home of the headquarters of the United Fruit Company before they pulled out of the area in 1985, leaving economic hardship in their wake. Despite its past troubles, Golfito is set within a spectacular landscape of verdant forest looking out over the ocean. Golfito is a handy departure point for the Corcovado National Park and the surfing hotspot of Pavones - which has the longest left point break in the world.