WHAT: Hiking the beach road of Corcovado WHERE: You start at Drake Bay and go on all the way until Poor Man's Paradise or The Jaguar's Jungle HOW LONG: 4 hours of hiking - one way HOW MUCH: The trail is for free; except for the $1,- ride you have to pay to cross the river by canoe. In case you're leaving late you need a place to sleep along the trail
Corcovado is together with Tortuguero one of the most adventurous spots of Costa Rica to visit. Try to include at least one of these destinations in your itinerary if you’re planning a trip. They’re like little Amazons. You have to make of a bit of an effort to get here though, but it’s worth it. Not only can you see a lot of wildlife, but these places feel way less touristy, compared to for example La Fortuna or Monteverde.
There are a lot of tours you can opt for in Drake Bay; a night tour, whale watching, diving and snorkeling at Isla Caño, San Pedrillo hike, frog tour, mangrove tour, hike around the Sirena Biological Station and dolphin tour. Just to mention a couple. Without a doubt, you can have a great time with all of those. But in case you have less dinero or want to go on an adventure without a guide, there’s also another option: go on a hike along the beach – for free!
Finding the beach road is easy; if you stand in front of the ocean, turn left and walk as close to the sea as you can. Now all you have to do is follow the road – and enjoy it. The landscapes are different around each turn, and so are the views: small overgrown islands, lush backgrounds, steep cliffs, tiny deserted beaches, hanging palms. Expect to see a lot of variety when it comes to animals: toucans, macaws, howler and squirrel monkeys, possums, bats, coatis, tapirs and hundreds of hermit crabs; all can possibly join you on this journey along the road.
The only obstacle (apart from mosquitos and possible rain) is a river crossing after somewhat 1,5 hours. We tried to go through the river, but it simply is too deep. So save your bags and pay that dollar at the upwards canoe crossing. You have to blow the whistle that hangs out on a tree and before you know it; a Tico on the other side will pick you up. Such a fun experience! If you need a break, there’s a small bar on the other side too.
Now, the road is the journey in itself, but in case you don’t want to go back on the same day or need a stop, there are two places you can stay for the night. The first one is Poor Man’s Paradise, at a three-hour walk from Drake Bay. Though it is indeed a paradise at this spot, you do need quite some dollars to enjoy the luxury of a bed in here. At the website a price of $105,- dollars is stated for two persons, included breakfast. Not exactly ‘poor man’s’. Cabins are nice but simple and the food is pretty okay. We arrived in here unexpectedly before sunset and bargained a price of $70,- for a stay including breakfast and dinner. This was even during high season. So try it out, but there’s no guaranty of course you can enjoy the same deal.
If you want a cheaper stay you need to walk a bit further; one hour down the beach road you can find The Jaguar’s Jungle. This hostel is tucked away in the jungle and offers a unique eco-friendly experience. As with Poor Man’s Paradise, it’s the remoteness that makes this place such a slice of haven.
The owner of Jaguar’s Jungle is Leo and he provides with his guests with basic cabins (dorm for $15,- and private cabin with ensuite bathrooms for $50,-) and great food that is prepared (and caught in case of fish) by himself. It’s a place that rather feels like a home than a hostel. Waves will be lulling you to sleep, tapirs are walking around in the garden and there are machetes everywhere in case you want to chop your own coconut. Recently Leo installed some solar panels as well, providing electricity. Breakfast is provided for $6,-, lunch for $8,- and dinner for $9,-. In case you’re so done with rice and beans, bring some food yourself. Other contributions are appreciated too in here.
Perhaps you’re not really looking forward to hiking all the way back after a relaxed stay in any of the hideaways. Lucky for you a boat drops by every day at both places that brings you back to either Drake Bay or Sierpe around 01:30pm. You could even make use of it on the same day you’re leaving, in case you start your hike very early. Ask for the exact timing of the boat at the ho(s)tels, although you shouldn’t be surprised if it shows up later. We waited for some two hours on the beach. But hey, pura vida.
