Corcovado National Rainforest

Corcovado is the major rainforest on the Osa Peninsula.  One of our excursions out of Marenco was a hike through Corcovado and down to the beach that it borders.  One of the park's claim to fame is that part of Jurassic Park was filmed there.

A river flows through the park and required a ford before we could even get started.  It struck us that every time we found ourselves in a stream in one or another part of the rainforest (including the Marenco Reserve) we were nearly swept off our feet by the strong currents.  Happily, the caimans all live inland from here.

One place where the currents were more of a pleasure than a hazard was just below the small waterfall (below) where we took a break and swam.  (This is one of the "Jurassic Park" locales.)  The current was ferocious and the water temperature refreshingly brisk after a very sweaty hike.

Below, some samples of life in the rainforest: coatimundis and a poison dart tree frog (really).  I asked our guide whether these were the kind people lick to get high on.  His reply: "Only if you get high by getting dizzy and throwing up."

(Below) We exited the rainforest down on the beach and poked around the tide pools before hiking along the beach back to the ranger station. Some bats were snoozing in a tree there, out of the tropical sun.