The Osa Peninsula isn’t exactly the easiest place to arrive at. Located on the southern tip of Costa Rica, it remains wild and untamed, far away from the tourism and development that dominates much of the country. It’s a region where a secluded beach or backwater settlement is still the norm. Where pristine rainforest, muddy mangroves, and expansive blue sea are a haven for biodiversity – 2.5% of the world’s biodiversity, to be exact.
You don’t have to be a nature nut to appreciate a place like that. I split up my Osa trip to experience two different sides of the peninsula:
Corcovado National Park
The first stop on my trip was an obvious one: Corcovado National Park, dubbed by National Geographic as “one of the most biologically intense places in the world”. With thirteen different ecosystems, it’s hardly any wonder why. What’s more, Corcovado National Park is the last remaining Pacific lowland rainforest of sustainable size, boasting the region’s densest population of tapirs, jaguars, and scarlet macaws.
It’s no easy feat to arrive at Corcovado National Park, which is in large part was has kept it so pristine. I opted to base myself at Casa Corcovado, an eco-luxury resort situated as close to the national park as you can get without being inside the park itself. Access to the hotel is only granted after a riveting boat ride through the twisting Sierpe River and expansive Pacific Ocean, where crocodile, dolphin, toucan and monkey sightings are all just part of the journey.
I only had time to spend a day in Corcovado National Park, but if at all possible, I would recommend leaving at least two or three days to fully experience the flora and fauna that abounds. For a complete guide on how to hike Corcovado National Park, you can read this how-to article I wrote.
Blue Osa
After a few days of eco-luxury in the jungle, I was ready to see what the Osa Peninsula had to offer outside of Corcovado National Park. It was time to go to Blue Osa.
Yoga retreats are becoming increasingly popular throughout Costa Rica, and I was fortunate to visit a variety of them on my travels throughout the country. But it was Blue Osa that left the most lasting impression on me—so much so that I will be returning to the retreat in the fall for a one-month yoga teacher training program.
Blue Osa is a completely self-sustaining eco-resort. Its mission is to provide renewal for each person’s mind, body and spirit through nourishment, care, and a pure form of living. Yoga classes are offered in a beautiful studio with unparalleled views out to the ocean. Personal training sessions are available just steps away on a sleepy, scenic beach. Delectable but healthy meals are served using only fresh and local ingredients, many of which are grown on-site in the Blue Osa garden.
But the best part about my retreat at Blue Osa wasn’t spotting red macaws flitting across the lawn or enhancing my yoga practice or even getting one of the best facials of my life. It might sound cliché, but it was the people of Blue Osa that left a lasting impression. Guests and staff are like one big family at the retreat center. In many ways, I found Blue Osa to be like a luxury summer camp for adults—and certainly a home away from home.
I was searching for paradise in Costa Rica. Between the immense wildlife of Corcovado National Park and the total body renewal at Blue Osa, I can say I finally found it on the Osa Peninsula.
Are you interested in visiting this area? Would you try the yoga retreats in Osa?
