Southern Zone & Osa Peninsula
The Osa holds 2.5% of the world's biodiversity. Corcovado has been called the most biologically intense place on earth. This is the version of Costa Rica for those who don't mind earning it.
🏊 Swimming
Isla del Caño Biological Reserve
The finest reef on the Pacific coast of Central America, twelve kilometres offshore
Drake Bay
🌊 Waterfalls
Cataratas Nauyaca
Two-tier 45-metre falls, three hours deep in the jungle south of Dominical
Dominical
💎 Hidden Gems
Bahía Drake
One of the wildest and most biodiverse destinations
Drake Bay
🥾 Hiking
Dominical
Jungle coast surf town — strong rip currents, one main street, gateway to the southern Pacific
Dominical
🦜 Wildlife
Uvita
The whale-tail sandbar at low tide — humpback nursery from August to October
Uvita
🦜 Wildlife
Golfo Dulce
One of Costa Rica's most spectacular natural regions and one of only a few tropical fjord-like gulfs in the world
Golfito
🦜 Wildlife
Puerto Jiménez
Main gateway to Corcovado on Golfo Dulce — scarlet macaws in the town trees, pura vida pace
Puerto Jiménez
🦜 Wildlife
Piedras Blancas National Park
Primary lowland rainforest connected to the Osa — jaguar, tapir, almost no visitors
Golfito
💎 Hidden Gems
Playa Piro
A dark-sand beach at the edge of Osa where the jungle ends without warning at the waterline
Osa
🦜 Wildlife
San Vito
Italian immigrant town from 1952 — one of the world's great tropical gardens, Coto Brus coffee
Coto Brus
🦜 Wildlife
Las Cruces Biological Station
Important biodiversity hotspots, where lush rainforest trails, vibrant birdlife, and world-class conservation come together in a spectacular natural setting.
Coto Brus
🏊 Swimming
Catarata Uvita
A natural rock waterslide, refreshing jungle pools, and lush rainforest create one of Costa Rica’s most fun waterfall adventures.
Osa
💎 Hidden Gems
Playa Madrigal
A dark-sand beach at the Osa's southern edge where the forest wades into the surf
Osa
🌊 Waterfalls
Catarata El Pavón
One of the most iconic waterfalls in southern Costa Rica
Osa
🦜 Wildlife
Golfito
Costa Rica’s most underrated destinations
Golfo Dulce
🏊 Swimming
Playa Piñuela
One of the most beautiful and lesser-known beaches
Osa
💎 Hidden Gems
Finca Bellavista
An extraordinary off-grid treehouse community surrounded by hundreds of acres of pristine rainforest
Golfito
🦜 Wildlife
Corcovado National Park
Largest remaining tract of Pacific lowland tropical rainforest in Central America
Osa
💎 Hidden Gems
Pavones
The second longest left-hand wave in the world — 750 metres, no banks, two hours of dirt road
Pavones
🏊 Swimming
Playa San Josecito
A hike or boat-access only beach where the jungle ends at the waterline and the snorkelling begins
Osa
🦜 Wildlife
Playa Sirena
One of the most remote and wildlife-rich beaches, widely considered the best place in the country to observe wildlife.
Osa
🏊 Swimming
Playa Platanares
One of the best combinations of accessibility and natural beauty on the Osa Peninsula
Osa
🔭 Viewpoints
Playa Ventanas
A unique beach, famous for the natural sea caves ("ventanas" or windows) carved into the rocky headlands at either end of the beach.
Osa
🏊 Swimming
Parque Nacional Cahuita
One of Costa Rica’s most beautiful Caribbean national parks
Cahuita