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Dark sandy beach with waves and wooded hills across the bay.

Costa Rica · Osa & Corcovado

Adventure and waterfalls

Rappelling, surfing, tough hikes and waterfalls on the peninsula.

6 places

  1. 1

    AdventureOpen

    King Louis waterfall: rappelling and tree climbing

    Cabo Matapalo56.2 km from the centre

    Entry
    $50
    Hours
    Not stated
    Booking
    Not stated

    A waterfall of about 30 m in Matapalo’s primary forest where you rappel down two drops. The same operator offers rope-climbing a giant strangler fig.

    Source: Everyday Adventures – Matapalo tours · 2026 · +2

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    $$$ · over US$50

    Tip: Everyday Adventures offers a hike, rappelling down two waterfalls, tree climbing and a combo of all three; check current prices with them.

    Nearby: Surfing at Cabo Matapalo (2.8 km)

    Sources: Everyday Adventures – Matapalo tours · CostaRica.org – Cabo Matapalo · Tico Times – Waterfall rappelling in Matapalo

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  2. 2

    WaterOpen

    Surfing at Cabo Matapalo

    Cabo Matapalo, roughly 1 h south of Puerto Jiménez55.7 km from the centre

    Entry
    $20
    Hours
    Not stated
    Booking
    Not stated

    The southern tip of the peninsula has three right-hand breaks: Pan Dulce, Backwash and Matapalo point. The water is around 29–30 °C and it is rarely crowded.

    Source: Osa Tourism – Surfing the Osa Peninsula · 2026 · +1

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    Board rental: about $20–30 a day in Matapalo or Puerto Jiménez.

    Tip: Sources disagree: one rates Pan Dulce suitable for beginners on small days and another says the area is not for novices. Backwash and the point are for intermediate or advanced surfers.

    Nearby: King Louis waterfall: rappelling and tree climbing (2.8 km) · Platanares mangrove kayak (14.1 km)

    Sources: Osa Tourism – Surfing the Osa Peninsula · CostaRica.org – Cabo Matapalo

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  3. 3

    AdventureSeasonal

    El Tigre sector (Corcovado)

    Dos Brazos del Río Tigre, west of Puerto Jiménez35.3 km from the centre

    Entry
    $16.95
    Hours
    Not stated
    Booking
    Not stated

    An entrance via Dos Brazos del Río Tigre, a former gold-mining village. SINAC describes it as a tough 7 km hike with viewpoints from some of the park’s highest points.

    Closed throughout October 2026; the rest of the year it has a cap of 80 people a day. Meanwhile you can visit La Leona or San Pedrillo.

    Source: SINAC – Parque Nacional Corcovado · 2026 · +3

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    $16.95 for non-resident foreign adults and $5.65 for children 2 to 12, VAT included (SINAC). Guide and transport are extra.
    Booking
    Book with the Dos Brazos de Río Tigre conservation association (corcovadoeltigre@gmail.com), not with SINAC’s general office.

    Tip: It is one of two sectors with meals on prior reservation (the other is Sirena).

    Nearby: Chocolate tours near Puerto Jiménez (9.2 km) · Carate (10.7 km) · Osa Interactive Gardens night walk (11.3 km)

    Sources: SINAC – Parque Nacional Corcovado · Tico Times – Costa Rica restores visitor capacity at Corcovado’s Sirena Station · Delfino.cr – Corcovado restablece aforo de 366 personas en Sirena · Osa Tourism – Río Tigre history

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  4. 4

    NatureOpen

    Mogos waterfalls

    Meet at the Mirador de Osa restaurant, 53 km from Puerto Jiménez and 18 km from Chacarita30.6 km from the centre

    Entry
    $65
    Hours
    9:30 to 14:30
    Booking
    Not stated

    Three tiers of waterfalls with natural pools in the biological corridor between Corcovado, Piedras Blancas and Térraba-Sierpe. Reached on a short hike or on horseback.

    Source: Osa Tourism – Magical Mogos waterfalls · 2026

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    $65 per person; on horseback +$40 and with lunch +$15 (Osa Tourism, 2026).
    Time needed
    A 30–45 min hike to the falls.

    Nearby: Piedras Blancas National Park (12.9 km)

    Sources: Osa Tourism – Magical Mogos waterfalls

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  5. 5

    NatureOpen

    Naguala waterfall

    Up the Río Agujitas, inland from Drake Bay3.6 km from the centre

    Entry
    Free
    Hours
    Not stated
    Booking
    Not stated

    A tall waterfall in the Agujitas river basin that you can walk to without a guide from Drake, following a stream and then the river. It has swimming pools around it.

    Source: Gringo Curt – Waterfall hikes (Naguala) · 2019

    Practical details and sources
    Time needed
    Up to about 4.5 h round trip on your own.

    Tip: Much of the route is walking in the water; mossy rocks are slippery. It is also offered on horseback.

    Nearby: Kayaking the Río Agujitas and the bay (0 km) · Cocalito beach (0.9 km) · Drake Bay coastal trail (1.3 km)

    Sources: Gringo Curt – Waterfall hikes (Naguala)

  6. 6

    NatureOpen

    Piedras Blancas National Park

    Between Golfito and the Pan-American Highway; La Gamba and Río Bonito sectors43.1 km from the centre

    Entry
    $10
    Hours
    8:00 to 16:00
    Booking
    Not stated

    A park of 15,147 land hectares on the north shore of the Golfo Dulce, formerly part of Corcovado. It has the Ocelote, Río Bonito, El Tajo and La Ceiba trails (the last with a huge ceiba tree) and one down to San Josecito beach.

    Source: SINAC – Parque Nacional Piedras Blancas · 2026

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    Non-resident foreigners: $10 plus VAT; under-11s and seniors free.
    Hours
    Daily 8:00 to 16:00.

    Tip: The Ocelote trail (3 km) is the easiest to reach from the road. In the rains, beware of the Río Bonito current.

    Nearby: Mogos waterfalls (12.9 km) · Golfito (13.9 km)

    Sources: SINAC – Parque Nacional Piedras Blancas

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