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Costa Rica · Osa & Corcovado

Closed or restricted

Places with temporary closures, mandatory booking or limited access, and what to do instead.

7 places4 closed or restricted, flagged

  1. Sirena Biological Station (Corcovado)1

    Photo: Bernard Gagnon, CC0

    WildlifeSeasonal

    Sirena Biological Station (Corcovado)

    Middle of the Corcovado coast; by boat from Drake Bay or on foot from La Leona or Los Patos28.1 km from the centre

    Entry
    $16.95
    Hours
    Not stated
    Booking
    Required

    The sector with the most large wildlife in the park: about 20 km of trails, the Río Claro pool and the Sirena river mouth, where bull sharks and crocodiles enter at high tide. It allows day visits and overnight stays at the station.

    Closed throughout October 2026 for maintenance and rain. On 17 September 2026 it regained its capacity of 366 people a day (230 day visitors and 105 overnight). In October, visit San Pedrillo or La Leona instead.

    Source: SINAC – Parque Nacional Corcovado · 2026 · +2

    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
    Mandatory reservation by email to SINAC (acosa.reservaciones@sinac.go.cr), up to 6 months ahead; groups of at most 10 plus a guide; payment by bank deposit.

    Tip: Food may not be brought into Sirena; meals are reserved with the station. To stay overnight bring sheets, a towel and toiletries.

    Nearby: Corcovado National Park (7.8 km) · Night walks inside Corcovado (7.8 km) · La Leona sector (Corcovado) (11.9 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

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  2. 2

    NatureSeasonal

    Los Patos sector (Corcovado)

    From La Palma, northwest of Puerto Jiménez24.2 km from the centre

    Entry
    $16.95
    Hours
    Not stated
    Booking
    Required

    The park’s northeastern entrance, via La Palma. Its local trails pass the Rincón river, a waterfall and tall forest near the Guaymí indigenous territory; it is also the start of the traverse to Sirena.

    Closed throughout October 2026 for maintenance and rain; the rest of the year it has a cap of 80 people a day. In October, use La Leona as your entrance from the Puerto Jiménez side.

    Source: SINAC – Parque Nacional Corcovado · 2026 · +2

    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
    Mandatory reservation by email to SINAC (acosa.reservaciones@sinac.go.cr), up to 6 months ahead; groups of at most 10 plus a guide; payment by bank deposit.
    Time needed
    SINAC recommends about three days for the full Patos-Sirena-Leona route.

    Nearby: Chocolate tours near Puerto Jiménez (8 km) · Corcovado National Park (8.6 km) · Night walks inside Corcovado (8.6 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

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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

    NatureRestricted access

    Los Planes sector (Corcovado)

    About 40 minutes by car from Drake Bay6 km from the centre

    Entry
    $16.95
    Hours
    Not stated
    Booking
    Required

    A little-visited sector south of Drake Bay, on a plateau of primary forest with very large trees. The official trail is about 4.2 km and flat; it is reached by road from Drake.

    It requires a SINAC reservation and a guide. Reports on the October 2026 closures do not mention Los Planes: confirm with SINAC or your operator before going that month.

    Source: SINAC – Parque Nacional Corcovado · 2026 · +1

    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
    Mandatory reservation by email to SINAC (acosa.reservaciones@sinac.go.cr), up to 6 months ahead; groups of at most 10 plus a guide; payment by bank deposit.

    Nearby: Kayaking the Río Agujitas and the bay (2.5 km) · Naguala waterfall (2.5 km) · Río Claro and Punta Río Claro Refuge (2.7 km)

    Sources: SINAC – Parque Nacional Corcovado · Drake Bay Birdwatching – Los Planes hiking tour

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  5. 5

    WildlifeClosed or prohibited

    Night walks inside Corcovado

    21.2 km from the centre

    Entry
    Not stated
    Hours
    Not stated
    Booking
    Not stated

    SINAC’s rules prohibit walking at night inside the park, including for those who sleep at Sirena or San Pedrillo.

    Prohibited by SINAC. To see nocturnal wildlife, take a night tour on a private reserve in Drake Bay or Puerto Jiménez.

    Source: SINAC – Parque Nacional Corcovado · 2026

    Cannot be saved: it is closed or prohibited.

    Practical details and sources

    Nearby: Corcovado National Park (0 km) · Sirena Biological Station (Corcovado) (7.8 km) · Los Patos sector (Corcovado) (8.6 km)

    Sources: SINAC – Parque Nacional Corcovado

  6. 6

    CultureRestricted access

    Batambal, El Silencio and Grijalba-2

    Diquís (Térraba) delta, Osa canton34.9 km from the centre

    Entry
    Not stated
    Hours
    Not stated
    Booking
    Not stated

    The other three archaeological sites of the Diquís spheres UNESCO property. They lie in the Térraba delta, near Palmar and Ciudad Cortés.

    The National Museum says visits are restricted to researchers and specialised audiences. To see spheres, visit the Finca 6 Museum Site.

    Source: Museo Nacional de Costa Rica – Visitar (Sitio Museo Finca 6) · 2026 · +1

    Practical details and sources

    Nearby: Finca 6 Museum Site (stone spheres) (6.5 km) · Térraba-Sierpe mangroves (12 km)

    Sources: Museo Nacional de Costa Rica – Visitar (Sitio Museo Finca 6) · UNESCO – Precolumbian Chiefdom Settlements with Stone Spheres of the Diquís

  7. Caño Island (snorkelling)7

    Photo: Peter Andersen, CC BY-SA 3.0

    WaterRestricted access

    Caño Island (snorkelling)

    Off Drake Bay, about 45 min by boat23.1 km from the centre

    Entry
    $16.95
    Hours
    8:00 to 15:00
    Booking
    Not stated

    A biological reserve about 16 km offshore with one of the largest coral formations on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast. Snorkel tours leave from Drake Bay and often see turtles, reef sharks and large schools of fish.

    Only with a registered local guide, advance booking and payment (at most 8 days ahead) and at most 10 people at a time in the snorkel zone. No single-use plastic or drones.

    Source: SINAC – Reserva Biológica Isla del Caño · 2026 · +2

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    $16.95 for non-resident foreign adults ($5.65 children), usually included in the tour.
    Hours
    8:00 to 15:00 according to SINAC.
    Booking
    Reservation and payment in advance, at most 8 days ahead, and only with a registered local guide.

    Tip: Many tours stop for lunch at San Josecito beach on the Drake coast on the way back. Visibility is usually better in the dry season.

    Nearby: Scuba diving at Caño Island (0.7 km)

    Sources: SINAC – Reserva Biológica Isla del Caño · Osa Tourism – Drake Bay tours · Gringo Curt – The beach hike

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