Rainforest Lodge
Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica
Activities
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Bosque
del Cabo Rainforest Lodge Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica Activities |
ABOUT BOSQUE DEL CABO RAINFOREST LODGE ACTIVITIES - in their own words:
| Hiking Bosque del Cabo has hiking for both very experienced hikers looking for a challenge and people who just want to take a walk and enjoy nature. There are many trails that are maintained on the Bosque property, such as the Pacific Trail, the Golfo Dulce Trail, the Titi Trail, the Trogan Trail, the Zapatero Trail, and the Creek Trail (described in detail below). You are welcomed to hike the trails on your own, or with one of Bosque’s excellent guides (at additional cost). Some of the guided tours offered at Bosque include: Early Morning Birding & Wildlife Walk - The very best time to see the wide array of bird and wildlife species (over 300 species have been recorded in this area) in the tropical lowland rainforest is between 6:00-8:00am. Your guide will walk you around the Bosque gardens and forest areas, where you will see many species of birds, as well as monkeys, butterflies, and mammals (like coatis and agoutis). Your guide will explain the various behavioral patterns and interactions of the birds and wildlife in the area. You will also learn about the ecology of the rainforest. 2 hours, easy hiking. Gulf Beaches-Waterfall Loop - This hike takes you on a tour, walking the creek, to a breath-taking waterfall, King Louis, 150 feet high, hidden amongst the dense rainforest. You continue down through several rapids and eventually emerge on the beach. There your guide will show you the best swimming and surfing spots in the Matapalo area. You can enjoy a relaxing afternoon playing in the warm water and lounging on the secluded beaches. You will return to Bosque via the Golfo Dulce Trail with the opportunity to see wildlife and hike through gorgeous primary rainforest. Packed lunch on the beach, all day (5-6 hour) hike, medium-challenging difficulty hiking. Half Day of Birding - This is a special day for birders. Our guide will take you on a half-day hike in search of the abundant bird life at Bosque del Cabo and the surrounding area (over 350 species have been identified in the Osa Peninsula). You will likely see some of the most colorful tropical birds such as Trogons (4 species), Toucans, Tanagers, and Hummingbirds. Ground birds may also be spotted, and you will probably see some of the 23 species of birds of prey that are living in the area surrounding Bosque del Cabo. 4 hour hike, easy/medium hiking. Early Night Tour - A gentle preamble to dinner around the Bosque grounds. A large variety of wildlife in a short space of time. Bats, spiders, frogs, toads, snakes, and lizards all regularly seen. Your guide will tell you about some fascinating modes of life. A visitor’s favorite, generates much conversation over the evening meal. Before dinner, 1 hour, easy walk, need flashlight. Night Walk - As the sun sets, the forest that you explored during the day takes on another character. The creatures of the night emerge and begin their activities. An after dinner guided walk through Bosque grounds, we use a variety of equipment to help detect the presence of animals such as bats, kinkajous, wolf spiders, scorpions, many reptiles and amphibians, and the chance to spot one of the cats that inhabit the area. Nighttime, 2 hours, easy walk, need flashlight. Starlight Tour - Here is a tour with a difference. After a day’s hiking through the forests, this is a nocturnal walk through the night sky. After dinner, be guided through the heavens. Find out where the constellations are and the names of the stars therein. The use of the telescope affords fabulous views of deep sky objects, galaxies, nebulas as well as the planets of our own solar system. The moons of Jupiter and the rings of Saturn promise to be particularly breath-taking this year. A visual treat with no exercise necessary. Primary Forest Experience - Hiking through primary growth forest is a to experience first hand the majesty and diversity of an untouched forest eco-system. You r guide will introduce you to a variety of tree, plant and animal species living here. He will also discuss the delicate balance that exists amongst the inhabitants of this environment. Insects (such as the army and leafcutter ants), birds (like tanagers, woodcreepers and antbirds), mammals (like anteaters, monkeys and peccaries) and plant life (such as the Shoe-makerTree) are all interdependent and thrive in this environment. This is a great opportunity to see and learn about the importance of bio-diversity. 4 hour hike, medium challenge difficulty. Moonlight Tour -The Earth’s only natural satellite, the moon, has been a source of wonder and inspiration to many. As it passes through its monthly phases take a walk with us to visit such evocatively named locations as “The Sea of Clouds,” “The Ocean of Storms,” and the magnificent crater, Copernicus. A fascinating tour to the surface of our closest and most familiar heavenly body. Nighttime, 1 hour, moon and weather dependent. Afternoon Birding Experience in the Garden - Come and see the many species of birds flying around and through the garden as they prepare for nightfall. One of the best times of day to see birds and wildlife is late afternoon. What better way to see birds than in our upper tropical garden with Henry (our bird specialist), pointing out the various species flying in and out of the garden from the surrounding rainforest. We have arranged feeders for the hummingbirds, and it affords a great opportunity to watch these amazing birds up close; several other feeders are also provided to attract all sorts of colorful birds. You may see toucans, tanagers, parrots, macaws, and other birds pass through this lovely and tranquil area. Easy hiking; 3-5pm, sign up required at tours & activities desk in restaurant Pacific Beach Walk - This tour is a great way to see all of the highlights of the gorgeous Pacific beach that lies right below the cliffs of Cabo Matapalo. Your guide will take you down the short hike of the Pacific Trail to the beach, and then on to tide pools, caves, waterfalls, and a tidal lagoon. You will delight in the secluded, stunningly beautiful beaches. Timing of hike is tide dependent, packed lunch, 3-4 hours, medium difficult/difficult hiking (please note- many steep areas with many stairs on this trail). Sign up required at tours & activities desk in restaurant Bosque del Cabo Trail Descriptions The trails maintained on the Bosque property are great for self-guided or professionally guided hikes. Pacific Trail: The Pacific Trail descends through virgin rainforest with stunning views of the ocean peeking through all the way down. Along the way, you will pass peaceful springs which feed small waterfalls along the beach. You will also see the small hydroelectric plant that we created to use waterpower to make the electricity for part of Bosque. This is a great chance to see wildlife such as monkeys, pizotes, and agoutis. Once you reach the beach, you can turn to the left and find a small waterfall right on the other side of the rock that marks the bottom of the trail. If you keep walking to the left you will find some rocky tide pools and eventually (about a 10-15 minute walk) an arch rock with a private beach. You can also turn to the right when you reach the bottom of the trail. A 15 minute walk will take you to some tide pools which, if you catch them at low tide, are natural jacuzis. This is a great spot to spend some time cooling off, with the dense rainforest on one side and the blue Pacific on the other. Another 30-40 minute walk will lead you to a little creek and a lagoon; if you follow the creek back for about 5 minutes, you will find a spectacular waterfall. You need to look to the high side of the beach to find the creek, there is another creek that will proceed it. You can sit underneath the waterfall and get a great hydro-massage! [One cautionary note- the Pacific tides can be rough, we recommend you don’t swim here. Golfo Dulce Trail: This is a long hike that gives you a chance to see the different eco-systems of the area, and explore the largest part of the Bosque land reserve. The beginning of the hike takes you across the creek, to an organic black pepper plantation and an open Tropical Garden that is great for birding. This garden has many species of heliconias, palms, fruit trees, and bamboo. As you continue on the trail, you will pass through beautiful stands of primary and secondary rainforest. There are many small mammals that live and travel in this part of the forest. It is common to see all monkey species found in Costa Rica (howler, squirrel, spider, and white-faced), pizotes (coatis), poison dart frogs, colorful land crabs, tayras, agoutis, and much more. After descending through virgin rainforest, you will come out to the beautiful beaches of Matapalo. From there you can hike up along the beaches or up a creek to one of the stunning waterfalls in the area. There are three major beach inlets along the coast of this area, including Matapalo, Backwash Bay, and Pan Dulce. All three beaches offer ample opportunities for surfing and swimming. The view from the water is truly breath-taking- lush rainforest descending down into secluded sandy beaches that melt into the warm turquoise waters of the Golfo Dulce. Creek Trail: This is a short but beautiful trail that winds through the primary rainforest that runs behind the restaurant. On the way down towards the creek you will be treated to a spectacular view of the Golfo Dulce beaches, where you can check the surf conditions if you want! The trail eventually leads to two small cascades and a deep pool that is great for cooling off. You will immediately see our tree platform and zip line (which basically parallels the trail down to the creek). After you reach the first cascade and the tree where the platform is located, you will find a series of 3 pools. You will have to step over to the buttress roots of the large Manu tree to reach the bottom two pools. There is also a knotted rope to facilitate climbing down to the last pool. If you continue down the riverbed (for about 1 hour) it will take you to the top of a spectacular 150-foot waterfall. This hike is a great warm-up for the longer hikes on the Bosque property; the Creek Trail gives even the inexperienced hiker a chance to experience the rainforest first-hand. Please use caution when hiking in the river or riverbed. Trogon Trail: This is a gorgeous forest trail that runs almost exclusively through primary rainforest. This is a great trail to catch a glimpse of monkeys and birds, as well as poison dart frogs, leaf-cutter ants and all sorts of forest mammals. You will be able to observe the complex workings of an older-growth primary rainforest here- from the shade-loving palms and ferns on the ground level of the forest all the way up to the top layer of enormous trees full of epiphytes. There are many interesting species of trees on this trail, including the “shoemaker” tree with its huge buttress roots fanning out along the forest floor. Titi Trail: This is another new trail. The Titi trail was cut through some of the newly purchased land that was added to the Bosque del Cabo reserve in 1999. The land had been slated for development, but it will now be able to continue to reforest. This is classic secondary-growth, young forest landscape; you will see the typical “pioneer” species of plants and trees (such as heliconias, Balsa trees, and Cecropia trees) that initially dominate the landscape of a new rainforest. You will have a good chance to see many birds, especially the exotic tropical birds such as toucans and aracaris, and titi monkeys (the most endangered of the 4 types of monkeys in Costa Rica) on this trail. The thick undergrowth of this trail gives you the opportunity to see many ground animals, including pizotes, agoutis, and tyras. Perhaps because of the abundance of these animals, we have also spotted many jungle cats in this area. The collared peccaries have also been seen here. Zapatero Trail: This is our newest trail. It goes almost exclusively through primary rainforest, with an emphasis on the low lying area that you can see in a rainforest. This is a great trail to catch a glimpse of monkeys and many ground animals, as well as massive leaf-cutter ant mounds. The name of this trail comes from the name of a giant tree (in English called the “Shoemaker” tree, due to its large root structures) that is the center piece of this trail. And there are many other interesting species of trees on this trail. There has perhaps been more wildlife spotted recently on this trail than the others. |
| Tree Platform Bosque del Cabo also offers an exciting tree platform experience. This fantastic adventure begins when you are suited up in a harness and gloves, and connected to a pulley that will allow you to zoom through the rainforest on a 250 foot steel cable zip line! This thrilling ride gives you the sensation of flying through the trees. The zip line will gently deposit you right onto the deck of the tree platform, which is situated 110+ feet up in an enormous Manu tree growing next to the banks of the creek behind the lodge. You will be able to view the forest in a completely different way, as you observe the canopy layer of the rainforest. You may catch an eye-to-eye view of a monkey troop passing through the branches, or you may see up close one of the beautiful air orchids (epiphytes) that grow only in the tops of the huge, old-growth trees, or you could catch an anteater napping in the fork of a tall tree. After spending time in the platform, you will be lowered down by a team of two well-trained and safety conscious guides. Then your guide will take you on a hike of the surrounding forest, where he will point out animals and birds and examples of our lowland tropical rainforest vegetation. You will also have a stop in our tropical gardens, where the birding is usually excellent. Children are welcome; we do have children's harnesses as well as adult sizes. Our first concern in building the platform and while you are our guest on it is safety. |
| Kayaking Bosque has been working with Escondido Trex, the premier kayaking outfitter on the Osa Peninsula, for over 8 years. Escondido Trex offers many exciting kayaking adventures which will allow you to explore the beautiful scenery and wide variety of wildlife found in the area with the latest in kayaking equipment and fun-loving, knowledgeable guides. The sunset kayaking trip is one of the most popular for guests at Bosque. It is appropriate for all ages and skill levels. The trip leaves in the early afternoon from Bosque to go to town, where the 14' skirtless kayaks are put in at a beach close outside of Puerto Jimenez. Depending on the tide, your guide may take you into the mangroves for a look at the plants and animals in this interesting and diverse biological setting. Then you will head out to the Golfo Dulce for some kayaking in the open gulf. There is a good chance you will see various fish, birds, dolphins, and rays. If you like, there are beautiful beaches to stop and swim. The trip culminates with a spectacular 360' view of the sky, lit up with the vivid colors of the sunset, from your kayak in the gulf. Then you will be treated to dinner in town at one of the local restaurants, and have a chance to see the town's nightlife. You will arrive back at Bosque about 9pm. |
| Horseback Riding Bosque del Cabo offers Horseback Riding on a magnificent trail through primary growth rainforest, culminating at a stop with a breathtaking 280 degree vista of the Osa Peninsula, the Pacific Ocean and Corcovado National Park. You can also take an extended ride to a nearby series of cascades and rock formations. The tour is led by a local Spanish speaking guide who will point out flora and fauna along the way. The gentle but responsive horses are delivered to the grounds of Bosque del Cabo to begin this unique tour. This tour takes approximately 3 to 4 hours to complete. |
| Sea Kayaking Experience the excitement and challenge of kayaking in the ocean. This trip starts in the morning with a great hike through the rainforest to Backwash Bay, where the kayaks will be put into the surf. Your guide will take you on a journey through the Golfo Dulce, around Cabo Matapalo and back. You will see the marine life which abounds in the mouth of the gulf, as well as the stark beauty of the coastline, where dense rainforests meets the Pacific Ocean. It is common to see sea turtles (Ridley's and leatherbacks), dolphins, and various sea birds. No experience necessary, trip lasts 2-3 hours. You will be picked up from Backwash Beach. |
| Massage Bosque hosts a full-time masseuse. The masseuse does a variety of massage techniques in our secluded forest studio (located right 200 meters from the restaurant). Please see the " massage" button for full descriptions of all the types of massage available. |
| Yoga The morning Yoga class is an energetic flow of postures in sequence designed to invigorate the body and calm the mind. The afternoon Yoga class is a sequence of gentle postures & stretches followed by light breathing designed to recharge the body. |
| Boat Tours The experience of seeing this region from a boat is truly breath-taking. The Golfo Dulce is a large gulf teeming with marine life, such as dolphins, rays, sea turtles, eels, the occasional whale, and a variety of sea birds. In addition, there are several rivers and sections of mangroves that are amazingly rich areas of biodiversity and natural beauty. A knowledgeable local guide will take you on a 3-31\2 hour boat tour of the gulf in an open skiff. The guide will show you areas of interest along the coast of the gulf, in the mangroves near Puerto Jimenez, and up the Rio Tigre. You will snack on seasonal tropical fruits and beverages, as well as have the chance to stop and swim whenever the mood strikes you. This trip is a relaxing and informative way to view the stunning beauty of the gulf area. |
| Sport Fishing The Golfo Dulce and Pacific Ocean are teeming with fish. People come from all over the world to sport fish in Costa Rica, many world records have been set in the surrounding waters. Some of the most popular and commonly caught fish include marlin, sailfish, dorado, wahoo, tuna, and snapper. Experienced guides will take you out for the day in open, fully equipped sport fishing boats. We will be happy to prepare your catch for dinner! |
| In-Shore Fishing The waters around Cabo Matapalo, the gulf beaches, and the Pacific coast are full of tuna, snapper, wahoo, jack, sierra, and roosterfish. Your guide will take you out for a day of in-shore fishing in the coastal waters situated below the cliffs where Bosque del Cabo is located. We will be happy to prepare your catch for dinner! |
| Surfing Costa Rica is a famous surf destination. There are great surfing beaches in the area around Bosque del Cabo for both beginners and seasoned experts. Please see the "surfing" button for detailed descriptions of all the breaks in the area. Surfing Lessons: If you have never surfed before and have always wanted to try, this is the perfect opportunity. Mike, an expert surfer and great instructor with more than 14 years of surfing experience and training in Hawaii and Costa Rica, offers lessons. He will supply a board for you (if you need), and guarantees to get you standing up during that first lesson. The lessons last approximately 2 hours, and the activity is dependent on the swell. |
| Snorkeling There are several reefs in the Golfo Dulce region which offer great opportunities for snorkeling. Large groups of tropical fish are typically seen in and around the coral formations, including parrot fish, snapper, and flag fish. Small sharks, rays, flying fish, and Moray eels are frequently sighted as well. There are also oysters, clams, and lobster (seasonal) to be found. An experienced and knowledgeable local guide will take you out to the reefs. Equipment will be provided, tour lasts from 3-3 1/2 hours and is best done around low tide. |
| Botanical Gardens
Tour Visit Casa Orquideas, one of the oldest and most beautifully manicured botanical gardens in the Golfo Dulce region. The gardens are accessed by a 20 minute boat ride across the Golfo Dulce from Puerto Jimenez. Casa Orquideas, a special and magical place, has been planted and cultivated by Ron and Trudy McAllister. Once you arrive at the gardens, you will be taken on a 2 hour tour which includes hundreds of different species of tropical plants including palms, heliconias, orchids, exotic fruit trees, and much more. You will be able to smell and taste exotic fruits you never heard of before, as well as cool off with a refreshing fruit drink. This relaxing and educational tour will leave you in awe of the abundance and beauty of tropical and neotropical plants. |
| Guided Trips to
Corcovado Corcovado National Park is one of the largest and most beautiful of the parks in Costa Rica. Corcovado consists of roughly 100,000 acres and is situated on the southwestern portion of the Osa Peninsula. There are no roads through Corcovado National Park ; the only ways to enter the park are on foot or by plane. The park is located about a 45 minute car ride from Bosque (to Carate); you access the park by hiking in along the beach. Alternatively, you can hire a plane to take you into the middle of the park (there is a grass-landing strip in Sirena). The park offers many hiking trails through primary rainforest, and the chance of seeing some animals that require a large habitat, and are not frequently found outside of the park (such as tapirs and jaguars). Bosque will arrange a guide for your day. |
| Massage After a hard day relaxing in paradise, why not arrange to have either a gentle Swedish massage or for those sore, aching muscles, a deeper tissue treatment? Our resident Body Worker, also offers accupressure treatments and a reflexology/facial treatment. Our massage table is located in a secluded clearing in the forests on the Bosque property (200 meters from the restaurant). The massage table is nestled amongst the buttress roots of two trees. In the dappled green light filtering through the trees you will find peace and ultimate relaxation of mind and body in the capable, strong hands of our masseuse.
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