If biodeiversity is the name of the game, then Costa Rica will surely be one of those countries on top. Meanwhile, in Costa Rica, there are even more destinations that are more biologically intense than some. These areas have been preserved by the Costa Rican government and turned into national parks that now serve as a good source of tourism income for the country.
One such example is the Corcovado National Park in the wild Osa Peninsula in Southwest Costa Rica. This area is pretty much more biologically diverse and happens to be one of the country's most isolated national parks. It also serves as home to the largest and only tropical primary low rainforest in the world. It is therefore unsurprising that the National Geographic called it the most "biologically intense" place in the world.
The park was first created in 1975 to protect it from the widespread illegal logging and mining in the area. Today, it stands to become one of the most visited destinations in Costa Rica as an ecotourism destination. Its isolated location gave the ecosystem a favorable environment, for it is mostly undisturbed by the human activities near the capital.
The abundance of wildlife in the National Park may be attributed to the great number of ecosystems here, which total to 13, including mangrove swamps, jolilio palm groves, montane forests, lagoons, beaches, and primary lowland forests. All-in-all, the park protects some 140 mammal species, 400 bird species (about 20 of which are endemic), 116 amphibian and reptile species, 40 species of fish, and at least 500 species of trees. Among them is the rare Harbor Squirrel Monkey, Harpy Eagle, poison arrow frog, indigenous species of wild cats, and four species of sea turtles.
The park is somewhat hot and humid, although there's lot of rainfall here, making it an excellent destination for doing a jungle walk, especially after the trekking part where you will end up in a beach.
Indeed, Corcovado National Park is a paradise for the nature lover.
