Rancho Tropical — Attraction in Puerto Jiménez

I recently (Feb 2024) finished a 2-day (1-night) tour to Corcovado National Park with Rancho Tropical, and this is the feedback/review of that experience. I picked Rancho Tropical after doing some research and I couldn’t be happier with my decision. They’re quite a professional and responsible tour operator, communication was timely and clear, and all went according to the plan. Please note that Corcovado is a well-preserved national park and for it continue to be like this there are rules that those willing to visit must comply. For instance, no singe-use plastic bottles, or no food allows at the park. These are park rules and not the tour operators’, but the park relies on them in order the rules are followed. The tour is an amazing “dive” into a rainforest and its wildlife thus no animal sight is guaranteed, but we managed to see an amazing amount of wildlife. If anyone wants to make sure to see this and that animal, then the place to go is not Corcovado, but a zoo ;). I’m a scuba diver myself and this tour is very much similar (except that it’s on land)… one ‘dives’ into the wild and although a few sights are possible, likely, very likely, no one can guarantee what and when we will see what, and that’s part of the experience also. The guide (Carlos in my case) is an amazing guide (surely on the top ranking of the park’s guides). He knows how to spot the unimaginable and if we’ve seen a lot of stuff, it’s surely due to his abilities and efforts to find and show it to us. He’s not only passionate for his work and wildlife but knows how to find the different animals which we would totally ignore if it wasn’t him. Compared to other tour operators, I have no doubt to recommend this is one. We cross passed a lot of other people who had seen far less then us, as some other guides sort of rushed on hiking more then wildlife watching (which is what’s this is all about). All is all, for those into nature and wildlife this is a must-do lifetime experience and I’d no doubt recommend this tour operator.

Quick facts: if you’re in doubt (like I was) whether a 1-day trip or a 2-day with overnight at Sirena. Pick the 2-day as the experience is totally different, not only the afternoon but specially the morning makes this experience much better. Sleeping 1 night at Sirena might not be the best 5-star experience but it’s perfectly doable and at the end it’s easier than it seems. The 1-day tour starts at 6am (or thereabouts) from Drake (which is what I did but there might be others) and comes to an end at 12pm at the park to then catch the boat at 1pm’ish. From Drake Bay, one has to take an 1h-boat ride to the park entrance. In both ends you’ll board/ deboard from the beach (you’ll get you feet wet). All boats in Drake are rather well organized and your tour operator will make sure you’ll get a spot on one of the boats that leave early morning to the park. Take lightweight cloths, gym-type t-shirts as it’s very very very very humid. Shoes: hiking/trekking shoes. Get a reusable bottle of water (only types allowed at Corcovado) and DO NOT take the single-use still on the boat to Corcovado. This will be written on your operator instructions, but people tend to ignore. Remember the rule is to avoid plastic at the park so if you take it with you, someone else will have to carry it back for disposal. I read that people criticize this measure, but this is a park rule so, if it bothers you, just go elsewhere. Take enough mosquito repellent. If you got little interest in wildlife but want a nice hike/track, Corcovado is not the place. If you’ve got any constraints on eating times, ask the tour operator to let you know before you get the tickets as meals happen at earlier times (and only at those established times) then most of us are used to. It’s not allowed to bring food to the park. As to the walking lengths/ challenges, I found it quite easy, it’s all organized in outings of approx. 2h and terrain relatively easy (few easy obstacles / crossings), at least in Feb as it’s...

2 Days in Corcovado Sirena

So Easy; So Magical

I cannot emphasize enough how pleased I was with this excursion. Yes, you really do see many wild animals in a short period of time and no, it was not strenuous. As a 60+ year old solo traveler, I was skeptical about my ability to keep up, as well as my comfort and safety. I also didn’t believe the rave reviews about all the animals folks said they had seen. On both counts I was pleasantly surprised.

First of all, Cindy is a gem. She planned out each step of my excursion, from my hotel to the boat to the park and back. Her attention to detail, fluency in Spanish, English and French and genuine concern for my well being put her head and shoulders above other tour operators, for the same price. At least a half dozen people had received calls from her to shepherd me along the way until I reached the capable hands of my guide, Melvin.

Animal spotting began immediately after entering the park. Melvin set up his special scope, so that our group (I joined a group of four) could see monkeys and birds close up while he described in excellent English the intricacies of the individual animals and their relationship to the forest. Throughout the 2 days, we spotted dozens of species of animals, birds, reptiles, and insects, including 4 species of monkeys, peccaries, caimans and crocodiles, coatis, agoutis, and more rare birds than I can count. I was also interested in plants and fungi, so Melvin pointed out features of the flora with enthusiasm, though it was clear that he had a special love for birds. We got to see various ecosystems from river mouths and beaches to virgin jungle, where the sky was almost invisible. Not only were Melvin’s skills at spotting, describing and photographing wildlife exceptional, it turned out he could also speak French! Even though we seemed to stop very often to watch animals from spitting distance, going about their day as though we didn’t exist (Yes, I could keep up!), Melvin somehow got us to meals on time and onto the boat back to Puerto Jimenez.

Sirena station featured crisp white sheets and mosquito netting on my bunk, very clean bathrooms/showers and delicious, plentiful varied meals. If you require privacy, can’t stand bugs or damp clothing, pick a different excursion; Otherwise, I highly...

Absolutely phenomenal trip with Carlos Madrigal as our guide. We did a 2d 1n with overnight a La Sirena and when we first reached out to Cindy at Rancho Tropical we asked for a guide that was experienced with photographers and a skilled tracker - Cindy could not have paired us with a better guide than Carlos.

A few observations on what sets Carlos apart from the rest:

Fully customer-focused - from the moment we set foot on the peninsula, Carlos' first questions to us were about our preferences and objectives for the trip in order to make sure he tailored the time and made the most of the two days together. He listened closely and delivered exactly what we were looking for, all the way down to our priorities for different kinds of mammals, birds, and reptiles.

Extremely talented tracker - whenever we were "out in the field" Carlos' skills and experience were on full display. He was able to find 2 tapirs, all four kinds of monkeys, dozens of birds, among many more. Be sure to ask about butterflies (his specialty). Unlike some of the other groups with guides who were talking loudly and making so much noise that all the birds were scared away, Carlos knew when and how to mask sounds and move swiftly and silently. He would path our treks at a comfortable pace to match our interest and level of fitness and took us to more secluded areas / away from the large groups to get sightings of elusive and shy birds. We have worked with a wide range of trackers and guides around the world (e.g, South America, Africa) and Carlos is definitely one of the best we have seen globally.

All around fun - our 2 days were not all fun and games, we had a great time back at camp and during meals getting to know Carlos and learning a bit more about the history of the peninsula from someone who grew up in the area. Loved his sense of humor and being able to relax back at camp and crack a few jokes.

If you are considering going to Corcovado, we cannot recommend Carlos Madrigal enough - book a private tour with him through Cindy and you...