Today enjoy a choice of shared excursions, which may vary per lodge but usually include:
Birding excursion or guided hike along some of the lodge's many nature trails.
Corcovado National Park hike, a virgin tropical rainforest that is home to over half of all wildlife species found in Costa Rica. National Geographic magazine has called Corcovado "the most biologically intense place on earth", with more than 500 different trees, over 400 birds, 140 mammals, 117 reptiles/amphibians and over 40 species of freshwater fish. Depending on the location of your lodge, either walk or take a short boat ride to the ranger station (with a wet landing), followed by a guided nature hike, crossing many small streams as we discover the park's varied flora and fauna. There are many trails at varying levels of difficulty, including a moderately tough 5-mile (8-km) hike to a waterfall with many steep step-ups and scrambing over roots and rocks - so if you have mobility issues ensure you ask for one of the easier trails.
Wildlife you can hope to see here include endangered species such as the Scarlet macaw and Squirrel monkey, as well as the iconic sloth. Keep an eye out for magnificent birds such as toucans, parrots, tanagers and manakins. These rainforests are also home to the howler monkey, white-faced monkey, spider monkey, white-lipped peccary, collared peccary, poison dart frog, tyra, coati, agouti, American crocodile and caiman. If you are very fortunate you may even see a small wild cat such as the ocelot or jaguarundi. Puma (also known as mountain lion or cougar) and jaguar also live here but are rarely seen.
Note: Wear shorts for the wet landing and carry good walking shoes, water and rain gear. Also take a swimsuit and towel (for the waterfall swim).
Cano Island snorkelling. Ride 45-minutes by speedboat into the Pacific Ocean for a snorkelling excursion to this small island which is located 5-miles (8-km) offshore. Be aware the ocean waters can be very rough, so if you are not a good sailor remember to take travel sickness tablets. With its steep cliffs, white sandy beaches and dense forests, this island is home to some of the best marine life in Costa Rica, including colourful tropical fish, sea turtles and corals that are close to the surface. You will also see hundreds of hermit crabs on the beach. Once a cemetery for the indigenous Pre-Columbians, today it is both a biological reserve and a protected archaeological site.
Note This excurson is not recommended if you are pregnant or have back, respiratory or heart problems, as the boat ride can be very rough at times. For a supplement you can scuba dive instead of snorkel, but this must be pre-booked.
Afterwards we return to our lodge. In the warm ocean you can hope to see dolphins and whales, as there are two whale watching seasons. From mid July until mid October, humpback whales travel up from Antarctica to breed, whilst from December to March northern hemisphere whales travel down from Alaska, but these are much harder to see.
Although not often seen, three species of sea turtles nest on this side of the Osa Peninsula - the small Olive Ridley turtle that you will see most often (year round, but best seen July to November at new moon), the endangered Green turtle (July/August) and the vulnerable Leatherback (September to March).