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Sally Sees

Costa Rica

Our Overnight Experience at the Sirena Ranger Station, Corcovado National Park

August 28, 2025

This post recounts our once-in-a-lifetime experience doing an overnight tour at the Sirena Ranger Station inside the Corcovado National Park in Costa Rica.

A close up shot of our Costa Rican tour guide Raymond looking up into the trees in the forest with his telescope slung over his shoulder

This article may contain affiliate / compensated links, that may earn me a small commission, at no extra cost to you. For full information, please see our disclaimer here. While all efforts have been taken to ensure the information included in this post is correct and current, travel information such as opening hours, business operations and prices change frequently. If you find anything in this post that is incorrect or outdated please let me know in the comments so I can update it for other readers.

Table of Contents

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  • Our experience staying overnight at the Sirena Ranger Station
  • Day one Sirena Ranger Station overnight tour
    • From Drake Bay to Corcovado
    • Getting to Sirena Ranger Station
    • First hike
    • Lunch at Sirena Ranger Station
    • Second hike
    • Overnight at Sirena Ranger Station
  • Day two Sirena Ranger Station overnight tour
    • First hike
    • Breakfast at Sirena Ranger Station
    • Final hike
    • Returning to Drake Bay
  • Final thoughts: Sirena Ranger Station in Corcovado National Park

Our experience staying overnight at the Sirena Ranger Station

I don’t usually write diary-style posts, but our experience spending the night at the Sirena Ranger Station inside Corcovado National Park in Costa Rica was so wonderful, I feel like recounting our time is the only way to share it with you! We did an overnight tour with Corcovado Information Center, which was undoubtedly the highlight of our time in Costa Rica.

If you’d prefer to have all the facts and general information first, I’ve also written a guide-style post about Corcovado National Park. This post covers more of the logistics of visiting the park, with more explanation and travel tips like transport, tours etc. Get all the details in that post here.

But for now, let me recount our incredible two days at the Sirena Ranger Station.

To keep it real and transparent, Corcovado Information Center provided us with a discount to participate in their Corcovado Overnight Sirena Ranger Station Tour, in exchange for a blog post and social media deliverables.

We still paid a substantial amount for the tour, over and above what our usual travel budget allows. But after completing the tour, I can truthfully say I would have paid full price, 10 times over, for this incredible experience. Everything you read here is our honest opinion, and I hope it inspires and encourages you to stay overnight at the Sirena Ranger Station – it is worth every cent!

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    Day one Sirena Ranger Station overnight tour

    ⏰ What day one of our tour looked like… book the EXACT tour we did here

    • 4:30am – wake up and pack bags
    • 6:00am – meet at the main beach in Drake and get on the boat for 1.5 hrs 
    • 8:00am – landing at Sirena Beach, short hike towards the check in area 
    • 8:30am – check into the park, start hiking to the Sirena Ranger Station 
    • 9:45am – arrive at station, drop off overnight bag, toilet, drink and snack break 
    • 10:00am – start first official hike around Rio Serena
    • 11:45am – return to station for 2 hour lunch break 
    • 2:00pm – head out on second hike, including a short swim in Rio Claro
    • 6:00pm – return to the station just as it getting dark, dinner straight away 
    • 6:45pm – shower and prepare for the following morning
    • 7:15pm – in bed, reading and fell asleep before lights out at 8pm 

    From Drake Bay to Corcovado

    Our day started at 4:30 am when our alarm sounded. It was still completely dark outside our room in Drake Bay, but we both woke easily, full of excitement for the day ahead. We finished packing our bags, made a hearty breakfast and checked out of our accommodation.

    We were instructed to meet on the main beach in Drake Bay near Roberto’s restaurant at 6:00 am. We arrived to find a flurry of activity, with plenty of eager hikers buzzing around and guides herding groups onto boats.

    We found a staff member from Corcovado Information Center, who connected us with the other travellers joining us on the tour. In addition to Brayden and myself, there were two young guys from Austria and a German couple who were only visiting for the day.

    Our guide Freiman arrived shortly after, and we headed onto the sand to board our boat. The boats land directly on the beach in Drake Bay and we had to wade in through the water, so we came in shorts and water shoes. After a quick refuel, the boat motored away around 6:15 am. The sun was shining, which we almost couldn’t believe after days of torrential rain and persistent grey skies.

    Brayden walking into the water on a beach towards a boat heading to Sirena Ranger Station

    The journey to the park was beautiful, sticking along the coastline and passing countless secluded coves and palm-lined beaches, many of which we had trekked through along the Drake Bay Trail. As we edged closer to Sirena Ranger Station, the boat got a little rougher, passing rocky outcrops with waves crashing over them.

    At one point, our captain sharply braked and turned the boat around, coming face to face with a pod of Spotted Dolphins swimming around us! Our first Corcovado wildlife experience did not disappoint. We had never seen spotted dolphins before, and they had gorgeous silver-coloured polka dots.

    As Playa Sirena came into sight, the waves intensified and it was a rough and rocky welcome to the park. The rough conditions diverted us from the usual landing spot on the beach, so we had a couple of nail-biting moments battling the waves to land further along the coast. But it was a relatively smooth exit, and we had touched ground at Corcovado National Park!

    A spotted dolphin fin sticking out of the water in the blue ocean

    Getting to Sirena Ranger Station

    Our group found a shady spot to change into our hiking shoes, and Freiman got straight down to business, whipping out his telescope and tripod. I asked him how long it would be until we reached the station, and he replied ‘as long as it takes. It could take an hour, it could take three hours, it depends on what we find’.

    As self-confessed planners and control freaks, we were slightly frustrated by the lack of communication. We were under the impression we would be arriving very near to the Sirena Ranger Station and could drop off our overnight bags almost immediately, rather than carrying them around on our hikes.

    But just a few moments later when our group entered the dense forest, we understood why Freiman couldn’t give us a definitive answer. Within minutes we had spotted our first group of spider monkeys, the last species of monkey we had yet to see in Costa Rica.

    Freiman was already setting up his telescope, and handing around the binoculars. We weren’t going to miss a wildlife sighting on account of a heavy(ish) bag, and we were completely fine with that!

    Two spider monkeys swinging high in the trees at Sirena Ranger Station
    A Costa Rican tour guide walking in the rainforest with a backpack on and a telescope slung over his shoulder

    We spent around half an hour making our way slowly through the forest towards the check-in point. Once we arrived at the official entry to the Sirena Ranger Station (no, this isn’t the actual ranger building, it took us that long to walk through a few hundred metres of forest because there are so many amazing things to see!) we had to sign in to the ranger’s book and present our bags to be checked for any prohibited items.

    The main thing they were looking for was food, and we had strategically gobbled down our final snack before getting off the boat. There were bathrooms and drinking water at this point, and we had a short break and obligatory photo stop with the sign.

    Once the formalities were done, we set off towards the Sirena Ranger Station. The distance from the check-in point to the station is only around 1 km / 0.6 mi, but it took us over an hour to cover the ground. It was like a switch flicked on our guide Freiman. Where we thought maybe communication was going to be a little lacking, he just hadn’t gotten started yet!

    Three wooden signs welcoming visitors to the Corcovado National Park and Sirena Ranger Station with an outline of a tapir one one of the signs

    In just 1 hour, we saw all kinds of birds, bats and butterflies. We learned fascinating information about ants, spiders and other creepy crawlies, and spotted multiple groups of spider and squirrel monkeys. I was absolutely ecstatic and loved every second. Freiman was a wealth of knowledge, and as a complete nature nerd, I couldn’t get enough of his facts.

    A black male great curassow bird in a tree
    A black and white butterfly landed on a yellow flower in a sea of green leaves
    A small bat hanging upside down from a branch concealed by green leaves

    We emerged out of the dense forest, eyes blinded by the sun and bright blue skies, onto a grassy, disused airstrip. It honestly felt like we were in some kind of alternate reality when compared to the weather we experienced the previous few days, and we were counting our lucky stars. The Sirena Ranger Station loomed ahead at the end of the airstrip, a wooden lodge-style building with a wrap-around veranda.

    Dirt tyre tracks cut through a field of grass with dense forest on either side, leading towards the ocean
    A group of trekkers walking along a path in a grassy clearing at Sirena Ranger Station

    A sign officially marked our arrival at the station, and we removed our shoes, a rule strictly enforced, before climbing the stairs onto the porch. We were given 15 minutes to dump our bags in an open locker area, use the bathrooms and have a drink or snack if we wanted. Our meals were to be included in the tour, but any extra snacks were at our expense.

    We couldn’t resist a choc chip cookie each from the small store at the station, which at $1 USD didn’t seem too unreasonable given the location. We had a quick peek around, padding barefoot along a stilted covered walkway connecting a handful of wooden buildings. It felt like a cross between a school camp and a Jurassic Park research science vibe, and we couldn’t wait to spend the evening there.

    Two chocolate chip cookies on a napkin
    A shelf with assorted shoes lined up against a sign saying 'take off your shoes please'
    A covered wooden walkway at Sirena Ranger Station

    First hike

    At 10 am, we laced up our shoes and headed out in chase of Freiman who was off like a rocket towards the forest on the far side of the airstrip. There are a number of trails around Sirena Ranger Station, but we took little notice of which we were on. The forest is so thick, it would be impossible to navigate without a guide, so we relinquished complete control to Freiman and followed him blindly.

    It wasn’t long before we spotted some cute little agoutis scampering around on the forest floor. Freiman pointed out a lot of different trees and plants and shared a lot of interesting information about the forest and the relationships between different plants and animals.

    A tour guide walking through the rainforest with a telescope over his shoulder
    A close up shot of a green fern leaf

    Our next sighting was some hummingbirds. We had been lucky enough to see a ton of hummingbirds around Costa Rica, but what we hadn’t experienced before was the encyclopaedic knowledge of our guide Freiman, who absolutely blew my mind with his hummingbird facts.

    These tiny little creatures live life at a speed we can’t comprehend, with their hearts beating at over 1,000 beats per minute, and their wings flapping over 3,000 times per minute. Because of this, Freiman demonstrated to us that we can’t really hear the true sound of their song with our naked ears.

    He recorded a video through the telescope in slow motion, and only then could we hear the depth and detail of the beautiful song the hummingbird is singing to its potential mate. My mind = blown.

    🎶 Check out my Instagram highlights from Corcovado to see the hummingbird’s song in real-time and in slow motion

    A tiny hummingbird seen through a telescope with its mouth open singing

    We ran into our first group of white face aka capuchin monkeys. It was so nice to see them interacting with each other and searching for food naturally, rather than coming down to try and pinch bags and food from humans, as they are known to do in busier, more developed parts of Costa Rica like Manuel Antonio National Park.

    A white face capuchin monkey hanging from a branch by its tail holding a stick in its mouth
    A white face capuchin monkey holding a stick in its mouth, with its mouth open and teeth showing

    We passed another group, and Freiman spoke with their guide in hushed Spanish. I gathered that the guides don’t like to let on too much if there is an exciting animal sighting, as there is no guarantee the animal will stick around. But Freiman did let slip that a Baird’s tapir had been spotted, and we were going on a mission to find it.

    We walked quickly and soon arrived to find another group beaming with smiles. A Mum and her baby were sound asleep in a pile of mud, created by the recent rains. Freiman shared that he hadn’t seen the pair for almost a month and that the wet, soggy ground was their favourite environment, so all that rain we had wasn’t for naught!

    A mum and baby Baird's tapir asleep on the ground in the mud at Sirena Ranger Station

    After the previous group had finished, we took turns getting a closer look at these strange, gentle creatures. Neither stirred nor even opened an eye as we all marvelled and communicated excitedly in silent hand and face gestures. A tapir, so soon! Tapirs are definitely one of the ‘bucket list’ wildlife to see in Costa Rica, and we felt so blessed we got to see two!

    A baby Baird's tapir asleep on the ground in the mud
    An adult tapir head laying on the ground in the mud with its eye closed

    We emerged from the forest onto the beach and headed towards the mouth of the Rio Serena. The scene before us felt like Jurassic Park, with a wide, snaking river backdropped by an intense grey sky. Freiman told us the river is home to many crocodiles, and at high tide, bull sharks occasionally swim in.

    A tour guide walking along a wild beach with a red backpack and telescope on a tripod
    A photo down river with a cloudy stormy sky and lush rainforest and palm trees lining the river

    Just seconds after re-entering the forest, we came face to face with another group of squirrel monkeys. These funny-looking guys are the smallest monkey in Central America and are considered one of the most elusive to spot. We had already seen two groups in one day and it wasn’t even lunchtime!

    A squirrel monkey on the move running down a tree branch

    We headed back towards Sirena Ranger Station, with some stops along the way to learn more about the giants of the forest, and the complex root systems that support trees. At this point, Freiman sent us and the Austrian boys back to the station, while he accompanied the German couple back to the boat. We couldn’t believe their time was already over, and we were silently thankful for our choice to stay overnight.

    A group of guys standing on a bridge in a rainforest in Corcovado National Park
    A tour guide standing inside a large hole created by tree roots with his hands in the air

    Lunch at Sirena Ranger Station

    We arrived back at Sirena Ranger Station just before lunch was served at 12 pm. We had 2 hours to eat and rest, before heading back out for one more hike that day.

    Lunch was a buffet-style meal served by the kitchen staff, and we were shocked at how huge and delicious it looked! We sat in the communal dining hall, where we had access to drinking water to refill our bottles.

    Our plates were absolutely loaded with rice, beans, vegetables, salad and some enormous portions of golden fried chicken. In the middle of a remote national park? We were impressed. It tasted good too, and any fears of being left hungry after meals were quickly evaporated! We even had juice included and some fruits for dessert.

    A top down shot of a large plate of food with fried chicken, beans, rice, salad and vegetables

    We were given our bed assignments for the evening and had some time to move our bags to our beds. Lodging is in large, open-air rooms full of bunk beds. My count was 40 bunk beds, all covered in tight mosquito netting.

    This made sense, as the capacity for overnight visitors inside Corcovado National Park is just 80 people, and the Sirena Ranger Station is the only place you can stay. I can imagine it would be pretty close quarters if the lodge was full, but luckily we could already tell it was going to be pretty quiet that evening.

    The bathroom facilities were clean and spacious, with a handful of separate female and male toilets and showers. I think every time I went to the toilet it had recently been cleaned, and as someone who isn’t the biggest fan of communal amenities, I was very comfortable.

    A row of bunk beds in an open air dorm room with mosquito nets tied around them
    A line of wooden chairs on a covered wooden balcony, with a shoe rack full of shoes on the outside
    Three wooden chairs on a balcony shot from behind, overlooking grass and forest in the background

    Second hike

    We geared up again and set off for our second official hike of the day at 2 pm. It wasn’t long before we were back under the shade of the canopy, and Freiman was pointing out a new animal.

    Our first sighting was a chilled-out group of collared peccaries. These pig-like fellas spend most of their time foraging on the forest floor, moving in large groups. The collared species is laidback and easygoing, and they continued on their journey without so much as a second glance our way.

    Two collared peccaries concealed by small trees and leaves at Sirena Ranger Station
    A collared peccary walking through the forest floor, concealed by trees and leaves

    There had been whispers of a boa constrictor back at the lodge, and Freiman took us to find the enormous snake. Curled up on the forest floor, I would have totally missed it if it wasn’t for the arrow stencilled into the dirt by a generous guide who had passed before us.

    We continued further into the forest, reaching trails we hadn’t yet traversed. We spent some time looking for birds and got a great look at a black mandibled toucan, and a busy woodpecker working away on a tree.

    An arrow drawn in the dirt and leaves on the forest floor at Corcovado National Park
    A boa constrictor curled up on the forest floor concealed by leaves
    A black mandibled toucan sitting in a tree looking at the camera with its mouth open
    A woodpecker with a red head sitting on the side of a tree pecking its bark

    We emerged from the trail at the Rio Claro, where Freiman deemed it safe for a swim. After the humidity of the forest, cooling off in the clear waters was heaven!

    Sally standing in a river with rainforest on the banks at Sirena Ranger Station

    We got a surprise as we reconnected with the trail, with a snake slithering off right in front of us. Freiman assured us it wasn’t venomous, and led us off the path to have a closer look. As Australians, our first instinct when we see a snake is to run in the opposite direction to avoid a deadly bite, so it was amazing to be able to stand close and watch this fascinating creature move.

    Freiman directed us ahead of the snake’s path, where we stood completely still for a few minutes. He explained that the snake would process our presence, and if we were quiet enough, would realise we weren’t a threat and continue on her way. This resulted in the snake slithering right through our group, even checking out the shoe of one of the Austrian boys, before diverting and continuing on her way! I think all our breaths were held, even knowing the snake wasn’t venomous.

    🐍 Check out the video of the snake slithering right past our group and over a shoe on my Instagram stories

    A yellow patterned snake slithering over a tree root on the forest floor

    The light was fading fast under the dense canopy, and we were slowly heading back towards Sirena Ranger Station. In the middle of a detailed explanation about strangler fig trees, one of the Austrian boys pointed ‘Look, look, it’s that thing, with the long nose, you know, the the the…’. In his excitement, he couldn’t spit the name out. But he had seen an anteater!

    A side shot of a collared anteater climbing a tree

    This was the number one animal I was hoping to see inside Corcovado National Park. I had never seen one before, and I was silently crossing my fingers for a sighting. And here one was, a collared anteater, wandering across the path just metres from us!

    Freiman stealthily led us in front of the anteater’s path, and we got an amazing view as he climbed the tree. He wasn’t in any kind of hurry, and we got to admire him from very close for quite a long time. Tick!

    A black and cream collared anteater climbing a tree in Corcovado National Park

    As we were still living the hype from the anteater, Freiman stopped in his tracks and set up his telescope. ‘You’ll never guess. It’s a three-toed sloth!’. Just minutes later, at the end of a long but magical day, we spotted a sloth. I couldn’t believe our luck, and we were all truly gobsmacked at how incredible this place was. At this point, I completely understood the National Geographic quote – Corcovado really is the most biologically intense place on Earth.

    We emerged out on the beach as the sun was setting, and enjoyed a glow in the sky, before trekking up the airstrip and making it back to Sirena Ranger Station as the last light quickly faded.

    A close up of a three-toed sloth asleep in a tree with its head resting on its arm
    Corcovado Beach at sunset time with palm trees in the distance

    Overnight at Sirena Ranger Station

    It was 6 pm by the time we arrived at the station, and dinner was being served. We all tucked into another huge meal – rice, beans, mashed potato, veggies, salad and pork ribs. Even cake for dessert! We reflected as a group on the incredible day we’d had, but we didn’t chat for long. Eyes were closing involuntarily at this point, and everyone was ready for a shower and bed.

    Before arriving, I had visions of card games in the dining room, sitting out on the balcony and looking at the stars… but by 7:30 pm, I was in bed falling asleep reading my book! We had enjoyed a cold but much-needed shower and laid out clothes for the next morning before crawling into our bunks. The lights go out at 8 pm sharp, but I was sound asleep well before then, revelling in the fact that we were two of just 80 people allowed to be inside this special place for the night.

    An open air room lined with bunk beds at the Sirena Ranger Station

    👉🏼 Wondering how you can plan your own visit to Corcovado National Park? Read this post for everything you need to know

    Day two Sirena Ranger Station overnight tour

    ⏰ What day two of our tour looked like… book the EXACT tour we did here

    • 4:00am – alarms and howler monkeys signal the start of the day
    • 4:30am – shower and get ready 
    • 5:00am – morning coffee listening to the forest wake up 
    • 5:30am – head out for morning hike
    • 7:30am – return to the station, breakfast, pack bags
    • 8:30am – second hike of the day 
    • 11:30am – return to the station, pick up bags and continue walking to the boat 
    • 1:00pm – board boat to return to Drake 
    • 2:30pm – land on the beach at Drake, experience done 

    First hike

    Our second day at Sirena Ranger Station started early, with a 4 am wake-up call from the howler monkeys, roaring their unearthly howl. The forest slowly came to life, as did its visitors, with different groups slowly crawling out of bed and hobbling towards the bathroom. Coffee was on early in the kitchen, and we enjoyed our morning cuppa watching a group of spider monkeys swinging and playing in a nearby tree.

    We were meeting Freiman at 5:30 am for a short hike before breakfast. He explained that today’s walks would focus more on birds, trees and the make-up of the rainforest. Of course, we would still be looking for wildlife, but after knocking off some of the ‘big ticket’ animals the day prior, Freiman wanted to share some knowledge on the underappreciated, but no less fascinating, parts of the park.

    A close up shot of some bright, shiny green leaves in the rainforest
    Brayden looking up through binoculars at Sirena Ranger Station

    But even if you’re not specifically looking, Corcovado delivers on the wildlife! Our first big sighting for the day was a little scary, to say the least… Yesterday we had seen the collared peccaries, but these guys are not the only types of peccary found in Corcovado. The white-lipped peccary is a larger species, and notoriously known for being very aggressive.

    Deep into the forest, Freiman caught a whiff of the sour smell peccaries release from a gland. Used to communicate with each other, this strong odour is the first clue you have that peccaries are, or have recently been in the area. My heart skipped a beat, wondering if it would in fact be the white-lipped peccaries. I had read a few nailing-biting stories of visitors being chased in the park, and I was on edge.

    Sure enough, just a few paces later, we spotted a herd deeper into the forest. Freiman confirmed they were white-lipped, and we could easily see they were a lot bigger than their friendlier cousins, the collared peccaries.

    Over the proceeding few minutes, we stealthily worked our way around the herd, trying to stay behind their path, whilst safely getting a good look. The group were definitely aware we were there, and you could feel their tension. Their crunches and cracking through the forest floor intensified, and they started making an ominous clicking noise.

    This noise is made by clashing their canine teeth together to warn off potential predators. The noise coming from multiple peccaries echoed around the forest, and it felt like we were surrounded by them on all sides. Freiman encouraged us to be very quiet and still, only moving at his signal. So there wasn’t really a lot of communication on what we should do if one decided to turn towards us…

    Well, this in fact happened a few minutes later, as Freiman signalled us to move forward, a lone peccary had split off from the group and was approaching us from the back. Brayden quickly stuck me in the middle of the group, and gallantly brought up the rear. Freiman kept us moving forward, and luckily that seemed to appease the peccary, who headed back to the herd. My heart was absolutely racing at this point, and I stuck by Freiman’s side as close as I could!

    Although scary, I had complete faith that Freiman would handle any situation. After the herd left the area, he explained more about their behaviours, and it was unlikely they would actually attack us, the chase would be more of a scare tactic to get us out of the area and away from their herd.

    Although my heart was still racing, and I was constantly scanning for the closest tree to climb at all times for the rest of the hike… I don’t have any photos or videos from this encounter, I was too terrified to lift up my phone or camera to capture it!

    Sally looking through a telescope to spot wildlife at Corcovado National Park

    The excitement for the hike didn’t stop there, but we had a much less scary surprise. Another Baird’s tapir! Out of nowhere, Freiman stopped mid-walk and pointed out a lone, female tapir relaxing in a muddy patch near the river.

    She was so close, and so calm, completely unphased by our presence. I think I had tears in my eyes at this point, we were so blessed to be in such close proximity to this beautiful and rare creature. A very special way to start the day, and this was before it was even 7 am!

    A female Baird's tapir laying on the ground in the forest concealed by some fallen sticks and roots

    Breakfast at Sirena Ranger Station

    We made it back to Sirena Ranger Station just before 8 am, and another huge, delicious meal was waiting for us. I love a typical Costa Rican Tico breakfast, and we had gallo pinto, eggs, plantain, sausage, cheese and crema served up. Don’t forget coffee, juice, fruit, yoghurt and muesli – we were eating better in the middle of the forest than we had for weeks!

    We had a few minutes to pack up our bags and clear out our beds. We left our things in a locker and met Freiman out the front at 8:30 am for our final hike.

    A canteen tray with a juice, coffee, bowl of fruit and plate with rice, eggs, sausage and cheese

    Final hike

    As we wandered into the forest for the final time, we counted our lucky stars with the weather. Besides a light drizzle overnight, we hadn’t had a drop of rain and nothing but perfect sunny skies. Each time we set out for a hike, I told myself if we could just get through this hike, then it could rain. Well, it was our final one and it still showed no signs of rain!

    It wasn’t long before we saw a caiman sunbaking in the morning rays on the banks of a river. We could hear the noisy calls of a group of howler monkeys nearby, and we followed the racket.

    We had snatched glimpses of howlers the previous day, but they were the only monkeys we hadn’t had a good look at. Of course, Corcovado delivered and we came out into a clearing by a river to find a big group lazing on the trees right above us. All four species of monkey in Costa Rica? Check!

    Two howler monkeys sitting in a tree facing each other

    We set off deeper into the park, following a new trail towards a section of primary forest. On the way, a lone coati casually crossed the path in front of us. Freiman explained that the males are solitary, whilst the females and babies are always found in large packs. A coati was the last animal I was really hoping to see, another lucky moment. 

    A path leading deep into the forest at Sirena Ranger Station
    A lone male coati crossing the trail in the rainforest

    We noticed the difference in the trees and plants around us, with a lot more palms. We had entered a section of primary forest, meaning the area had never been cut down or cleared. Trees aging hundreds of years towered above us, with vines as big as branches climbing towards the canopy and strangler fig roots reaching for the forest floor.

    Freiman taught us some impressive facts about different plants, their symbiotic relationship with each other and animals, and the natural survival instincts they have in their makeup. I am constantly blown away by the complexity and intelligence of nature, and I was again reminded of how in sync our world is.

    A shot below lush green palm leaves against the sunlight

    We came across another group of what looked like spider monkeys at first glance. Upon closer inspection, a lone male coati was hanging out in a tree, and the monkeys were picking on him! It was hilarious watching these two different species interact with each other. The coati held firm, relaxing on his branch – he was there first after all – while the monkeys eyed him off, and made a general ruckus.

    A coati laying on a branch with a spider monkey swinging above him in a tree
    A close up shot of a coati sitting on a tree with his head hanging forward over the branch

    Freiman told us we were off on an extra special mission. To visit a cave where a puma occasionally hangs out. We were all ears! We followed Freiman at his usual high-speed pace until he came to a stop at a large tree root. This particular root had a hole in it, and in a matter of seconds, Freiman had disappeared inside!

    Brayden in the foreground looking up to the trees, with our guide Raymond in the background with his telescope
    Sally standing on a dangling vine on a huge tree in the rainforest

    The opening was very small and very dark, but Freiman beckoned from inside, so we turned on our torches and jumped in. We crawled through a short but very tight space, before emerging in a vast open area. It was impossible to see without a light, and it took me a second to realise, we were inside a tree! Literally, we had crawled inside a hollow tree, at least 40 metres tall.

    There was plenty of room for all five of us to comfortably stand and look around. Freiman pointed out a few creepy crawlies, some spiders, scorpions and a few sleeping bats. But wow. We were inside a ginormous tree! You can’t make this stuff up, and it felt exactly the type of experience you could only have inside Corcovado National Park.

    🌳 The best way to describe this is by showing you! Check out my Corcovado Instagram stories to see us crawl inside a tree!

    After some time resting, learning more about the history of the park, and taking some fun panoramic photos, it was time to return to Sirena Ranger Station for the final time.

    A panorama photo in the rainforest with a large tree, with a group of 4 men in the photo twice

    Returning to Drake Bay

    We made a quick pit stop at the station to collect our bags, and it was straight off again towards the boat. Despite Freiman’s desire to make it to the beach quickly in time for the boat, the wildlife wasn’t playing along.

    Much to our delight, another group were stopped ahead of us on the trail, looking intently through the telescope. ‘Perezoso, dos dedos’ said the other guide. A two-toed sloth. We hadn’t seen one of them inside the park yet, and it felt like the icing on the cake. He was quite far away, so even through the telescope we saw no more than a patch of fur, but our group collectively claimed the win and added another tick to our list.

    While we were looking at the sloth, a group of squirrel monkeys appeared from nowhere and even came down onto the forest floor. Freiman was so patient, despite being in a hurry to get us to the boat, he never rushed our encounters, and let us soak up our final time gazing at these incredible animals!

    A squirrel monkey sitting on a branch with its tail hanging down
    A small squirrel monkey walking down a fallen branch

    The trails were crowded as everyone was heading to the beach to catch the boat back to Drake Bay. But this just meant we had spotters in front of us. Not a few steps later, another group pointed out an anteater making his way across the forest floor. Another anteater, you have to be kidding me. I was bursting with sheer joy and gratitude at our luck!

    And as a final cherry on top, we walked into a huge group of female and baby coatis! They were scampering across the trail, foraging on both sides of the path, and playing and wrestling. Male coati? Check. Baby coatis? Triple adorable check! They weren’t phased by our presence at all, and we were able to observe them up close for a long time.

    A baby coati walking across a fallen branch
    A female coat looking towards the camera on the forest floor

    We finally emerged onto the beach and headed for the water to board the boat. On the way, we noticed some markings in the sand. A guide had circled a paw print. A jaguar! They might be elusive to spot, but it was pretty cool knowing they were around, and so recently too.

    A jaguar paw print in black sand

    It was a smoother entry to the boat this time around, and with the sun still shining on us, we zoomed back towards Drake Bay. The collective attitude was tired, a little smelly, but absolutely beaming. I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face and was already feeling nostalgic for the once-in-a-lifetime experience we had just had.

    We landed on the beach in Drake Bay, and couldn’t believe it when it started raining the second we stepped foot on the sand. We swapped WhatsApp numbers with the Austrian boys and bid farewell to our lovely guide Freiman with much gratitude for sharing this special place with us.

    I don’t like goodbyes, but the intensifying rain forced us to make a quick getaway and close the chapter on Corcovado National Park and Sirena Ranger Station.

    Corcovado Beach with wild waves and ominous black skies

    Final thoughts: Sirena Ranger Station in Corcovado National Park

    I can honestly and wholeheartedly say our experience at Sirena Ranger Station in Corcovado National Park was the best wildlife experience we have had, anywhere in the world. To see so many different animals, in such as short space of time, was truly wonderful.

    In our opinion, the overnight tour was worth every cent, and we can’t recommend Corcovado Information Center more highly.

    🌳 If you’re interested in planning your own Corcovado adventure to the Sirena Ranger station, be sure to check out our post with all the logistics and planning information here. If you’re already sold, this is the exact overnight tour we booked.

    MORE OSA PENINSULA POSTS

    • How to Visit Corcovado National Park
    • Drake Bay Costa Rica Travel Guide
    • How to Get to Drake Bay Costa Rica
    • Where to Stay in Drake Bay: Best Areas + Hotels
    • 12 Best Things to Do in Drake Bay
    • Drake Bay Hiking Trail Guide

    OUR COSTA RICA TRAVEL GUIDES

    Our Overnight Experience at the Sirena Ranger Station, Corcovado National Park
    Our Overnight Experience at the Sirena Ranger Station, Corcovado National Park
    Our Overnight Experience at the Sirena Ranger Station, Corcovado National Park
    Our Overnight Experience at the Sirena Ranger Station, Corcovado National Park
    Our Overnight Experience at the Sirena Ranger Station, Corcovado National Park
    Our Overnight Experience at the Sirena Ranger Station, Corcovado National Park
    Our Overnight Experience at the Sirena Ranger Station, Corcovado National Park
    Our Overnight Experience at the Sirena Ranger Station, Corcovado National Park
    Our Overnight Experience at the Sirena Ranger Station, Corcovado National Park

    Sirena Ranger Station Pinterest pin

    Sally Rodrick

    Sally Rodrick is the voice behind Sally Sees. She has spent years exploring Latin America, slow travelling in Mexico, Central America and South America. Sally helps thousands of readers discover the magic of Latin America, by sharing detailed guides to inspire and equip them with the knowledge they need to plan their own epic adventures in this incredible part of the world.

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    The Comments

    • sarah
      May 2, 2024

      Can’t thank you enough for the detailed article. Now I’m convinced this experience will be amazing. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Sally Rodrick
        sarah
        May 3, 2024

        I’m so glad it was helpful Sarah – it IS amazing! A once-in-a-lifetime experience, I know you’re going to love it. Enjoy! Sally x

        Reply
    • Rachel
      July 27, 2024

      Hi Sally – can you share Raymond’s contact info?

      Reply
      • Sally Rodrick
        Rachel
        July 28, 2024

        Hi Rachel, we booked our tour via Corcovado Info Center so we didn’t communicate with Raymond directly when we were booking. I’m sure you could request him, their website and details: https://corcovadoinfocenter.com/ Enjoy, it’s an incredible experience! Sally

        Reply
    • Charlotte
      September 25, 2024

      Did you leave all your stuff in the car/van while being in Corcovado? Thanks for all the information, really helpful

      Reply
      • Sally Rodrick
        Charlotte
        September 26, 2024

        Hey Charlotte! Yes, we did. From memory we just left everything in the car, locked our valuables in our bags and kept them as much out of sight as possible and parked the car on a street in town. If you’re staying in an accommodation before or after your time at Corcovado, you could leave a bag with them if you feel more comfortable doing that! Enjoy, Corcovado is SO incredible. Sally x

        Reply
    • sharne Clarke
      October 2, 2024

      Hi Sally
      you’re information is incredible I am thoroughly enjoying reading a lot of your posts to help plan for Costa Rica in Feb 2025. We sadly just have 16 days in Costa rica (better than no days) with a nomad rooftop tent but the trouble I am having is deciding what to miss. Osa was the top of the list and you have finalized our decision to spend the money for an overnight in Corcovado, what we can’t decide is whether we should do both Drake bay and Puerto Jimenez-Carate side of the peninsula. Did you do both sides of the peninsula and if so do you think we should or should we pick 1 (if 1 which 1) My mind has been like a yoyo obsessed with doing the whole peninsula, but I keep finding more places to visit so wonder, do we just do 1 side to give us time for maybe Bajos del toro. I already know we want more time but this time we don’t have it available to us. We are visiting from NZ, love adventure, camping and spotting wildlife like you guys. Sorry to ask this silly question, u must get loads, but maybe just maybe you can ease my yoyo mind (you might not be able to and thats ok too)

      Reply
      • Sally Rodrick
        sharne Clarke
        October 2, 2024

        Hi Shane, so glad it’s been helpful, and you’re right – 16 days in Costa Rica is better than a kick in the teeth!! You’ve still plenty of time to cover a lot of ground, especially with a car.
        I am the queen of a yoyo mind (that’s why our trips end up being months long and it STILL doesn’t feel like long enough), so don’t worry about that.
        Basically you’ve got two approaches you can take – choose one or two areas and explore them in depth, and walk away feeling like you’ve really, truly seen that place. Alternatively, you do a quicker, surface level explore of multiple places, seeing a lot more and having more diversity in landscapes, but it will be quick, and you have to accept that you won’t be able to see and do everything in each place. I think making that decision will have a flow on effect and help you with the rest of your plans.
        The Osa is the most wild place in Costa Rica, and if you want to see wildlife and real, raw nature then I think it would be amazing to see both sides. BUT, it will be kind of similar, so by doing that, you’re sacrificing seeing a different kind of landscape (like the waterfalls and cloud forest in Bajos del Toro).

        We had the same questions about the Osa, and we decided on Drake. My reasons: 1. the overnight at Corcovado (Sirena) is the HIGHLIGHT, no matter where else you go on the peninsula, that is the creme de la creme, and you can do that from either town, but Drake is generally a little easier. 2. Drake Bay has stunning, empty beaches so you get a bit of a beach vibe as well. Unfortunately we had a lot of rain when we were there, so we didn’t really enjoy it, but in Feb, I think Drake could suffice as your wild/animal destination AND some beach time too (without ending up in a busier, touristy resort beach town). We haven’t been to PJ, so I can’t give you a personal insight, but from my research it looked to be a bit busier and more of a commercial hub. That’s not to say there aren’t beautiful lodges tucked out of town, some nice beaches etc. but Drake looked a lot more peaceful to us, and having the beach AND nature/wildlife in one place was appealing to us. The coastal hike too was a big appeal. With a 4×4 you can drive all the way to Playa Rincon and camp there. There are a handful of lodges but its an otherwise empty, gorgeous beach backed by rainforest with I imagine plenty of wildlife.

        I’m guessing this is your first trip to CR, and I think it’s so hard to go against your instinct to see lots of different places. I’d do Corcovado and Drake for a few days, and include Bajos del Toro and/or Monteverde to see the cloud forest, which is very different and unique. You could probably pass more quickly up the Pacific Coast if you get some decent weather to enjoy the beaches in Drake, places like Uvita, Dominical etc. are nice but I think they’ll be busier than Drake and we didn’t enjoy them as much.

        I hope that helps!! It’s impossible to know until you arrive, but the beauty of having a car is that you can be a bit more flexible and make changes as you go if you need to.

        You’re going to love it! Sally

        Reply
    • Archana Dixit
      December 22, 2024

      Hi Sally

      I have been using your posts about Costa Rica as we travel along our holiday her currently and they have been so useful and helpful in planning everything. We are off to Drake Bay tomorrow and then overnight at Corcovado national park the day after. Silly question but do they provide towels at the Sirena Ranger station for the overnight stay or does one have to pack one.
      Best wishes

      Reply
      • Sally Rodrick
        Archana Dixit
        December 22, 2024

        Hi Archana, I’m so glad the blog has been helpful and I hope you’re having a wonderful trip. The best is still yet to come, Corcovado is spectacular, sending you all the best wildlife spotting vibes. They don’t provide towels so you’ll need to pack one. We just brought our beach towels with us, as we also swam in one of the rivers during one of the hikes. I’ve got a full packing list in my other Corcovado post that might be handy to cross-check: https://sallysees.com/visit-corcovado-national-park/#For-overnight-trips Have the very best time!

        Reply
    • Charissa
      December 27, 2024

      hey! just wanted to say, learned a lot from your blog posts about Corcovado. We ended up booking our overnight stay through Corcovado Information Tours, and it was great. Thought I’d check out your blog again after we’ve been there, to see if we missed anything and lo and behold! I just realized we had the same great guide – Freiman. (I know, his name sounds like Raymond with an F – but it’s actually Freiman). Anyway, thanks for the great blog posts!

      Reply
      • Sally Rodrick
        Charissa
        December 28, 2024

        Hey Charissa, what a small world! I can’t believe I got his name wrong – oops!! Maybe Raymond was easier for us to remember so he rolled with that! Hope you had a fantastic time, Freiman was EXCELLENT wasn’t he. So glad the blog was helpful, enjoy the rest of your time in CR.

        Reply
    • Freiman Venegas Zúñiga
      March 19, 2025

      Hello! Greetings, I love your excellent comment. Some clients made me aware of it very nicely. Just to clarify, my name is Freiman, not Raymond. It sounds similar and is sometimes confusing. Thank you very much. Pura vida!..

      Reply
      • Sally Rodrick
        Freiman Venegas Zúñiga
        March 31, 2025

        Freiman I am SO sorry, please accept my sincerest apologies! I feel awful about it. We had such a wonderful time with you and I’m glad other people have found you via my post. I’ll update this now with your CORRECT name! I hope we get the chance to return to Corcovado one day. Pura vida.

        Reply
    • Sarah Stevenson
      March 19, 2025

      Thanks for this great write up! I had the same wonderful guide for a day trip to Sirena. His name is Freiman, though, not Raymond. Pura Vida!

      Reply
      • Sally Rodrick
        Sarah Stevenson
        March 31, 2025

        Hi Sarah, ahh I can’t believe I made that error! Poor Freiman, I’m so sorry! I must have heard it quickly in passing and rolled with it – oops. Glad you had a wonderful day in the park, he is an excellent guide.

        Reply
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