Bosque Del Cabo on the Osa, Costa Rica: Are 3 nights enough?
Mar 12th, 2009, 12:00 PM
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Bosque Del Cabo on the Osa, Costa Rica: Are 3 nights enough?
Hello. Thank you everybody who's been advising me on our 2nd trip to Costa Rica!
I'm close to deciding about staying at Bosque Del Cabo on the Osa for a January/February 2010 trip. I am realizing, remembering our first trip, that insects can always get into your room in Costa Rica, no matter where you stay. That being the case, I may as well stay in a great place for wildlife viewing. My husband is eager to visit the Osa, among other places.
So...how many nights at Bosque del Cabo would be best? I am thinking 3 nights at a minumum, since it's difficult to get there, and the flight is expensive. If I love it there and I'm comfortable and not nervous at all, I will wish I had booked 4 or 5 nights. But if I am still feeling nervous or uncomfortable while I am there, I will end up wishing I had only booked 3 nights.
Do you think 3 nights is enough to really experience the nature at Bosque Del Cabo's rainforest retreat? How long did you all stay, and did you wish for more nights, or were you feeling ready to leave a bit earlier? What about your traveling companions...did they want to leave sooner or stay longer? Many thanks for all your help!
I'm close to deciding about staying at Bosque Del Cabo on the Osa for a January/February 2010 trip. I am realizing, remembering our first trip, that insects can always get into your room in Costa Rica, no matter where you stay. That being the case, I may as well stay in a great place for wildlife viewing. My husband is eager to visit the Osa, among other places.
So...how many nights at Bosque del Cabo would be best? I am thinking 3 nights at a minumum, since it's difficult to get there, and the flight is expensive. If I love it there and I'm comfortable and not nervous at all, I will wish I had booked 4 or 5 nights. But if I am still feeling nervous or uncomfortable while I am there, I will end up wishing I had only booked 3 nights.
Do you think 3 nights is enough to really experience the nature at Bosque Del Cabo's rainforest retreat? How long did you all stay, and did you wish for more nights, or were you feeling ready to leave a bit earlier? What about your traveling companions...did they want to leave sooner or stay longer? Many thanks for all your help!
Mar 12th, 2009, 12:05 PM
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We stayed 3 nights - it was enough time for us to do the primary forest tour with Phillip, go to the animal sanctuary, see dolphins, do an early morning birding tour with Carlos and see all the wildlife - all 4 kinds of monkeys, sloth, etc. We only booked 3 nights because there are just so many areas we want to see. A lot of people stay longer and just have more downtime to relax.
Mar 12th, 2009, 12:27 PM
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A deciding factor might be how much hiking you want to do. I believe there are 8 trails, so even if you hike 2 trails per day that would be 4 days/5 nights. In addition to that there are other on-site guided walks and outside tours such as horseback, kayaking, animal sanctuary. It really depends on how much you want to squeeze in and how much you want to relax.
Each trip I've stayed there 5 nights and that was getting in early as possible the first day and leaving late as possible the last day. I definitely could have stayed longer. But, I also enjoy hiking some of the trails several times and that may not be something you're interested in. I'm bumping it up to 7 nights in June.
Each trip I've stayed there 5 nights and that was getting in early as possible the first day and leaving late as possible the last day. I definitely could have stayed longer. But, I also enjoy hiking some of the trails several times and that may not be something you're interested in. I'm bumping it up to 7 nights in June.
Mar 12th, 2009, 02:52 PM
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volcanogirl and hipvirgochick: Thanks for your replies. From what you are sharing, it sounds like 3 nights would be enough, but we wouldn't run out of things to do even if we stayed a week!
I prefer easier hikes on fairly level ground...I don't do steep hills well. I also prefer trails which aren't too muddy. My husband, who spends time in the field as a biologist in many different conditions, will do any trail that provides interesting flora and fauna.
If our flight to the Osa is a morning flight, maybe 3 nights would be enough. But if the flight lands on the Osa in the afternoon, maybe 4 nights would be better.
I'm also trying to decide if we should fly both ways into the Osa...or whether we could fly one way, and then drive the other way. Maybe I should stick to flying both ways...
On the other hand it might be interesting to fly into San Jose, spend the night, drive down to explore the mountainous area south of San Jose, spend a couple nights, drive down to Puerto Jimenez, spend the night...drive to Bosque del Cabo, keeping the car, which would be handy to get to the beach...then drive back to Puerto Jimenez, turn in the car, and fly back to San Jose.
On the other hand that driving plan sounds tiring just looking at it! Maybe it's best to fly both ways, to and from the Osa.
If my husband wants to rent a car in Puerto Jimenez, do you know if that is a possibility?
<b>hipvirgochick:</b> It sounds like you've stayed at Bosque del Cabo several times. On how many visits did you see snakes? My husband is a herpetologist/biologist, and he will be disappointed if he doesn't see snakes. Probably the staff biologist can also advise him about good trails for snake spotting.
I prefer easier hikes on fairly level ground...I don't do steep hills well. I also prefer trails which aren't too muddy. My husband, who spends time in the field as a biologist in many different conditions, will do any trail that provides interesting flora and fauna.
If our flight to the Osa is a morning flight, maybe 3 nights would be enough. But if the flight lands on the Osa in the afternoon, maybe 4 nights would be better.
I'm also trying to decide if we should fly both ways into the Osa...or whether we could fly one way, and then drive the other way. Maybe I should stick to flying both ways...
On the other hand it might be interesting to fly into San Jose, spend the night, drive down to explore the mountainous area south of San Jose, spend a couple nights, drive down to Puerto Jimenez, spend the night...drive to Bosque del Cabo, keeping the car, which would be handy to get to the beach...then drive back to Puerto Jimenez, turn in the car, and fly back to San Jose.
On the other hand that driving plan sounds tiring just looking at it! Maybe it's best to fly both ways, to and from the Osa.
If my husband wants to rent a car in Puerto Jimenez, do you know if that is a possibility?
<b>hipvirgochick:</b> It sounds like you've stayed at Bosque del Cabo several times. On how many visits did you see snakes? My husband is a herpetologist/biologist, and he will be disappointed if he doesn't see snakes. Probably the staff biologist can also advise him about good trails for snake spotting.
Mar 12th, 2009, 03:03 PM
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We stayed 3 nights on our first trip. I definitely would have been happy with an extra night or two, but felt that we were able to have a really nice visit for the time that we were there.
As hip mentions, there are lots of trails. We did not have time to hike them all because we opted to leave the property to visit the animal sanctuary and spend time at some of the Golfo Dulce beaches.
We were able to fit quite a bit in during our stay, and still found some time to vegetate as well. I'm going again in June for 3 nights and will try to hit the trails I missed last time around...
As hip mentions, there are lots of trails. We did not have time to hike them all because we opted to leave the property to visit the animal sanctuary and spend time at some of the Golfo Dulce beaches.
We were able to fit quite a bit in during our stay, and still found some time to vegetate as well. I'm going again in June for 3 nights and will try to hit the trails I missed last time around...
Mar 12th, 2009, 03:18 PM
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If you do the trails, I would take a walking stick. They have them there at the restaurant dining area. I didn't take one the first hike out, and I completely ate it on a slick tree root. I guess they had rain before we got there, and I got that thick red mud on me. Phillip tried hard not to look amused!
I know they have snakes because P. told us a poacher was killed by a bushmaster on the property. He also nearly stepped on a Fer de Lance one night. I know other people have seen coral snakes near the dining area. While we were there, some friends saw a bird-eating snake, but we didn't see any. I think your husband might have to poke around a bit under rocks and woodpiles, but seems dangerous to do that. Check with Phillip for guidance. He's a hoot. Very British!
I know they have snakes because P. told us a poacher was killed by a bushmaster on the property. He also nearly stepped on a Fer de Lance one night. I know other people have seen coral snakes near the dining area. While we were there, some friends saw a bird-eating snake, but we didn't see any. I think your husband might have to poke around a bit under rocks and woodpiles, but seems dangerous to do that. Check with Phillip for guidance. He's a hoot. Very British!
Mar 12th, 2009, 03:29 PM
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Always have stayed 5 or 6 nights, next trip for 7 nights. I would opt for more if you have the time. The snakes are everywhere, you won't have trouble finding them just walk slowly & quietly, and know where to look for them - the green vine snakes like the palm trees in the tropical garden, bird-eaters like the leaves that gather along the sides of the trails.
I think renting a car only to drive to the Matapalo beaches would be a waste of money - you can walk there in just under an hour on the Golfo Dulce trail. You can also walk on the road there though it wouldn't be as interesting, I've passed Maureen, the chef, heading there in the afternoons. Or you can just pay the couple dollars to have them drive you there, though not very interesting.
I think renting a car only to drive to the Matapalo beaches would be a waste of money - you can walk there in just under an hour on the Golfo Dulce trail. You can also walk on the road there though it wouldn't be as interesting, I've passed Maureen, the chef, heading there in the afternoons. Or you can just pay the couple dollars to have them drive you there, though not very interesting.
Mar 12th, 2009, 03:33 PM
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melissa,
We stayed 3 nights the first time, thought it was plenty. We did almost every trail, including an afternoon at the beach, and found time to relax on the porch. It was okay. BUT the next time we stayed 4 nights as we were with a family group of 7 and everything takes longer! Then I stayed 4 nights alone a few months later--a total treat. 4 nights was great, and I loved having the extra day to work in a massage or whatever. We stayed 5 nights last July, 3 of which we were joined by our daughter. Bumping up to 7 this June. Met a honeymoon couple last July who were there for the entire 10 nights of their honeymoon. They were loving every minute of it as they were surfers. I think they surfed all day every day. So yes, you are right: at least 3 nights, but more definitely not a problem!
Only snakes we have personally seen there were the cat eyed snakes gulping down the frog eggs at night at the little frog pond. Quite an experience in and of itself--that place is ALIVE at night! The frog pond. . .
BUT every time, we have spoken with at least one other person who has seen snakes during the daytime. It is a fairly rare occurence, though, my opinion.
The drive down as you described is totally do-able and we found it fun. Flying back is a great option if you don't mind the drop off fee for the car, which will probably run $100 or more. Nice mix of travel, my opinion, and very simple to arrange and carry out. You might consider leaving the car at Golfito and taking the lancha over to Puerto Jimenez. You really won't need a car at Bosque del Cabo. They will pick you up at the boat dock. Come on, loosen up, and step out there!
We stayed 3 nights the first time, thought it was plenty. We did almost every trail, including an afternoon at the beach, and found time to relax on the porch. It was okay. BUT the next time we stayed 4 nights as we were with a family group of 7 and everything takes longer! Then I stayed 4 nights alone a few months later--a total treat. 4 nights was great, and I loved having the extra day to work in a massage or whatever. We stayed 5 nights last July, 3 of which we were joined by our daughter. Bumping up to 7 this June. Met a honeymoon couple last July who were there for the entire 10 nights of their honeymoon. They were loving every minute of it as they were surfers. I think they surfed all day every day. So yes, you are right: at least 3 nights, but more definitely not a problem!
Only snakes we have personally seen there were the cat eyed snakes gulping down the frog eggs at night at the little frog pond. Quite an experience in and of itself--that place is ALIVE at night! The frog pond. . .
BUT every time, we have spoken with at least one other person who has seen snakes during the daytime. It is a fairly rare occurence, though, my opinion.
The drive down as you described is totally do-able and we found it fun. Flying back is a great option if you don't mind the drop off fee for the car, which will probably run $100 or more. Nice mix of travel, my opinion, and very simple to arrange and carry out. You might consider leaving the car at Golfito and taking the lancha over to Puerto Jimenez. You really won't need a car at Bosque del Cabo. They will pick you up at the boat dock. Come on, loosen up, and step out there!
Mar 12th, 2009, 03:49 PM
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We will return for our third trip in May. First trip 7 days, last year 6 days and this year will also be 6 days. I could easily stay longer, I think I could easily do 2 or more weeks.
Someting different everyday. Last year Tayra sighting, this year PUMA!!!
Someting different everyday. Last year Tayra sighting, this year PUMA!!!
Mar 12th, 2009, 04:08 PM
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Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to sound like I go to BDC all the time. No, I've only been there twice and both times for 5 nights. I've never seen any snakes, however two of the couples staying there saw them near their cabinas. So, good luck! ;-) Any stay that is 3+ days is good. Agree with tully though about driving. I think that's about an 8-9 hour drive from San Jose not including stops and sighseeing.
Mar 12th, 2009, 07:37 PM
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Don't forget the ocelot and tapir, tully! I need to get a better look at an anteater as well; I've only seen one that was mostly obscured by tree branches.
I saw a boa on my last visit to BdC on a daytrip that included the Rio Esquinas mangrove tour (was combined with the animal sanctuary). I've also seen a cat-eyed snake at the frog pond. I'm all for snake sightings as long as I'm in no danger of being bitten by one!
What would I do if a puma got into my cabin? Rub him under the chin to see if he'll purr for me like my kitties at home! Okay, so maybe 'scream like a little girl' is a more accurate answer... I'd dearly love to see one on the Titi trail though.
I saw a boa on my last visit to BdC on a daytrip that included the Rio Esquinas mangrove tour (was combined with the animal sanctuary). I've also seen a cat-eyed snake at the frog pond. I'm all for snake sightings as long as I'm in no danger of being bitten by one!
What would I do if a puma got into my cabin? Rub him under the chin to see if he'll purr for me like my kitties at home! Okay, so maybe 'scream like a little girl' is a more accurate answer... I'd dearly love to see one on the Titi trail though.
Mar 12th, 2009, 10:00 PM
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Thanks everybody for the great information! It's interesting to hear how long everyone stayed, and how they felt about the length of their stay.
shillmac, I'd like to pick your brain some more about exactly how we could do that option of driving to Bosque del Cabo from San Jose (with a stopover in the mountains), and then flying back. I'd like to find out more about how you made the drive down to Bosque del Cabo fun (overnighting in the mountains south of San Jose)... I'm also still considering flying both ways. I'll look into leaving the car at Golfito and taking the launcha (is that a boat?) over to Puerto Jimenez. I have to consult my map again as I've forgotten where Golfito is...why would I want to leave the car in Golfito? I can't leave the car at Puerto Jimenez? Maybe my geography is faulty here...
We're going away for the weekend and I'm bringing my Costa Rica books along. Thanks you all!
What if you woke up at Bosque del Cabo, with your sleeping partner beside you...but you felt a warm body at the bottom of the bed? You reach out with your foot and find it's definitely an animal down there...it's a puma! In your bed with you!
volcanogirl: Sorry about the slick tree root! Yep luckily I learned about how slippery those tree roots are while hiking with my husband. He warned me that while those tree roots might look like a good place to place your foot for balance on a steep trail...they are the WORST place to step as they are slipperier than they look!
shillmac, I'd like to pick your brain some more about exactly how we could do that option of driving to Bosque del Cabo from San Jose (with a stopover in the mountains), and then flying back. I'd like to find out more about how you made the drive down to Bosque del Cabo fun (overnighting in the mountains south of San Jose)... I'm also still considering flying both ways. I'll look into leaving the car at Golfito and taking the launcha (is that a boat?) over to Puerto Jimenez. I have to consult my map again as I've forgotten where Golfito is...why would I want to leave the car in Golfito? I can't leave the car at Puerto Jimenez? Maybe my geography is faulty here...
We're going away for the weekend and I'm bringing my Costa Rica books along. Thanks you all!
What if you woke up at Bosque del Cabo, with your sleeping partner beside you...but you felt a warm body at the bottom of the bed? You reach out with your foot and find it's definitely an animal down there...it's a puma! In your bed with you!
volcanogirl: Sorry about the slick tree root! Yep luckily I learned about how slippery those tree roots are while hiking with my husband. He warned me that while those tree roots might look like a good place to place your foot for balance on a steep trail...they are the WORST place to step as they are slipperier than they look!
Mar 13th, 2009, 05:26 AM
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We did three nights at BDC, but spent two nights first at the Iguana Lodge in PJ for a little beach time, plus it's completely flat there, nice walking on the beach. So, if you want to mix it up a little on the Osa, I thought 2 nights at IL and 3 at BDC was perfect. IL is 10 minutes from the airport, closer to "town". BDC will pick you up from there or the airport, it was very easy.
Mar 13th, 2009, 06:19 AM
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We're the type who poke along on trails, fascinated by every little thing, listening for big cats purring (no comment please, shillmac!), so 3 days wouldn't allow us to cover much ground. Then there are the activities, pool and bar, library, weekly talks, monkey-watching from your cabina,socializing, snoozing in your hammock... 6 days was too short for us! Bumping it up a day or two next visit! We didn't even get to see the rescued pig!
As for snakes, we saw one coiled in a tree that our driver, Kevin, called a poisonous mango snake, but couldn't find it in a guidebook. Also, a fer-de-lance on a night walk. Very cool.Agree with advice to ask Phillip.
Don't agonize - just DO it - really!
As for snakes, we saw one coiled in a tree that our driver, Kevin, called a poisonous mango snake, but couldn't find it in a guidebook. Also, a fer-de-lance on a night walk. Very cool.Agree with advice to ask Phillip.
Don't agonize - just DO it - really!
Mar 13th, 2009, 06:51 AM
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My humble opinion - 3 days is not enough.
You say you are nervous about the flying and driving to get there - it is not an easy spot to get to. I would assume your first day you would get there in the afternoon, at the earliest and you would probably have to leave in the morning of the third day - only giving you one full day there.
Its such a lovely spot with lots of things to do. We went last December for 6 days. The first day [night actually] we just settled in. The second day we hiked to the Pacific - we spent the entire day there. The next day we hiked to the Golfo - again spent the entire day there. Third day hiked some shorter trails and did the zip line. Fourth day we just enjoyed the grounds and the last day we did the animal sanctuary before leaving the following day. There are so many things to do and the grounds are just fabulous. I feel that you will be spending more time getting to and from BDC than you will actually spend enjoying it.
As for snakes, we were the envy of all while we were there. We saw a cat eye snake, a coral snake and a fer de lance. And all were on walkways. Fortuantely, the fer de lance had just died. I do not like snakes at all, but my husband was thrilled. There was a boy there who was searching everywhere for snakes, but never saw one. He saw an anteater, so I was envious of that.
You say you are nervous about the flying and driving to get there - it is not an easy spot to get to. I would assume your first day you would get there in the afternoon, at the earliest and you would probably have to leave in the morning of the third day - only giving you one full day there.
Its such a lovely spot with lots of things to do. We went last December for 6 days. The first day [night actually] we just settled in. The second day we hiked to the Pacific - we spent the entire day there. The next day we hiked to the Golfo - again spent the entire day there. Third day hiked some shorter trails and did the zip line. Fourth day we just enjoyed the grounds and the last day we did the animal sanctuary before leaving the following day. There are so many things to do and the grounds are just fabulous. I feel that you will be spending more time getting to and from BDC than you will actually spend enjoying it.
As for snakes, we were the envy of all while we were there. We saw a cat eye snake, a coral snake and a fer de lance. And all were on walkways. Fortuantely, the fer de lance had just died. I do not like snakes at all, but my husband was thrilled. There was a boy there who was searching everywhere for snakes, but never saw one. He saw an anteater, so I was envious of that.
Mar 13th, 2009, 09:31 AM
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LOL cattail. . .can't get used to the new moniker!
No comment regarding the purring of the big kitty (you know your cats better than I!), but I remember your mentioning that you listened to the big cat talk upstairs with Aida Bustamante. We did that as well. . .Wednesday night, right? Enjoyed it. Agree, there is SO much to do there. If one were really into lots of hiking PLUS all the nearby offerings, 2 WEEKS wouldn't be too much.
melissa. . .I dunno why Golfito. I guess because the lancha is a short trip over to PJ as opposed to the longer drive around the top of the golfo, then dropping down to PJ. Plus it would add another little bit of travel variety. That is one of the things we have enjoyed about Costa Rica. We did the lancha from Golfito and it was just us and a boat full of Costa Rican families. I loved that. I don't know how safe it was, but it was a nice experience! We had taken the bus to the Savegre area, where we stayed for 2 nights at Hotel Savegre de la Montana. Then Savegre's driver took us to San Isidro where we hopped a bus to San Vito for 2 more nights (Wilson Botanical Gardens--a BIG deal, special treat for your husband). From there we hired a taxi to take us the hour and a half to Golfito where we caught the 11:00 or so lancha. That sojourn (with 2 small back packs) lasted 9 days, including BdC, and it was the time of our lives. Would do it again in a heartbeat! Experience the cloud forest of San Gerardo de Dota (Rio Savegre), San Isidro, Cerro de la Muerte highway, our first public bus ride, San Vito, Wilson, Golfito, Puerta Jimenez, BdC, and much more as we bused and taxied back to San Jose. It's all about journey. And I believe the journey needs to be as interesting as possible within AND without the confines of one's comfort zones!
No comment regarding the purring of the big kitty (you know your cats better than I!), but I remember your mentioning that you listened to the big cat talk upstairs with Aida Bustamante. We did that as well. . .Wednesday night, right? Enjoyed it. Agree, there is SO much to do there. If one were really into lots of hiking PLUS all the nearby offerings, 2 WEEKS wouldn't be too much.
melissa. . .I dunno why Golfito. I guess because the lancha is a short trip over to PJ as opposed to the longer drive around the top of the golfo, then dropping down to PJ. Plus it would add another little bit of travel variety. That is one of the things we have enjoyed about Costa Rica. We did the lancha from Golfito and it was just us and a boat full of Costa Rican families. I loved that. I don't know how safe it was, but it was a nice experience! We had taken the bus to the Savegre area, where we stayed for 2 nights at Hotel Savegre de la Montana. Then Savegre's driver took us to San Isidro where we hopped a bus to San Vito for 2 more nights (Wilson Botanical Gardens--a BIG deal, special treat for your husband). From there we hired a taxi to take us the hour and a half to Golfito where we caught the 11:00 or so lancha. That sojourn (with 2 small back packs) lasted 9 days, including BdC, and it was the time of our lives. Would do it again in a heartbeat! Experience the cloud forest of San Gerardo de Dota (Rio Savegre), San Isidro, Cerro de la Muerte highway, our first public bus ride, San Vito, Wilson, Golfito, Puerta Jimenez, BdC, and much more as we bused and taxied back to San Jose. It's all about journey. And I believe the journey needs to be as interesting as possible within AND without the confines of one's comfort zones!
