The Lungs of Costa Rica

Posted by Alex on 2 March 2010

With only 700km to go and plenty of time, we decided to take a detour and head to the Osa peninsula in southern Costa Rica. It is reputed to be one of the most pristine areas in the country.

After 80km down the Panamerican highway between palm plantations, we turned off onto a small side road towards the peninsula. Within a few miles we were climbing steeply into the mountains and engulfed in real jungle. I think that one of the best indicators of health for a tropical rain forest is the noise. The deafening sound of millions of insects, all advertising themselves in their own way, thousand of birds calling their partners and monkeys letting us know that we are in their territory turns the jungle into a cacophony so loud that you can hardly hear yourself think. So many forests have suffered what is the called the "Silent Forest Syndrome", in which one or several species have been removed form the forest by hunting or for the wildlife trade causing the ecosystem to collapse and the forest to become silent.

This, however was not the case in the Osa. We cycled for several days, immersed in this amazing environment. Arriving at the beaches on the south coast of the peninsula, we became aware of the huge numbers of Scarlet Macaws (of which Fin has a great photo) in the trees all around us... and apparently we were there in the quiet season.

After spending so much time riding through degraded environments in Central America, with trash strewn along the side of the road and waste burning everywhere, it was a real moral booster to see that with proper management, some places were still kept in their pristine state for everyone to enjoy... in moderation of course. 

23 comments. Tags: Alex, fin, costa rica, Osa. Location: Penenome, Panama, Panama