Go Sun Yourself: Photos of the World's Best Beaches

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Corcovado is not a place that's easy to get to. But the fact that so many people come to this 41,788-hectare national forest on the Osa Peninsula in southwestern Costa Rica attests to its beauty and magic. What's all the fuss about? A biodiversity that's practically unmatched. You'll find a quarter of all Costa Rica's tree species, 367 species of birds, 140 of mammals, and 117 reptiles and amphibians. So how much hiking will you have to do? You have to walk at least a day to get to the headquarters at Sirena from the Los Pinos ranger station, itself a half day's walk from the town of La Palma on the Golfo Dulce. Trails have been developed around the station, where you can easily spend days visiting the park. Permission to visit Corcovado should be obtained from the reserve office in Puerto Jiminez or by contacting Proyecta Osa Natural.