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Golfito National Wildlife Refuge Costa Rica protects forested and beach areas surrounding the Golfito harbor on the Golfo Dulce (Sweet Gulf), in the Pacific coast. This small reserve occupies the forested hills behind the town of Golfito, which was spared deforestation and the planting of oil palms and bananas because of its steep slopes. That’s why the government finally declared it a protected area on November 11th 1988, in order to preserve the water supply of Golfito.
The refuge includes a chain of mountains and highlands that climb 500m above sea level and then plunge abruptly into the sea, forming a very jagged coastline with cliffs 200m high that alternate with tidal plains and estuaries. The 
ridgeline is the result of the weathering of volcanic and sedimentary rocks of great antiquity.
The Golfito Wildlife Refuge is located in a rugged wilderness area with very heavy rains and dense evergreen forest, making it, undoubtedly, one of the wettest places in the world, as the region receives an average annual rainfall 5076mm (200 in). Rainfall is abundant all year long but in October it can rain over 700mm, this is the same amount it rains in Coco Beach and Cartago during the whole year. An important aspect of the Golfito Wildlife Refuge is its location near the lower basin of the Rio Esquinas (Corners River), a unique area in the Costa Rican Pacific where there is no dry season. It is like a climatic island with conditions that are similar to those on the hot and humid plains of the Caribbean, but on the other side of the central mountain chain.
The heavy, abundant and almost constant rains feed innumerable waterways, which encourage the growth of very tall trees laden with epiphytes. This is why it has one of the tallest canopies in Central America, with some trees, such as Purpleheart (Peltogyne), Butternut or White Walnut (Juglans Cinerea) and the Silk Cotton (Bombax), reaching 43m (140ft) in height. There are also some unusual trees here, such as the Caryodaphnopsis, a very primitive plant that belongs to the Lauraceae family which grows nowhere else in the country, and a “living fossil” a Cycad called Zamia. The forest in the refuge is thick, very evergreen. A fairly common palm that grows here is the black palm and its dry season goes from January through March.
The Golfito reserve is one of the most accessibles in the country, with a system of hiking trails that is reachable from the town of Golfito, leading to scenic overlooks and beaches. The downside of this is that it has suffered badly from hunting. For this reason, Golfito has fewer species to be seen than Corcovado, despite having similar conditions. Nevertheless a wide range of mammals can be seen. All four species of Costa Rican 
monkeys live here, plus Agouties, Coaties, Raccoons, Collared Peccaries, Pacas, anteaters and one of the smallest cats, the Jaguarondi. There are also various species of snakes, frogs, butterflies and bats. Nearly 150 species of birds have been identified at Golfito National Wildlife Refuge, including macaws (Scarlet Macaw), parrots, brown pelicans, ibis, herons and owls, Barn Owls, and a number of birds with limited distribution, such as Yellow-billed Cotinga, Orange-collared Manakin, Golden-naped Woodpecker, Riverside Wren and Baird’s Trogon. The refuge also covers part of Golfo Dulce, where ghosts crabs can be seen along the beach and dolphins and whales in the migration season. There is also a small coral reef.
An important aspect of the refuge is that is biologically related to other 2 parks, Corcovado and Piedras Blancas (White Stones). There are also great hiking opportunities on the North side of Golfito off the road to La Gamba. You can park next to the small waterfall on the left side of the road and walk up the river. On the other hand, there are no public facilities at this wildlife refuge, although camping permits can be arranged through the MINAE office in Rio Claro at 2789-9092.
Many species that are threatened or even extinct in neighboring countries still thrive here in the Golfito and Osa Peninsula area. In most of Costa Rica’s National parks it is possible to see several different habitats within the course of a day. An international effort is underway to catalog Costa Rica’s natural assets, but at the last count, this tiny Central American country was calculated to have just over 200 mammals (including six species of felines: jaguar, ocelot, margay, puma, jaguarundi and tiger cats), 857 species of birds, 10,000 insects and over 9,000 species of higher plants, including 1,200 orchids. Most of these species are to be found here, in the Southern Zone and around the Golfito area.
Getting to Golfito National Wildlife Refuge:
From San Jose, take the Pan-American Highway south towards Panama. At the town of Rio Claro, take the exit to Golfito. The total distance is 342km (212 miles). The refuge can be accessed via the Tower Rd. (calle Torres) near the cemetery or behind Banco Nacional – you continue till the slope, the you take the exit to the left and you will reach the hiking trail on the right side of the road. It might be best to park in town and walk up to the trailhead or pay a local to park at their home to watch your car and personal belongings.
By bus
Take a bus from the route San Jose – Golfito, which takes about 8 hours (Tracopa-Alfaro, 2221-4214). From here you can rent a car and drive or take a taxi to Golfito National Wildlife Refuge, which takes about 15 minutes. We recommend buying the ticket a day earlier to be sure your seat is saved.
By plane:
You can also take a flight from the Juan Santamaria Airport to the Golfito Airport, either with Sansa or Aerobell Airlines, both with daily flights. From here you can rent a car and drive or take a taxi to Golfito National Wildlife Refuge, which takes about 15 minutes.
Location: on the shore of Golfo Dulce in southern Puntarenas province.
Golfito GPS Coordinates: 8.638792,-83.166678 (8°38’19.65″N, 83°10’00.04″W)
Size: 1309ha (3234 acres)
Altitude: sea level to 400m (1312ft)
Schedule: from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Golfito National Wildlife Refuge Telephone: +(506) 2775-2620
Osa Conservation Area (ACOSA) Telephone: +(506) 2735-5580 / 2735-5276
INFOTUR Tourist Information: 1192
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