There are many kinds of opportunities to view wildlife in this area. You can take dolphin and whale watching tours around the Golfo Dulce, take a day-trip to Cabo Matapalo, about 45 minutes away, where you are likely to see a variety of birds, monkeys and ground-dwelling mammals such as coatis and agoutis, go walk in the Herrera Botanical Gardens and look for a similar assortment of creatures, take a cayman/crocodile night tour, go kayaking through the mangroves, spend a day or two hiking Corcovado, go on a birdwatching tour nearby, or even take a frog tour. The Osa Wildlife Sanctuary in Rio Esquinas is accessible by boat from Puerto Jimenez. The Sanctuary allows you to get up close to wild animals that have been injured or abandoned. Cafenet El Sol arranges tours.

If crocodiles are your thing, just head toward the path to Parrot Bay, near the beach. The swamp area on the right at the beginning of the path is crawling with crocodiles. These guys don't have enough natural food sources to sustain them, so they've become accustomed to the locals stopping by every so often to throw in a little raw meat. If you wriggle a stick at the water's edge, you'll start to see the crocs and caymans move in for supper time. Please exercise caution, however. Stay a safe distance from the edge and don't aggravate the animals. There are still a few croc-related fatalities every year in this spot.

Be aware that even if your tour doesn't take you as far as Cabo Matapalo or Drake's Bay, you will most likely be traveling into the surrounding area – the Golfo Dulce Forest reserve, Dos Brazos, Rincon or La Palma – and transport is not always included. Osa Travel (www.osatravel.com) is a good company if you are interested in wildlife. It offers a large array of tour options, all focused around wildlife viewing, and the guides are knowledgeable and personable. Cafenet El Sol is a good place to go for any kind of tour, and they have some of the lowest prices in the area.

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By Laura Granfortuna

I've always had the travel bug - maybe it's because I've been traveling around with my family since I was an infant, but mainly I think it's because...