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Caño
Island Biologial Reserve
Caño Island is situated approximately
10-12 nautical miles from Osa Peninsula coastline.
Most hotels have daily tours to the island,
which takes about 45 minutes to reach, depending
on weather and sea conditions. The Park is
open from 8:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m., and the ranger
station maintains an office, public bathroom,
freshwater shower, and storage area. You are
not permitted to remain on the island overnight.
Upon arriving you will be asked to sign into
the guest book.
The Caño Island Reserve is off major
archaeological importance since it was used
as a cemetery in Pre-Columbian times. It is
still possible today to see a limited number
of perfectly round spheres, presumed to have
been made by the Indians .
Just in front of the Ranger Station there
is a beach area, which is most frequently
utilized for play, relaxation and snorkeling.
The water just in front of the Ranger Station
is relatively shallow, and provides snorkelers
with an excellent opportunity to familiarize
yourself with the underwater terrain and sea
life surrounding Caño Island. The dark,
volcanic rock is home to numerous species
of marine life, much of which you will see
just a short swim from the beach.
There are two walking trails on Caño
Island, one which leads to an archeological
site known as "Sitio Arqueologico",
and the second, "El Mirador", which
terminates at a beautiful lookout on the south
side of the island. Both trails share the
same common trail up to a designated point
before separating into two distinct trails.
The leading trail starts just behind the Ranger
Station, on the left side, and begins with
an uphill climb. While relatively steep, the
trail is very manageable, as thick slabs of
tree trunk have been thoughtfully placed to
assist you with your footing. As well, the
trail utilizes the island's natural setting
such as tree roots and rocks. The trail soon
plateaus, at which point you will see signs
pointing towards the Island's two main walking
trails mentioned above. The hike from the
Ranger Station to this intersection takes
approximately 7-10 minutes, but much depends
on your physical condition and interest in
the local flora and fauna.
Once at the intersection turn left, follow
the common trail that points to "Sitio
Archeologico" and "El Mirador".
This portion of the trail is quite flat, open,
bright, and littered with fallen leaves and
broken/dead branches. The island's undergrowth
is not too dense, comprised primarily of small
trees including locust, wild pig, cocoa and
rubber trees. A rather insignificant number
of larger evergreen trees, reaching 150 ft.
in height, do exist, many of which have trunks
covered in a thick green moss. The trails
winds a bit, but is very well marked and easy
to navigate. Due to its openness, this portion
of the trail remains relatively dry compared
to the latter sections. After hiking for approximately
20 minutes, you will come to a second intersection,
at which time the trail divides into two.
If you would like to see the island's archeological
site, more specifically the perfectly round
spheres, then continue straight ahead at the
intersection. The hike to the spheres takes
approximately 10-15 minutes, on a relatively
flat, but winding trail that is wetter than
the other sections. Upon reaching the end
of the trail you will see two spheres. The
first, and smaller of the two, resides on
top of smaller stones and can be seen in its
entirety. The second, larger stone, is partially
submerged in the earth.
To visit the "El Mirador", or Lookout,
turn to the right. The hike to the Lookout
takes about 12 minutes and is relatively easy
and flat, aside from some low-lying areas.
Just prior to reaching the Lookout the trail
will dip rather quickly and then climb back
up, with the steeper portions lined with large
slabs of tree trunk to ensure safe passage.
In the low-lying areas this trail can get
a bit muddy. At the Lookout itself, there
is a small bench, where you can rest and/or
look for whales and dolphins in the waters
just south of Caño Island.
The trails on Caño Island are very
well marked and maintained, however, their
status at any given time is dependent on current
weather conditions. During the wet season
muddy trails should be expected, which may
make hiking a bit more difficult and more
time consuming.
Caño Island is not known for an abundance
of wildlife. The fauna is sparse, possibly
caused by the disappearance of the natural
forest. The few birds that can be sighted
here are the cattle egret, common black hawk,
osprey, brown booby and Northern phalarope.
The four-eyed opossum, paca (introduced),
boa constrictor, brown tree frog and transparent
tree frog, and a few species of rats, small
snakes and lizards are also sighted here.
Providing you proceed slowly and quietly,
you can see many of these animals on the jungle
floor and lower portion of the forest canopy.
For those who will be snorkeling, a rich variety
of marine fauna inhabits the tidal pools.
In addition to a multitude of fish, there
are countless brittle starfish and sea urchins.
Two endangered species in the vicinity of
the island are the lobster and the giant conch.
Important Points
- Some species of trees have needles and/or
spines protruding from their bark, which serves
as a natural, protective measure. Look before
you grab something!
- There is no water freshwater available on
the Island, so we recommend you carry drinking
water with you while hiking.
- Surprisingly enough, the mosquitoes here
are not much of a factor, however, insect
repellent is always recommended. |
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Surfing
Snorkeling
