Stop for a second and let go hustle and bustle of daily life… Now , simply imagine a forest full of wildlife, with birds of all colors soaring in the sky … Imagine the green of the deep jungles and the sound of the dropping water making its way through the rocks of the waterfalls. Suddely, you feel the Marine life emerging from the endless blue of the ocean.
You are walking away from the bustle of tourist cities and discovering the friendly smile of the happiest inhabitants of the planet. Then is when you can experience the culture found in Latin dances and human warmth.
My name is David Villanueva and I am a Costa Rican wildlife specialist and naturalist guide.
Ever since I was little I walked with my father, binoculars in hand, looking for extraordinary birds and dreaming on finding the jaguar. Which I indeed look further participating in Jaguar research organized by my uncle.
As you can see we are a family of nature enthusiat and wildlife specialist
My father and I have been guiding all over the country, and we’ve been in every corner of Costa Rica. Likewise, we have met almost every Costa Rican guide. And we came to the conclusion that being an expert in wildlife doesn’t necessarily mean being a good guide.
Why?
Knowing about animals, their habitats, their roles in the ecosystem, among others, will give you an advantage if you want to find them.
But a tour is not only about finding animals and describing their natural history. It is also, and more importantly, about the experience. You want to feel alive, by being surrounded by wilderness, experiencing the sounds and shapes of the jungle, without disrupting the ecosystem and still feeling safe and comfortable.
Yes, you not only need a wildlife expert that know where to find the animals. You need an expert in first aid and security protocols that will give you peace of mind.
We are a company created by wildlife experts but specially, we are company made by guides experts in creation of experiences.
We guide you through breathtaking places, where you can breathe the pure air and experience the real jungle. With us, you can feel 100% safe. Because our guides are not only wildlife experts but great hosts full of funny stories and train in first aid and jungle survival.
Ever since I was in the school for guides, people talked about a destination full of wildlife, where in one morning you could see whales, sharks, monkeys, crocodiles, turtles and sloths … Some called it paradise.
Paradise because when you get up, you can hear the toucans singing in front of the sea. If you simply go and take a walk you can find a postcard beach with palm trees and luxury forest. Then at night you swim and suddely the sea fills with stars due to bioluminoscence. And when you look up, you can see the constellations.
The afternoons say goodbye drowning the sun in the infinite blue … And the mornings, humid and hot, are accompanied by the sound of the jungle.
Welcome to Bahia Drake, located on the Osa peninsula, in the South Pacific of Costa Rica.
The Osa peninsula is the place with the greatest biological intensity on the planet (National geographic) Also, it is the best place to see wildlife in tropical America … And yes, it is a destination outside the conventional route. However, I can assure you that it has everything you need to create epic adventures and experience nature without artificial ingredients.
In Bahia Drake we have the best access to the wildlest natural park in Costa Rica: Corcovado and to Caño Island, a place recognized worldwide for its underwater beauty. In addition, Drake Bay has hotels, restaurants and local characters like me… You know, Pura vida (pure life)
Bahia Drake is a town with barely 1000 inhabitants distributed among several locations … You can imagine that it does not have the economic capacity to compete with the marketing of the mainstream Costa Rican destiantions. For this reason, many people pass by far and lose ´´The natural paradise of Costa Rica´´
It is not easy to get here but when you get here, there is no way you will regret it. Just being able to walk in our forests full of life will make you feel more alive than ever.
Before I introduce you to the 3 most epic wildlife tours in Costa Rica, I want you to know something important about me and this company.
Since I was a child I read about characters who discovered magical places, living adventures that later became legends. So I dreamed of being one of them … What I didn't know was that not only would I become one of them. But I would dedicate myself to create those adventures for other people.
I don’t want to bore you with the story of how I created these adventures … We will talk about once we meet here.
What I do want to do is guarantee that if you are looking to experience real nature, explore breathtaking places and experience the wild and non-touristy side of Costa Rica, you are in the right place.