Dos Brazos de Rio Tigre on the Osa Peninsula is at the beginning of the El Tigre River. Two rivers join together to form the El Tigre River. Dos Brazos is a small barrio of 200 people. At one time, in the early 1980s, it had over 2,000 people living there.
The Gold rush of Dos Brazos
In the early 1980s, gold was discovered in the quiet barrio of the town of Dos Brazos De Río Tigre, and it exploded with dreamers looking for their fortune.
The mechants got rich.
Yes, some miners got rich, but the real winners were the merchants who sold the miners rice, beans, coffee, shovels, picks, and gold pans. The price of a gold pan was one gram of gold. So me, being me? I figured I would give it a try. So I started to ask around my local friends that I needed a gold pan.
buying a gold pan
Word got out that I was looking for a gold pan. The first person to come to my house was smiling from ear to ear. David, I heard you were looking for a gold pan? Yes, I am. He pulled out a homemade gold pan made out of aluminum. Ok, it was just like all my gold mining friends.
How much I asked. Now he really smiled. One gram of gold, my friend said. This was in 2025, and the price of a gram was around $130.00 US
It was my turn to smile. I am not paying you a gram of gold for a gold pan, I said. I had already looked on Amazon and could get one for under $30.00
My friend was pretty firm on the price. So I said no. Ok, time to ask around about this one gram for a gold pan, I thought to myself. Over the next week, I asked around about a gram of gold for a gold pan. It turned out during the heydays of the gold rush that was the price. The merchants could not produce them fast enough.
Old Man Walter.
Old man Walter, a local neighbor who is 83 years old. He rides his bicycle from Sandalo to Puerto Jimenez, over 40 minutes each way. Walter comes by and shows me his old gold pan. So now I feel that this is a special gift Walter is giving me, his gold pan. How much I asked. Walter looked at me and said One gram of gold. By now, I had had it with everyone thinking that they were getting a $130.00 for a $30.00 gold pan.
Doing the deal.
Walter, a gram of gold for a gold pan 40 yrs ago was a good deal. Now gold is $130.00 a gram. It has always been a gram for a gold pan, Walter said. I pulled out my phone, got on Amazon, and showed him a new gold pan for $30.00.
$80.00, 40 mil, Walter said. No, because you are my friend, I will give it to you for 20 mil or $40.00. Done and gave him 20 mil.
Panning for gold?
Panning for gold is illegal throughout Costa Rica. All my tico friends say it is not a problem; they do it all the time. For myself, it was just another avenue to go have fun on a hot summer day. But for now, my gold pan sits in my bodega collecting dust.
Costa Rica Baned all gold prospecting in 1975
In 1975, Costa Rica started banning all gold prospecting. The barrio of Dos Brazos De Río Tigre.was once a gold town, switched gears to tourism. Now the town has its own park entrance to Corocovado park. El Tigre trail head.
Dos Brazos Tourism
Dos Brazos De Río Tigre.is outside of Puerto Jihttps://www.corcovadoeltigre.com/menez. It takes only 45 min to get to Dos Brazos from Puerto Jimenez. The colectivo van leaves Puerto Jimenez at am from the gas station to Dos Brazos. The colectivo’s last ride to Puerto Jimenez leaves Dos Brazos at 4 pm.
Dos Brazos De Río Tigre Corcovado Park tour. They have different tours, from a 4 hr tour, a 8 hr tour, all the way to a two-day tour, one night. You will end up at Caraet on the second day. What is nice about the El Tirgre park entrance is that there are no crowds, unlike the park ranger stations.
Horseback riding tours, Gold panning tours, and traditional cooking classes.
Horseback riding.
When you come into town, if you are taking the colectivo, tell the driver you want to go horseback riding. Tip: Google Translate. If you are walking, stay to the right and follow the road for 300 meters, and you will see their sign.
Gold panning.
As you are coming into town, go to the right on the road for 25 meters. Stop at this guide’s house.
Dos Broazos tourism office
The Dos Brazos tourism office is on the road to the right, around 100 meters
It is recommended to make reservations first on their website. All the guides live in Dos Brazos, which is a big plus. They knew the trailhead and where all the animals are. Some guides can smell animals before they see them. A true native of El Tigre de Dos Brazos. Hiring a guide out of Puerto Jiménez, you might miss out on something that a gudie that has lived in Dos Brazos knows
https://www.corcovadoeltigre.com
The Medicine Man
Right when you go over the bridge, if you look to the left, you will drive by a small blue house. Behind the house in the jungle is a medicine man living in a tent, slash house. People from all over the Osa go to see him from everthing to a massage to getting a special herb concoction for what ails you. I have seen him more than once. Not in your tour guide!!!
On a budget? Not a problem!
First there is a small store on the road to the left. You can buy food and drinks. Tip#2: Freeze your water bottle the night before, that way you will have cold water for most of the day. ok now that you know where the store is walk back down to the entrance of town and take the road to the right. ,
The Road to the River.
This road will lead to the river. It is around 400 meters long, a nice flat walk. You will go over a couple of bridges and come to the dead end. There will be motorcycles and a car or two parked to the right. Go to the right, down a small hill, and you will be at the river.
My dog Alaska is enjoying the El Tigre River. Alaska loves the water, but try to give her a bath, well, just forget it. All the motorcycles and cars parked a lot of them are gold miners; in fact, there were two gold miners to the right of these photos.
The painted white rocks with yellow arrows on top are the trail to a hostel on top of a mountain.
The River
Now that you are at the river, you can go upriver or downriver. Best is upriver. Find a nice, deep pool and hang out. Swim in the river. Enjoy the quiet, the only thing you will hear is nature and the sound of the cold water going downstream to the sweet gulf.
A friend has a nice 1-acre lot on the river, and we spent two nights and three days on the river. What my friend forgot to tell me is that my friend was going too fast. I slept in a hammock tied to two trees. All day, I would look for wild food. I found a plantones tree. So when in Rome, do what the Romans do!
I survived the 2 nights and three days in the jungle of El Tigre Dos Brazos. When I got back to Puerto Jimenez, I ate large!!
Enjoy the river for the day, remember to get the last colectivo by 4 pm, or you might sleep in a hammock for the night.
Restaurants.
Right before you get to the dead end, there is a new establishment, an ecolodge that also has food. I looked inviting, but I had my dog Alaska with me, and dog fights were not on the to-do list for the day.
The other restaurant is when you come to the bus stop, go to the left. It will be on the left-hand side. What’s really nice about this restaurant is that it overhangs the El Tigre River. Sometimes it is open, other times it is closed. If it is open, stop in for a cold drink or some food. Way Cool
Acomadations
There are a lot of Airbnb and lodges. Ranging from $20.00 to $100.00 a night, plus some hostels. For myself, kinda like the hammock on the river. Google accommodations Dos Brazos and you will find all the options.
Two or three days is perfect.
You could easily stay in Dis Brazos for two to three days and enjoy every minute of your time there.
Please remember, only take photos, leave only footprints.