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Diving in
Costa Rica
Costa Rica's underwater wonders range from coastal coral reefs to offshore
islands. Those varied dive spots contain diverse and beautiful marine life
that includes giant manta rays, timid sea turtles, colorful angel fish,
intricate coral formations, psychedelic sea slugs, spiny puffer fish, delicate
sea fans, curious dolphins and, on rare occasions, whales.
Though the country's waters contain enough marine life to please the most
experienced of divers, you need be little more than a curious swimmer to catch
a glimpse of some of its underwater sights, since there are plenty of spots
that are perfect for snorkeling. Costa Rica is also an excellent place to
learn how to scuba dive, since most dive centers offer inexpensive
certification courses in English that can be completed in less than a week.
Caribe
There are several excellent snorkeling areas along the southern Caribbean
coast. The country's largest coastal reef is protected within Cahuita National
Park, south of the town of the same name, where you can rent snorkeling
equipment and hire people to take you out in boats. The point at Puerto Viejo,
south of Cahuita, also has a coral reef wrapped around it that makes for
convenient diving. Punta Cocles and Punta Uva, two points to the south of
town, have healthier coral formations with plenty of fish around them.
Manzanillo, a small fishing village a few miles further south, also has some
decent diving off shore. There are also a few good dive spots near the city of
Limon, such as the water surrounding Uvita Island. The best visibility in the
Caribbean is from March to early May and from mid August to mid November, but
water quality can change from day to day.
Pacific
The Pacific has the country's best diving, with less coral, but plenty of big
fish. The most popular Pacific diving area is the northwest, where dive
centers in Playa del Coco, Ocotal and Hermosa offer trips to several spots in
the Culebra Bay and the Bat Islands (Islas Murcielagos), to the northwest,
where divers often see sharks and manta rays. The dive center in Flamingo
usually takes people to Santa Catalina Island, about five miles off shore,
which is another good spot to see sharks and other big fish. The best
visibility and water temperatures in the northwest are found from June to
September, though the conditions can change from day to day.
There is good snorkeling in Curu National Wildlife Refuge, and near the beach
resorts of Tambor and Montezuma. There is also usually good snorkeling off the
second beach in Manuel Antonio National Park, and around the points and
islands between Dominical and Marino Ballena National Park. However, the best
diving off the Pacific coast is found at several underwater reefs near Caņo
Island, which can be explored on dive trips offered by some of the lodges in
nearby Drake Bay. Contrary to the northwest, the best visibility in the waters
around Caņo occurs during the dry season, though the water tends to be pretty
clear year round.
Cocos
Cocos Island, a national park located some 330 miles southwest of the Costa
Rican mainland, has the country's best diving by far.
While the Island is covered with virgin forest, the ocean that surrounds it
contains abundant marine life, and the visibility is good year round. Divers
at Cocos Island regularly see such impressive animals as manta rays, dolphins
and hammerhead sharks, which sometimes gathering in schools of 30 or 40
animals. It takes about 36 hours to reach Cocos Island, and some companies
have ships that run regular dive cruises there, which last ten days and
include three dives per day.
Diving | Sportfishing | Surfing
| White water rafting | Turtle watching
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