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Costa Rica is a paradise for snorkeling enthusiasts, its coasts are home to an impressive biodiversity and a variety of marine ecosystems, making the country an ideal destination for this activity. From the famous Catalinas Islands to local beaches like Tamarindo and Flamingo, snorkeling in Costa Rica is an unforgettable experience.
The Papagayo Winds are a unique meteorological phenomenon that primarily affects the Guanacaste region of Costa Rica during the dry season, from December to March. Closely tied to the trade winds, this phenomenon intensifies due to the interaction between high-pressure systems from North American winters and the mountainous geography of Central America. As these winds funnel toward the Pacific Ocean, they create specific conditions that significantly influence maritime activities such as diving and snorkeling.
Catalinas Islands are a group of volcanic islands located off the northern Pacific coast of Costa Rica in Guanacaste Province. This destination is globally recognized for its incredible marine biodiversity and is ideal for activities like diving and snorkeling. Visitors have the opportunity to encounter giant manta rays, reef sharks, sea turtles, and a vibrant variety of tropical fish.
Costa Rica is home to some of the world’s most breathtaking scuba diving destinations, offering a mix of exotic marine life, pristine waters, and varied dive conditions that appeal to divers of all levels. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced diver, this country has a spot for you. In this post, we’ll explore the best scuba diving sites in Costa Rica, detailing how to get there, dive conditions, best seasons to visit, and why each site is worth exploring.
When people think of the rainy season or green season in Costa Rica, many assume that water activities like diving and snorkeling aren’t an option. However, the reality is quite the opposite! During the green season, Costa Rica offers spectacular conditions for diving and experiencing unforgettable marine adventures.
Guanacaste is a true paradise on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast, known for its stunning beaches, vibrant wildlife, and a wide variety of activities for everyone. If you’re planning a vacation in this region, here’s what to do in Flamingo, Tamarindo, and their surroundings to make the most of your stay.
With more than 20 years of experience behind us, we know every single step to satisfy your needs.
We fit all sizes, up to 19 divers and +15 snorkelers on the perfect boat to give you the best experience out in the ocean. All the equipment used is checked daily to offer the maximum security and enjoyment of our customers.
Our experienced team will give you everything you need to really enjoy your holiday experience. Because even the smallest detail matters.
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Everything You Need to Know
Two dives at different sites are included, one dive for each site visited.
If you are a certified diver your maximum depth is 18-20m or 40 feet. If you are an advanced diver and want to do deeper dives, it is necessary to make the request in advance and pay extra for us to assign you a private guide, since the rest of the divers on board will do shallow dives.
The price includes all diving equipment (except dive computers or cameras), two guided dives, very small groups underwater (maximum 4-5 divers per guide), dive master or bilingual instructor who will give you a very personalized treatment and refreshments on board (water, cold tea, cookies and seasonal fruits).
To come diving you will need your bathing suit, sun protection, a cloth and cash if you wish to tip our staff or buy pictures from our guides. Anyway, the boat is very habitable and we have a dry area where you can leave your bag or backpack during the tour.
At Pacific Coast we provide all the equipment you need, but if you wish to bring your own equipment we offer a $15 discount if you bring your own BCD, regulator, wetsuit and fins. However it is important that you understand that we cannot be responsible for the proper functioning of your equipment (inflator and deflator of your BCD, plastic clips, zippers) and that is why we always recommend you to use the ones we give you from Pacific Coast.
Of course! Our operation is ideal for combined groups.
Check out the option for your husband/friend to go DISCOVER SCUBA DIVING, SNORKEL or just join us as a BOAT RIDER.
Both Catalinas and the North Coast do not have a coral bottom, so the main attraction of our rocky bottoms, apart from the geological formations, is to observe large schools of tropical fish, giant manta rays, different types of rays, octopus, echinoderms and of course two or three kinds of sharks, such as white tip, black tip or nurse sharks.
Pacific Coast does not sell photos on board, however some of our dive guides have underwater cameras and can arrange with them the direct purchase of photos or videos. In exchange Pacific Coast will only ask you to leave us a review on Google, to improve our positioning on the Internet.
The Pacific coast of Costa Rica is quite unpredictable, and it is very difficult for us to give you a simple answer to this question. However, we have implemented a section on our website where we are updating the conditions we are having on our dives and snorkels.
In response to the request of our clients who stay from Tamarindo to Las Catalinas, and all points in between, we have developed a shared shuttle that follows a pre-established route and can bring them to the dive shop. The bus costs $10 per person round trip and must be booked when you make your dive reservation.
Check the transportation map to see which point close to your hotel you can choose to be picked up.
The tour lasts approximately 4 hours. We leave Flamingo around 8 am and return around 12 noon. The exact time of arrival we never know, and sometimes we decide to stay longer at sea, because we have observed something especially interesting.
As a general rule you will always be back at your hotel at 2 pm, so try to avoid booking activities that start before 2 pm, the same day of your dive tour.
Your tour includes two snorkels at different points in the Catalina Islands or North Coast. We include all snorkeling equipment, flotation devices (BCDs, rings or flaoties), bilingual guides and snacks on board.
There is no minimum age to participate; however, we recommend that children be at least 6 years old and comfortable in the water to fully enjoy the experience. If you feel that your child could benefit from additional attention, we are happy to offer you the option of hiring a private guide who can provide personalized accompaniment for the child.
Our guides strive to cater to all members of the group and ensure a safe and fun experience for everyone.
We can help you with flotation devices, so you don’t have to be an expert swimmer. What we do need is that you feel comfortable in the water, since this snorkeling tour is in deep water, not on beaches; and therefore, this is very important for you to enjoy the activity.
You should bring a bathing suit, sunscreen, a cloth and some cash in case you want to leave tips or buy pictures from the guides.
Of course! You can join us as a BOAT RIDER!
The tour lasts approximately 4 hours. We leave Flamingo around 8 am and return around 12 noon. The exact time of arrival we never know, and sometimes we decide to stay longer at sea, because we have observed something especially interesting.
As a general rule you will always be back at your hotel by 2 pm, so try to avoid booking activities that start before 2 pm on the same day as your snorkeling tour.
The Pacific Ocean is very unpredictable so conditions vary a lot from one season to another and even from one day to the next. To try to give you a more accurate answer we have created a section on our website where we detail the conditions of the last few days.
Our guides will help you to see octopuses, starfish, different types of echinoderms, and if you are able to dive and freedive, you will be able to observe them by yourself. From your position, floating on the surface you will also be able to see schools of tropical fish, sharks, different types of rays and even sharks.
Plan your day hassle-free with our modern tourist shuttles. For just $10 round trip, enjoy safe and reliable transportation. Check out our detailed schedules, prepare to be 5 minutes early and review the routes in detail.
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