Costa Rica is a country with incredible natural beauty, and its beaches are among the most beautiful in the world. Come and enjoy the beaches of Costa Rica, touring them with Budget.
The ideal place to spend a few quiet and relaxing days. But it’s also the perfect destination for adventure lovers.
Immerse yourself in the crystal clear waters of Costa Rica to see its incredible aquatic fauna and connect with a new world. Let’s talk about the 5 best places in Costa Rica to snorkel.
Costa Rica has two coasts, the Pacific Coast and the Caribbean Coast. There are many places to snorkel. Although some are more difficult to access. On the Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica, there are beautiful beaches. But they can be lonely and hardly access. The beaches of the Pacific Coast have spectacular waves and are usually the favorites of surfers. However, there are also perfect islands for snorkeling.
As we said before, the beaches of Costa Rica are the favorites of surfers because of their large and strong waves. This means that the waters of the beaches are rough, with a lot of sand, making it difficult to see when practicing underwater activities such as diving or snorkeling.
For this reason, the places in Costa Rica with the best conditions for snorkeling are its islands. With this, we do not mean that you cannot snorkel on the beaches of Costa Rica. Still, the experience will depend on many conditions.
For all this, in this article, we will focus on the islands of Costa Rica for snorkeling.
5 islands of Costa Rica to snorkel
- Turtle Island
Tortuga Island is known for its incredible beauty, with its crystal clear waters and white sand beaches.
On this island, the place to snorkel is called Los Moteros. Los Morteros are large rock formations in shallow water. That is why it’s the perfect place for people with little experience to snorkel. Los Morteros have little depth and highly visible waters.
These types of rock formations are very common on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica and are full of underwater life, with colorful fish, starfish, corals, and eels.
- Saint Catalina Islands
The Saint Catalina Islands are about 6 miles away from Flamingo Beach, in Guanacaste. They are a famous destination for snorkeling due to their abundant marine life, with some animals such as the Bull shark and the manta ray.
Although it is not the most common, there is the possibility that you will see humpback whales. These whales arrive at these coasts during January, December, August, and July.
Although it must be an incredible experience, it is best to stay away from humpback whales. They are extremely intelligent and friendly animals but they are huge. They could inadvertently seriously injure you.
- Cano Island
It’s located 24 miles from Uvita beach, and since it’s distant from the coast, its waters are not affected by the sedimentation of the rivers or the constant waves.
In this area of the Pacific Coast, it’s possible to see humpback whales and dolphins jumping on the surface of the water.
Cano Island is considered one of the best places to snorkel in Costa Rica, due to the great diversity of species and its importance to the ecosystem.
It has good visibility throughout the year and its waters are home to an amazing diversity of marine life.
If you snorkel in Isla del Caño you will be pleasantly surprised because you will be able to see tuna, snapper, barracuda, manta rays, sea turtles, and white-tip sharks.
- Chora Island
Chora Island is located less than a mile away from Samara Beach.
You can rent a boat or kayak to the island. However, if you do not know the area, it is best to use a local tourism service.
The best time to snorkel at Isla Chora is at low tide because the seabed is closer and there is better visibility.
On the island, you can relax on the white sand of a small but beautiful beach. If you prefer a bit of adrenaline, there is an area with slightly bigger waves.
- Cahuita National Park
Ok, this is not an island, it’s true, but we wanted to include an option from the coast.
It is located on the east coast of Costa Rica. A short distance from Puerto Limón, Playa Blanca, and Puerto Vargas.
In the Cahuita National Park, there is an extraordinary coral reef with more than a hundred different species of fish and more than thirty types of corals.
In Costa Rica, you have incredible places to immerse yourself in the wonderful underwater world and live an unforgettable experience.
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