Discover Isla del Caño by snorkeling from Uvita

Isla del Caño is a highly protected biological reserve. Only 200 people are allowed to enter the park each day. It is therefore not possible to enter this reserve without a guide. This article details our excursion from Uvita but it is also possible to book excursions from Drake Bay, to find out more, visit this site .

View from the Isla del Caño viewpoint — Isla del Caño

We hesitated for a long time between a scuba diving excursion or a snorkeling excursion (mask and snorkel). We finally opted for a snorkeling excursion, for a question of budget but in the end, really no regrets. This excursion on Isla del Caño in snorkeling is even one of our best memories of our stay in Costa Rica! I sincerely think that we would not have seen more things in scuba diving, at least, we were already really impressed by what we saw in snorkeling: turtles, sharks, fish of all sizes, all colors and all shapes, starfish, corals, it was crazy!

We did our excursion with the Dolphin Tour agency. We particularly enjoyed this excursion because we had a very small group: 6 people + the guide.

As mentioned above, you also have the option to do this scuba diving excursion mainly from Drake Bay and even get PADI certification.

>> Book a snorkeling excursion to Islande Del Caño from Uvita

How does the activity: Isla del Caño snorkeling work?

The excursion starts around 7:30 a.m. and ends around 2 p.m.

Briefing of the day

You will start your excursion at the Dolphin Tour agency where you will meet your guide and the other members of the group who will share this day with you. You will attend the guide's briefing around a nice breakfast: coffee, biscuits, fruits, etc. Once you have the schedule of the day in mind, let's go for the adventure, heading to the Marino Ballena Natural Park!

Entrance to Marino Ballena National Park — Parc national de Marino Ballena

Marino Ballena Natural Park and boat crossing

At the entrance to the park, we were lucky enough to come across a caiman, howler monkeys and birds: we're not going to lie to you, without the guide we would have clearly passed by without seeing them. He shared a few anecdotes about these animals with us and then we boarded the boat heading for Isla. We set off for about an hour's crossing. It wasn't the high season to see whales but during the briefing, we were still advised to keep our eyes open. Unfortunately, we didn't see any whales or dolphins but we did see a sea turtle and some birds.

Note that the best season to see whales is September/October.

Snorkeling and stopover on the beach of Isla del Caño

Once you arrive, you will be given the necessary equipment: mask, snorkel and fins. You will start with a first dive. The advantage of having a small group is that you quickly feel alone in the water. The guide is still not far away to find the different areas and give us explanations. In this first dive where we were further out, the idea was to admire the large species as a priority: turtles, white-tip sharks, large fish, etc. Unfortunately, we were not equipped to take photos underwater and so we have few images to share with you.

Colorful, blue and yellow fish in the Isla del Caño Biological Reserve — Poisson coloré dans la réserve biologique de l'Isla del Caño

We then took a break on Isla del Caño where we were able to climb up to a nice viewpoint and rest on the island's beach. It is possible to swim but with the currents, it remains quite dangerous and not very pleasant.

We then did the second dive, very close to the shore. We were afraid of only seeing small fish but that was not the case at all. This spot was much richer than the first! Fish of all shapes, colors and sizes! Turtles next to which we were able to swim for a long time. White tip sharks that were only a few meters below our feet, it was truly a magical moment! This dive lasted about 45min / 1 hour, it was incredible!

Lunch on the water

To end this excursion and before returning to dry land, we all had lunch together on board the boat. A friendly moment around good traditional homemade dishes. It was excellent!

Traditional lunch on the boat with a view of Isla del Caño — Déjeuner traditionnel sur le bateau

Then return to the beaches of the Marino Ballena National Park with an arrival around 2 p.m. This is where the excursion ends. You will have the option of staying on the park's beaches to admire the whale's tail that appears in the sand at low tide or returning to the agency.