Costa Rica Diving


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Located near Playas del Coco and in the Province of Guanacaste is the area of Ocotal where travelers can enjoy the best of Costa Rica.

This priveleged location offers a breathtaking view of the Gulf of Papagayo, and has been featured in magazines such as Southern Living and Conde Nast for its ambiance of genuine fine living.

Accommodations in the area offer exquisite services and tours as well as tranquil beauty and elegance, all at reasonable prices. Ocotal is far enough from the city of Playas del Cocos to offer serenity from the bustling shops, nightlife and casinos, but close enough to enjoy the occasional cocktail with the locals or to purchase souvenirs to remind you of a spectacular and adventurous Costa Rican adventure.

The area of Ocotal is simply a half hour drive from the international airport outside of Liberia and is within a short distance of one of the most active, but stable volcanoes in the world, not to mention the most beautiful rainforests in the area. Ocotal is perfectly situated for the active adventurer to explore the natural wonders of Costa Rica with nearby white water rafting, tubing, canopy tours, horseback riding, kayaking, national parks, hot springs and volcanoes, thousands of nesting turtles and much much more.

Water lovers come to enjoy world-class scuba diving, surfing, snorkelling and deep-sea fishing along with oceans full of diverse wildlife that the Gulf of Papagayo has to offer. Besides Ocotal's resident monkeys and tropical birds hanging out in the local rainforest, the coasts of Guanacaste and the nearby islands are promising locations to spot schools of 50 or more manta rays with 12 to 24 foot wingspans and black marlins weighing several hundred pounds swimming side-by-side ten-foot long sailfish. Providing excellent locations for underwater explorations are numerous unspoiled reefs, caves and rocks, as well as the newly famous CaBat and Catalina Islands.

Details

Price Includes

(SD-5386-P)

7 nights at Ocotal Beach Resort

5 days of two tank boat diving

Guides, beverages and snacks on board

Daily tropical breakfast

Taxes

Price Excludes

Flights

Suitability / Level

Basic Open Water

Itinerary & Highlights

Diving off the Northwest side of Costa Rica is very popular with beaches like El Coco, Ocotal and Hermosa beaches and underwater destinations like those off the coast of Bahia Culebra and Islas Murcielagos (Bat Island).

Spectacular Underwater Exploration - Visibility ranges from 20 feet to 100 feet, depending on the plankton and nutrients in the area at the time. Water temperatures range from 75 to 80 degrees F and depths range from 40 feet to more than 100 feet with an average of 45 feet of spectacular underwater exploration of reefs, caves, and rocks.

There are over 40 dive sites in the Gulf of Papagayo in the Ocotal area of Costa Rica. Some of the more popular sites are Aquarium, Surprise, Virador, Monkey Head, Punta Gorda, Baja Tiburones and Los Meros and Escorpiones for shallow dives. All sites showcase an abundant array of marine life such as spotted eagle rays, white-tip sharks, mobule and cow nosed rays, frogfish and sea horses alongside a backdrop of volcanic rock formations.

At other sites in the area divers experience once in a lifetime adventures with green and Ridley turtles and white-tip reef sharks. Most sights showcase large manta rays and black marlins weighing upwards of several hundred pounds and the occasional pod of pilot whales. At specific sites like Las Corridas and Surpresa photographers surface having snapped pictures of tiny sea horses swimming amongst 200 to 300 jewfish and 20 to 80 pound amberjacks.

Some key dive sites are:

Islas Murcielagos or Bat Island:
Bat Island is north of the archipelago known as the Catalina Islands and due to its exposed location guarantees an abundant variety of sea life that is rarely found in one location anywhere else in the world. The largest attraction at Bat Island are the bull and whale sharks, schools of cow-nosed rays and other varieties of large fish swimming in and out of the beautiful rock formations. The Bat Islands are recommended for advanced level divers only because of the frequent strong currents.

Catalina Islands:
The Catalina Islands is an archipelago made up of 20 rocks just south of Bat Island. Both the Catalina Islands and Bat Island have only recently become popular among divers- somehow the word got out! The Catalina Islands are a short distance from the mainland and are popular all year long, but the islands are very popular from December to May where divers encounter 50 manta rays with wingspans from 14 to 20 feet in one single dive. It is recommended to descend to 60 feet where the visibility improves and the larger species hang out.

Accommodation & Centre Details

Ocotal Beach Resort-Costa Rica - Located on the Northern Pacific Coast in the Papagayo Gulf, the four- star Ocotal Beach Resort is the only resort in Costa Rica with actual beach front rooms. All rooms have an ocean view with a private terrace. Upon your arrival, Ocotal's bilingual staff, eager to show you the Costa Rican hospitality, greets you with a complimentary tropical fruit cocktail!

With fresh flowers to welcome you to your room and evening bed turn down service with chocolates, Ocotal is a step above the rest. All rooms have air conditioning, cable TV, coffee makers, hair dryers, and direct access international telephone service. You can enjoy the year round summer weather at one of three swimming pools or Ocotal Beach and relax every evening with dip in the whirlpool.

Ocotal Beach Resort offers the best scuba diving safaris in Costa Rica. It founded the first PADI Gold Palm Resort in the country with 13 years in operation. Safety oriented and bilingual, all divemasters are Certified Divemasters and all instructors are PADI instructors. Ocotal offers daily dive trips to Catalina's and Bat Islands on one of it's four 32 foot diesel powered dive boats.

Costa Rica Diving

Details

Itinerary & Highlights

Accommodation & Centre Details

Holidays Extras