Costa Rica is one of the best diving destinations in the world, a place appreciated by all lovers of diving and nature. The Costa Rican country is full of incredible beaches and coasts, characterized by having a rich marine fauna and flora.
These places are famous not only for their beauty but for their exciting underwater world. Costa Rica has a great reputation as a country that cares for nature, and it also reflects this in its dive sites where we find wonderful landscapes, fish of all kinds, glistening corals, and lots of marine life.
1. Coco Island
The island of El Coco is situated about 550 km from Costa Rica and is considered a true lost treasure among the vastness of the sea.
This island is extremely far from the land and we can only go on live-aboard since it is not allowed to stay overnight on the island. Undoubtedly this is one of the diving destinations most appreciated by the expert divers.
Isla del Coco is a national park whose conservation depends on the government, being a highly preserved as a place for human activity. It is a totally natural island that lacks hotel infrastructure. In addition, the Cocos Marine Conservation Area ensures that the island remains what it is now, an underwater paradise.
Its deep waters reveal coral reefs and very varied fauna. To date, experts have identified over 230 species of plants, over 200 species of fish, 118 marine mollusks, 18 types of coral, and 350 types of insects. 85 types of birds have even been documented there.
2. Bat Islands
If we are looking for something a little more advanced, for expert divers, the Murcielago Islands have remarkably interesting dive sites. It is a protected territory that is part of the Santa Rosa National Park, characterized by having a wide variety of underwater species.
Here we can find some marine species as exotic as the Mako shark, the barracuda, or the black tuna. However, the great attraction for diving in the Murcielago Islands is bull sharks and manta rays.
Diving with bull sharks is an extremely popular experience in the Bat Islands, undoubtedly one of the great attractions of this wonderful place in Costa Rica.
The island is surrounded by strong water currents, not being recommended for those divers with few dives behind them. Still, the Murcielago Islands receive continuous visits from tourists from all over the world.
3. Catalina Island
The Catalinas Islands are a wonderful place to dive because of its environment and the enormous amount of marine life that we can find. We highlight two immersion points: The Wall and The Point.
At both points, we can enjoy white tip sharks, eagle rays, and manta rays. The points are differentiated by the currents and the underwater landscape; the Punta being a more suitable immersion point for advanced divers.