Biophilia

Biological Reserve & Environmental Education Center

Caño Island Snorkeling (CR Dive and Surf)

For this tour you will need to drive to Uvita

Person $157

13+ years 

Deposit $20

Kids $124

4-12 years

Deposit $15

* This tour requires MULTIPLE payments

Have a question?

Feel free to reach out and we’re happy to answer any questions you may have.

Overview

This tour is at CAÑO ISLAND National Park.

The Caño Island Biological Reserve is a wonderland of marine life, replete with vibrant coral and stunning aquatic creatures.

Caño Island Snorkeling Tour is your ticket to spectacular snorkel sites widely praised as some of the best snorkels in the world, not just the best in Costa Rica.

Just 32 miles offshore of Uvita Beach and positioned squarely within a massive current of the Pacific Ocean, Isla del Caño draws a diverse population of migratory creatures, such as whales and turtles, to its adjacent environments as well as hosting over 70 indigenous species within its borders. The colorful and majestic living-reef system surrounding the island is replete with marine organisms, including multiple types of Shellfish, Sponges, Mollusks, Arthropods, Fish, Marine Reptiles and Sea Mammals. Common, Bottlenose, and Spotted Dolphins are regularly seen, as well as White Tip and Reef Sharks. Eagle Rays, Giant Manta Rays and Moray Eels are also regular sights on many of our snorkels. If you’re really lucky you might see a Whale Shark or a Humpback Whale, which—while rare—have been spotted during some of our Caño Island Snorkel Tours during whale-watching season.

You will need to arrive at the Uvita dive shop at 7am for check in. The tour departs from Punta Uvita at 7:30 AM and arrives at Caño Island approximately 1 ½ hours later.

The boat will head back to Uvita beach at 2.00-2.30 pm surrounding the coast where you will be able to see from the boat the largest Mangrove forest under protection in Central America; Terraba Mangrove Forest. The boat will arrive back in Uvita around 2.00 pm to 3.00 pm

NEW PRICE
After December 1st, 2023, the price for snorkeling will be of $157 + tax per person.

 

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Recommendations

Reviews

Amazing tour

Rated 5.0 out of 5
February 18, 2024

Incredible activity!! It was a 3 in 1 for us. First snorkeling, then on the way back we saw dolphins and even a whale and third we did a tour in the mangrove! It was magical and breathtaking. The only negative point is that the corals were mostly white, and therefore dead… which makes a less diverse and lively marine fauna. Still, we were lucky enough to see: sea turtles, some beautiful fishes and a reef shark. I highly recommend this trip!

Daphnée

Great Experience

Rated 5.0 out of 5
December 15, 2023

Josue was a superb tour guide and made our experience wonderful and memorable.

It is easy to see why he was so very proud to be in his position and to speak on Costa Rica’s beautiful culture and environment.

Of course you have to understand that one cannot guarantee that you’ll see any one specific animal. Still, we saw a bunch of cool ones: turtles, fish, rays, crabs, mollusks, small shark (not interested in us at all), sloths et al. The mangroves were a sight to see, too. We were in awe of how important and vital they are to life on this planet. My advice would be to not have any expectations on what you’ll see. Just enjoy it.

Also a big shout out to his boat captain, John. That guy could spot a brown, unmoving caterpillar on a brown tree 500 meters away. He spotted us a couple of sloths or “oso perezoso” all while piloting the boat however fast we were going. We could hardly see it once we were even aware of where they were!

Tip: Wear sunscreen and reapply often!

Jared

Excellent!

Rated 5.0 out of 5
December 7, 2023

We had a fantastic time! Our guide pointed out all kinds of marine life and lunch+fruit on the boat was delicious. We highly recommend this tour.

Jeremy and Stephanie

Beautiful place and very professional tour

Rated 5.0 out of 5
November 3, 2023

I could not be more impressed with how organized, professional, friendly and knowledgeable this crew was. Very impressed, highly recommended.

Matt Calhoon

The staff is exceptional

Rated 5.0 out of 5
August 14, 2023

Please, give them your money! You will not regret it.

This was my 4th tour and this was by far the most organized and friendliest staff of the lot. I want to mention Henry, who took me to the store and ended up paying for my anti-sea sickness pill.

The ride to the island is a bit long, 1 hour and 20 minutes. If you have a way to listen to music or to distract yourself do it. It’s a bit rough at first but heh.

There are two snorkeling sessions, about 45 min. each. On the first one, I heard a whale singing when I dove in. I saw 2 sea turtles and countless fish.

In between, you get fresh fruit and a trip to the beach.

The second session did not disappoint either. I saw pufferfish in several development stages and more sea turtles.

The water is very warm, but I recommend wearing a shirt.

The staff gives you food, explains the biology of the reserve, gives you visual fish guides and then it’s back to the point of departure. The ride back takes 45 minutes.

Veronique

Awesome excursion!

Rated 5.0 out of 5
February 2, 2022

We loved our snorkeling adventure! Between my dad and I, we saw an octopus, sea turtles, a sea cucumber and a variety of tropical fish. Our lunch and the drinks provided were DELICIOUS! Our tour guide was informative, and the entire boat crew was friendly. We had to pass through some garbage patches on our way to and from the island. It was a sad sight, very eye-opening! We were able to take about three bags of trash out and a whole lawn chair! We went in June and the weather was beautiful and the water was warm! As great as the snorkeling was, if you are of the more adventurous type I would highly recommend you take one of their diving tours instead! Two people on our boat were beginner divers and they were being shown how to dive. They got to go thirty feet deep and see the marine life closer than we did snorkeling! I highly recommend the snorkeling excursion. My dad and I wish we would have dived instead though!

Isabel Farley

A great day on the water

Rated 5.0 out of 5
January 25, 2022

We had a group of 8 and I believe everyone had an amazing experience. The service was exceptional. It takes a lot of work from guides, boat crew, food prep, etc and the entire team seemed upbeat and professional. The scenery was great as was the food and information provided by our guides.

Chad Clark

AWESOME Snorkeling Trip!

Rated 5.0 out of 5
January 24, 2022

We had very organized equipment set up, check-in, and meet and greet with our guide. A beautiful trip out to the island. And lots of help spotting sharks, turtles, and beautiful fish. Would highly recommend it. (And the lunch was great, too)

Sarah Dickson

Awesome experience

Rated 5.0 out of 5
July 25, 2021

Leo is such a nice person with a lot of knowledge, the crew was super helpful and everything was smooth… Totally recommended.

Andrey

Great snorkeling trip!

Rated 5.0 out of 5
February 26, 2020

The crew was super helpful and friendly. They made a great lunch for the boat and the local knowledge was exceptional

Anthony Trietch

An incredible experience!

Rated 5.0 out of 5
February 24, 2020

We did this trip for my daughter’s 13th birthday and were not disappointed! What an incredible day! The check-in process was very easy and laid back. The food in the lobby was delicious, and the instructions given were very clear. The boat ride was amazing, as we also took the time to wander over to some whales who were entertaining us in another area. The snorkeling was fantastic, and our guides were very helpful showing us where to look, how to dive, etc. The lunch was delicious and the overall boat rides were very smooth. Thank you so much for such an incredible day. We are very grateful!

Karlee