Costa Rica
Bordered by Panama to the south and Nicaragua to the north, Costa Rica is a Central American country renowned for its natural beauty. Monteverde’s Cloud Rainforest and Arenal Volcano National Park are the top 2 attractions for many tourists. Here you can see many of the country’s 850 bird species, countless reptiles and snakes, and 100 mammal species, including coati, sloths, monkeys and wildcats such as ocelots, jaguars and pumas.
Activities include canopy tours, trekking, white-water rafting, canoeing and waterfall repelling. There are 4 UNESCO World Heritage Sites including the remote Cocos Island – possibly the best place in the world to see huge schools of hammerhead sharks, up close and personal. Elsewhere along the Pacific Coast, you can dive with giant manta rays and bull sharks, or go whale spotting.
Sub-destinations
COCOS ISLAND
Recent Costa Rica Articles
Cocos Island National Park: Costa Rica’s Remote Kingdom of Sharks
Aerial view of Cocos Island, Costa Rica. Photo courtesy: Argo The Cocos Island National Park is located in the Pacific Ocean, 330 miles (535 km) southwest of Cabo Blanco in Costa Rica. It covers 9 miles² (24 km²) of land and 760 miles² (1,977 km²) of ocean. It has a...
Diving with Trevallies – Apex Predators of the Reef
Trevally are among the more common fish encountered by divers, in a variety of species. These powerful silvery predators patrol the reefs and are often seen preying on smaller fish, making exciting, sudden dashes around the reef and thrilling any on-looking scuba...
Diving with Turtles – Underwater Ninjas
Turtles are among the best loved of sea-dwelling creatures. This is due both to their cute appearance and personality, as well as their declining numbers and their need for human protection, turtles are among the best loved of sea-dwelling creatures. Everyone loves an...
Diving with scorpionfish: Motionless and Venomous
Scorpionfish are among the ocean’s most fascinating and enigmatic creatures, captivating divers with their extraordinary camouflage and formidable venomous spines. Belonging to the family Scorpaenidae, these ambush predators are found in tropical and temperate waters...
Diving with Moray Eels – a Foray into the World of Morays
You are finning along a reef with fish swimming all around you when suddenly something makes you stop on your tracks. You see a sight that at once captivates you and implores you to fix your gaze on a head protruding from a hole, seemingly glaring out and opening and...
Diving with Scalloped Hammerhead Sharks
Mysterious Denizens of the Deep Diving with hammerheads at Darwin Island. Photo courtesy: Master Liveaboards Diving with sharks is a popular pursuit but not all shark dives are the same. One of the most awe-inspiring sights has to be diving with the hammerhead shark....
Diving with Dolphins – Man’s Best Ocean-Dwelling Friend
Thought to be among some of the most intelligent animals on the planet, dolphins' playful, inquisitive nature have made them popular with divers and a fascination for all humans for as long as we have known of their existence. In fact, many cultures consider the...
Diving with Nudibranchs – It’s Only a Slug, Right?
To those who have never dived, the idea of a small slug-like, bottom-dweller might seem like a boring prospect. However for divers, the picture is rather different. These little, riotously-coloured creatures bejewel the ocean floor, catching the eye like glinting...
Diving with Manta Rays: Graceful Gliders
We have done some of the world's best manta dives and know that the joy of diving with these creatures is difficult to overstate. They capture divers' imaginations since they move so gracefully and majestically through the water - whether frolicking in the surf, or...