In Reply to: Re: Costa Rica Mainland Diving? posted by Hilary on October 15, 2007 at 18:35:44:

I haven't been to the more-popular northern part of Costa Rica, where most divers go, but I can speak to the southern region. I dove at Isla del Cano (Canos Island) in December, and at Drakes Bay in March of 2006. Drakes Bay had spotty visibility as I recall, but Isla del Canos was fantastic! The only problem with Isla del Canos is the 2.5-hour boat ride out there (unless you are actually staying at Drakes Bay, which is VERY remote and has limited facilities). As of December there was only one dive op going out to Isla del Canos from Quepos, and they take you out there in a small open craft, pounding through some pretty big swells, so it's a rather uncomfortable ride. But the diving was truly awesome, and pretty much worth the discomfort to get there.

The benefit to diving in the south is that unlike the northern region, it's VERY unspoiled, and just now being discovered by divers. We were pretty much the only divers out at Isla del Canos for the whole day we were there, and it felt like we had the entire island to ourselves .