The 5 Best Snorkelling Spots in Costa Rica (2026 Guide)

Snorkelling in Isla Cano Biological Reserve

Costa Rica is home to some of Central America's most spectacular snorkelling, from the protected coral reefs of Isla Caño to the vibrant Caribbean waters of Gandoca-Manzanillo.

Whether you're hoping to swim alongside sea turtles, reef sharks, or colourful tropical fish, these are the very best places to go snorkelling in Costa Rica.

Drawing on our background in zoology, hands-on conservation work, and years spent exploring Costa Rica's coastline, we've curated a list that celebrates not only the country's remarkable marine life, but also the people and projects helping to protect it.

Beneath the surface lies a hidden world of coral reefs, underwater caves, and thriving aquascapes that are every bit as spectacular as Costa Rica's famous rainforests.
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Read on to discover our favourite snorkelling spots in Costa Rica.

Experience Costa Rica Beneath the Surface

At Cecropia Travel, we believe the country's marine ecosystems deserve just as much attention as its famous rainforests. 

Many of the reefs we visit are protected thanks to the dedication of local conservationists, researchers and community projects working to restore damaged habitats and safeguard marine biodiversity.

Because of our background in wildlife conservation - including hands-on coral restoration work in both Samara and Golfo Dulce - we carefully select responsible operators who share our commitment to protecting Costa Rica's oceans. 

The result is a snorkelling experience that not only reveals an incredible underwater world, but also helps support its future.
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Here are our favourite snorkelling spots in Costa Rica: 

1. Isla Caño

Snorkelling with a green sea turtle in Isla Cano

The best snorkelling in Costa Rica, without a doubt, is Isla Caño . 

But what makes this small island a snorkelling hotspot? For me, there are three main highlights:

The visibility

Isla Caño is roughly 15km from mainland Costa Rica. 

This means when it rains, and boy does it rain in the south Pacific region of Costa Rica, water is shielded from the muddy sediment and silt washed out by coastal rivers and heavy rain.

It’s not uncommon for the visibility to be as much as 30 metres, although 15 - 20 meters is more likely. 

Just last week, I visited Isla Caño and the visibility was a very comfortable 18 metres. Not too shabby at all.

The diversity of marine life

Excellent visibility is only half the story. Fortunately, Isla Caño's protected reefs are also teeming with marine life. 

In the past, unsustainable fishing practices, which are still a huge threat to sea turtles, were decimating the area. 

Fortunately, in 1978, Isla Caño was granted biological preserve status. This means the island, and the reefs surrounding it, are strictly protected. 

Because of these protections, marine life flourishes. 

On my last visit, I was truly spoiled.

I saw multiple white tip reef sharks. Some were gracefully swimming, nonplussed at my presence, whilst others were resting in the many underwater caverns. 

I also saw multiple sea turtles. Again, some were slowly gliding through the water, whilst others were foraging on coral. 

Rays glided across stretches of sand, and a multitude of tropical fish formed large shoals. Some stuck close to coral whilst others, like the black triggerfish, formed large schools in the water column. 

The journey 
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The journey to Isla Caño depends where you’re coming from. The two most popular routes, however, are from either Drake Bay or Uvita. 

I visited from Uvita, which took about 50 minutes. 

But this gave me my first taste of the marine life on offer. 

Brown boobies soared majestically past the boat, whilst a pod of dolphins were seen hunting in the distance. 

Although July marks the start of the whale season, and this stretch of water is one of the best places to see whales in Costa Rica, I was unfortunate not to see them. Oh well, there’s always next time. 

2. Gandoca-Manzanillo

The crystal-clear waters of Gandoca Manzanillo showcase the reef in stunning clarity

Costa Rica's Caribbean coast offers a completely different snorkelling experience.

The Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge, near the Panamanian border, protects one of the country's most important coral reef systems. 

It also supports an exceptional variety of marine habitats - including seagrass meadows and mangroves. 

However, the main attraction to Gandoca-Manzanillo is the impressive coral reefs. 

The reefs here are alive with colour, and the often brilliant visibility showcases the diversity of life here. 

September and October are the best months for snorkelling in Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast, as this corresponds with their dry season (the complete opposite from the Pacific Coast). 

Queen and French angelfish glide between branching elkhorn corals, whilst half-buried stingrays rest on sandy patches. 

The highlight, however, is the nurse sharks. 

These gentle and docile sharks are bottom-dwellers, spending much of the daylight hours resting on the ocean bottom, or tucked in cave crevices. 

Nurse sharks, like many shark species, pose no threats to humans. They are fascinating to watch, and snorkelling allows you to do this. 

Beyond sharks, green turtles can often be seen resting on the coral. Perhaps even a lobster or two. 

Now, I could have chosen to include Cahuita. It’s certainly worthy a place on the list of top snorkelling spots in Costa Rica. 

However, being a National Park, snorkelling is strictly regulated - you must go with a guide. 

Of course, this is a great way to experience the underwater world, and to contribute to the local economy, however, it doesn’t give you the freedom to explore at your own will. 

With Gandoca-Manzanillo, you can go for a guided hike around the reserve, spot a sloth, then dive in the crystal clear waters and snorkel amongst the reefs. 

3. Samara

The reefs around Isla Chora are teeming with life and a perfect spot to see sea turtles

Another article, another mention of Samara. But Samara is one of the best places to snorkel in Costa Rica. 

What I like about Samara is the versatility - you can choose a shore snorkel or off-shore snorkel.

Let’s start with the latter: the shore snorkel.

At low tide, on the far end of the beach, secret rockpools reveal themselves. As the tide retreats, pockets of deep water remain isolated from the surrounding ocean.

These pools are deep and wide enough to snorkel for hours upon hours. 

There are underwater caves, where I regularly spot octopus and lobster, and sandy flats where stingrays reside. To us, we affectionately call it “the octopus garden”. 

At the backend of the pools, where the ocean connects, it isn’t uncommon to see species right out of finding nemo - such as moorish idols and porcupinefish. 

If you want something a little further off shore, you can snorkel around Isla Chora - which, incidentally, is one of the best kayaking spots in Costa Rica. 

The sheltered waters around Isla Chora remain calm for much of the year, making it a great snorkeling spot for families and beginners. 

Rocky reefs and small coral colonies provide shelter for an incredible variety of tropical fish. 

Schools of sergeant majors drift through the shallows whilst moray eels occasionally peek from crevices.

The most exciting inhabitant is the olive-ridley sea turtle, that can be seen both from the surface and swimming under the waves.

Samara also holds a special place for us at Cecropia Travel because it's where I had the opportunity to assist with coral restoration projects. 

Working alongside local conservationists, I was able to see rows of coral fragments growing in the water column, before being “planted” in deeper waters. 

And the most exciting part of this is that you can actually witness this for yourself too. 

How many people can say they’ve actively worked on a coral restoration project on their holiday? That earns bragging rights, surely?

4. Playa Conchal

Playa Conchal's, or shell beach, makes for excellent water visibility for snorkelling

If there’s ever an instagramable beach, Playa Conchal is that. It’s also one of the best places for snorkelling in Costa Rica.

Located in Costa Rica’s northern Guanacaste province, Conchal’s beach is formed from millions of crushed shells. 

Unlike many of the beaches in Guanacaste, which are predominantly golden sands, the waters off Playa Conchal are impressively clear due to the lack of sediment washed in off the beach.

The remnants of volcanic rocks are scattered throughout the shallows. 

These rocks act like FADs (or Fish Aggregating Devices), which attract marine life from far around.

Regrettably, I forgot my snorkel on my last visit. The clear waters were almost mocking me, as I could see huge shoals of fish swimming around me.

I begged anyone and everyone around me to let me borrow their snorkel. Thankfully, Tico’s are incredibly friendly and only too happy to help. 

Thank goodness they did because boy oh boy was the visibility something to marvel at. 

Brightly coloured butterflyfish and angelfish patrol the shallows while schools of sergeant majors gather around submerged rocks.

5. Los Mogos ​

Adding coral fragments from a snorkel trip onto the spider structure

We’re rounding things off with a trip to the Golfo Dulce in Costa Rica’s remote and biodiverse south Pacific. 

Golfo Dulce is one of 4 tropical fjords in the world. 

The warm, sheltered waters act as a safe haven and breeding ground for many marine species - including Costa Rica’s 5 marine megafauna: humpback whales, whale sharks, dolphins, manta rays, and sea turtles. 

These species tend to stick to the deep-water channels, so observing them from the boat is your best bet. 

However, in the shallow sunlit waters, especially around the islands of Los Mogos, the furthest inland point of Golfo Dulce, huge coral reefs can be found. 

These, in turn, attract a wide range of marine species. 

I had the privilege of joining the team at Changing Tides, one of the leading conservation NGOs in the region, to witness first-hand the coral restoration process. 

When snorkelling, I’d dive down to a few metres to look on the seabed for any broken coral fragments, before passing them to a researcher on the boat. 

Once we had collected enough, it was back to the shore for coral assessment and monitoring. 

For the viable pieces, teams would attach them to metal structures - or spiders - before sinking them into the deeper water to become re-established in the environment. 

Corals are incredible. Although incredibly fragile, they have a remarkable ability to regenerate from small fragments - a trait that is key for restoration projects now helping revive reefs throughout Golfo Dulce.

For me, Los Mogos is far more than a beautiful snorkelling site. It, like Samara, is a sign of hope. A sign that, with our help, reefs can gradually recover. 

And healthy reefs have an incredible diversity of life - which I witnessed first-hand whilst snorkelling throughout these calm, tropical waters. 

Final Thoughts

​Snorkelling in Costa Rica is an incredible experience. To be able to witness a hidden yet colourful world full of life is breath-taking. 

At Cecropia Travel, snorkelling means supporting responsible marine tourism. To ensure visitors not only experience these incredible underwater ecosystems, but also contribute to protecting them for generations to come. 

We think this list encapsulates the very best snorkelling that Costa Rica has to offer - from community-led conservation projects, to crystal clear visibility stretching into the deep blue. 

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