• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
MytanFeet

MytanFeet

Costa Rica Travel Information

  • Home
  • Start
  • About
  • Blog
  • Deals
  • Contact
    • Work with us

Snorkeling at Caño Island – The 2nd Best Snorkel/Scuba Dive in Costa Rica

January 22, 2021 By Sammi 40 Comments

**If you’re ready to book the Caño Island snorkeling tour, scroll to the bottom of the post to fill out your booking request!*

I peered over the side of the boat to check out the water, as the rest of the group started getting their snorkel gear ready. From first glance, I could already see schools of fish swimming around in the brilliant blue waters.

Flashes of bright yellow from the stripes on large Sergeant majors winked at me from below the water, while streaks of dazzling silver from jacks glimmered deeper down.

Excitement came over me, erasing any sign of sleepiness I had on the 1 and a half hour boat ride. I quickly donned my mask and snorkel to dive into the warm welcoming waters and I have to be honest, I had high hopes for snorkeling at Cano Island.

It didn’t disappoint.

Snorkeling at Caño Island

snorkeling at cano island
The beautiful Caño Island reserve

Designated as the 2nd best snorkel and scuba diving site in Costa Rica, Caño Island, or Isla de Caño sits in the Pacific Ocean about 52 kilometers (32 miles) from Marino Ballena National Park. This biological reserve is home to a copious amount of marine wildlife such as sharks, eagle rays, fish and turtles.

On any given day, visibility is fairly good and visitors have the chance to see all sorts of wildlife. On the boat ride over, we saw dolphins and turtles. Sometimes you can see humpback whales if it’s the right time of year!

Scuba diving and snorkeling at Caño Island is one of the top activities to do in Uvita and the Osa Peninsula and it was one of our favorite experiences in Costa Rica so far. From the moment we jumped into the water, we were surrounded by all of those who call the ocean home.

It was like snorkeling in an aquarium.

snorkeling at cano island - jacks
Snorkeling at Cano Island

Our guide called us to follow him, and no less than a minute later we were swimming with a juvenile Hawksbill turtle, grazing on the reef.

Turtle
Hanging out with a turtle friend

He didn’t mind us at all, focusing only on finishing his lunch. He swam with us for a bit, even coming all the way to the surface to take a breath and dive back down.

Hawksbill turtle

I could have watched him all day and been very happy.

But after 10 minutes or so, our guide signaled for us to follow him. He opened his hands to show us the size of the fish swimming ahead.

They were huge.

And there were so many of them.

snorkeling at cano island - school of bigeye jacks

A large school of Bigeye Jacks were swimming around underneath us, with so many dashes of silver my eyes couldn’t quite focus just on how many there were.

The only way to find out was to dive down and swim with them, so I did just that.

Going deeper into the water makes everything so much clearer and more vivid. I love snorkeling, but only when you dive as far down as you can to get a much better view of all the wildlife.

The Jacks quickly sprinted out of my way as I approached, but there were so many they ended up surrounding me. I could also see my favorite angel fish and purple parrot fish slyly swimming around with the jacks, taking advantage of the big school to hide.

snorkeling at cano island - swimming with school of bigeye jacks

As I was happily floating alongside a very long trumpet fish, I bumped into Yeison. We had lost each other when we were swimming with the Jacks, as he was taking the pictures and videos. As we surfaced the water at the same time, I pulled the tube out of our mouths and exclaimed, “It’s so clear!”

We couldn’t believe that it took us 3 years to finally go snorkeling at Caño Island, especially considering how much we love snorkeling and the ocean.

Our guide then waved us over to our next spot to look for whitetip reef sharks but to no avail. It is easier to see them when scuba diving, but as we were snorkeling, we couldn’t see all the way down in the crevices of the reefs. However, the group next to us happened upon a large group of eagle rays, which we unfortunately missed out on as we were chasing around the Jacks.

Either way, the snorkeling at Caño Island was beyond anything what we had expected.

The Second Best Snorkeling in Costa Rica

I can definitely see now why the snorkeling at Cano Island is one of the best in Costa Rica. The clarity of the water was absolutely insane, even though it looked cloudy and dark above water, underneath was as clear as day.

Snorkeling

Watch our video to see what snorkeling at Cano Island is like!

Tips for Snorkeling at Cano Island

  • Wear a rash guard. I forgot mine and got stung a bunch of times by those annoying jellyfish!
  • Put on sunscreen! It was incredibly sunny the day we went and I unfortunately picked the wrong seat on the boat so my left side of my face was under the sun the whole time. And please use reef safe mineral based sunscreen as those don’t harm the coral like other sunscreens do. Raw Elements is our favorite reef safe sunscreen.
  • Take anti-nausea medicine if you get sea sick easily. Even though the waves were calm the day we went, they go fast and it is still a bit bumpy.
  • The boat ride from Uvita is around 1 hour one way.
  • Bring a waterproof camera or GoPro. You’ll want to take lots of pictures and videos!
  • It is a long day so make sure you eat a good breakfast. You’ll need the energy for snorkeling.

There are Amazon affiliate links in this post.

Where to Stay in Uvita

Hotel Cuna del Angel: Charming hotel off Costanera Sur close to Uvita. Spacious rooms with resident sloths!

Los Laureles Cabinas: Budget friendly cabinas on a beautiful property with a river and nature trail. Excellent restaurant.

Manoas: Villas and glamping resort up in the mountains. The glamping tents are awesome and is located by a river. Get 10% off your booking in the link!

Book Your Tour!

Use the form below to book your Caño Island snorkeling tour from Uvita!

  • Tour Information

    This is the booking form for Caño Island snorkeling tours departing from Uvita only. These are open tours (not private) and one boat can hold up to 17 guests.

    The tour is $146 USD per adult, $89 USD per child ages 4- 9 and children under 3 are free.

    The tour includes boat, entrance fees, lunch, insurance, guide, captain, snorkel gear, lifejackets, water and fruit. Cookies and coffee are provided before the tour. The meeting point is in Uvita downtown and the boat departs from Marino Ballena National Park. Transportation from your hotel to the meeting point is not included.

    The tour requires a minimum of 6 people to run the tour so we will check availability first.

    The tour meeting time is 7 AM and it is a full day tour, returning around 3 PM. Transportation to the meeting point in Uvita is not included.

    Please bring sandals, comfortable clothes, change of clothes, wear your swimsuit, sunscreen, camera and plastic bag/dry bag to keep belongings dry.
  • MM slash DD slash YYYY
    The national park is closed on Wednesdays.
  • If there are other dates you can do the tour, enter them here
  • Payment and Cancellation Policies

    Mytanfeet is a licensed Costa Rican travel consulting company registered in Guanacaste, Costa Rica.

    For payment, we will send you an invoice to complete to book the tour. The tour has to be prepaid in full to make the reservation. Invoice can be paid via Paypal or credit card, we do not accept Paypal echecks.

    Once payment is complete, we will send the reservation confirmation via email.

    Strict cancellation policy: All cancellations must be sent in writing and must receive confirmation in writing for it to be considered as in effect. 100% penalty fee if cancelled in less than 24 hours of pick up time and date. No refunds for no shows. In case of situations out of the tour company control: bad weather, accident or some kind of disease that prevents from doing the tour, 100% of the total payment will be reimbursed. Refunds are given via the way the deposit was paid. If tour is cancelled after 180 days since payment was completed, the refund is given by Paypal only.

    For any questions or inquiries, please email web@ mytanfeet .com

This post has affiliate links.

Filed Under: Activities and tours Costa Rica

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kelly Moore says

    August 2, 2022

    We’ll be coming from Manuel antonio for the tour. Do you recommend hiring a car service or renting a car for the day and driving ourselves? Since it’s an early departure, we’d hate to get turned around, but on the other hand, it would be fun to have flexibility to stop someplace for dinner along the way on our return. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Sammi says

      August 8, 2022

      Hi Kelly, personally I’d rent a car, the drive is super easy and you can also check out Uvita and other spots along the way since it’s quite different to Manuel Antonio

      Reply
  2. Brianna says

    March 22, 2022

    I’m planning on a Costa Rica honeymoon this year, and this snorkeling tour sounds right up our alley.

    I’m just a bit curious… what is the best place for snorkeling, if this is considered second best?

    Reply
    • Sammi says

      March 25, 2022

      Isla del Coco – it’s a national park and takes approximately 2-3 day by boat to get there

      Reply
  3. Jennifer says

    December 25, 2021

    Is it possible to fish off the island once we are there? We have one person in our group that would like to do some shore fishing.

    Reply
    • Sammi says

      December 25, 2021

      No, this is a private reserve and fishing is not allowed

      Reply
  4. Casie Leavell says

    April 29, 2021

    Hi! Do you have any agreements with a scuba diving company in the Canos Islands?

    Reply
    • Sammi says

      April 30, 2021

      Unfortunately no 🙁 only snorkeling

      Reply
  5. Austin says

    March 5, 2021

    Where would be the best place to park traveling from Manual Antonio to Utiva?

    Reply
    • Sammi says

      March 6, 2021

      There are two parking lots in front of MAnuel Antonio National Park and then street parking everywhere else

      Reply
  6. Ashley says

    February 18, 2021

    What are the food options since this is a all day tour?

    Reply
    • Sammi says

      February 18, 2021

      They have fruit, water, snacks, juice and then a boxed lunch with a sandwich/wraps, salads, cookies/pastries.

      Reply
  7. Juli Jones says

    December 5, 2020

    Hi! We are staying at Tulemar. Any good places for snorkelling there in December??

    Also your pictures are amazing!! What kind of camera do you use??

    Reply
    • Sammi says

      December 6, 2020

      Playa Biesanz is good when the conditions are good (not the best snorkeling ever but you can see some stuff if it’s good conditions).

      I believe used a GoPro for those pictures! 🙂

      Reply
  8. Anne Gilmer says

    February 16, 2020

    Can I book from Jaco to Cano snorkeling trip…we signed up for Bay Island trip with you…I guess it’s different correct??

    Reply
    • Sammi says

      February 17, 2020

      Hi Anne, the Tortuga Island cruise is different, if you are in Jaco, you will need to get to Uvita to do the tour.

      Reply
  9. Cyndie says

    January 25, 2020

    Do you have any discounts with Oceans Unlimited scuba/snorkel trips to Cano? Any recommendations to get from Tulemar to Uvita early in morning? Also, how is snorkeling off the beach in Tulemar in February? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Sammi says

      January 26, 2020

      No we don’t have discounts for partners down for that tour, sorry!

      Reply
  10. Johanne Bouliane says

    July 4, 2019

    Any recommendations for snorkeling on your own? We are going to be in Potrero from the end of Jan to Apr 2020. Thanks for the answer. Johanne 🙂

    Reply
    • Sammi says

      July 4, 2019

      Unfortunately no good snorkeling off the beaches in that area, must take a boat tour or a Playa Flamingo snorkeling excursion

      Reply
  11. Marco says

    April 10, 2019

    Any idea of the price to go out for a snorkel trip to cano ?

    Reply
    • Sammi says

      April 10, 2019

      Hi Marco, I just emailed you!

      Reply
  12. Arthur says

    January 19, 2019

    Hello,
    How much do you recommend tipping the crew?

    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Sammi says

      January 20, 2019

      Tipping is generally around 10% but it is optional, not mandatory in Costa Rica (though appreciated of course)

      Reply
  13. Joan Levinsohn says

    December 19, 2018

    what company would you recommend for snorkeling out of Drakes Bay, My husband and myself are going in end of February. Is it worth it?

    What company would you recommend from Drakes Bay for a day trip into Corvavdo National Park? Is it worth it?
    Thanks

    Reply
    • Sammi says

      December 19, 2018

      Hi Joan! Pachecho tours is a great one. I just you an email with their info.

      Reply
  14. Jane says

    October 27, 2018

    Do they offer scuba diving tours?

    Reply
    • Sammi says

      October 27, 2018

      Bahia Aventuras doesn’t but check out Cano Divers, they do scuba diving trips there.

      Reply
  15. Will Chou says

    April 23, 2018

    This sounds amazing. I was wondering what time of year you went and what is the recommended time of year to go to see the dolphins and sea turtles.

    Reply
    • Sammi says

      April 23, 2018

      Hi Will! We went beginning of January and it was great for clarity and wildlife. I am not positive about the conditions in that area but I believe in dry season it is clearer.

      Reply
  16. Erin says

    March 5, 2018

    I will be staying in Matapalo and plan to do a day trip to Cano Island. Any suggestions for tours closer to where I’m staying? I’m guessing I’d be leaving from Drake Bay. Any suggestions welcome!

    Reply
    • Sammi says

      March 5, 2018

      Hi Erin, if you’re staying at the Matapalo near Quepos, you can leave from Uvita, tour companies run Cano Island from there too. If you’re staying at the Matapalo down in Osa Peninsula, you’re on the other side of the Osa Peninsula so it will be too far. You can only do this tour from Uvita, Sierpe or Drake Bay.

      Reply
  17. Amanda says

    January 30, 2018

    Hello!
    WONDERFUL! We are so thrilled to read this post. We have been searching for a great snorkeling place, however – we are staying in Jaco. Is this still a recommended (worth it) tour being that far away?

    Reply
    • Sammi says

      January 31, 2018

      Hi Amanda, if you’re only staying in Jaco and not going anywhere else, then yes it’s definitely worth it because there aren’t any other really good snorkel spots in that area. You can snorkel in Manuel Antonio but it’s not very good.

      Reply
  18. Sammi says

    October 17, 2017

    Cocos Island National Park, about 340 miles off the coastline. It’s a UNESCO world heritage site and only very few diving companies are allowed to go there.

    Reply
  19. Ralph says

    August 21, 2017

    You recommend putting on sunscreen, but you might not know that sunscreen is actually harmful to corals and other invertebrate marine life. An alternitive would be to wear long sleeves. With the fresh breeze on the boat, and the coolness of the water, it wouldn’t even be that hot.

    Reply
    • Sammi says

      August 21, 2017

      Hi Ralph, that’s very true! In my sunscreen post I recommend reef safe mineral sunscreen and rash guards if people plan to go swimming/snorkeling. Many of them are not just bad for reefs but for humans as well which people don’t realize. It’s more about protecting the skin than the heat since you can easily burn when you’re on the boat or while you’re snorkeling as well.

      Reply
      • phil west says

        October 17, 2017

        so what is the number one place to snorkel? Did Isla de Cano in 2010.

        Reply
        • Tom Griffiths says

          March 23, 2018

          Isla CoCo. I made the same mistake. Coco #1, Cano #2. The names are too similar!

          Reply
  20. Pamela says

    January 24, 2016

    A good post for the guidance, I always love adventure sports. And it’s sure on my to do list. Will visit soon 🙂 And thanks for the post

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

About Mytanfeet

Hi! We are Yeison and Samantha

Mytanfeet is full of local tips, detailed guides, photos, videos and maps to help you plan the perfect ​trip to Costa Rica.

Our Costa Rica City Guides

Tamarindo Costa Rica Travel Guide


Costa Rica Destinations Map

Special rent a car rates for Mytanfeet readers

Check Rates or Reserve


Get Exclusive Costa Rica Travel Tips and our Free Travel Guide Straight to You!

Yes, send me the tips

Footer

About

Who are we ?
Contact us
Our Instagram
Copyright & Disclaimer

Travel

Start here
Destination Map
Join our YouTube Channel

Exclusive deals

Car rental discount and freebies
7% off Arenal tours
White water Rafting special
See all our exclusive deals

Mytanfeet LLC Copyright© 2013 - 2023 - Thank you for supporting our Travel Blog!