**If you’re ready to book the Caño Island snorkeling tour, click here to jump down to the booking form to reserve your tour!*
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 snorkeling at Cano Island is right behind Coco Island as the top places in Costa Rica for snorkeling and diving. The clarity of the water was absolutely insane, even though it looked cloudy and dark above water, underneath was as clear as day.
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.
- Depending on where you leave from, it is a long boat ride anywhere from 45 minutes to 1.5 hours. 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.
- 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.
Where to Stay in Uvita
- Hotel Cuna del Angel: Charming hotel off Costanera Sur close to Uvita. Spacious rooms with resident sloths!
- Flutterby House: Best hostel in Uvita town, near the national park
- 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!
- Rancho Pacifico: For those looking for the ultimate luxury boutique experience with a stunning ocean and rainforest view. Use promo code MyTanFeet for 10% off!
- Oxygen Jungle Villas: Romantic boutique resort, excellent for couples and honeymooners. Get 15% off your booking in the link!
Book Your Tour!
Use the form below to book your Caño Island snorkeling tour from Uvita!
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Ashley says
What are the food options since this is a all day tour?
Sammi says
They have fruit, water, snacks, juice and then a boxed lunch with a sandwich/wraps, salads, cookies/pastries.
Juli Jones says
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??
Sammi says
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! 🙂
Anne Gilmer says
Can I book from Jaco to Cano snorkeling trip…we signed up for Bay Island trip with you…I guess it’s different correct??
Sammi says
Hi Anne, the Tortuga Island cruise is different, if you are in Jaco, you will need to get to Uvita to do the tour.
Cyndie says
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!
Sammi says
No we don’t have discounts for partners down for that tour, sorry!
Johanne Bouliane says
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 🙂
Sammi says
Unfortunately no good snorkeling off the beaches in that area, must take a boat tour or a Playa Flamingo snorkeling excursion
Marco says
Any idea of the price to go out for a snorkel trip to cano ?
Sammi says
Hi Marco, I just emailed you!
Arthur says
Hello,
How much do you recommend tipping the crew?
Thank you!
Sammi says
Tipping is generally around 10% but it is optional, not mandatory in Costa Rica (though appreciated of course)
Joan Levinsohn says
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
Sammi says
Hi Joan! Pachecho tours is a great one. I just you an email with their info.
Jane says
Do they offer scuba diving tours?
Sammi says
Bahia Aventuras doesn’t but check out Cano Divers, they do scuba diving trips there.
Will Chou says
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.
Sammi says
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.
Erin says
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!
Sammi says
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.
Amanda says
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?
Sammi says
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.
Sammi says
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.
Ralph says
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.
Sammi says
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.
phil west says
so what is the number one place to snorkel? Did Isla de Cano in 2010.
Tom Griffiths says
Isla CoCo. I made the same mistake. Coco #1, Cano #2. The names are too similar!
Pamela says
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