Tours and Activities > Tamarindo, Flamingo, Conchal > Catalina Islands Snorkeling Tour
Enjoying two snorkel session around the Catalina Islands to experience the beautiful Guanacaste waters and see marine life who call these volcanic islands home.
Duration
5 Hours
Transportation
Available for a Fee
Certified
Tour Guide
Mytanfeet
Customer Service
Description
The Catalina Islands offer one of the best ocean adventures in the Tamarindo, Flamingo and Conchal area. Join a two session snorkeling tour at Catalina Islands to explore the pristine ocean and see marine life, such as schools of jacks, angelfish, sharks, rays, turtles and many other species of fish from the surface.
Enjoy a fun day out in the water as you cruise about 30 minutes from the beach to Catalina Islands, and do two separate 40 minute snorkel sessions led by an expert guide.
The Catalina Islands snorkeling tour is operated by Pacific Coast Dive Center, which also operates scuba diving tours at Catalina Islands. Scuba diving and snorkeling tours go together at the same time on the same boat.*
*If you are interested in scuba diving instead, please click that link to go to the scuba diving booking form. Certification not required. Pacific Coast Dive Center is a 4 star PADI Dive Center, registration code 21708. All guides and instructors are PADI certified.*
The dive center office is located in Playa Flamingo, Guanacaste province. Their office is about a 2 minute drive to the Playa Potrero beach where the boat is docked.
Catalina Islands Snorkeling Tour Itinerary
730 AM: Meet at office in Flamingo for fitting and paperwork
8 AM: Head to the beach to board the boat to Catalina Islands
The boat ride from the beach to Catalina Islands takes around 30 minutes.
You will enjoy two separate snorkel sessions in two different spots, separated by a 1 hour rest interval.
1230-1 PM: Approximate return to the beach
*Morning tours available only. No afternoon tours available, afternoon tours are only offered as a private service. Please consult for rates.*
Details
8 snorkelers max per guide. These are shared snorkel sessions, private guides available upon request and for an extra fee. Please leave a comment in the booking form below if you wish for a private guide.
Minimum age to do the snorkeling is 6. If there are children younger than 6 in your group, they can join the group on the boat but they will not be allowed to go in the water. All children must be accompanied by an adult at all times and they have to stay on the boat. No fee for children younger than 6 that stay on the boat.
If children younger than 6 wish to go in the water, you will need to book a private guide. Please consult.
Riders: This option is for those 6 and older who wish to join the boat ride and the group, but do not want to snorkel or scuba dive themselves.
The Boat
The boat is a 54 foot long boat with two decks, dry area, lockers and a bathroom. It has a total capacity of 50 passengers and 4 staff members.
All riders, snorkelers, and scuba divers will go on this boat together for their respective tours.
To get onto the boat, called Golden Venture, guests will first board a dinghy from the beach for a 2 minute ride to the boat. This requires a wet pick up from the beach and the dinghy does not have a roof.
The boat, Golden Venture
Starting $95 USD
per adult
Free cancellation
if cancelled before 24 hours of start time*
*Conditions apply*
Catalina Islands Snorkeling Tour Highlights
- Two separate snorkeling sessions, about 40 minutes long at two different sites around Catalina Islands.
- Enjoy swimming and snorkeling in warm tropical waters.
- Opportunities to see schools of fish, turtles and rays.
- On the boat ride to the islands, chances to see turtles, dolphins and humpback whales (humpback whales only during the season from December through mid March and July through September).
- See beautiful coastlines and beaches during the boat ride.
What is Included?
Additional Information
- Confirmation will be given upon tour booking, which must be prepaid in full to book.
- Maximum 8 people per guide for shared snorkeling tours.
- You must know how to swim and be comfortable in open water. There is no beach or rocks to stand on or access during the Catalina Islands snorkeling tour. Flotation devices available for anyone who wants one.
- Morning tours available only. No afternoon tours available.
- $5 USD discount if you bring your own equipment. Please let us know in the comments.
- Shared transportation available for an extra fee from Tamarindo, Brasilito, Flamingo and Potrero.
If someone in your group wants to scuba dive, please fill out the Catalina Islands scuba diving booking form and write a note in the comments that you are in the same group.
Please be a responsible snorkeler and do not touch or disturb any wildlife or coral.
What to Bring/Wear
- A good attitude.
- Towels, dry bag, change of clothes, swimsuit, rash guard, sandals.
- Sunglasses, hat, and sunscreen (reef safe/friendly only please). We like Stream2Sea.
- Waterproof camera if you have one*
*Photo packages are available directly from the guides upon request. Please consult with your snorkel guide to arrange details when you arrive. Cost is around $20-30 USD per person for photos.*
Booking Form
Our prices are quoted in USD and include all taxes and we never charge booking fees. What you see is exactly what you'll pay. While other websites might show lower initial prices, they often add taxes and fees at the end, Mytanfeet believes in transparent pricing from the start.
If you can't see the booking form below, please try refreshing the page or contact us for assistance.
Cancellation Policy
Read the cancellation policies here.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of wildlife will we see?
For Catalina Islands snorkeling tours, you have opportunities to see school of fish, rays, turtles and sea stars. During the season, you may see humpback whales from the boat (December through mid March and July through September) or maybe even hear them signing underwater!
Do I need to know how to swim?
Yes, you need to know how to swim and be comfortable in open water. You do not need to have previous snorkel experience, but you must know how to swim comfortable. There are no beach shores or rocks to stand on during any part of the snorkeling sessions.
Flotation devices are available for everyone who wishes to use one.
Is the water cold? What should I wear?
No, the water is not cold. For snorkeling, since you will stay near the surface, the water is generally warm, around 25°-30° C (77°-86° F) depending on the time of year. Sometimes February and March gets colder temperatures. In that case, we recommend a shorty, and the dive center will have them available at the center when you check in if you wish to borrow one.
You can also bring your own wetsuit if you have one.
Normally, a swimsuit is enough and we also recommend a long sleeve rash guard for more protection. Please use only reef friendly/reef safe sunscreen.
Can I bring a camera?
Yes, but it needs to be waterproof.
If there are people in my group who want to snorkel and dive, can we stay together?
All riders, snorkelers and scuba divers will go in the boat to the islands. Snorkelers and scuba divers will then go in their respective groups for the two snorkel/dive sessions.
If anyone in your group wants to scuba dive, please have them fill out the Catalina Islands scuba diving and write that you're in the same group.
Leave a Reply