Cano Island snorkeling and trails Back

Caño Island Biological Reserve is located in the Pacific Ocean 15 km. off of the Osa Peninsula. The border of the island has white sandy beaches and a well protected in-shore reef makes this island the best spot in Costa Rica for scuba diving and snorkeling. Normally there is great visibility, about 20 meters (65 ft), providing for clear sightings of the many species living in the island's waters: fish, turtles, manta rays, dolphins and whales to name a few.

The island's main trail is well maintained, leading uphill into a pristine rainforest. 50 meter tall trees and Pre-Columbian tombs are scattered along the trail. The island's main points of interest are that it was used by ancient indigenous peoples inhabiting the southern coastal area as a burial site and many of Costa Rica's mysterious spherical stones of varying sizes have been found on the island.

We depart early in the morning in our comfortable van from Dominical, taking the Costanera Highway along the Pacific Ocean for about 90 minutes to Sierpe. We will stop there to have breakfast at the Oleaje Sereno Restaurant (not included). Please bring money for the breakfast as it is not provided as part of the tour.

We will then take a comfortable 90 minute boat ride through the largest area of mangrove swamps in Central America to Caño Island. The Mangroves are inhabited by crocodiles, snakes, four species of monkeys, and a great variety of birds. Once through the Sierpe River Mouth we'll boat past two of the most scenic areas in the country, Drake Bay and the Marenco Biological Reserve. Along the beautiful coast we'll keep an eye out for Dolphins as well as Humpback, Pilot and Killer Whales.

After arriving at the island we will snorkel for an hour in the crystal clear waters, followed by a tasty picnic lunch. We offer several options for the second part of the trip: 1) Hike up the trails to the archeological cemetery where your professional guide will tell you about the significance of the stone spheres. 2) Another session of great snorkeling or 3) Stay on beach; as you prefer. Finally, we’ll start heading back to Dominical, returning you to your hotel.