A couple of weeks ago we went on an expedition with the guys from Oceanic Adventure Center, to dive in one of the most incredible places in Costa Rica, this is Caño Island in the South Pacific. If you do not have a scuba diving license, don’t hesitate and go and get it now ... it really is an amazing experience.

How to get there? To get to Isla del Caño you have to go along the Costanera Sur, passing through Quepos, Dominical until you reach Palmar Norte ... you pass the Terraba River bridge and then turn right until you reach Sierpe.

Waze: https://waze.to/lr/hd1sdkwd32 Difficulty: Easy Accessibility: Accessible

What to bring? Swimsuit, towel, sunscreen, sunglasses, clothes for 3 days, reusable water bottle, snacks, and an excellent attitude.

Vehicle: Automobile Parking:Yes Pets: No Camping: No Contact: Ocean Adventure Center Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/oceanicacr/ Email: [email protected] Whatsapp: 8858-3419 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oceanicacr_dive/

Learning to scuba dive was one of the smartest decisions we have made in this process of visiting Costa Rica, as it opened doors to a new and impressive world that is worth seeing. It turns out that in addition to a green country we are a blue country and we had not realized that. So on Friday we left early and headed towards the South Pacific, during the way we ate some pork chops to kill the hunger and around 8 pm we arrived at Uvita, where we ate at a restaurant next to a Supermarket. After lunch, we went to sleep at the Oceanic house that is located in the mountains because the next day was going to be an early riser.

The next day we had a typical breakfast and we left for Sierpe with all our crap, when we arrived at the port we prepared our stuff and helped to mount all the diving equipment on the boat, this was the first time Karlita had collaborated with something. As of 8 am we were already sailing towards the Island.

It lasts about 1 hour by boat, and the tour is amazing. Half of the route is made through the channels of Sierpe, this is surrounded by eternally green nature and mountains all around. Then comes the most exciting thing that is the exit by the mouth of the Sierpe River, here the captain becomes the Michael Schumacher of ships and does his thing like a boss...

Then we continued through the open sea for another half hour, where you can see dolphins and with luck, you can see whales (depending on the season), which triggered multiple stops arriving on the island since it was inevitable to stop to see them. Once we arrived at the island we arrived at one of the dive sites and prepared everything to jump into the water.

First, the people who were going to get the Open Water license jumped into the water and then it was our turn. After verifying that all our equipment was alright, we began the descent little by little until we were at the bottom. The diving part was very cool, we saw sharks, fish, stingrays, turtles, lobsters, and many corals. It really is an incredible experience, if you have the opportunity to go you should.

After the first dive we rested on the surface while the whales were passing us by the boat, we used to rehydrate with plenty of pipe water and then sandwiches, since after this was going to the mainland to check out the island (*** Trivia: you cannot take any food to the island, as it can alter the ecosystem).

On the island, we walked about 10 minutes along a path that took us to a super cool viewpoint, from this point it is possible to have a panoramic view of the whole island ... hopefully seeing whales from above.

After checking out the island, we returned to the boat to prepare for the second dive, this was better than the first since we felt more confident to handle ourselves without air. Once again we saw a lot of marine life, lots of white tip sharks, that made us feel an emotion and nervousness at the same time, but they don’t mess with you so we took National Geographic style shots.

After finishing up we went back to Sierpe, the difference is that instead of dodging the waves to enter the channels of Sierpe, the boat had to surf on the waves to get safely to the calm waters. When we arrived we went straight to eat a little something at the restaurant next to the river, and then to sleep at the house in Uvita.

The next day we repeated what was done the previous day with the difference that during the night it did not stop raining and the day was slightly cloudy. On the way to Isla del Caño, we found the sea a little more exciting. So we got dizzy, only the brave Tavo endured it like a champ.

When we reached the point of our first dive there was a remarkable current and when we were down the water was very cloudy so we decided to abort the mission and find another dive spot. When we arrived at the next spot, everything had improved, it was so much fun, we also found tons of white tip sharks together hanging around some stones, then we came across a really big stingray that was the final icing on the cake.

After these 2 dives, we decided to return, as it was a bit late and there was also a possible bump. On the way, the inevitable happened and it started pouring but we were still enjoying every minute of the experience.

When we arrived at the port of Sierpe we did a legendary teamwork cleaning and preparing the equipment to then ride it back to the car of the Oceanic Adventure Center, then we had a late lunch in the same restaurant in Sierpe and then returned to San Jose ... physically exhausted but so satisfied.

This trip, more than an expedition, was an experience of a lifetime with luxury staff, they made us feel like we were part of them, with preparation and initiative of another level. In the end, we left the most amazing memories of this incredible island and dive instructors who ended up being our buddies.

Thanks to the guys of the Oceanic Adventure Center for the ride. They really are super recommended for all those who want to literally throw themselves into the water and get to know marine life.

The first step is to obtain a driving license ... register in OCEANICA in the month of AUGUST and you will have a 20% discount on the price of the OPEN WATER course (course to start in the world of diving).