Caño Island, Costa Rica: Snorkeling, Tours and Rules

Caño Island (Isla del Caño) is a small protected island about 16 km off Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula, and one of the best places in the country to snorkel and scuba. You can only visit on a guided boat tour, usually from Drake Bay (about 45 minutes away) or Uvita (about 1.25 to 1.5 hours). Tours typically include two snorkel or scuba stops, a short stop at the island’s beach and ranger station, and often a short guided trail to a lookout. Expect reef fish, sea turtles, white-tip reef sharks and rays, plus dolphins and, in season, humpback whales on the way. Go in the dry season, December to April, for the calmest seas and clearest water.

This guide is for travelers deciding if they should add Caño Island to a South Pacific trip. It covers what you’ll see, the reserve’s rules, how to get there, when to go and how to choose a tour.

Caño Island	At a glance
What it is	Caño Island Biological Reserve, protected since 1978
Where	About 16 km northwest of the Osa Peninsula, in the Pacific
Size	About 320 hectares of land and 5,800 hectares of protected sea
How to visit	Guided boat tour only, with a registered guide
Departure points	Drake Bay (about 45 min), Uvita (about 1.25 to 1.5 h), Sierpe
Main activities	Snorkeling, scuba, a short guided trail to a lookout
Best time	December to April for calm seas and visibility
Key rules	No fishing, no eating on the island, stay on trails with your guide

Why go

What to See at Caño Island

The island is a block of forest ringed by rocky reef and a few small beaches. Its protected waters are some of the clearest on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast, and the reef draws much more life than most mainland snorkel spots.

Snorkeling

Most tours make two snorkel stops on the shallower reefs, chosen on the day for conditions. Common sightings include schools of reef fish such as sergeant majors, parrotfish, angelfish and Moorish idols, plus green and hawksbill turtles, eagle rays, moray eels and white-tip reef sharks, which rarely bother snorkelers. Visibility is usually best in the dry season and drops after heavy rain.

Scuba

Caño Island has about ten marked scuba sites, from easy coral gardens for beginners to deeper sites with stronger currents for experienced scuba divers. Only a small number of people are allowed in each scuba zone at once. Scuba visitors often see white-tip reef sharks, turtles, rays, barracuda and big schools of fish. See our Costa Rica scuba guide for how Caño compares with other sites.

Whales and dolphins

Humpback whales pass through these waters in two seasons: whales from the Southern Hemisphere roughly July to October and from the Northern Hemisphere roughly December to April. Dolphins are common year-round. Many boats slow down for sightings on the way. See our whale-watching guide.

On the island

Landings are short. You’ll usually stop at the beach near the ranger station, where the park fee is checked. With a guide, you may walk the public trail up to a lookout. Only a limited number of people are allowed on the trails at once, and the rest of the island is closed to visitors.

History

Pre-Columbian peoples used the island, and archaeologists have found pottery, tools and stone spheres there, like the famous spheres of the nearby Diquís delta. The island is thought to have served as a burial site. For more on the spheres, see the Finca 6 section of our Costa Rica museums guide and our guide to Costa Rica’s archaeological sites.

Rules

Caño Island Rules and Visitor Limits

Caño Island is a biological reserve, one of Costa Rica’s most restrictive categories of protected area, managed by SINAC, the national parks agency. Its rules shape every tour:

• Guided visits only: you must go with a registered local guide, which in practice means a tour.
• Two visiting windows: morning and late-morning visits, between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m.
• Limited numbers: caps apply on the trails and in each scuba zone, so popular dates can sell out.
• No eating on the island: only drinks are allowed. Tours serve lunch on the boat or back on the mainland.
• No fishing of any kind inside the reserve.
• No alcohol, smoking or overnight stays, and drones need a civil aviation license.
• Don’t touch or stand on coral, feed fish or take anything, and wear reef-safe sunscreen or a rash guard.

The park entry fee is usually included in tour prices; check with your operator. For more on how Costa Rica protects its land and sea, see our guide to Costa Rica’s protected areas.

Getting there

How to Get to Caño Island

• From Drake Bay: the closest base, about 45 minutes by boat. Drake Bay is remote: reach it by small plane, or by road to Sierpe and a boat down the river and along the coast. See our guide to domestic airlines.
• From Uvita: about 1.25 to 1.5 hours by boat each way, often on a longer, bumpier crossing. A good option if you’re staying near Uvita or Dominical. See our Dominical guide.
• From Sierpe: some tours leave from Sierpe and travel down the river through the mangroves before crossing to the island.

Drake Bay is also the gateway to Corcovado National Park, so many travelers pair a Caño Island tour with a Corcovado day.

When to go

Best Time to Visit Caño Island

The dry season, roughly December to April, usually brings calmer seas and the clearest water, and it overlaps with the Northern Hemisphere humpback season. It’s also the busiest time, so book a few days ahead. In the rainy season, roughly May to November, visibility often drops after heavy rain and seas can be rougher, but you’ll find fewer people and Southern Hemisphere humpbacks from about July to October. Tours can be canceled in rough weather.

Planning

Choosing a Caño Island Tour

• Pick your base: from Drake Bay the boat ride is short; from Uvita it’s long, so consider your tolerance for open-water crossings.
• Snorkel or scuba: snorkel tours suit most people; certified scuba divers can book two-tank trips, and some operators offer beginner scuba sessions.
• Check what’s included: park fee, guide, snorkel gear, wetsuit or rash guard, drinks, lunch and fruit.
• Book licensed operators that brief you on reef rules and limit group size.
• Bring: seasickness medicine if you need it, reef-safe sunscreen, a rash guard, a hat, a dry bag and a towel.

Bring a waterproof camera; see our tips for beach and ocean photography.

FAQ

Caño Island, Costa Rica: FAQ