Caño Island Snorkeling & Violines Island

Located 10 miles (16 km) offshore from the Osa Peninsula, Caño Island is a tropical paradise filled with white-sand, palm-lined beaches and impressive coral reefs. The island's beaches are a great place to relax and sunbathe, and are occasionally frequented by olive ridley sea turtles who come ashore to lay their eggs.

With a visibility of 20 ft. or more and a protected inshore reef, the snorkeling here is excellent. Snorkelers have the chance to spot parrotfish, surgeon fish, barber fish, eels, snapper, puffers, barracudas, turtles, and manta rays. Further offshore, humpback whales and bottle-nosed dolphins can occasionally be seen.

When you’re done snorkeling, you’ll head to Violines Island. The boat ride lasts about 30 minutes. Upon arrival at the island, your guides will prepare a picnic lunch. The rest of your time here can be spent swimming in the bay or relaxing on the beach. Violines Island is often frequented by birds and has impressive tropical vegetation. During the dry season, you can also snorkel in the reefs that border the island.

The amount of time spent at Violines Island will depend on the amount of time spent at Caño Island.

The boat will head back to Uvita around 2:30 or 3:00 p.m. Along the way, you’ll pass one of the largest protected mangrove forests in Central America. The boat will arrive in Uvita around 4:00 p.m.

This is an all day tour. The tour departs from Punta Uvita at 7:30 a.m. and arrives at Caño Island around 9 a.m. During the boat ride to Caño Island you may be able to spot whales, dolphins, sea turtles, and marine birds.

This tour is not recommended for children under 6 years old or people with serious health problems, including IBS (irritable bowel syndrome). There are no restrooms on the boat or on Caño Island. Restrooms are available at a private resort on Violines Island.

Isla del Caño – situated 20 km offshore from Drake Bay on the Osa Peninsula – is an important island for Costa Rica, both archeologically and environmentally. The waters surrounding this biological reserve are swarming with marine creatures, while the island itself protects several artifacts that date back to pre-Columbian times.