Best Pacific Cost Diving near San Jose, Costa Rica

[nikkiviper]

Hi All! I am planning a trip through Central America that would finish up in San Jose at the end of March. I'm really keen to stay on for afew extra days and get some diving in and the feedback I've gotten so far is that the Pacific Coast conditions/vis would be better. I was wondering if anyone could recommend where would be best place to go / diving operator to dive with / place to stay thats no more than a day's trip from San Jose. So far it looks like Quepos / Manuel Antonio NP is the most popular but any and all advice would be very much appreciated. I am a PADI AOW with 138 logged dives, but only get to dive 1-2 times a year so prefer less challenging sites. My budget would be average (though I'm open to splurge options as it would only be 3-4 days!) Thank you.

 

[tajkd]

I really liked the diving out of Playa Hermosa. The expeditions were challenging; Coronados and particularly Gran Susta with 50+ bull sharks in shallow water. PM me for details on hotel, operation, etc.

 

[dolesorchard]

From San Jose, the area around Tamarindo and Playas Del Coco would be my recommendation. I prefer Playa Flamingo or Playa Potrero as its quieter and very close to the Catalinas. Costa Rica Diving as you approach Flamingo has been good for us. I don't think you'll get to see the bull sharks that time of year, but there are white tips on almost every dive and no shortage of life on any dive. Another option for a quick trip would be to go somewhere just south of Puntarenas and do one of the trips to Isla Tortuga. This is at the base of the Nicoya Peninsula and boats go from all along the coast from Puntarenas to Jaco. Just stay out of Jaco!

 

[Token]

What's wrong with Jaco? Too much like Cancun?

My wife and I will be vacationing in Atenas in 2015 [she is a little pro-active when it comes to vaca-planning], so I'm interested in the dive opportunities as well...

 

[dolesorchard]

There are two places in CR that I tell people to stay away from, Jaco and Puerto Limon. Pretty much anywhere else in CR you can feel perfectly comfortable walking around, day or night. My son-in-law is from Caracas, Venezuela, generally considered to be a very unsafe place. When we got out of the car in Jaco, mt son-in-law said "Put your wallet in your front pocket and put your hand in on top, and watch your ass here." Limon is even worse.

 

[jonnierowe]

End of march isnt the best for bull sharks. The pacific coast is always kind of hit and miss as far as visibility goes. You will however find lots of marine life no matter where you go. Huge schools and varieties of fish. Tajkd where are those bull shark dives with 50+ sharks? The Bat Islands have bulls, big ones, but only ever 5-7 at a time is normal. Would love to hear more about that!