Costa Rica Osa vs Guanacaste

[cleung]

I have already dived in the Guanacaste area of Costa Rica. The vis is not the best but the large animals were worth it. I have a chance to go down there again in August and thinking about the other scuba area which is Osa. Any feedback on the Osa area and how it compares to Guanacaste? Also, I heard the travel to get to Osa is a real pain.

 

[puravida02]

Clint, I highly recommend diving at Caño Island in Osa. I've done it twice at different months and in my opinion, this is the second best place for diving in Costa Rica, after Cocos obviously. Viz is almost like the Caribbean but with plenty of big marine life. Normally, you get to see groups of white-tip reef sharks, rays, turtles, all sorts of eels, incredible schools of fish (i.e. jacks, etc), and the rock formations were you dive are more interesting than in Guanacaste.

There are shallow dives like the Arch and the Wreck (which is funny cause there's no wreck there) and then the must-do El Bajo del Diablo were you can dive down to 100+ ft. Bajo del Diablo is usually a drift dive and sometimes current can be so strong that all you do is hold to a rock and enjoy the parade that passes by in front of you.

As I'm not totally sure about the weather conditions there in August, I'd recommend you contact my instructor and diving operation owner in San Jose, Francesco Nistri, who runs Divingmania (www.divingmania.net). Francesco regularly organizes tours to Osa. I think he still works there with Jinetes de Osa who have a very nice lodge and and a diving operation (www.costaricadiving.com).

Good luck,

Fernando

 

[rexman24]

I would put it as a close second to Coco beach, Guanecaste. It is not an easy area to get to/get around in. Very remote but because of this also very nice. Great place for above the sea, hiking in the rainforest and animals,etc. Jinetes de Osa are the people to see. August is not a great time for the area, heavy rains Aug-Oct.