phojodiver
New
My family and I spent five days in Ocotal at a wonderful villa called Villa Vista Mar where we had an apartment overlooking a gorgeous pool and the Gulf of Papagayo from the hilltop. I highly recommend VVM as the rates were fantastic and the hosts Ed and Lorrie, American expats, were incredibly friendly and helpful in suggesting local attractions. VVM has kitchenettes in their three apartments and so we bought fresh grouper at the rate of $2.00 per pound at Papagayo Seafood (playa Coco) and cooked it on the grill by the pool. I have posted a web site still in development with photos from our vacation (we also spent some time at the Arenal Volcano): Costa Rica vacation. I'm still adding content to the site and will soon be scaling back the number of cheesy family photos.
The diving was also good. We chartered a small boat with captain and dive master from Almaco diving for local sites in the Gulf of Papagayo. I highly recommend this option if you've got a small group that wants a more personalized experience than the large group boats. This worked out well for us because my girlfriend is a non-diver/non-swimmer and her so can snorkel. They got to see dolphins and large sea turtles up close while along for the ride.
As for snorkeling at Ocotal, it is very good at the point at the opposite end of the beach from Father Rooster but you're going to swim a good bit to get there if it's not low tide. For closer and easier snorkeling, the rocky area near Father Rooster is excellent. You won't see anything floating on the surface due to visibility issues, but once you kick down to 15 feet or so you'll see a mecca of marine life. Watch for stone fish!
Bring along some binoculars for the birds, howler monkeys and iguanas. Costa Rica isn't the place if all you want to do is dive, but there is a lot to do there that will amaze you every day. Arenal Volcano is worth spending a few days visiting, and don't be afraid to venture down the long rocky road for night views of the lava flows. With binoculars, you can see boulders the size of cars rolling down the slope from the cone.
The diving was also good. We chartered a small boat with captain and dive master from Almaco diving for local sites in the Gulf of Papagayo. I highly recommend this option if you've got a small group that wants a more personalized experience than the large group boats. This worked out well for us because my girlfriend is a non-diver/non-swimmer and her so can snorkel. They got to see dolphins and large sea turtles up close while along for the ride.
As for snorkeling at Ocotal, it is very good at the point at the opposite end of the beach from Father Rooster but you're going to swim a good bit to get there if it's not low tide. For closer and easier snorkeling, the rocky area near Father Rooster is excellent. You won't see anything floating on the surface due to visibility issues, but once you kick down to 15 feet or so you'll see a mecca of marine life. Watch for stone fish!
Bring along some binoculars for the birds, howler monkeys and iguanas. Costa Rica isn't the place if all you want to do is dive, but there is a lot to do there that will amaze you every day. Arenal Volcano is worth spending a few days visiting, and don't be afraid to venture down the long rocky road for night views of the lava flows. With binoculars, you can see boulders the size of cars rolling down the slope from the cone.
