6-Hour Reserve Snorkel, Meal

Uvita, Snorkeling Tour in Isla del Caño Biological Reserve

★ 4.4 · 5 reviews

from $175 per person

Opens the operator's official listing with live dates. Book there; nothing is charged on this site. Free cancellation.

Duration: 6 hours
Meeting point: Pacific Expeditions office, Uvita
Cancellation: Free cancellation
Meal: Meal included
Run by: Pacific Expeditions CR

Overview

This six-hour trip with Pacific Expeditions CR runs from Uvita out to Isla del Caño Biological Reserve for a day of snorkelling among turtles, rays and many species of fish. Check-in is at the operator's office at 7:00 a.m., where coffee and cookies are served while the group gathers. From there you follow the staff in your own car to a parking lot near the entrance to Marino Ballena National Park, or ride along if you have no vehicle. Parking is covered in the price.

The boat crossing to Caño Island takes roughly 1 hour and 15 minutes. Once there, you get two snorkelling sessions, the first about 1 hour and the second about 45 minutes, with a snack break in between. In the water the list of possible sightings is long: turtles, manta rays, stingrays, eels, barracudas, tunas, snappers, parrotfish and pufferfish, among others. Reviewers have also reported seeing dolphins from the boat and a shark while snorkelling.

After the second session there is time on the beach followed by lunch. If the weather rules out lunch on the beach, the meal happens back at the office instead, as one reviewer experienced. Gear, guide and food are handled by the operator throughout the day.

What's Included

Included

Entrance to the Isla del Caño Biological Reserve
Bilingual tour guide (English and Spanish)
Safety gear
Full snorkeling gear
Fruit, snacks, drinks, and lunch
Parking
Coffee, games, and cookies (at the office)

Not Included

Entrance to Marino Ballena National Park (admission fee)
Toilet facilities on board the boat
Wi-Fi on board the boat
Harbor for boarding the boat (Boarding is directly from the beach)

Itinerary

Check-in at officeMeet at the Pacific Expeditions CR office in Uvita at 7:00 a.m. Coffee, cookies and games are provided while the group assembles.
Drive to park entranceFollow the staff in your own car to the parking lot near Marino Ballena National Park, or ride with them if you have no car. Parking is included.
Boat to Caño IslandBoard directly from the beach, with no dock. The crossing to Isla del Caño takes approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes.
First snorkel sessionSwim for about 1 hour in the reserve, with a bilingual guide pointing out turtles, rays, eels and fish.
Snack breakCome out of the water for fruit, snacks and drinks between the two sessions. One reviewer recalled juice and pineapple empanadas on the island.
Second snorkel sessionA second session of about 45 minutes in the water.
Beach time and lunchRelax on the beach, then eat. If weather prevents lunch on the beach, it is served at the office instead.
Return to Marino BallenaThe boat heads back to Marino Ballena National Park, where the tour ends.

What To Expect From The Tour

A few practical points shape the day, from the beach boarding to what the boat does and does not have on board.

Boarding from the beach. There is no dock. You step into the boat straight from the sand at Marino Ballena, so sandals or water shoes beat bulky sneakers. The listing recommends swimwear among your gear for the day.
Two swim blocks. The water time is split into two sessions, about 1 hour and then about 45 minutes, with a snack break between. One reviewer described the full water time as roughly two hours in total, so a reasonable comfort in the sea helps. A life jacket is mandatory.
Food and drink. Coffee and cookies at the office, then fruit, snacks and drinks between snorkels, then lunch, all included. One reviewer found the lunch excellent and plentiful, even when it moved to the office instead of the beach.
Bring sun cover. The listing recommends swimwear, sandals, sunscreen, a long-sleeved shirt, beachwear and a waterproof bag. The boat crossing is over an hour each way, so the shirt and sunscreen earn their place.
Boat conditions. The boat has no Wi-Fi, restrooms or changing rooms, so plan around that for a six-hour day. The trip runs in rain as well as sun, and if weather conditions do not allow lunch on the beach, the meal is served at the office instead.
Shared water. One reviewer noted several snorkel groups in the same spot at once, with people coming close to a turtle. Rules on the tour forbid touching marine life or feeding animals, so keep your distance from whatever you encounter.

Common issues. Logistics can wobble. One reviewer said the group was taken to a different meeting point than arranged, and another reported the day finishing two hours early. Photos from the guide cost extra, at 10 dollars in one reviewer's case, and are not part of the listed inclusions. The same reviewer felt crowding near the wildlife went unaddressed. If weather prevents lunch on the beach, the meal moves to the office.

Common Questions

Where does the tour start and is pickup included?

No hotel pickup is listed. You check in at the Pacific Expeditions CR office in Uvita at 7:00 a.m., then either follow the staff in your own car to the parking lot near Marino Ballena National Park or ride with them if you have no car. Parking is included in the price.

What is included in the price?

Entrance to the Isla del Caño Biological Reserve, a bilingual English and Spanish guide, safety gear, full snorkelling gear, fruit, snacks, drinks and lunch, parking, and coffee and cookies at the office. Entrance to Marino Ballena National Park is not included. The guide's photo service is not part of the listed inclusions, and one reviewer paid 10 dollars for it.

How long is the boat ride to Caño Island?

The crossing takes approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes each way. Boarding is directly from the beach at Marino Ballena, as there is no dock.

How much time do you spend snorkelling?

There are two sessions: the first lasts about 1 hour and the second about 45 minutes, with a snack break in between. One reviewer described roughly two hours of water time plus an island break. A life jacket is mandatory throughout.

What is the cancellation policy?

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund. The tour runs in rain. If weather conditions do not allow lunch on the beach, the meal is served at the office instead.

What should I bring?

The listing recommends swimwear, sandals, sunscreen, a long-sleeved shirt, beachwear and a waterproof bag. Note that the boat has no restrooms or changing rooms. Smoking, vaping, alcohol and drugs are not allowed, and you may not feed animals or touch marine life.