StanKase

Does the Four Seasons have vendors that offer day trips to snorkel locations without being in a van for 3-4 hours? If so, is the quality of the snorkeling worth the ride to get there? We have been to Roatan in Honduras and Belize and found excellent conditions because of the reef.We are there for 8 days to relax but are avid snorkelers and probably need 2 days away from the hotel.Any experiences you can share.

shillmac

There is snorkeling on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica, of course, but it won't compare to your experiences elsewhere. Although the Four Seasons surely offers the opportunity, you might think about spending at least a little time in the Rincon de la Vieja. There are excellent tours to this area of tropical dry forest--the horseback riding is a good way to view wildlife and the canopy tours are fun. The mud baths are interesting as well! Just a thought.

We aren't avid snorkelers, but we do like to snorkel. Particularly in places with reefs where the snorkeling is good! We have done it very little in Costa Rica because of all the other things there are to see and do that are world-class!

StanKase

Thanks for the information on snorkeling. If we go where should we head for?

I open that to anyone. I don't want to travel 3 hours RT for lousy ubderwater sights-good is o'k.
Ant other really worthwhile destinations, we do not enjoy horseback riding though I realize you can see bird and animal life not viewable on the side of the road.
How far is Rincon and is the drive 90% "idiot-proof"? Thanks

shillmac

Rincon de la Vieja is a national park about 1.5 hour from the Papagayo Peninsula. We went with a tour group--Swiss Travel. The guide was so informative, and a great lunch at Borinquen was provided. We did 2 full day tours to the area. Horseback riding one day (Los Inocentes near the Nicaraguan border--lunch included here as well); and canopy, mud baths, and springs on another day.

You won't have to go 3 or 4 hours to snorkel. Since we haven't done it, I'm not sure where on the northern Pacific the best places would be, but they are all within an hour and a half or 2 hours. Of course, round trip. . . .3-4 hours! Actually, I did snorkel once from Playa Conchal. It was okay, but not sure I would consider it "good". It was part of a kayak/snorkel combo deal. I hope you will hear from someone who has snorkeled the northern Pacific area more than I. Perhaps near Playa Hermosa which is closer to 4S.

Sailing

There are a number of sailing /snorkeling options. You will be picked up by boat, right on the beach at the resort. There are some good sites within a 15 minute boat ride from the resort and can arrange a full day or 1/2 day. Certainly not Caribbean water snorkeling but most people enjoy the sites visited.

I have personally run sailing and snorkeling tours for 6 years in this area and although I have sold my sailing business I can give you references to other local companies.

You can contact me at [email protected]
for more info.

StanKase

Thanks Sailing. I have noted your email address. We are not going for a number of months. I will contact you 3-4 weeks before we go.

Jessie_

As Sailing said, there are some very good places on the Northern Pacific. The Catalina and Bat Islands are known to be very good. We have had friends swimming and diving with HUGE giant rays and whales. There are lots of snorkeling/diving trips going out in that area.

It won't be like Belize which is just awesome. I have been off of Belize and Cozumel and I don't think there is any place in the world to compare with those places other than the Great Barrier Reef. CR does have its own special things to see in the water though.

StanKase

Jessie;Thanks for the info. Can you get their on a tour boat from the area around the Four Seasons in 1-1/2 hours each way with 2 hours of snorkeling in different spots? Do you know a firm that offers that service?
Also, The Bay Islands-Roatan comes very... very close to Belize and Cozemal, in my opinion. We stayed at Lighthouse Reef Resort 3 times and did some great snorkeling there and around the Blue Hole (very rusic but has A/C. Check out Anthony's Key Resort. The rooms with A/C-most of them on the island section-are very nice and they go out twice a day snorkeling. The food is good considering their remote location. The price for the snorkel package for a week with 3 meals and the best room in-season was $2400 with tax for my wife and I.

caribdvr

We dove just off the Four Seasons and the diving was entertaining, but not good. Entertaining means rays, a shark, octopus. Visibility was about 30-40 ft, compared to the 80-100 ft that is the norm in Cozumel and Belize. Another group went to the Catalina islands the next day and said it was much better--lots of wildlife--so if there is snorkeling available there, that is probably the place to go. We only snorkeled off the beach at Playa Hermosa--don't bother. I would definte snorkeling there as "exercise", which was just what we wanted at the time, but not what one is usually looking for when snorkeling! We will not bother taking dive equipment next time we go, and we love to dive and snorkel. That said, CR was probably our favorite vacation ever, because there is such a wide diversity of things to do. Yes, some great snorkeling would make it even better, but because the surfing, canopy tours, rafting is so superb, it hardly seems worth your while to spend a day with mediocre snorkeling. I do not know how it is on the Caribbean side since we did not go there. BTW, we had our surface interval at the Four Seasons beach, and it was beautiful and empty!