Guided Snorkel Tour from Manzanillo

The reef off Manzanillo sits at the southern end of Costa Rica's Caribbean coral system, and it is best seen the way people who live here see it. From a small boat, with a captain who has been reading this water his whole life.

You leave from the beach at Manzanillo, normally in the morning when the sea is calmest and the light comes down clean through the water. Two hours on the reef is enough to float over coral heads, parrotfish, angelfish and whatever else the day decides to show you. Gear is on board. You do not need experience or a certification, just the ability to swim and a willingness to put your face in the water.

Fresh pineapple, watermelon and coconut water come with the trip. The departure time is set once the group is confirmed, and the best conditions are from 8am onwards. Everything depends on the weather and the state of the sea. If the captain says the water is not right that morning, the trip moves. That is how you stay safe on this coast.