The Cocos Island (Isla del Coco) is undoubtedly one of the most exciting destinations in the world diving. After about 32 hours of crossing by boat from the Costa Rican town of Puntarenas, a tiny and distant point begins to appear on the horizon. Probably, before this moment, groups of gannets and earwigs have come our way pointing out the proximity of land. Bottlenose dolphins also sometimes join this welcoming committee. As the point grows larger, a wild and lush island is discovered before our eyes, lost in the immensity of the Pacific Ocean. When we get a little closer, we will find ourselves in front of impressive columns of water that overflow from its interior on all sides.
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| Cocos Island Costa Rica |
Whether or not the legends about pirates and hidden treasures are true, the island's true wealth is its very nature. Costa Rica declared it a National Park in 1978 and UNESCO designated it as a Natural World Heritage Site in 1997. The environment that emerged is a spectacle in itself, but what we will find below is even more surprising.
Only three dive boats operate in the area, and it is not allowed to dive more than 12 people at the same point, so diving in Coco Island is a luxury.
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| Cocos Island Costa Rica |
Join us on this spectacular journey in the special group made up of Spaniards.
And if you can't on the group dates, contact us because there are departures all year round and you can make the trip on the dates that interest you.
Location
The Cocos Island is an island located in the Pacific Ocean belonging to the Republic of Costa Rica, which declared National Park. Despite being an uninhabited island, there are park guards, biologists, researchers and recreational sailors 24 hours a day. Since 2006 there have been presidential elections on the island. It was discovered in 1526 by the Spanish navigator Juan Cabezas.
It is located 532 km from the Costa Rican coast. Its coordinates are 05 ° 31′N 87 ° 04′W / 5.517, -87.067. Its land area is 23.85 km², and it measures 7.6 km long and 4.4 km wide, being its shape approximately rectangular. The island is one of thirteen districts of the canton of Puntarenas (Central Canton) of the province of Puntarenas. The Wafer Ranger Station is located in Wafer Bay in the north of the island. The trip from Puntarenas by boat takes around 36 hours.
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| Cocos Island Costa Rica |
Due to its size, isolation, and state of conservation, Cocos Island constitutes one of the privileged natural sites in the world. With an important endemism and a unique biological diversity, the island can be classified as an ideal natural laboratory to carry out research on the evolution of species and long-term monitoring of the environment.
The results of the investigations themselves could provide important information on the dynamics of the planet's ecosystems and their relationship with global changes in the marine and terrestrial environment. Hence its great importance for humanity.
Considering these exceptional natural features of this island territory, the Government of Costa Rica created in 1978 the National Park of the Coco Island, which was later declared nucleus of the Á rea marine conservation of the same name. For the same exceptional reasons, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1997 declared it a Natural Heritage Site of Humanity. Also in 1998 it was declaredWetland of International Importance under the 1991 Ramsar International Convention.
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| Cocos Island Costa Rica |
On October 11, 2002, the Government of Costa Rica declared Cocos Island as a Historic Architectural Heritage of Costa Rica.
This declaration is due to the high historical and cultural value that Cocos Island has for the people of Costa Rica and the world, forged from the 18th century through the visit and permanence of human groups from different parts and with different purposes.