Snorkeling at Catalina Islands & North Island - CR
Badge of Excellence
Playa Flamingo, Costa Rica
- 5 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
No diving certificate is needed to enjoy the Catalina Islands’ marine life on this snorkeling tour from the Tamarindo area. After riding across the waves to reach the islands, jump into the water in search of turtles, seahorses, and more at destinations known for their aquatic populations. This tour includes two snorkeling stops, hotel pickup and drop-off as well as light refreshments and snacks.
- Snorkeling tour at the Catalina Islands from Tamarindo area
- Visit two snorkeling spots known for their marine life
- Chances to see reef sharks, angelfish, and more
- An ideal relaxing day on the water for families and individuals
What's Included
- Hotel Pick-Up and Drop-Off (Selected Areas Only)
- Driver/guide
- Snacks: Water, Ice Tea, Seasonal Fruits and Cookies.
- Use of Snorkeling equipmentUse of Snorkelling equipment
- Lunch
- Diving Computer and Underwater Cameras
Meeting and Pickup
You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup
Operating hours.7:30 am
What To Expect
1
Pacific Coast Dive Center
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 20 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Cathy_A
Highly recommend this tour. Very knowledgeable guides that are super friendly. We felt incredibly safe the entire time, and were able to rely on Isa while we snorkeled to know where to find the best spots and to know where it was safe to be. The fresh fruits were delicious and the perfect mid-trip snack. Would definitely do this one again if we are ever back in the area!
Reviews
4.6
based on 233 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Evan_V, Mar 2026
They use a sanitizer on the snorkeling gear and do not let it air out or dry at all. Many of those on my snorkel tour ended up being nauseated and puking off the side of the boat due to inhaling these chemicals. Great group of tour guides, but this really altered all of our experiences.
Elizabeth_R, Feb 2026
Guides Risky and Sammy were great with my son. Sammy took pictures underwater! Everyone was helpful and friendly!
Theresa_B, Jan 2026
This tour definitely feels like a cattle call and is extremely basic for snorkelers. We arrived to the dive center at 7:30am only to sit there for an hour and wait for all the divers to get their wet suits fitted, get our fins and sign waivers. To cut time, snorkelers could meet at the beach and waivers could be done digitally prior along with fins being distributed on the boat. After we got our fins, we then had to drive to the meeting point by the water which was not clear on where the meeting point actually was, they just directed us to “follow the vans.”
Once you’re on the boat you’re divided into divers and snorkelers. Our tour was very full with roughly 28 snorkelers and 25 divers. It was a very packed boat. The guides are mostly focusing on getting the divers setup. For our snorkeling group, the guides seemed very inexperienced and at one point we were in the water and the guide’s buoy was floating unattended for several minutes. They also were picking up the sea life…conch shells, sea urchin and starfish which I thought was extremely irresponsible and disrespectful to the ecosystem. Also, bring your own snacks…they literally had one platter of pineapple and bags of little cookies that were not appetizing. For the price you’d think they would be a little more thoughtful about this aspect considering you’re on the tour for several hours.
The visibility of the water was decent but the second snorkeling spot was extremely choppy and wavey. If you’re a diver this is a great price point but for snorkeling not so much. No thrills or extra attention just a very basic tour.
Reid_L, Dec 2025
This was a great experience, all the staff were very friendly and helpful, we saw lots of cool fish including starfish pufferfish and parrot fish and many others, we even saw a humpback whale!!
Cathy_A, May 2025
Highly recommend this tour. Very knowledgeable guides that are super friendly. We felt incredibly safe the entire time, and were able to rely on Isa while we snorkeled to know where to find the best spots and to know where it was safe to be. The fresh fruits were delicious and the perfect mid-trip snack. Would definitely do this one again if we are ever back in the area!
Marielle_M, Apr 2025
Tons of fun! We went to two different spots that were both beautiful. Saw tons of pretty fish, and even a couple rays and an eel. The guides were very friendly and provided water and snacks!
John_B, Apr 2025
This is a diving trip that snorkelers get to accompany. The staff were very nice and the boat was nice, however, the snorkeling was way below average. Some of this is out of the company’s control (rough seas, heavy silt and poor visibility). At the first stop, while we briefly saw some cool things (giant manta, jumping devil rays), most of our time was spent out in open water with nothing to see or do. The guides provided little to no guidance on where to go. The second stop had better visibility but again, not sure that the “guides” really led us to see anything special. Sounds like the divers saw a lot of cool stuff, but we were just an after thought. Pick another trip if you actually want to see things while snorkeling.
Dawn_G, Feb 2025
The crew did a fantastic job from the very start to the end. They rapidly got everyone set-up at the shop and maintained a great attitude throughout the entire experience. We have snorkeled in many places throughout the world and a great crew can make all the difference. The water was a little cloudy, or more so than what we are used to, but the experience and the amount of fish we saw was great, even saw a few white tips. Would definitely recommend this tour.
Maria_C, Dec 2024
Very friendly crew who are experienced. I went along for the boat ride with family who snorkeled. Loved the views from the boat! Saw dolphins!
Jonathan_F, Jun 2024
We had a great trip and saw some interesting fish. Well organized and knowledgeable guides. Recommended!
faithtempleman, Apr 2024
What a great time! The snorkel adventure was great. Sam was our guide. Saw white tipped reef sharks and a turtle plus really cool fish. I was fine in the water but some people might want a wetsuit.
I would highly recommend. They served snacks and water. Staff was very friendly and I felt safe on the whole experience. Highly recommend! All the staff was great but Sam was the best!
Hannah_K, Jan 2024
We saw a lot of fish at both locations (more at North than Catalina). Our guides were nice and cordial, but they didn’t provide much guidance or point out details about the marine life during, in between, or after the tours.
Also, on the boat we were on, we were not given as much attention as the scuba diving group. This group received much more prep and some info about the marine life.
Joni_K, Jan 2024
The water was extremely clear, so the visibility was great. The crew was funny and very skilled in their craft.
Giving 4/5 solely because we were little bit unlucky with what we were able to see in the water. However, I must say that what you see is always based on luck and I’ve also been snorkling several times around the world, so my standards might be a bit higher than most. Would still highly recommend giving a go with this trip!
John_M, Aug 2023
It was too chaotic and a bit dangerous. The snorkelers did not get the attention the should have had and the ocean was too turbulent. Perhaps I will try again when the wheather is better because it was not good snorkeling wheather with only one guide and a lot of snorkelers in all different directions
Elena_M, Jul 2023
Unforgettable experience!! From beginning to end. Very well organised. Excellent team.
Very fortunate to see a lot of marine life!
Mandy_B, Jun 2023
We had a great time. The staff was really friendly and made everything easy. My only suggestion for fellow travelers would be to take a Dramamine, even if you think you don't need it. The water was really choppy and a bunch of people on our trip got really sick.
The staff could not have been any friendlier though, and even though there aren't any coral reefs at the dive sites you do get to see a lot of different fish. We thought our trip was money well spent.
tlb0775, Feb 2020
This was an incredibly well run tour with very friendly staff and a great focus on safety. The guides worked together to ensure the group was able to see the wildlife (rays, sharks). We would definitely tour with them again!
Ellen_N, Jan 2020
We had a great time, the staff were incredibly nice and professional. While there were a lot of people on the boat, they were so organized that it didn't feel slow or crowded. They are a well oiled machine! Would highly recommend!
Response from Host, Mar 2020
Thanks for choosing us as your Diving and Snorkeling Company at Costa Rica!
We appreciate that you share us your feedback, both positive and constructive.
Joanna_D, Mar 2019
I’ve been snorkeling a couple of times and this was by far the best experience. The crew was great and the the area was perfect.
Response from Host, May 2019
Thank you Joanna! Sometime Pacific Ocean offers us great snorkelling days, and we are so happy to hear that you enjoyed of one of them!
Pura Vida!
Elia
Steven S, Jun 2016
Very nice, but we got motion sickness. If you have concerns, I would advise taking Dramamine before embarking!
Claudine_B, Jan 2026
Our dive guide named Risky was amazing!. Listening, fun and dynamic, he took care of our safety, because the sea was very rough that day!
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Alexandra_L, Dec 2025
It was a very nice day! In addition to seeing several species of fish during snorkeling,
We had the chance to see humpback whales and dolphins while we were on the boat. The guides were perfect from start to finish, very kind, funny and attentive to the needs of the participants.
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per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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