Location: Puntarenas Province, 311 km (193 mi.) southwest of San Jose via Inter-American Highway. Accessible by boat, 16 km (9 mi.) offshore from Corcovado National Park
See South Pacific Tourism Region
Size: 200 terrestrial Ha. (494 acres); 2,700 maritime Ha. (6,669 acres)
Date of Creation: September 1976
Part of: Osa Conservation Area
About:
Just nine miles offshore from Drake Bay on the Osa Peninsula, Cano Island is both a biological and archaeological preserve.
Cano Island is the exposed part of an underwater mountain thrown up by the ancient collision of the two tectonic plates on either side of Costa Rica. The island protects the remains of its Pre-Columbian inhabitants, the Diquis tribe. There are several granite spheres marking an ancient cemetery. Indian remains dating from 220-800 A.D. have also been found. Some believe this was a commercial trading post on the Pacific coast long before Christopher Columbus arrived on the scene.
Cano Island has recently moved into the spotlight as one of the world’s best diving locations. The center of the island features a plateau 90 meters (295 feet) high, covered by evergreen trees reaching heights of 50 meters (164 feet). There is a single trail going up to a lookout and an archaeological site.The island is surrounded by five platforms of low coral reefs. The Cano Island coral formations offer some of the best diving in Costa Rica.
Activities:
The island can be visited on day trips from nearby Drake Bay and Sierpe. Day tours also depart from Puerto Jimenez and Dominical.
Tours usually include snorkeling or diving at several of the island’s approved locations, lunch on the island and a guided hike up to the archaeological site. Often whales and dolphins are sighted on the way to and from the island, and a lucky few might spot sea turtles and manta rays.
The snorkeling and scuba diving found here are some of the best in all of Costa Rica. During the dry season, visibility can be up to eighty feet, enabling visitors to see the amazing amount and variety of sea life thriving here.
 Facilities:
The ranger station provides visitor information. Reservations are required as limited amounts of visitors are permitted daily. There are no overnight facilities on the island. Camping is not permitted.
Trails:
There is one trail on the island that leads to scenic overlooks and archaeological sites.
Flora & Fauna:
The fauna that call the island home include the four-eyed opossum, paca, boa constrictor, brown tree frog and the transparent tree frog. A few species of rats, bats, small snakes and lizards can also be seen here. This is not a popular birding spot. Only about ten species live on the island, including the cattle egret, common black hawk, osprey, brown booby and northern phalarope.
The plant life is much more extensive. The island hosts locust and wild fig, wild cocoa and rubber trees, wild strangler, cow trees, ferns, trumpet trees, plus more than 158 other plant species.
Marine life consists mainly of large schools of fish (blackjack, barracudas, snapper, rainbow fish), white-tipped reef sharks, king angel, moorish idol, puffers, surgeonfish and barberfish. Parrotfish, damsels and a variety of eels can be found hiding around the coral-lined rock formations. Occasionally sighted are manta rays, sea turtles, jew fish, hammerhead sharks and whale sharks.
Beaches:
 Pristine beaches and coral reefs surround the island. The only beach open to the public is the main beach in front of the ranger station.
Fees and Schedule:
The Ranger station is open for visitors from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.
Cost: $10 per person (foreigner), 1600 colones for nationals with identification.
Getting There:
Cano Island is accessible only by boat. The easiest way to visit the Island is through one of the lodges at nearby Drake Bay. Day trips are also offered by tour companies in Sierpe, Puerto Jimenez and Dominical.
 Nearby Parks:
• Corcovado National Park
• Ballena National Marine Park
Contact info:
ACOSA: Osa Conservation Area
Puerto Jimenez main office: 506-2-735-5036
Back to Top
|
