Islas Catalinas

Where are the Islas Catalinas, the volcanic islands off Flamingo?

The Islas Catalinas are a string of volcanic islets and rocks lying about ten kilometers off the Guanacaste coast, facing Playa Flamingo and south of Playas del Coco. There is no coral here: boulders, arches, tunnels, sand channels between big rocks, and water that the dry-season upwelling makes cold and nourishing. Dive centers from Flamingo, El Coco, Hermosa and Tamarindo have named more than twenty sites, from the southern point, La Punta, to the two emerged rocks of the Cupcakes, the southernmost site, with a plateau at 11 to 14 meters and an offshore face that drops beyond 27 meters. No protected area covers the archipelago, and no entry fee is charged.

Which Islas Catalinas sites suit your level?

La Punta, or South Point, is the manta site: cleaning stations between 20 and 30 meters, two deep channels between big boulders, and the current head-on. The Wall, the drop-off of the largest island, lines up whitetips and schools of fish, with mantas toward the point at the end of the dive. El Clásico is a chain of rocks from 11 to 30 meters, with moderate current; Las Pailas, the frying pans, is a drift along walls where bubbles rise from the volcanic bottom; Elefante has arches and tunnels between 12 and 27 meters; Cuatro Piedras, four rocks down to 27 meters, has weak current. Los Sombreros, from 11 to 18 meters, and East North, very shallow, welcome beginners and late-day dives.

How do you dive with the mantas at the Islas Catalinas?

A manta at a cleaning station loops over the rocks where small fish rid it of its parasites. A diver who fins toward it drives it away; one who settles in open water, a little back, and breathes calmly sees it return and pass overhead, sometimes within arm's reach. No touching, no chasing, and no going down onto the station itself. For photos, a wide angle and a low position, with the manta outlined against the surface, give the best images, especially from December to April when the morning light shines through the clear surface layer. Dive centers in the area run trips to the Catalinas year-round; in manta season, a second trip during the week doubles your chances.