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Pacific
Coast Diving Extension
Here is an add on program that can be combined with
our horseback riding or multi-sport packages
In many ways, life in Drake Bay
is how life was lived for most of the "civilized" world in centuries past.
The primary mode of transportation is the human foot or horseback. The day
to day rhythms of life leave space for conversation with friends, walking
on the beach, fishing, horseback riding, or eating a leisurely meal. A
visit to Drake Bay is the perfect antidote to the fast paced life of a
modern city.
The Jinetes (pronounced "hinetes") de Osa naturally
fits into the life of Drake Bay, as if it were a part of the landscape.
Located on southern Costa Rica's pristine Osa
Peninsula, this small beachfront retreat is hidden among one of the most
beautiful lowland tropical rainforests on Earth. Rooms overlook the
Pacific Ocean and meals featuring locally caught seafood are accompanied
by fresh baked breads and tropical fruits.
The on-site full service dive shop offers a wide range of underwater
services. Guided excursions and PADI instruction are all conducted by a
professional diving staff. Waterfall day hikes, mountain biking, sea
kayaking, surfing, whale watching, fishing and bird watching are all
available at Jinetes De Osa.
During the
months of December-May you can eat your breakfast on the deck of the
dining room while watching the humpback whales migrate across the bay. The
rooms are simple, comfortable and clean. At night, the fresh tropical
breeze carries the sound of the ocean into your room; a most effective
cure for stress based insomnia.
Diving on the southern Pacific Coast of Costa Rica can be simply described
as spectacular. Costa Rica Adventure Divers explores several sites around
the small island of Caño. Protected as a biological reserve by the Costa
Rican Government, the water surrounding the island is extremely pristine
and teeming with life. Twelve miles west of Drake bay, Caño Island offers
some of the most exciting diving anywhere in the world. A wide variety of
marine life can be discovered beneath the island waters. Perhaps the most
memorable encounters occur with the pelagics that inhabit the area.
Schools of mobula rays (devil rays), turtles, and white tip reef sharks
can be seen on many dives. On almost every dive, the large schools of fish
swimming around and overhead can be breathtaking. Sometimes the numbers
are so great that sunlight can actually be blocked by these large schools
of fish, creating an underwater eclipse. Although not as common, the
elusive whale shark and the giant bull shark are often spotted in the
area. Water visibility is good and can range from 45-90 feet. Temperatures
hover in the upper seventies to low eighties throughout the year and
provide for an exquisite diving experience.
 IT-CRIT04-Dive
Rates
includes accommodations in superior rooms with
private bath, all meals, all transfers from San
Jose, 2 dive tours (2 tanks each) at Cano Island
4 days/ 3 nights $
955 Single: +$160
2007/08 Dates:
any time throughout the year
Itinerary
Day 1: San Jose transfer to Domestic Airport...SANSA flight to Drake
Bay... You will be met by Jinetes de Osa
representative and transferred to the lodge. This is a 15 to 20 minute ride
by vehicle and boat. Upon your arrival to Jinetes de Osa (pronounced "hinetes"), lunch will be
served and then a guided tour of the Drake Bay area. Lunch and dinner
included at Jinetes de Osa.
Day 2-3 Dive Days Dive boats leave the resort at 7:30am for Cano
Island. The boat ride is approximately 45 minutes. Dive trips are 2 tank
dive trips, with a surface interval and lunch break on Cano Island.
Following the 2nd dive, boats return to the resort at approximately
2-2:30pm. Overnight Jinetes de Osa with all meals included.
PLEASE NOTE: A trip to Corcovado National
Park can be substituted for one of the dive days... Corcovado National
Park This morning at 8:00 a.m. depart for a guided tour of Corcovado
National Park which is one of the few remaining virgin tropical lowland
rain forests in the world,Corcovado National Park stands as a testament to
the Costa Rican Government's commitment to protecting its majestic
environment. The tropical wet forests contained within its boundaries are
widely considered to be the most species-rich in Central America. More
than 500 species of trees, 367 species of birds, 140 of mammals, 117
reptiles/amphibians and 40 species of freshwater fish make Corcovado their
home. Several hundred miles of foot trails crisscross the park. You may
see howler monkeys, or catch a glimpse of a Jaguar, American Crocodile,
Caiman or a Baird's Tapir, which are critically endangered or absent from
the rest of the country. Excursions are guided by a local naturalist. All
meals included.
Day 4: Return to SJO
Diving
Details
Although the Osa is an awesome
diving destination, it has until very recently, gone
unnoticed by the diving community. Those who have
dived this spectacular area, consider it to be "The
Best Diving in Costa Rica." Beneath the alluring
waters of Caño Island, an intriguing underwater
landscape exists. Vast underwater canyons, submerged
mountain ranges, pinnacles, arches, grottos and
caverns are home to a profusion of diverse marine
life.
Huge schools of barracuda, snapper, amberjack and
grouper are commonplace; alongside the smaller
tropical fish (angelfish, butterfly fish, damsel and
parrotfish). Large concentrations of sharks, rays
and eels are ever present and sightings of the
elusive whale shark are also possible here. An
extensive variety of soft corals and sponges cling
to the rock formations hosting a number of colorful
invertebrates and smaller marine life. Current and
strong surge make the diving here wild and
unpredictable. It is much like walking through the
jungle ... you never know what you will come across.
Accommodations
The Jinetes (pronounced "hinetes") de Osa naturally
fits into the life of Drake Bay, as if it were a
part of the landscape. The resort consists of three
buildings located on the beach and 20 acres of rain
forest. Currently, the resort has 11 rooms in two of
the three buildings and a dining room and kitchen in
the third. During the months of December-May you can
eat your breakfast on the deck of the dining room
while watching the humpback whales migrate across
the bay. The rooms are simple, comfortable and
clean. At night, the fresh tropical breeze carries
the sound of the ocean into your room; a most
effective cure for stress based insomnia.
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