Big animal
encounters
 
We know
the spots
 
We have
the experience
 
High quality
equipment

Scuba Diving

The Gulf of Papagayo offers some of the Pacific Ocean’s most interesting marine diversity. The plankton-rich waters support numerous species from big to small.

Choose a dedicated dive trip to maximize your bottom time, or extend your surface internal by combining your dives with all of our other activities.

 

The Gulf of Papagayo

On any given day you may see frogfish, harlequin clown shrimp, seahorses, and octopus, or you might have a lucky encounter with schooling eagle rays, white tip reef sharks, giant Pacific manta rays, or a passing whaleshark.

Our passionate & knowledgeable dive masters can put you in the perfect place to study animal behaviour and to be right in the middle of the action.

We have three destinations within the gulf:

Local  /  Catalina Islands  /  Bat Islands

Local Divers

We have over 10 dive sites within a 20 minute boat trip, and these are accessible all-year-round and for all levels.

These plankton-rich waters support numerous species from big to small, and our certified dive masters know where the good wildlife is.

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The Catalina Islands

These islands are a seasonal home to the majestic Giant Pacific Manta Rays who come to visit it’s many cleaning stations. From January through April you have a chance to see these incredible creatures as they glide and dance through the water above you. 

Catalina’s is located about 45-minutes away by boat, and does not have an anchorage or beach access. Intermediate divers.

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The Bat Islands

Part of Santa Rosa National Park and known UNESCO world-heritage site, the Bat Islands are a wild place indeed. Home to over a dozen large bull sharks, and numerous schools of large fish, it is a place where you might see anything and everything.

Because it is so far from the mainland, pelagic fish often cruise by, and it’s not unusual to see sailfish, manta rays, whalesharks, and more. This is a site for experienced divers only, one-hour away by boat, and seasonally available from May through November. This is a full day trip and a gourmet sandwich lunch is included.

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Seasons, Courses and more

Seasons…

The north pacific coast of Costa Rica has two distinct seasons: wet and dry. The dry season, from December through April, is most noted for it’s northerly winds that drop the water temperature down into the low to mid-70’s. This cooler water is host to humpback whales, whalesharks, giant pacific manta rays, and hordes of roving southern stingrays.

The wet season, from June through November, is the time to enjoy warmer water reaching into the mid-80’s, and a bit of an increase in the average 35-foot visibility. It is this time of year when you might see the massive schools of golden rays, and when encounters with sharks become an exciting reality.

Courses…

Our PADI trained instructors offer all level courses from Discover Scuba Diving through Divemaster. We come to your house or hotel to give the training in your pool and stay with you through the completion of your course.

Specialty courses are available. Scuba Diving experiences can also be combined with any other outings.

More info

Photographers Welcome…

Almaco is excited to offer it’s services to photographers and videographers. Small group sizes enable us to focus on exactly what you want to see and shoot, and our wide range of experience in both photography and video helps us take you to the right place at the right time.

More info

HELLO, HOW CAN WE HELP?

For pricing and availability inquiries, please fill out this quick form or
email us directly at info@almacodiving.com.

All trips are custom prepared and priced based on your preferences
so we want to work with you directly on your plans
to ensure an unforgettable trip.

Thanks so much for your interest!

Shaul F
Shaul F
2023-02-19
יום כיף של שייט על סירה של 32 פייט עם חברת אלמקו ביקרנו ב-Guanacaste קוסטה ריקה למספר ימים בספטמבר 2023. חוויה נהדרת. יצא לנו לצאת לשייט סביב החוף של Papagayo Peninsula. השייט עם חברת אלמקו היה מקסים - לקחו אותנו לראות לוויתני Humpback whales, צבי ים מזדווגים, דייג, ושנורקל. יום כיפי מאין כמוהו. חברה נחמדים מסבירי פנים שרות מעולה מהמלון. מומלץ בחום. לא יצא לנו לצלול אבל גם זה מומלץ בחום. יש באזור מספר לא קטן של אתרים עם בעלי חיים גדולים. צריך לקחת בחשבון - לצוללים - טמפ' המים 20-22 מעלות בפברואר. הראות בנונית בכל ימות השנה...
EAA
EAA
2023-02-02
A MUST-DO Water Experience Esteban and Wilbur were fantastic guides. They were patient and knowledgeable. We got to do so many things on our full day trip. I wasn’t sure I should spend so much money on this but it was worth every penny. Our group had a blast and it was definitely an unforgettable day filled with snorkeling, wakeboarding, paddle boarding, swimming, finding dolphins, and watching a spectacular sunset. The icing on the cake were the delicious fresh snacks & beverages onboard and the PERFECT fresh and yummy beach lunch. I cannot recommend this company more highly.
Chaz L
Chaz L
2023-01-11
5 Star Scuba Experience We used Almaco for a morning of scuba diving and had a total blast! Our dive master Pepe and captain Hugo ensured that we had a great experience from start to finish. Pepe took special care in preparing everyone’s equipment and making sure we were all comfortable before each dive. Our group got to see a ton of sea life including reef sharks, rays, eels, and many schools of fish. Can’t recommend Almaco enough and will definitely use them again if we return to the area!
Jarod B
Jarod B
2023-01-08
Great experience - very professional We used Almaco for Advanced Open Water training while staying on the Papagayo Peninsula. We were greeted by Esteban and Hugo, who were amazing instructors. They were patient, knew their stuff, provided great instruction, and got us in front of some amazing creatures. My son is 12, so the extra care was much appreciated. They take their training seriously (no GoPro...just listen), and provide top notch equipment (ScubaPro wetsuits, new BCD's, etc.). They were always on time, had refreshments, a boat full of toys (skis, wakeboards, fishing poles, etc.). Great company, great, hardworking employees...very professional.
Matt
Matt
2022-12-31
The prefect diving trip We went on a half day private diving and snorkeling trip and had a blast. Pepe the dive instructor was very knowledgeable, calm and super friendly. Hugo the captain very experienced and skilled. This created a great, relaxed atmosphere and made it a very enjoyable trip. On top, Pepe picked the perfect dive spots which resulted in sightings of multiple sharks, different rays, a turtle and a huge diversity of fish. As the icing, we saw two humpback whales traveling south. Thanks for a great experience!
Rob W
Rob W
2022-12-08
Perfect day on the boat Incredible experience with a very knowledgeable and friendly guide (Pepe) and amazing captain and fisherman (Mitchy). Managed to explore caves, catch three black fin tuna, go sub-winging and try wake boarding, all on a single 4 hour boat trip. Majestic views of the coastline along with fresh fruit, snacks and cold drinks. Highly recommended!
Supervisor LCC R
Supervisor LCC R
2022-11-18
Best experience ever We were a group of 10 people from Las Catalinas that decided to experience something different near to Papagayo, one of the most exclusive areas in Guanacaste, this was unexpected experience since from the begginig the treat from the staff was amazing and all we were able to watch on the tour was priceless, easy to see turtles, cocodriles, dolphins and the best and most recommended tour was tubbing. 100% Addrenaline which is a must to do if you go on this boat, food also great. I want to thank you all the staff for lettinhg us have this amazing tour!!Sincerely,Brian Sandi
Cinthya J
Cinthya J
2022-11-17
Amazing from start to end!!! One of the best tours I have ever had!!! The Tubing was so much fun (you should definetely try it!!)...The entire crew was very friendly and smart, they know what they.do!!!
Christina J
Christina J
2022-08-08
Perfecto! Our half day boat excursion with Owen and Hugo was fantastic! They picked us up from our resort and provided four hours of absolute bliss. We enjoyed seeing marine life, including rays, dolphins and Humpback whales! My son went nuts for the tubing and sub-wing experiences. We enjoyed a stroll on two private beaches and explored a really cool cave. Owen was incredibly knowledgeable and personable and we enjoyed his company quite a bit. The captain, Hugo, was also extremely friendly and helpful. We also enjoyed a short tour of the mangroves... plus delicious snacks and beverages. There is nothing like enjoying a cold Imperial cerveza while cruising the gorgeous coast of Papagayo peninsula! Thank you Owen and Hugo for an incredible experience!
Andrea E
Andrea E
2022-07-20
WaterSki, WakeBoard, SubWing, Snorkel, Tubing - OH MY! This was our best day or our Costa Rica Trip. We had a group of 8 which consisted of 5 boys ranging in age from 13 years to 17 years. Absolutely the best Captain, Wilbert, who took great care of all of us as we tried WakeBoarding, WaterSkiing, SubWing, and Tubing! Nephan, was a great instructor in the water helping all of us get up on the Wakeboard. Also showed us amazing sites such as fun caves, beaches, etc. Lunch was cooked by Alonso who provided us our favorite meal of the TRIP - yes - don't miss the beach BBQ - absolutely amazing.This was a full day that ended on a beautiful boat with a glass of wine watching the sunset. This company is top notch, providing clean, safe full day fun and full bellies. I highly recommend this company - their employees make the difference and the individuals on the boat were amazing.