Cocos Island National Park

Cocos Island National Park is a Costa Rican national park located in the eastern Pacific Ocean about 550 km southwest of the mainland. The park was established in 1978 and is widely recognized for its marine biodiversity.

The park is world-famous for its scuba diving; dive sites around the island are known for frequent encounters with large pelagic species including hammerhead sharks and manta rays. The island itself has steep shoreline cliffs, bays suitable for landings, and a densely forested interior with freshwater streams.

A second major draw is the marine environment - the protected waters around the island support large aggregations of pelagic fish and sharks, making the area important for conservation and scientific study. Visitor access is tightly controlled and typically arranged through liveaboard dive operators.

The island was legally protected as a national park by Costa Rica in 1978 and later inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1997 for its outstanding marine biodiversity. Management focuses on conservation of both terrestrial and marine ecosystems and on regulating visitor access.

The park is centered on Isla del Coco and nearby islets at approximately 5.53°N, 87.07°W, roughly 550 km (about 340 miles) southwest of the Costa Rican mainland. The nearest points of departure are ports on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast where liveaboard vessels begin multi-day trips to the island.

• Protection status: Designated a national park by Costa Rica in 1978 and inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.
• Access and habitation: Access is only by boat and is typically via liveaboard dive vessels; there are no permanent civilian settlements on the island.
• Marine wildlife: Renowned for pelagic scuba diving with regular sightings of schooling hammerhead sharks, manta rays, and other large marine life.

What to See #

• Isla del Coco (main island): Covers the main island and immediate islets with steep cliffs and interior rainforest, where freshwater streams and trails accessible to permitted visitors meet the shoreline.
• Marine protected zone: A surrounding marine protected zone that extends outward from the island and is managed as part of the national park to conserve pelagic species and shark aggregations.