Cocos Island Accommodation

Although Cocos island is big and can supposedly accommodate the construction of mega resorts, it is on the other hand, has none. This is due to the fact that the Costa Rican Government that does not allow any form of human settlement within the island as it has been declared a National Marine Park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

With this, do not expect to find any hotel in the island as what you will usually see in other island paradise getaway. Just in case you find one on the web and offers you a hotel reservation, then definitely it is a scam. But this doesn’t mean that this is the end of the line and your planned visit to Cocos island had vanished. On the brighter side, there is another form of accommodation that doesn’t require your presence and stay in the island itself.

Liveaboard: Your Accommodation at Sea

Liveaboard dive boats are custom built ship designed to accommodate a small group of divers from 15 to 20 persons. You will stay, eat, drink, sleep and socialized with other guest onboard, except for a few occasions on an arranged visit to the ranger station on the island where you can visit nearby waterfalls while walking through a guided trek.

Back on board, you will stay on an air-conditioned cabin that has an ample space for comfortable living, cabinets where you can place your belongings and a personal bathroom. Each room has a twin sharing system where you can choose a cabin from the lower or upper deck. When it is time to eat, the dining hall is the place to be where you can feast in their sumptuous and nutritious meals prepared by their onboard highly trained chefs. Beers and softdrinks are always on the house and wine can be bought at the bar for an affordable price.

After taking in your meal, the saloon is where most guest go to where they can chat or plan for their upcoming underwater adventures. Just in case you get easily hungry, the fridge is always stocked with foods and drinks. But you can also bring in your favorite snacks and share it to the group.

Located at the stern, the dive deck is where you prepare your scuba equipment, cameras and other accessories. Once your group is prepared, you will get on board a skiff boat that will take you to your chosen dive spot in just a matter of minutes. Of course, there are some downtime in a liveaboard cruise and the sundeck is the perfect place for this moment where you can indulge under the sun and have a great tan while reading your favorite book or perhaps just wear your sunglasses while sitting back and be relaxed.

Direct Access to a Deep-Sea Submersible

There is a tour company who offers liveaboard trips to Cocos island and at the same time gives you this once in a lifetime opportunity to explore the depths of this offshore Costa Rican island. Yes, we are talking about MV Argo who has an onboard deep-sea submersible where guest can plunge down to depths where it has exceeded the limits of recreational scuba diving. Every deep-sea voyage allows 2 lucky guest to have a glimpse of the deep where your interest in marine wildlife will further awaken your mind as you can see oddly looking creatures like the jellynose fish and prickly sharks. Most of the guests who have been to this deep-sea voyage told us that adrenaline will really start to rush in your system as you enter the twilight zone. They said that you can really see total darkness below and the silhouette of the shallow surface above where passing-by hammerhead sharks are still visible. Once you arrive at your maximum depth which is set at 300 meters (1,000 feet), you will be mesmerized by the abyssal silence and total darkness of your surrounding as you peep out the vessel’s glass dome.

For more information about liveaboard trips and deep-sea submersible, you can read our related article about the Undersea Hunter Group which is the only tour company who offers both of these experiences.

Reference:

Undersea Hunter Group: www.underseahunter.com

Dive Zone: www.divezone.net

The Adventure Junkies: www.theadventurejunkies.com