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Flamingo, Tamarindo and the Catalina Islands

Rocky Pacific islands, seasonal manta encounters and relaxed Guanacaste beach bases.

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Destination Guide Sources For Flamingo, Tamarindo and the Catalina Islands

Reference links used to build and maintain this guide.

31 sources • Updated Oct 29, 2026

Written by DiveJourney. Built from public sources and local operator knowledge. Last updated Oct 29, 2026.

Costa Rica Tourism Board - Diving - Official national diving context, operator qualification and required safety checks.
Costa Rica Tourism Board - Guanacaste climate - Local season pattern: December-March dry, April transition, May-August rains, September-November second rainy phase.
Costa Rica Tourism Board - Seasonal activities - Explicitly lists Catalina Islands diving in the Guanacaste dry-season activity set.
Costa Rica Tourism Board - Guanacaste attractions - Describes Playa Blanca/Flamingo, Potrero and Penca, including swimming versus surf characteristics.
Costa Rica Tourism Board - Entry requirements - Current passport, visa, funds, onward travel and permitted-stay requirements.
Costa Rica Tourism Board - Travel FAQs - Currency, VAT, departure tax, entry, electricity and beach safety.
Costa Rica Tourism Board - Visitor trade resources - Ground transportation, cash/cards/ATMs, tipping and electrical outlet guidance.
Costa Rica Tourism Board - Safety tips - Emergency number, beach conditions and taxes/service charges.
Pacific Coast Dive Center - Certified scuba tour - Flamingo-based two-tank day-boat circuit, Catalina priority, certification, pickup locations, gear and indicative price.
Pacific Coast Dive Center - Snorkel tour - Catalina guided snorkeling, deep-water entry, flotation and indicative price.
Pacific Coast Dive Center - Boat rider - Specific non-swimmer/non-diver option accompanying water-activity groups.
Rocket Frog Divers - Catalina Islands - Site descriptions and seasonal water/visibility variability in Catalina archipelago.
Rocket Frog Divers - Price list - Catalina day-trip, snorkeling, extra gear and passenger price examples and 13 percent tax.
Rocket Frog Divers - South Point/El Jardin - Describes beginner and deeper variants, rays and seasonal wildlife.
Rocket Frog Divers - The Wall - Clarifies not a true continuous wall, with surge, rock faces and depth variability.
Rocket Frog Divers - Cupcake - Describes island pair, shallow shelves, deep starts and rock habitat.
Uncharted Diving - Manta naturalist dive - Catalina manta targeting December-May, claimed February-March peak, and no guaranteed encounters.
Altum Adventures - Freediving - Flamingo Bay Molchanovs training courses, supervised depth sessions, safety gear and pricing.
Costa Rica Freediving Federation - Associated schools - Independent organization identifies Altum as a Playa Flamingo freediving school.
Guanacaste Airport - Location - Confirms LIR in Liberia and available airport ground transport methods.
Juan Santamaria International Airport - Departures - Confirms major Costa Rica international gateway SJO.
INCOPESCA - Fishing and underwater fishing cards - Official spearfishing permit category and published one-year card amount.
DAN - Emergency assistance - 24/7 dive emergency hotline and call-local-EMS-first process.
DAN - Flying after diving - Minimum 18-hour preflight interval for repetitive no-decompression diving; longer is safer.
DAN - Freediving safety awareness - One-up/one-down buddy, no solo breath-hold diving, no hyperventilation.
DAN - Water-related injuries - Snorkeling boat traffic, strong water movement and hypoxic blackout risks.
Manta Trust - Responsible interaction research - Supports passive observation, no touching or blocking rays and distance guidance.
US Department of State - Costa Rica travel advisory - Confirms 911 and limitations of emergency medical infrastructure outside San Jose.
PADI - Diving Playa Flamingo - Broader professional dive guide corroborates Catalina rocky features and different skill levels.
Destination hero photo by NoTalkMan (historical) - Playa Flamingo Costa Rica.JPG. Photo: NoTalkMan / Wikimedia Commons. CC0: http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/deed.en. Cropped and resized.
Destination hero photo by Luis Diego Aguilar - A large body of water. Unsplash License (https://unsplash.com/license). Photographer: https://unsplash.com/@luisdy18. Cropped and resized for the cover.