Cocos Islands Costa Rica

One thing for sure, once you know the history and have visited this island, you’ll get hooked on it for a lifetime. It’s called -The Cocos Syndrome!

It’s a source of debate as to who discovered Cocos Island with some reports citing Johan Cabaces and some citing Juan Cabezas De Grado. But no matter who first discovered it they discovered one of the most beautiful islands on the planet.

Cocos Island, 24 sq. kilometers in size is a typical tropical island with two bays in the north, Wafer Bay and Chatham Bay which are divided by a ridge. The latter is a safe harbor. The rest of the coastline is very steep with over 200 waterfalls, some of them over 200 feet high. In the southwest of the island are the highest point, called mount "Iglesias" is 575 feetin elevation. The Climate is hot and humid - very humid. It rains almost every day for a couple of hours between March and December.

Jacques Cousteau said 13 years ago that Cocos Island was “. . . the most beautiful island in the world."

Cocos Island was a refuge for pirates who supposedly hid treasures here and it is strongly believed in many quarters that treasure is still buried on Cocos Island. It is told, that the richest treasure in the world is still buried on Cocos Island, not only one, but two major loads.

The first belonged to a pirate named Benito Bonito who sailed the "Relampago," raiding every city along the pacific coast line.

The second and biggest treasure was brought to Cocos by Captain Thompson in 1821. In an attempt by the Spaniards to hide the wealth of Lima from Simon Bolivar and his troops, Limas Governor and the clergy entrusted the treasure to Thompson and his ship "Mary Dear" who in return killed the guards and sailed off to Cocos Island.

There is even a third load, belonging to Edward Davis, Captain of John Cook's ship, the "Bachelor Delight" who buried his loot there in the late 1600's.

Treasure hunters have flocked to Cocos Island in search of "easy riches"and some of the most famous names of Cocos Treasure hunters are Sir Malcolm Campbell the speed record holder, Julius Fleischman the yeast king, James A. Forbes from California and even US-President Roosevelt who allowed his crew on a fishing trip to go searching for the treasure.

None of them where lucky enough to locate the treasure trove.

The Cocos Island is the largest uninhabited island in the world, it's remote, wild and excellent diving location. Its nearest neighbors are the Galapagos Islands to the South. Cocos is located 300+ miles south-southwest of Costa Rica, accessible only by boat.

The area is a diving paradise with some of the richest and most diverse marine life in the world. Only Costa Rican park rangers are allowed to stay on the island and PADI the diving organization ranked Cocos Island Costa Rica as the top diving location in the world. Diving there you are likely to see hordes of hammerhead sharks and dense populations of pelagic and reef fish, turtles, many types of eels, starfish and even a rare frogfish. Here, on Cocos, the fish population has been allowed to grow in harmony with the natural balance of the food chain, which is explains this incredible diversity and quantity of sea life. It's probably the best place in the world to go diving with sharks.

But the diving on Cocos Islands is not all it has to offer. The Flora and Fauna on the island are incredibly diverse and the island itself is incredibly beautiful with in excess of 200 waterfalls.

Cocos Island National Park has reached the final selection for the new seven natural wonders of the world in the islands category.

With access only by boat, its not easy to get to Cocos islands, but when you get there a treasure trove of biodiversity and natural beauty awaits (and maybe if you're very lucky a treasure of gold and diamonds!). You are welcomed here anytime!