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Light sandy beach with palms and vegetation beside the sea.

Panama · Coiba and Santa Catalina

Snorkeling and diving in Coiba

Snorkel and dive trips leave from Santa Catalina and take the whole day. The park fee is paid separately and Granito de Oro is closed.

6 places1 closed or restricted, flagged

  1. 1

    WaterOpen

    Coiba snorkel day tour

    Leaves from the Santa Catalina beach and dock.0.6 km from the centre

    Entry
    Tour per person from US$70
    Hours
    Not stated
    Booking
    Not stated

    Boat trip from Santa Catalina with three snorkel stops and an island visit. Usual stops are Coco Grande, Coco Pequeño, Canal de Afuera and Ranchería, plus the Gambute station.

    Source: Snorkel Coiba (operador) · 2026 · +3

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    US$70–90 per person depending on the operator (checked October 2026): Snorkel Coiba US$70; Unlimited Adventures US$75, plus 7% if paying by card; Premier Coiba Tours from US$90. They include boat, guide, snorkel gear, life vest and lunch; the park fee (US$20 foreigners, US$5 Panamanians) is extra.
    Booking
    Book with a Santa Catalina operator; some ask for a deposit. Children under 12 do not pay the park fee.
    Time needed
    Full day: departure around 8:00–8:30 and return between 15:45 and 16:00. The boat ride takes 1 to 1.5 hours (Snorkel Coiba, Unlimited Adventures and Premier Coiba Tours, checked October 2026).

    Tip: Granito de Oro is closed: if a tour advertises it, ask which stop replaces it.

    Nearby: Scuba diving Coiba from Santa Catalina (0.2 km) · Santa Catalina beach (0.2 km) · Humpback whale watching (0.2 km)

    Sources: Snorkel Coiba (operador) · Full Day Coiba from Santa Catalina – Unlimited Adventures Coiba · Coiba Day Trip – Premier Coiba Tours · Sistema de Reserva de Áreas Protegidas – MiAmbiente

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  2. 2

    WaterOpen

    Scuba diving Coiba from Santa Catalina

    Dive centers in Santa Catalina village; dives inside the park.0.4 km from the centre

    Entry
    $140
    Hours
    Not stated
    Booking
    Not stated

    Several Santa Catalina dive centers run day trips to the park with two or three dives. The park has 760 marine fish species and 33 shark species on record.

    Source: Dive Trips with Scuba Coiba (operador) · 2026 · +3

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    2 dives US$140; 3 dives US$160–165; local Santa Catalina dives US$95 (2 tanks). Park fee not included, nor, at one operator, gear rental (US$20 per day) (Scuba Coiba and Panama Dive Center operator pages, checked October 2026).
    Time needed
    Day trips 8:00 to 16:00 (Scuba Coiba, checked October 2026); confirm the meeting time with the operator.

    Tip: Trips with a night on the island are not available while overnight stays remain suspended during the Gambute works. Whale sharks: January to March according to Visit Panamá; the operator says they are seen 'with luck' on regular trips.

    Nearby: Coiba snorkel day tour (0.2 km) · Santa Catalina beach (0.2 km) · Humpback whale watching (0.3 km)

    Sources: Dive Trips with Scuba Coiba (operador) · Pricing – Panama Dive Center (operador) · Nautical Itinerary: 9 Days Along the Pacific Coast – Visit Panamá (ATP) · Coiba National Park – Natural World Heritage Sites

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  3. 3

    WaterOpen

    Canal de Afuera island

    Northeast of the park, between Santa Catalina and Coiba island.41.5 km from the centre

    Entry
    Not stated
    Hours
    Not stated
    Booking
    Not stated

    Island northeast of Coiba with snorkel sites. MiAmbiente lists it as a visitor site and operators use it as a snorkel stop, where you may see turtles, reef sharks and rays.

    Source: Se restablece capacidad de carga del Parque Nacional Coiba – MiAmbiente · 2022 · +2

    Practical details and sources

    Tip: Snorkel Coiba calls it 'Islas Canales'. It is a snorkel stop on the day tours of Snorkel Coiba (US$70 per person) and Unlimited Adventures (US$75), plus the park fee (checked October 2026).

    Nearby: Ranchería island (Coibita) (10.2 km) · Gambute ranger station and visitor center (13.5 km) · Granito de Oro island (14.5 km)

    Sources: Se restablece capacidad de carga del Parque Nacional Coiba – MiAmbiente · Full Day Coiba from Santa Catalina – Unlimited Adventures Coiba · Snorkel Coiba (operador)

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  4. 4

    BeachOpen

    Ranchería island (Coibita)

    Northeast of the Gambute station, off Coiba island.49.6 km from the centre

    Entry
    Not stated
    Hours
    Not stated
    Booking
    Not stated

    Small island north of Coiba with white-sand beaches. It is on MiAmbiente's list of authorized visitor sites and a regular day-tour stop.

    Source: Se restablece capacidad de carga del Parque Nacional Coiba – MiAmbiente · 2022 · +2

    Practical details and sources
    Time needed
    A stop of a few hours within a day tour (Snorkel Coiba: meet at 8:00, back between 15:45 and 16:00; Unlimited Adventures: 8:30 to 16:00; checked October 2026).

    Nearby: Gambute ranger station and visitor center (3.3 km) · Granito de Oro island (5.6 km) · Canal de Afuera island (10.2 km)

    Sources: Se restablece capacidad de carga del Parque Nacional Coiba – MiAmbiente · Full Day Coiba from Santa Catalina – Unlimited Adventures Coiba · Snorkel Coiba (operador)

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  5. 5

    WaterOpen

    Contreras Islands (shark diving)

    North of Coiba National Park, Gulf of Chiriquí.59.8 km from the centre

    Entry
    3 dives (air) US$205
    Hours
    Not stated
    Booking
    Not stated

    Island group north of Coiba with seamounts exposed to swell and currents. A Santa Catalina operator runs dives here to look for hammerheads and other species.

    Source: Dive Trips with Scuba Coiba (operador) · 2026

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    3 dives on air US$205; on nitrox US$235; plus the park fee (US$20 foreigners, US$5 residents) and US$20 per day gear rental (operator data, Scuba Coiba, 2026).
    Booking
    Requires an advanced certification with 30+ dives, or Open Water with deep-dive experience and 50+ dives (Scuba Coiba, 2026).

    Tip: According to the operator, hammerheads are seen mainly from April to June or July, in small schools.

    Sources: Dive Trips with Scuba Coiba (operador)

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  6. 6

    WaterRestricted access

    Bahía Damas reef

    East coast of Coiba island.51.5 km from the centre

    Entry
    Not stated
    Hours
    Not stated
    Booking
    Not stated

    Bay on the east coast of Coiba island with a 135-hectare coral reef, which Visit Panamá describes as one of the largest marine habitats on the continent.

    Bahía Damas is not on the list of visitor sites MiAmbiente published in 2022 (Gambute, Canal de Afuera, Playa Machete, Isla Coco, Ranchería, Isla Frijoles and three trails). Whether visits are allowed today is not confirmed by the official source at the time of review: check with your operator.

    Source: Parque Nacional Coiba – Visit Panamá (ATP) · 2026 · +1

    Practical details and sources

    Nearby: Coiba National Park (13 km)

    Sources: Parque Nacional Coiba – Visit Panamá (ATP) · Se restablece capacidad de carga del Parque Nacional Coiba – MiAmbiente

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