Cocos Island, Costa Rica Cruise Port

Cocos Island in Costa Rica has the distinction of being the largest island in the world that doesn’t allow human habitation. Entry to the island is possible by obtaining a permit which more often than not is granted to serious private scuba divers or public diving companies. For a Costa Rican island it is quite secluded, hiding out around 340 miles off the country’s Pacific Ocean coast, and is known primarily through its reputation as a desirable diving site. There are no accommodations on the island other than humble quarters for a limited number of park rangers. Cocos was given national park status through a 1978 Executive Decree, and Cocos Island National Park became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. In 2002, that UNESCO designation was expanded to include almost 800 square miles of waters around the island as a protected maritime zone. It’s also included on the list of Wetlands of International Importance.

• Scuba divers come from all over the world to explore the island’s amazing depths and view populations of hammerhead sharks, rays, dolphins, and other maritime species.
   
• Select ranger-guided, land excursions are granted for visitors looking to hike to one of the island’s great waterfalls or swim in the natural springs.
   
• Jacques Cousteau visited the island on numerous occasions and was an advocate and key contributor in obtaining its protected status. He once called Cocos the most beautiful island in the world.
   
• The island contains an abundance of flowering plants with 235 known species so far. And that’s in addition to 74 species of fern, 128 mosses/liverworts, 90 fungi, and 41 slime molds.