Bat Islands

Las Islas Murciélagos sit at the northern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula in the Santa Rosa sector of Área de Conservación Guanacaste. From June through November the cold Papagayo upwelling triggers one of the Pacific coast's most dramatic bull shark aggregations — dozens of Caribbean reef sharks and bull sharks patrol the rocky seamounts while Pacific manta rays cruise the blue water above. A rusted WWII-era cargo wreck at Big Scare adds a historic dimension rarely combined with pelagic action. Dry-season visits from December through April bring calmer seas and better visibility.