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Occidental Grand Papagayo Costa Rica

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Occidental Grand Papagayo is located in the Guanacaste province of Costa Rica. The resort lies on the Gulf of Papagayo, and is a favorite destination for honeymoons and romantic getaways. The Occidental is a five-star adults-only hotel. Occidental Papagayo features spacious and bright rooms that have been designed for the enjoyment of their guests. Premium Level options give guests a VIP experience with preferential restaurant reservations, a Premium Level Lounge, and other amenities for a perfect romantic vacation in tropical paradise setting.

Occidental Grand Papagayo Costa Rica WEATHER

The resort offers one hundred sixty-three rooms in five different styles: deluxe, deluxe bay view, deluxe concierge, deluxe romance, and premium level luxury. The deluxe rooms have a king bed or two double beds and a living area. They also have views of the garden or ocean. The premium level luxury rooms are the most spacious and overlook the island’s landscape. All rooms have a terrace or balcony, 24-hour reception, and wifi access.

The Occidental’s U-Spa offers a tranquil atmosphere where every detail has been considered to provide guests with well-being, health, beauty and comfort while you enjoy treatments. Subtle aromas greet you before you enjoy the hot tub, sauna, Vichy shower or Turkish bath. Private rooms for relaxing and therapeutic massages and facials, plus a full range of beauty services are offered. The gym has equipment for cardio training and machines for resistance training.

The resort features three restaurants and four bars on the property, offering guests exceptional Costa Rican cuisine and original international offerings combined with meticulous service. The Japanese restaurant offers table seating, private tatami rooms, and a teppanyaki table. Dinners for à la carte restaurants at Occidental Papagayo can be booked after the second day of your stay, and you can enjoy one à la carte dinner for every 3 nights of your stay. L’Buffet is a restaurant with international dishes; The Italian has a seasonal menu and overlooks the bay; D’Oriental offers Asain dishes in private tatami rooms; the Snack Bar offers various snacks and drinks.

At the Occidental, guests enjoy more of Costa Rica. The Guanacaste Province and the Culebra Bay offer great off-property opportunities too so you can enjoy Costa Rica and stay active. Some of the favorite activities enjoyed by guests include scuba diving, snorkeling cycling, kayaking, paddle-boarding, zip-lines, ATV tours, horseback riding, rappelling, and much more. The All-Inclusive packages include weekly cocktail parties, access to the swimming pool and gym, tennis, archery, chess, volleyball, snorkeling, and kayaking. Guests can choose to add spa trips, laundry service, medical care, tours, car rentals, and cycling tours for an extra charge. Dive and hotel packages include 7 nights accommodation, all-inclusive meals, and 10 boat dives.

Narrative text and photographs courtesy of the Occidental Grand Papagayo and Bill Beard's Costa Rica.

Dive Conditions

Costa Rica- Diving seasons in Costa Rica can be split into rainy season (May to November) and dry season (December to April). Each season brings its own advantages. Depending on the area, visibility usually ranges from 15-30 metres/50-100 feet. June through September generally brings the best visibility. Costa Rica has a tropical and subtropical climate and has a year-round diving season. The water temperature from January to March hovers around 27°C/80F and around 28°C/82F from July to September.

Cocos Island - Don't expect colorful reefs and white sandy beaches. Coco's Island is a volcanic island emerging from the ocean, with steep walls, huge submerged rocks, and a few hard corals. Above water, the land is mountainous with rainforests and the climate is humid and tropical.

Belonging to Costa Rica, Cocos Island is the mecca for divers looking for big animals, open ocean, and advanced diving. Sharks are the main attraction. Cocos is not a place with pretty corals or reefs. It is a gorgeous, uninhabited island, approximately 5 x 2 miles (8 x 3 km) in size. The bottom is a sloping rocky substrate without a lot of colors.

What divers do experience is amazing marine life - prolific shark populations including reef whitetip and scalloped hammerheads, plus a chance of many other species. There is also great schooling fish action, and a good chance of seeing true pelagics like wahoo, tuna, and even billfish. If you are comfortable with deep (100ft) nitrox diving in open oceans, and the possibility of swell, strong currents and low vis, Cocos island can be the apex dive trip of your dive career. It is not a place for non-divers or novice divers. Advanced certification and experience are recommended.

Water temperatures at Cocos Island in June/July is usually 81F degrees at all depths. It stays from 80-82F during the summer. The water can get much colder, down in the lower 70s in the winter. Thermoclines are common, and deep down can get into the 60s. Visibility in June through July is usually 50-70ft. Visibility can be variable but 30-50ft is normal, with even better visibility from January through May.