By Sea
Cocos Island is Costa Rica’s most interesting and least visited national park. To protect and preserve its natural beauty, the island has maintained its exclusivity by allowing tourists ashore only with the consent of the island rangers. Even then, tourists are not allowed to stay overnight on the island. As remote as it is ravishing, there are very limited ways through which one can access the island.However, the lengthy trek is well worth it. Costa Rica, is the nearest land mass to the island and is a 36 hour boat ride and a good 600kms (360 miles) away. Owing to its rich past, the island is also an immensely popular destination for treasure hunting with tens of thousands of treasure expeditions being carried out in the last 50 years alone. However travellers visiting the island with the intent to treasure hunt require a permit from the Costa Rican Government.