Costa Ricans will have the unique opportunity to explore the spectacular Cocos Island without having to travel more than 500 km and 36 hours.
From this Saturday, June 8 to June 23, the Old Customs House in San José will be transformed into an immersion center that will allow visitors to discover the natural wonders of this emblematic national park.
The Admission is free for all public. Visitors will enjoy recreation as if they were on Cocos Island, with views of its crystal-clear waters, diverse marine fauna, towering cliffs, underwater caves and lush trails.
(Photo Presidency)
The event is organized by the Fundación Amigos Isla del Coco (Faico), in commemoration of its 30th anniversary. The Government of the Republic, the National Insurance Institute, the Coco Marine Conservation Area (ACMC), SC Johnson Central America, Blue Nature Alliance, Wyss Foundation and the Pacific Marine Park participate in the alliance.
The launch is made within the framework of the high-level event on the oceans that takes place this Friday and Saturday in Costa Rica, prior to the 2025 world summit in France.
Immersive dome will be this week at the Old Customs in San José. (Photo Presidency)
Campaign “The Most Beautiful Island in the World is Tica”
In parallel to the event, Faico and ACMC launched the campaign “The most beautiful island in the world is Tico.”
The initiative seeks to increase knowledge and pride in this Costa Rican natural heritage.
A recent study by the Institute of Population Studies (Idespo) of the National University, only 26.9% of Costa Ricans know Cocos Island.
Alejandra Villalobos, executive director of the foundation, emphasized the importance of “so that more Costa Ricans can realize that we won the lottery because the most beautiful island in the world is Costa Rica.”
“Costa Rica is not Costa Rica without Cocos Island; “It is like a Sunday without football, a cart without oxen, and a chifrijo without chicharrón,” she compared.
(Photo Presidency)
Cocos Island National Park is recognized worldwide for its impressive biodiversity and natural beauty and was declared World Heritage by UNESCO in 1997.
It is also Wetland of International Importance by the RAMSAR Wetland Convention, Global Ocean Refuge (Blue Park) since 2018 and Natural Shark Sanctuary since 2022.
This park is home to more than 2,600 species of terrestrial and marine flora and fauna, including 1,688 marine species and 296 plant species, of which 48 are endemic.
Coral reefs are crucial to the connectivity and flow of 280 fish species, ranking second in the world for diversity and biomass of reef vertebrates.
(Photo Presidency)
Additionally, the island and its islets are home to 162 species of birds, including three endemic species and the only nesting site in the Eastern Pacific of the Great White Tern, also known as the Holy Spirit Dove.
Cocos Island is famous as the “Shark Sanctuary”, with 14 species of sharks, highlighting the iconic hammerhead shark. This recognition underscores the importance of the park as a vital conservation area not only for Costa Rica but for the entire world.
(Photo Presidency)
