Thinking about taking a "dive vacation"? Whether you mean vacationing on a budget, or scuba diving, Costa Rica could be the place for you. (For the purposes of this article, I'm going to assume you mean scuba)

Scuba's popularity is at an all-time high down there right now, as the facilities are now world class. Just about any travel agency or tour group that offers Costa Rica vacation packages will have scuba tours available. All of the more commercial costal towns (Tamariendo, etc) have excellent dive shops that can rent you equipment or get you in a certification class if needed.

As far as the snorkeling itself, its aided greatly by the preservationist ethos that is evident from the top of the government on down to the man on the street. Costa Rica has not been overfished, so you will be able to see massive schools of fish and just a very impressive selection of underwater wildlife in general.

While the Caribbean side has a better reputation (although poorer facilities in many cases due to development practices) for scuba diving due to the increased underwater visibility, there are some good spots on the Pacific side as well. For example, in places like Playa Hermosa nd Playa Ocotal you've not only got visibility to rival the East side of the country, but also the opportunity to see some creatures you won't see over there like giant manta rays and certain species of fish. You can also hit some boat accessible zones like Isla del Cano which many consider the best scuba diving in the country, boasting three species of dolphin, beautiful coral and even the liklihood of shark watching! If you're looking into Costa Rica vacation packages for the express purposes of diving, make sure you ask your agent about this spot.