Cabuya has two high tides and two low tides most days, and each low tide comes roughly 50 minutes later than the day before. To walk to the island cemetery, check a tide table, set off about an hour before low tide and start back before the water turns.
Why tides matter so much here
In most beach towns, the tide is a detail. In Cabuya, it decides your day. At low tide, a rocky reef appears between the beach and Cabuya Island, the village cemetery, and you can walk across. At high tide, the island is cut off. The same pattern opens and closes tide pools and rocky headlands up and down the coast.
The good news is that tides are predictable. Once you know when low tide falls, you can plan everything else around it.
How the tides work
The Pacific coast here has two high tides and two low tides most days. High and low are roughly 6 hours apart, and the whole pattern slides about 50 minutes later each day. So if low tide is around 8 am today, expect it around 9 am tomorrow, and close to 10 am the day after.
That shift means a good morning low tide early in your trip becomes an afternoon low tide a few days later. If the island walk is a priority, look at the whole week's tide table when you arrive and pick your day.
Some low tides go lower than others. The lowest usually come around the full moon and new moon, and those days expose the most reef and the biggest tide pools. Tide tables show the height of each low tide, so look for the smallest number.
Where to check tide times
Check online before you go:
- Tide-forecast.com: look up Cabo Blanco or the nearest Puntarenas station.
- Tideschart.com: has a page for Cabuya.
- Surf forecast apps: many show tides for the Mal País and Santa Teresa area.
Times for nearby stations differ by a few minutes, which won't matter much as long as you leave yourself a margin. Your hosts will often know the day's low tide too.
Timing the walk to the island cemetery
The walk to Cabuya Island crosses about 400 m of rocky reef and takes 10 to 15 minutes each way. Here's how to time it:
- Find today's low tide on a tide table.
- Arrive at Playa Cabuya about an hour before low tide. The reef should be uncovered or close to it.
- Cross carefully. The rocks are sharp and slippery, and you may still wade through knee-deep water in places.
- Spend your time on the island, then start back before the tide turns. People do get stranded, and the only way off at high tide is by boat.
Wear sturdy water shoes or sport sandals with a good grip, not flip-flops. There's no shade or water on the island, so bring sun protection and a drink. The island is still the village's working cemetery, so be respectful, and stay away if a funeral is taking place.
Tide pools nearby
- Playa Los Cedros: just past the Río Lajas toward Montezuma, it's known as a surf spot, and at low tide pools form among the rocks. A good spot for a picnic.
- Playa Las Manchas: about 2 km south of Montezuma, reached over rocky headlands at low tide. It has white sand and clear water that's good for swimming and snorkeling on calm days. Watch for rip currents toward its south end, and give yourself time to walk back before the headlands cover.
- Around Cabuya Island: visitors report good snorkeling off the far side of the island at low tide when the water is clear.
Tide pools are best on the lowest tides. Look, don't take: leave shells, crabs and other creatures where they are.
A sample low-tide morning
Here's how a day might look when low tide falls mid-morning:
- Early: breakfast in the village, then pack water, sun protection and water shoes.
- About an hour before low tide: walk out to the island from Playa Cabuya.
- Around low tide: explore the island quietly, then snorkel off its far side if the water's clear and calm.
- Before the tide turns: cross back to the beach.
- Afternoon: a swim at higher tide, or a drive to the tide pools at Playa Los Cedros on another day's low tide.
If low tide falls in the afternoon instead, flip the plan: hike in Cabo Blanco in the morning, then head to the island later. Just make sure you're back on the beach well before dark.
Tides and other plans
- Beach swimming: Playa Cabuya is pebbly, with lots of rocks showing at low tide. It's calmer for a swim at high tide.
- Surf: waves at nearby breaks change a lot with the tide. Local surf schools and forecast apps will tell you when a spot works.
- Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve: the hike to Playa Cabo Blanco doesn't depend on the tide, but the reserve does. It opens Wednesday to Sunday only, so on those days fit the island walk around your hike.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to walk to Cabuya Island?
About an hour before low tide. Check a tide table for the day, cross while the reef is uncovered and head back before the tide starts coming in.
How long is the island uncovered at low tide?
It varies from day to day and with how low the tide goes. Plan to be back on the beach soon after low tide rather than counting on a fixed window.
What happens if I get stuck on the island?
You'll have to wait for the next low tide or find a boat. Don't try to wade or swim back across a rising tide over sharp rocks.
Where can I find Cabuya tide times?
Tide-forecast.com and tideschart.com both list tides for the area, and many surf apps show them for the Mal País and Santa Teresa coast.
The places in this guide
Isla Cabuya
Cabuya village, Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica
Isla Cabuya is a small island just off Cabuya's beach that serves as the village cemetery. At low tide you can walk out to it over the rocky reef in…
Playa Los Cedros
Montezuma road, Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica
Playa Los Cedros is a stretch of coast just past the Río Lajas on the road between Cabuya and Montezuma. It's best known as one of the area's better…
Reserva Natural Absoluta Cabo Blanco
Cabo Blanco, Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica
Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve covers the forested southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula, a short drive past Cabuya, and was Costa Rica's first…
