8:00 a.m. — meeting point on the beach with Deep Blue Divers. The dive center is German-run and made an excellent first impression. It holds a 5-star TripAdvisor rating and is a PADI Gold Palm Resort, open daily from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The daily guided 2-tank dive in the Papagayo Gulf, running roughly from 8:00 to 13:00, costs $79. Full equipment rental is $20 per day. Two dives at the Catalinas cost $110 for a minimum of two people, and two dives at the Murciélagos (May–October) cost $150 (+NP) for a minimum of three people. Island dives are weather-dependent and not always possible. 3-tank dives can be arranged on request. These prices apply to certified divers only. (As of 2013.)
Prices are full-service and include boat, captain, guide, tanks, weights, snacks, fruit, drinks, and fun! Equipment service covers transport to and from the boat, set-up, rinsing, and storage.
On the way out to our dive site we watch manta rays leaping out of the water — a breathtaking sight. Unfortunately we were not quick enough for a photo. We had fantastic dives at 20 metres depth, each costing US$50 including equipment. We encountered huge schools of fish, rays, pufferfish, a large octopus, moray eels, and much more. At the surface we spotted dolphins and sea turtles. In short, this detour was absolutely worth it.

We continue at 1:00 p.m. towards Playa Grande via the shortcut reserved for four-wheel-drive vehicles — it is an official road, but a proper dirt road nonetheless. With the rainy season in full swing, it lives up to its name. The journey becomes a spectacular adventure: we ford two rivers and navigate rugged terrain. We save over an hour of driving time and get an off-road experience of the finest kind.

In the early afternoon we arrive at Playa Grande and spend a lazy few hours on the almost deserted beach. The beach is famous for the mass arrival of Green Sea Turtles. Unfortunately the turtles are not here yet. As we later learned, they arrived during the last week of October.