Barely more than a volcanic cone rising from the sea, Sombrero Chino is so small that only small yachts can visit, usually paired with a longer stop on Santiago itself. The turquoise channel between the two islets is a favourite for swimming and snorkelling.
Calm, clear turquoise water between Sombrero Chino and Santiago, with white-tipped reef sharks, rays, penguins and curious young sea lions among the tropical fish.
The islet is built almost entirely of young lava, including fragile lava tubes, giving a vivid sense of the volcanic forces behind the archipelago.
A wet landing leads to a short walk around the west coast, home to Sally Lightfoot crabs, marine iguanas and lava lizards.
A week at sea, then volcanoes and rainforest on mainland Costa Rica.
Amazon wildlife on the mainland, then eight days cruising the islands.
Sombrero Chino is a tiny islet off Santiago, too small to show separately at this scale, so the map highlights Santiago as its nearest large neighbour.
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