The 15 Best Kayak Trips in Costa Rica

1.Damas Island Mangrove Kayaking Tour from Manuel Antonio

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 89 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $75Our pick

Paddle through Damas Island’s mangrove channels near Quepos with a local guide, watching for monkeys, egrets, herons, iguanas, snakes, and small crocodiles. The four-hour outing includes transport, water, and a typical Costa Rican lunch or dinner. Tide times can shift the pickup, so confirm the schedule before you go.

“Our guide was marvellous, making the trip through the mangroves both interesting and relaxing. We saw raccoons, monkeys and various birds and learned of the importance of the mangroves.”

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2.Canoe tour dentro del Parque

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 86 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $28Top rated

Meet Tortuguero Adventures at 6:00 am for a three-hour canoe ride through Tortuguero National Park. A multilingual guide helps you spot caimans, howler monkeys, and tropical birds. Binoculars, ponchos, and paddles are included. The group is limited to 10 people, though park and canoe admission fees cost extra.

“Die Tour war von Anfang bis Schluss perfekt. Sehr einfache und freundliche Kommunikation mit Carmen. Die Tour startete pünktlich um 6.00 Uhr - davor gab es noch Kaffee und Tee. Der Guide war perfekt - er erklärte uns alles im Detail und nahm sich die Zeit alle Fragen zu beantworten. Wir sahen super viele Tiere.”

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3.Wildlife Safari Float by Kayak in Peñas Blancas River from Arenal

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 79 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $88

Paddle or gently float the Peñas Blancas River with a naturalist guide such as Christopher, Beto, David, or Marco. Watch for monkeys, crocodiles, toucans, sloths, iguanas, and birds, then visit La Cocina de Tita Yolanda for coffee, sugar cane, chocolate, and a typical snack.

“An absolutely wonderful kayak experience!!! We met at the office and were taken to the river via shuttle. We had a wonderful time in our kayak and got to see a lot of wildlife! Our guide David was great! We never felt rushed going down the river and experiencing the wildlife. In the end, we even got a nice snack and a chocolate-making demonstration with tasting! We would absolutely recommend Canoa Adventure for the Wildlife Safari Float by Kayak!”

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4.Kayak to the Heart of the National Park

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 79 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $65

Paddle from Pangas Beach Club into Las Baulas National Marine Park, then leave your kayak for a guided forest walk and climb to an indigenous archaeological site. Guides Luis and Tom point out birds, monkeys, crocodiles, trees, and local history. Bring extra water, mosquito spray, and sturdy walking shoes.

“The experience was okay. My girlfriend and I picked it based on other positive reviews on Viator. The guide didn't really say anything to us for the first hour of kayaking (or on the return trip, and in fact, it felt like a race to keep up with him. Also, my girlfriend and I brought some water, but not too much, since the ad and the confirmation email said the guide would bring some. Although he did have a 1.5 liter bottle, we asked for some of it 2 hours in (after 1.5 hrs of kayaking in 100 degrees and 30 minutes hiking in the jungle), and he then poured…”

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5.Lake Arenal Private Paddle Board Experience

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 78 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $70

Join Jose for a private 2.5-hour paddle board outing on Lake Arenal near La Fortuna. You’ll receive a basic SUP and safety lesson, paddle in sheltered areas, look for birds, turtles, fish and otters, and enjoy fruit, photos and video. The tour returns to Embarcadero 1, with transportation not included.

“Jose was a very friendly and professional guide. He taught the basics of supping very patiently and made us feel confident on the paddle board”

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6.Adventure Canoe Tour in Tortuguero

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 78 reviews · 2 hours 15 minutes (approx.) · from $25

You paddle a non-motorized canoe through Tortuguero National Park for about two hours with an accredited guide and up to five other people. Guides such as Leroy, Norton, and Eric have helped guests spot monkeys, sloths, caimans, toucans, basilisk lizards, green macaws, and other wildlife. Bring rain protection and budget for the $17 park ticket.

“We had a good time with Leroy and saw quite a few different birds and two caymans despite the bad weather. Overall it was a nice tour that I don't regret, but I do have to dock at least 1 star: all the other passengers spoke Spanish, so Leroy was switching between Spanish and English, but clearly said a lot more in Spanish — it was practice for me but still a bit annoying at times. Other than that, all of us paddled since the boat had no motor — I think it was a nice experience, but it's definitely not for everyone and I got quite wet due to…”

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7.Kayak Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 76 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $45

Start at 6:00 am in Tortuguero for a three-hour guided kayak trip through the national park’s canals. Christian, Jordan, or another guide points out monkeys, caiman, sloths, birds, turtles, and more. Kayak gear is provided, but you’ll need to pay the park entrance fee separately.

“The booking and the contact with Tortuguero Adventures was quick and easy. Emanuel the owner made sure to explain the procedure of booking a ticket to the National Park. The tour took place early in the morning and they welcomed the group with tea and coffee and cookies. During the tour Christian the guide took the time to explain about the geography and the wildlife of Tortoguero, he knew exactly where to look for the animals and was very open and informativ and answered all the questions I had. He himself had inspiring stories and I could quite quickly understand he really loves the park and the wildlife and enjoys…”

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8.Canoe tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 71 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $35

Join guide Hugo at 6:00 am for a 2.5-hour canoe or kayak trip through Tortuguero National Park’s canals. You’ll search the water and trees for caimans, crocodiles, monkeys, sloths, iguanas, and birds. The group is limited to eight people, though park entry is not included.

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9.3-hour canoe tour through Tortuguero National Park

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 68 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $24Best value

Paddle through Tortuguero National Park for about three hours with guides such as Pablo or Abel. The small-group canoe trip looks for birds, crocodiles, caimans, monkeys, snakes, and plants along the canals. Canoe, paddles, life vest, and guide materials are included, but park entry costs $17 extra.

“Abel was a great guide. Very knowledgable, excited to show us the amazing wildlife. We saw an American crocodile, caiman, many birds, a vine snake, white faced capuchin monkeys and much more. Fantastic experience.”

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10.Paddle Through Paradise: Mangrove Kayak Adventure

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 61 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $55

Paddle Quepos’s calm mangrove waterways for about two hours with guides such as Memo, Jayson, or Felipe. Expect flat water, quiet channels, and chances to spot sloths, monkeys, raccoons, lizards, snakes, birds, bats, and crabs. The small group is capped at 12, and the tour ends with fresh fruit at the farm.

“We had a really great experience and saw so much wildlife that we would never be able to see ourselves! The guide was very knowledgable and kind, took lots of photos for us. Lots of tasty fruits at the end of the tour was also a sweet touch:) highly recommend!”

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11.Canoe Boat Tour in Tortuguero Canal

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 56 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $35

Explore Tortuguero’s rainforest canals by canoe with Sunbittern Nature Tours. Expect about three and a half hours on the water, a maximum of eight people, ponchos, life jackets, and careful wildlife spotting. Guides such as Adrian know how to ease into narrow channels and find quiet places where animals hide. The Tortuguero National Park ticket costs an extra $16.95.

“Fantastic time seeing the canals and the nature of Tortuguero! Adrian was an amazing guide. Very knowledgeable of the area and its nature and helped us to get through narrow canals to see the best nature and hidden spots. He had a great sense of humour as well. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone going to Tortuguero… ask for Adrian!”

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12.Canoe experience exploring Tortuguero National Park

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 54 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $30

Join Andrew for about two and a half hours on Tortuguero’s waterways, using a canoe or small boat, oars and a life vest. Look for caiman, sloths and birds while learning about the park’s nature, culture and history. The group is limited to six people. Park entry, costing about $15 to $17, is extra.

“Andrews told us a lot about the animals we saw during the tour. We saw caiman, sloth, several birds (including a very rare herron). It was raining a little bit, but Andrews still found the animals.”

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13.Small Group Tortuguero National Park Canoe Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 53 reviews · 2 to 3 hours (approx.) · from $35

Meet at 5:30am for coffee, tea, biscuits, and fruit before paddling Tortuguero National Park by canoe. Guide Kevin explains the rainforest and its wildlife as you move quietly through the canals. The tour lasts about two hours, carries no more than 10 people, and includes binoculars and a dry-bag. The $16.95 park fee is extra.

“Guiden Kevin, kunnig och otroligt mycket positiv energi. Vi hade hoppats på att få se fler och större kajmaner och apor. Mycket fokus på fåglar.”

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14.Relaxing Canoe Tour in Tortuguero

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 48 reviews · 2 hours to 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $30

Paddle quietly through Tortuguero National Park with Green Tours and a local guide, often starting between 6:00 and 9:00 AM. The canoe carries no more than seven people, giving you a calm way to watch wildlife from the park’s creeks and lagoons. Guide Johnatan, also called John, is noted for his professional approach.

“great canoe tour in the early morning. we saw beautifull animals and out guide Johnatan or John was very Professional”

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15.Mangrove Damas Island Kayak Tours

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 46 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $70

Paddle the Damas Island Estuary near Quepos in an open-seat kayak with bilingual naturalist guides such as Marlon Erick Gonzalez Araya, known as Mega. Expect calm waterways, mangrove wildlife, bird and monkey sightings, a meal after the outing, and hotel pickup in Manuel Antonio. Children over 7 may join with an adult in a double kayak.

“The kayak tour was outstanding! Our guide ‘Mega’ was knowledgeable and entertaining. We thoroughly enjoyed this adventure. Saw lots of natural creatures!”

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