7 Costa Rica Kayaking Tours to Build a Day Around

1.Puerto Viejo Sloth Jungle and River Kayaking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 112 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $65Our pick

Explore Punta Uva on a guided jungle walk and peaceful river kayak, with sloths, monkeys, birds, local stories, snacks, and sea views.

“This was the best tour I had so far while travelling Costa Rica. You can really feel Yaras love for nature and she really knows her way around. I really loved it. The moment when we were almost completely alone in our kayaks on the creek, everybody was silent and the monkeys were jumping around us. Just wow. Also saw sloths from very close. Best tour ever! Especially because it’s not so touristy as some of the other tours, that don’t really have heart. Yara also showed other people the sloth, even though they didn’t pay for the tour. I thought that was so nice.”

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2.Damas Island Mangrove Kayaking Tour from Manuel Antonio

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 89 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $76

Review the Damas Island mangrove kayak tour from Quepos, with wildlife, meals, transport, tide tips, family advice, and honest value notes.

“It was very interesting to kayak the mangroves and see the monkeys. The tour itself was not impressive and not worth the money we paid for it. The time of the tour is not what is posted on the website but is dependent on the tide - in our case the pick up was at 12:40 (instead of 6am.). The guide was nice but a newbie - he was not very engaging, his english was adequate, and he was not very knowledgable. The kayaks were uncomfortable and the first double kayak in which they launched us quickly took on water so we had to get back - they didn't have…”

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3.Canoe tour dentro del Parque

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

Explore Tortuguero National Park by canoe at dawn, with wildlife, binoculars, ponchos, and a small group for $28 plus park fees.

“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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4.Bio-Luminescence and Sunset Kayak Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 82 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $68

Paddle Puerto Jiménez at sunset, explore mangroves, and swim among glowing plankton on an intimate, beginner-friendly kayak tour.

“Wir durften einen faszinierenden Abend mit unsrem Guide Lino im Kayak am Golfo Dulce verbringen. Als Paar konnte man vorab zwischen Single oder Double Kayaks wählen. Lino hat uns gut in die Verhaltensregeln und das Kayaken eingeschult und während der gesamten Tour trotz aufziehendem Regenschauer sehr gut auf uns aufgepasst. Seine Erklärungen zur idyllische Flora&Fauna und auch zum Kokosnuss-Survival-Training waren superinteressant. Mitunter der motivierteste Guide auf unsrer gesamten Costa Rica Reise :). Man braucht ein bisschen Mut um nachts ins dunkle Wasser zu steigen, aber die Biolumineszenz hat uns dann eine knappe Stunde unaufhörlich staunen lassen. Wunderschön! Unbedingt wieder! (Tipp...”

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5.Adventure Canoe Tour in Tortuguero

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

Paddle Tortuguero’s jungle canals for two hours, spotting monkeys, sloths, caimans, birds, and more in a small guided canoe group.

“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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6.Kayak Tour

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

Paddle Tortuguero’s canals at dawn for three hours of wildlife, quiet views, and expert guiding, with park entry paid separately.

“Jordan was very knowledgeable explaining the sightings and area. He was able to spot frogs, lizards, snakes, caiman, sloth, toucan.”

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7.Canoe tour

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

Explore Tortuguero’s canals at dawn on a small-group canoe tour, spotting caimans, monkeys, sloths, birds, and iguanas with a licensed guide.

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