Tamarindo Estuary Boat Safari

Great experience. Was able to check quite a few boxes on the wild animal bingo card. The guide was very informative.

Finding outings for my almost eighty year old mother that were reasonable for her to do at her level of fitness while we were in Costa Rica was important to me. She has the heart for ziplines; but she's not quite physically up to them these days! This tour was perfect for her. Our tour guide was Ivan. He was kind, considerate, funny and so knowledgeable! We saw absolutely beautiful birds, an amazing mandrake forest, crocodiles and even monkeys. It was a great way to spend our morning and I'm so glad we went!!

Finding outings for my almost eighty year old mother that were reasonable for her to do at her level of fitness was important to me on this trip. This tour was perfect for her. Our tour guide Ivan was kind, considerate, funny and so knowledgeable! We saw absolutely beautiful birds, an amazing mandrake forest, crocodiles and even monkeys. It was a great way to spend the morning and I am so glad we went!

Ivan was a wonderful and knowledgeable guide! We enjoyed a beautiful boat ride and a short walk through the forest, all while learning about the incredible mangrove and estuary ecosystems. We saw rare birds, howler monkeys and crocodiles up close. Our guide was good at keeping a fair distance and not disturbing wildlife, which we found very genuinely respectful of local animals and their habitats.

This was a very cool tour with the best guide ever! Ivan is super friendly, fun, very knowledgeable about the area and throws in lots of good humor to boot. You won't be disappointed! Saw lots of wildlife granted its all luck of the draw with mother nature. Ivan has a good eye so im sure you'll see plenty. Cheers!

Ivan was awesome!!! We learned so much from him and got to see a ton of animals. The highlight was the 10-15 monkeys we saw!

Ivan was an extremely knowledgeable guide and shared the history and significance of the estuary. He pointed out birds, native trees and plants, and went out of his way to find several crocodiles. We also had the chance to hike a very short distance into the trees to see more than a dozen monkeys taking a "siesta" in the trees. On the way back, Ivan provided cold drinks and fresh pineapple. Highly recommend this excursion!

I booked this tour last minute to see a different part of Tamarindo and my boyfriend and I had a great time! Ivan was so knowledgeable about the wildlife and would point out animals we could barely see. We saw a couple small crocodiles, lots of birds, and he took us on a short walk to see monkeys. From pickup to drop off, our experience was great and gave us a relaxing morning!

Great experience, our guide was knowledgeable and respectful of the environment.

Tho staff was good and knowledgable..wildlife was scarce..suggest staff use a microphone as those in the front of the boat had difficulty hearing

While you're not getting a luxe experience, you're getting to access a beautiful national park teeming with wildlife (including alligators, monkeys, and tons of birds). Pick up was smooth and easy. The boat ride was nice though engine troubles ate up some of our time. The guide knew a lot of facts, but it would be more interesting if they were woven into an engaging story. Still, it's worth the money to see such a naturally beautiful place.

Our driver and boat captain was Ivan and he was great. Very charismatic and knowledgeable, told us all about the local wildlife. The pickup can was modern and air-conditioned.

Laid back. Did not hurry us. Saw wildlife. They can really spot the camouflaged ones Showed knowledge and concern for environment

Wonderful experience! The boat goes nice and slow to give you a chance to look for wildlife. Our guide was very friendly and knowledgeable, pointing out and naming many animals.

The tour started on time. Our driver and guide were great hosts. Very knowledgeable about the vegetation and species we saw. We were starting to head back and on the boat when we noticed the howler monkeys had descended to lower branches and we were given time to get off the boat again to observe. We were provided beverages and fresh pineapple (which was unexpected!). Overall a great experience.

Excellent time. Knowledgable guide. The area is beautiful and it was very fun to learn about it from someone so experienced. highly recommend.

This tour was incredible! They provided drinks and seasonal fruits to keep us cool in the sweltering heat. Additionally, the tour guide was incredibly knowledgeable and enthusiastic. It was clear he had a lot of experience and was always eager to answer questions. Truly I had a great time and would definitely do this again.

We had a great tour of the Tamarindo Estuary with my family. The tour opertator pick us up on time as planned. We saw a variety of wildlife including a few crocodiles, iguanas, raccoons, howler monkeys, and many different birds. We were concerned about mosquitos but there were none. I recommend this tour.

Wear water shoes. Bring binoculars if you have them and keep your eyes open regardless. Iban and Dylan were knowledgeable and helpful. We loved seeing the birds and especially crocodiles and howler monkeys

We were with Ivan of the green parrot transfers and adventures. He was knowledgeable, friendly and patient. We saw crocs, birds and a couple of monkeys.

It’s very slow moving and relaxing. Some interesting critters, such as, crocodiles, lizards, monkeys, and birds were carefully pointed out to us. Ivan, our guide, had a good sense of humor and a wealth of knowledge about this estuary. We really enjoyed his guidance.

We were very lucky. On our tour we saw many types of birds, crocodiles, crabs, and monkeys. Our guide was wonderful. A fun tour.

It was a lot of fun and our guide was very knowledgeable about the area and animals. We saw 3 crocs, several howler monkeys and lots of birds. Riding through the mangroves was beautiful.

This is a must do! We saw so many unique birds, as well as multiple crocodiles and monkeys. Ivan was the best tour guide and told us a lot of interesting facts about the Mangrove preserve. I can’t recommend this highly enough!

This tour takes guests on small boats through Las Baulas Marine National Park (next to Tamarindo.) Hotel pick-up and drop-off for our Tamarindo hotel was included. Drinks (soda, water, etc.) and fresh fruit were complimentary and offered to guests on the boat. The tour is rain or shine. The boat is covered but open, I would recommend bringing a poncho (just in case.) It poured on our tour but it was kind of magical being in the mangroves in the rain. Despite the weather, we saw monkeys, crocodiles, birds, etc. The tour lasted about 2 hours and was operated by Native's Way. Our guide was funny and also knowledgeable about the area and animals.

Not much wild animals to see but it’s relaxing ride and I enjoyed the scenery specially the monkeys and the crocodiles. The tour guide who is our pick up driver was not friendly at all.

Ivan was very knowledgeable and sweet. We saw monkeys, crocs, birds, crabs and a raccoon in the mangrove trees. Sodas, water provided. Pack a snack if you need one. Wear shoes you don’t mind getting wet as you enter/ exit the boat. Not a fast boat, it’s a nature watch.

The hotel pickup was prompt in the morning. They brought the boat fairly close to shore, so minimized our walking in water. Would still recommend water shoes for this tour. They did pull over and allow us all to get off the boat to go see howler monkeys. It was the highlight for us. We also saw crocodiles and several birds. Ivan was good about stopping and taking us to spotted wildlife.

I came to Costa looking for an adventure, this was recommended to me by somebody in the town, gotta see a few crocs.

Relaxing and exciting all at once. Tranquil setting, and then the crocodile is pointed out by our guide, Fabio. We watch as the crocodile slides quietly by. The birdsong is lovely, it's the early morning tour, and a nice way to wake up. Captain David picked us up exactly when he said he would, very kind and an excellent navigator through the estuary. He landed the boat where a short hike took us to the monkeys playing overhead. Herons landed on the water later. Pineapple slices were passed to our group, so refreshing. If youre thinking of this tour, book it!

It was a fun experience, Ivan and his ship mate both navigate the boat well and get into some pretty tight places. We saw a few small alligators. A couple of iguanas and some sleeping howler monkeys. I thought there would be more wildlife out there. But even on our rain forest tour it wasn’t quite the amount of animals I was expecting to see. Still a good trip and a good time. I would only recommend they get some floating seat cushions. Our butts were definitely ready to get out of those seats when we got back.

It was really nice and we saw quite a bit of wildlife (croc, various bird species, howler monkeys, crabs, mangroves)

Excellent, saw crocs monkeys iguanas, all kinds of birds. Great tour. Our tour guide actually picked us up from our hotel.

Iban was a great guide: chill, knowledgeable, and approachable. We saw monkeys, iguanas, crocodiles, raccoons, and many birds. It was a great tour.

We were running late (our fault). Got to the place where they told us to meet them, but they had already moved on the boat. So we were even later. The person we were talking to about it was rude and continued to text my niece even while we were on the boat. Our guide, was absolutely amazing. He was knowledgeable, funny, answered all of our questions. He is an expert because he wasn't merely a tour guide but a nature conservation expert. We saw all sorts of animals and he gave us a great overview of the importance of mangroves.

Calm boat ride with a guide. We saw multiple crocodiles, monkeys, iguanas, and even a raccoon. It is a relaxing boat cruise.

We saw a bunch of birds, Howler Monkeys, 2 Crocodiles, and Iguanas. Very nice and relaxing, make sure to bring a hat. They provide drinks and pinas 🍍

Have a great time on the water exploring the estuary! Our guide Ivan was very knowledgeable and really helped us spot wildlife and get great photos. Everyone was very patient with our toddler and baby.

Ivan was our boat driver with 35+ years of experience. We saw many species of birds and iguanas, crocodiles, a raccoon, land crabs, howler monkeys, and of course, mangrove trees. Ivan supplied water and soda, watermelon and pineapple. He was extremely knowledgeable about not just the estuary, but any questions we had about the country. The tour was on time. There are bathrooms at the site. We had a great trip!

There are stairs to the boat launch with a handrail part way. Bring a strap for your phone. You find yourself leaning over the edge of the boat. Lol Wear shoes that can get wet.

this was a really great tour. the communication ahead of time was great and the schedule was accurate. they did have to reschedule the start time due to tide schedules changing since my booking many months ago, but were very upfront about it, and it was necessary/out of their control; they provided me options for rescheduling or cancellation due to the change in start time. the tour itself was great. Antony was a wonderful guide (i don't remember the captain's name, but he was also great). we had a really great group on our boat (9 total adults and 1 wee lad) and that made the experience even better. the captain and Antony were very skilled in their ability to spot animals, and also very knowledgeable about them and the ecosystem. they took the time to ensure everyone got to see what their was to see and have a good time. i highly recommend this over the "rally tours" that you find elsewhere - we saw other boats doing "peel outs" and just kind of rushing through the estuary while we were getting to see crocodiles, fish, all sorts of birds, crabs and other things. i feel like the "rally tours" cruise the route quickly and if they don't see anything it is what it is and you go to the monkeys. our guides took the time to see what else we could see. i was very pleased and would highly recommend this tour over others (i had read a great deal of reviews before even booking it and my experience echoed the good things i had read). pick this one.

Great day on the Estuary . We saw 2 crocodiles and other interesting animals. Add this to your lazy beach day itinerary.

Great experience with Ivan! He was a great guide and would recommended this calm morning boat ride to anyone visiting!

Awesome tour. Saw monkeys , crocodiles , lots of birds.

We had an absolutely amazing time! Our guide, Yvan, was awesome and extremely knowledgeable. We saw crocodiles, howler monkeys, crabs, and lots of different birds! He also has some drinks and fresh pineapple for us. Highlight of our trip so far! Highly recommend

Ivan was amazing and funny! The mangrove forest was incredible. We saw many birds, crocodiles, iguanas, monkeys and little fish!

Relaxing way to explore. Suggest going earlier in the day. Guide was great and we did see wildlife

It was a fun boat ride overall. We managed to see a few birds and a few small crocodiles. Didn’t get to see any monkeys or sloths. But it was mentioned in the beginning of the tour, there are no guarantees when it comes to Mother Nature. Still a fun time and the hosts were great! Bring sunglasses and sunscreen

This was such a lovely, leisurely cruise through the mangroves. Anthony, our very knowledgeable guide, kept us informed of all the wildlife and managed to spot a few crocodiles, which was a bonus. He offered us a huge chunk of pineapple - chopped up, on board, by Captain Harry - and soft drinks. It was a great way to see the local flora & fauna.