Bioluminescent Kayak Tour
Description
There are only a few places in the world where bioluminescence can be seen year round. And luckily for travelers to the Nicoya Peninsula there is one such place here. Bioluminescence is a light created by living organisms through a chemical reaction, biological light. In the gulf it is the algae that create this magical effect. Upon being disturbed, the algae give off a burst of light. Since there are millions of them it looks like sparkles in the water. The wavelengths are in the blue to green area and depending on the amount of algae it will appear as bluish or greenish sparkles. One of the best ways to see this phenomenon is to get a look from above, and kayaking is a great way to see it well. The algae will stick to your paddle, your hand or floating debris glowing for many seconds if you encounter a strong patch. When you kayak over shallow areas, fish will be scared up and it looks like fireworks under water as they take off, leaving a trail of “fairy dust” in their wake.
Tour Options
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Service animals allowed
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Age limit: minimum 10 years old
- Not recommended for travelers with fear or water
- Not recommended for travelers that are afraid of the dark
Reviews(7)
10/10 best experience of my life. Juan was so incredibly knowledgeable with the environment, biodiversity and biology of it all, and as an environmental scientist I even learned things! He was also incredibly helpful and bubbly and our entire group had a blast and great conversation! The entire staff team were so very excellent and way above and beyond with their customer service. I cannot recommend an excursion more than this one.
Amazing! Thank you so so much! We are so happy to hear it was such a memorable experience to you. Juan and the whole team will be thrilled to read your kind words. It means a lot to us that you appreciated both the science, the nature and the atmosphere we aim to create here at Bahia Rica.
Why do we only get to give 5 stars? This was by far the best day of our vacation. We did the snorkel/lunch/kayak bioluminescent combo. The guides were full of energy and information. Juan made sure that we had the best possible experience. We got to see Spider Monkeys and many other hidden gems along the way. He started our snorkeling away from the crowd. We saw so much, including a green sea turtle. After lunch on the beach, which was amazing, we got to go snorkeling again. I don't think he had to offer that part. I am so glad he did! We then returned to a lovely area where the hosts offered drinks and snacks while we waited for sunset. Kayaks were ready for us to see the wonder of the bioluminescence. No words can describe this experience. Start to finish, a magic day. Don't miss it!!
Thank you so much for choosing us ;o) It makes us so happy that you had a good time with our crew - they are all so great!
Luis was our guide for the nighttime bioluminescence tour, which was 7:30-8:30pm. We helped ourselves to some water, lemonade, and snacks before he gave us our safety briefing and gave us our life jackets. I booked this excursion specifically on a night I knew we would have a meteor shower (Geminids, December 13 2023), which made this even more special—it was pitch dark other than a few lights across the way from some small buildings, plus a new moon. Ideal conditions for seeing the bioluminescent algae and the several shooting stars! Both the sky and the waters gave us a show. Luis would point out fish and would also take us to specific spots that weren’t as recently disturbed (and therefore were more likely to have brighter bioluminescence). My husband and I were in a double kayak, and he did most of the paddling while I took photos and videos. Photos and videos don’t really do it justice, and unless you have one of the newer phones with nighttime visibility cameras (I have an iPhone 14 Pro and I got a couple good videos), it’s harder to capture the bioluminescence in photos or videos, so I’d say keep the phones away and just be in the moment. It’s pretty magical. I didn’t get as wet as I thought I would on this excursion, but I still recommend having sandals or flip flops and clothes you don’t mind getting wet. I’m also prone to tons of mosquito bites, so I also recommend bug spray. I am fairly certain this was the best value bioluminescent tour I found and am glad we came to Bahía Rica!
An incredibly experience, it is definitely a tour that we will repeat, a magical experience, we are very grateful
Gracias a ustedes! Es algo que todos necesitan ver una vez en su vida minimo, y Costa Rica es un lugar perfecto para ver la bioluminiscencia!
A natural and surprising experience in magnificent facilities and with a monitor who perfectly transmitted his passion for nature
Muchas gracias! Si es algo muy especial y un experiencia unico:-)
I wish I could remember the name of the guide that we had. He was incredibly enthusiastic--to the point of being a little funny. But he didn't let the tour get boring and kept the level of excitement up the entire time. I had never seen bioluminescence before and it was a great experience. We were lucky enough to have a beautiful evening for it. The couple that runs this place are very nice and we were given great directions to find the location.
We are so happy that you enjoyed the experience with us here at Bahia Rica. I think you had Luis as a guide - and yes, he is very enthusiastic and creative - and just really wants to give everyone the best experience of the bioluminescence.
