Wildlife Safari Float by Kayak in Peñas Blancas River from Arenal
Description
Discover the exuberant Flora and Fauna of the Tropical Forest with this Safari Float Kayak tour; an excellent alternative for travelers looking for activities with social distancing. The Tour starts from your hotel, where your Naturalist Guide will pick you up to start the activity. The Peñas Blancas River is located 15 minutes from downtown La Fortuna and is considered an animal sanctuary due to its extensive sighting. You will discover a great variety of species; Monkeys, Alligators, Crocodiles, Jesus Christ Lizard (it really walks on water), a variety of Birds, Sloths, among other species. At the end of the tour, Tita Yolanda will welcome us to her home where we will discover Costa Rican customs and its exquisite cuisine. This Tour is recommended for the whole family. Indispensable practice friendly to the environment: BRING YOUR OWN WATER BOTTLE.
Tour Options
Itinerary
You will experience a relaxing half-day excursion. Animals such as sloths, monkeys, toucans, crocodiles, lizards of Jesus Christ, and turtles could cross their path. We finish the tour in our Ranch "La Cocina de Tita Yolanda" here we will enjoy a small tour in our garden where we will learn coffee, chocolate and sugar cane, as well as the importance of these crops for our country, followed by a typical snack and tasting of the final product of these plants.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Pick Up time will depend on the Hotel location. If your Hotel is not listed, please contact us!
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(82)
We had a lovely float down a calm river in a river-raft with a guide. The group was bigger -- we were split up into 4 rafts. Felt very safe and comfy on the river (they also picked us up from our various hotels in a very clean/cool bus). We saw 5 crocodiles, several anhinga birds, several herons, lots of swallows, some butterflies, about 10 bats sleeping on a tree, all sizes of iguanas, another kind of lizard that "walks on water", and a family of very green iguanas -- mom + about 8 tiny babies. We also learned to identify a termite nest in the trees. Learned a lot about the ecology of the area and Costa Rica as a whole too. We had a very clear and warm morning -- lots of sun and heat -- but no mosquitoes (thanks to the bats and swallows!). Nice snack at the end, and a short lesson (with samples!) of how cacao beans are grown, harvested, fermented, dried, and then roasted. Great tour overall!
Hola Kendy! Thank you for sharing your experience! We appreciate you taking the time to write such a detailed review. We LOVED! Pura vida!
We had a great time kayaking the river. Our guides were very friendly and knowledgeable about the wildlife. Highly recommend
Thank you, Scott, for your recommendation. We’re glad you had such a great time on the river and that our guides helped make the experience both enjoyable and informative. We truly appreciate you highlighting the kayaking experience—it’s a wonderful way to connect with the wildlife. Hope to see you again on another adventure!
Very friendly guide, beautiful river
Thank you so much for your kind words! We’re happy to hear you enjoyed your time on the river and that our guide made you feel welcome. It’s wonderful to know your last day was spent in such a beautiful setting. We hope to see you again in the future. Pura Vida!
My 7 year old and I had a great time kayaking, and we basically had a private tour, as we were the only two kayakers and there were only a few people on one raft behind us. We lucked out with the weather as it had rained a lot the previous day. The river was beautiful. Kayaking was easy and it was so peaceful looking around at the animals and scenery. The snack of tortillas, fresh cheese, and fried plantains at the end was a nice treat as well as the brief chocolate demonstration and tasting.
We had a great time doing the kayak tour! Warner was a super fun guide. He pointed out lots of wildlife to us and took some pictures for us. The food at the end was a great touch as well!
Hi! Thank you so much for sharing your experience 😊 We’re very happy to hear that you had such a fun time on the kayak safari float on the Peñas Blancas River. It’s great to know you enjoyed spotting wildlife along the way and that the experience felt relaxed and enjoyable. A special thank you for mentioning Warner — he’ll be thrilled to hear your kind words. We’re also glad you enjoyed the photos and the food at the end; those little touches are meant to make the experience even more memorable. We truly appreciate your feedback and hope to welcome you back for another adventure soon. 🌿🚣♂️✨
This was the best part of our trip to Costa Rica! We saw howler monkeys, Crocodiles, a great white egret. It was beautiful and peaceful. Our guide was great. I like that it was a float, and not a race, so we were able to really experience nature.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience, Sandra! 🌿 We’re truly happy to hear that the kayak safari was the highlight of your trip to Costa Rica. The Peñas Blancas River is all about slowing down, observing, and connecting with nature, so it’s wonderful to know you enjoyed the peaceful pace and had the chance to see howler monkeys, crocodiles, and beautiful birdlife along the way. We’re also glad our guide helped make the experience special — we’ll be sure to pass along your kind words. Thank you for choosing us and for taking the time to recommend this experience. We hope Costa Rica left you with unforgettable memories!
Fantastic 1.5-2 hour float down the Peñas Blancas and San Carlos Rivers, about 30 minutes outside of La Fortuna (transportation provided to/from). Kayakers are paired with a dedicated kayak guide and trail the accompanying rafters. We really enjoyed the freedom the maneuver in our own kayak and could slow down when we wanted to view wildlife. On the tour, we saw lots of howler monkeys, an American crocodile, a gazillion iguanas and other lizards, numerous birds, and a turtle. The tour was concluded with a tasty snack of tortillas with fresh cheese and fried plantains and then a very truncated chocolate demonstration. Go for the river and wildlife but also eat their chocolate!
This was such an incredible experience. We were the only ones in our kayak group so it was more of a private tour but we saw so many animals the entire trip down the River. Lots of monkeys, crocodiles, colorful birds, bats, toucans, owls. What a trip! Thank you so much :)
Cant describe how much fun this was the guide was amazing and the stories and overall vibe. Even though it was raining it was an amazing time. Will definitely go again.
Decent half day activity. The kayaking is fun, sometimes a bit tricky to focus on the wildlife though so I’d recommend going for the raft float tour if you’re more interested in wildlife spotting
