Top Costa Rica Water Tours

Enjoy half a day on the water, kayaking and snorkeling around Chora Island, with reassuring back-up from a guide and group. Departing from Samara Beach, you’ll paddle to the small offshore island. Swim and snorkel in the sea, admiring the underwater world while learning more about local marine biodiversity from your guide. This half-day tour means you can fit other activities into your day, too.

Sea-lovers will enjoy this sailing ship cruise. Whether you’re a morning person or would prefer a sunset jaunt, you’ll find the Brisa Elegante comfortable and spacious. Sailing into the open sea keep a lookout for turtles, rays, and dolphins, and near the coastline listen to the raucous calls of the birds. We’ll anchor for a chance to swim, snorkel, and kayak, and then it’s time to eat!

Only on a guided tour can you journey deep into the Damas Island mangroves. Join a naturalist guide for a peaceful boat ride into the mangrove forest, home to a wide variety of wildlife like sloths, monkeys, egrets, and more. After learning about the distinctive ecosystem, enjoy a typical Costa Rican lunch before getting dropped off back at your Manuel Antonio hotel.

This three-part tour makes for an excellent shore excursion. First, take a guided city tour as you make your way to Carara National Park, where you’ll enjoy a dune buggy ride through the rainforest and along scenic beaches. Finally, enjoy a eco-boat tour—look for aquatic birds, scarlet macaws, howler monkeys, massive crocodiles and other tropical fauna.

If you’re short on time in Costa Rica but want to see the country’s famous biodiversity beyond the concrete capital, this day trip to the Tortuguero National Park is ideal. Travel through the canals and lagoons on a boat and look out for toucans, crocodiles, sloths, iguanas, and much more. The highlight, though, is seeing the sea turtle nesting sites on the beaches, which give the park its name.

Explore the Costa Rican capital’s rich history, landmark buildings, and modern culture on a combo bus and walking tour of San Jose. Get a great introduction to city highlights like the National Theater and Art Museum, and stop to walk through bustling markets and public plazas to feel the pulse of this modern Central American metropolis. Get an extra boost of Costa Rican culture by listening to traditional folkloric music onboard the bus.

Explore the vibrant world beneath Costa Rica's waves on this half-day tour from Playa Tamarindo. After a brief kayak lesson, paddle to Captain Island where snorkeling brings you face to face with such marine life as colorful fish, stingrays, and octopus. Choose to ride in a single or double kayak with use of snorkeling gear included.

Enjoy the convenience of a small-group transfer from Liberia Airport to your hotel in Guanacaste. Whatever time your flight arrives, save yourself the hassle of navigating public transport or haggling with taxi drivers. Your driver will meet you just outside the airport and will be holding a sign with your name on it. Relax in comfort on the way to Guanacaste.

Get on the Pejibaye River totally worry-free with this all-inclusive tour. After pickup from your hotel, you’ll hop into your private car for a ride to the river—and a stop for a traditional Costa Rican breakfast. Once at the water, your guides will set you up for an exciting 3-hour float through the jungle, complete with photos, water, and towels provided.

Travel from Guanacaste to the Liberia International Airport in style and comfort, without breaking the bank, by booking a shared transfer service from your hotel. Your driver will pick you up at your hotel and take you and your luggage straight to the airport in a comfortable, air-conditioned mini-van.

See some of Costa Rica's most beautiful natural areas on this two-day, small-group tour of the Puntarenas area, led by a professional guide. You will visit the Corcovado and San Pedrillo National Park, where you can see beautiful trees and vegetation, with the opportunity to see all kinds of wild animals and birds in their natural environment.

Families looking for an adventurous but kid-friendly outdoor activity in Costa Rica will love this float through the jungle along the Sarapiqui River from La Fortuna. Rather than a challenging adrenaline rush, you can enjoy a relaxing yet fun trip down the river, bouncing on the waves and admiring the sights of the jungle and the sounds of the birds and wildlife.

See the vast diversity of Costa Rica on a 3-day tour that includes hiking at Arenal Volcano, exploring the Monteverde cloud forest, and enjoying the tropical white-sand beaches of Manuel Antonio National Park. This expertly organized all-inclusive tour covers all of your transportation and accommodations, so busy travelers can maximize their time and not worry about any of the logistics.

Enjoy a day with multiple adventures, including a Tour of Rio Celeste, visiting the Llanos de Cortes Waterfall and the beautiful Sloth habitat at the finca verde private farm. This is about a 10 hour day with a half hour hike through the rain forest, and then observing the wildlife like monkeys, sloths, and exotic birds. You’ll also get to take a dip in the blue river

Explore Tortuguero National Park in depth during a 3-day tour from San Jose that includes accommodation and transportation to this remote wilderness destination on Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast. Travel by car and boat with a guide who shows you through the canals and rivers of Toruguero, and where you might spot Atlantic green turtles, monkeys, and other wildlife. This all-inclusive tour takes care of the logisitcs so you can have fun.

Experience the best of Costa Rica’s adventure in one action-packed day at a private 850-acre river valley near Jaco. Ride horseback through lush jungle, soar across zip lines, rappel beside waterfalls, and rev up on an ATV ride—all led by expert English-speaking guides. Watch for monkeys and macaws, then enjoy an authentic Costa Rican lunch in a Jurassic Park-like setting.

Explore parts of Tortuguero National Park where even motorboats aren't allowed to go with this small-group canoe tour. Paddle down the park's smallest canals with your certified guide to see its nature and wildlife without disturbing the animals. The admission fees to the national park isn't included in the tour. Places on this tour are limited to 8 travelers.

Enjoy a peaceful early morning or sunset paddle through the mangroves in the Gulf of Nicoya, looking out for local birds, animals, and fish as you go. You can opt for a single or double kayak or a stand-up paddle board. The tour’s timing depends on the tides on the day. Paddle with a guide who will keep you safe and on-track, and will tell you more about the area.

Two activities to discover the two parts of Tortuguero National Park - the canals during the canoe tour and the trail during the hike! 5.45h Canoe tour through the National Park 11.00 am Walk through the National Park

Get off the beaten path in Tamarindo on a kayak tour to Las Baulas National Marine Park. Latin America's largest mangrove estuary is only accessible by water, so you're sure to escape the crowds. No kayaking experience is necessary, as a nature guide shows you the basics and leads you on a peaceful paddle and hike to spot native Costa Rican wildlife like howler monkeys, iguanas, and exotic birds.

Jaco is one of the top surfing destinations in Costa Rica. Learn to surf with a professional surfing lesson tailored to your experience level, whether you are a complete beginner or an experienced surfer looking to improve your skills. Pickups available, and bottled water, snacks, and sunblock provided for convenience.

Enjoy a peaceful yet invigorating end to the day with a two-hour evening kayaking tour from Paquera. After a safety briefing, take to the water in your kayak and watch the sky turn orange and pink as the sun sets. Once it’s dark, paddle by the light of the moon or, if it’s cloudy, you may be able to see the magnificent bioluminescence in the water.

If you're planning a cruise ship stop at Limon, explore Costa Rica’s famous rain forest by air and water on this combo eco adventure. Spot native wildlife like howler monkeys, sloths, and crocodiles on a cruise down the bio-rich Tortuguero Canal, and then get your adrenaline pumping with a thrilling zipline flight through the treetops. Round-trip transport from the cruise terminal and between activities makes for a seamless and stress-free day at port.

Raft 9 miles (14.5 kilometers) down the Balsa River with more than 30 continuous rapids, while leaving plenty of time for swimming and eating Costa Rican fruits. Afterwards, your guide rewards you with water, towels and takes you to lunch at a local restaurant in La Fortuna. Rio La Balsa is also surrounded by lush vegetation, giving you the opportunity to observe a variety of wildlife during the tour, including sloths, iguanas, toucans and monkeys.