Peñas Blancas River Safari Float
Recommended by 99% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
La Fortuna, Costa Rica
- 3 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Get to know the Peñas Blancas River ecosystem with a naturalist boat captain. Glide through the tranquil forest and spot arboreal and aquatic animals like monkeys, sloths, iguanas, turtles, and alligators, along with birds such as herons, cormorants, American darters, and passerines. Keep an eye out for the basilisk lizard, known for walking on water. Drift beneath ficus, luehea, and kapok trees, where dense foliage creates shaded tunnels rich with lianas and epiphytes.
- Half-day river safari from La Fortuna
- Float down the Peñas Blancas River in a sturdy raft
- Relax and take photos while a guide does all the paddling
- See native wildlife like monkeys, iguanas, sloths, and birds
- Hear the sounds of the jungle by traveling on a motorless boat
What's Included
- Snacks
- Professional guide
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Transport by air-conditioned minivan
- Gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Pickup details
Please note that our reservations team Will contact you in advance to confirm your exact pickup time at your lodging. EXTRA Cost: Arenal Lodge Arenal Observatory Chachagua Rainforest Hideaway Rio Celeste Linda Vista Del Norte Lost Iguana Resort and Spa Rancho Margot El Tucano The Springs Resort and Spa Volcano Gold
Itinerary
After morning pickup at your hotel in La Fortuna or surrounding areas, travel by air-conditioned minivan to the launch point on the Corobici River. Climb aboard a sturdy, inflatable raft and set off on the gentle currents. Your river guide handles all the paddling so you can relax and enjoy the lush tropical scenery, keeping your hands free to take photos.
Cruising with a quiet, motorless boat allows you to enjoy the sounds of the jungle and minimizes disturbance to wildlife. Keep an eye out for caimans and turtles lounging on the riverbanks, tree-dwellers like sloths and monkeys, colorful birds, and iguanas. Learn about native flora and fauna through your guide’s commentary.
Back on dry land, head to a local family's farm to recharge with a homemade Costa Rican lunch before the return trip to your La Fortuna–area hotel.
Cruising with a quiet, motorless boat allows you to enjoy the sounds of the jungle and minimizes disturbance to wildlife. Keep an eye out for caimans and turtles lounging on the riverbanks, tree-dwellers like sloths and monkeys, colorful birds, and iguanas. Learn about native flora and fauna through your guide’s commentary.
Back on dry land, head to a local family's farm to recharge with a homemade Costa Rican lunch before the return trip to your La Fortuna–area hotel.
1
Penas Blancas
2 hours • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Child rate applies only when sharing with 2 paying adults
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Infant seats available
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Jennifer_K
Loved our river float! Diego our guide was relaxed, knowledgable and fun. We saw howler monkeys, a crocodile, toucans, sloths, and more. Highly recommend, it was a great way to start our trip.
Reviews
4.9
based on 152 reviews
Bernardo_B, Mar 2026
Amazing rafting experience with plenty of native wildlife sightings. Hugo was a master in finding animals in the jungle for us to enjoy. He also steered our raft with expertise avoiding obstacles and stopping in short notice to enjoy the sightseeing.
Jennifer_K, Feb 2026
Loved our river float! Diego our guide was relaxed, knowledgable and fun. We saw howler monkeys, a crocodile, toucans, sloths, and more. Highly recommend, it was a great way to start our trip.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you very much for your recommendation.
We are so pleased to know this experience was such a positive way to begin your trip. A peaceful start surrounded by nature is something many guests truly appreciate.
Diego will be happy to hear your kind words. Our guides focus on creating a relaxed atmosphere while sharing their knowledge and helping guests make the most of every sighting.
Thank you again for choosing to explore with us. We hope the rest of your time in Costa Rica was just as memorable.
chriso111, Jan 2026
This was a bad experience for us due to an apparent miscommunication. Our booking confirmation showed an 8:30 AM pick-up time at our hotel but apparently tour company records showed a 7:30 pick-up. We weren’t able to get ready in time when the driver showed up an hour earlier, so we lost our tour opportunity and our money. Our hotel happened to have a rep from this tour company on- site. He e-mailed a screenshot of our confirmation to the tour company, but they have refused to refund anything. I have eventually located an e-mail from the co. from nearly 3 months ago showing a 7:30 pick-up, but all subsequent communication showed the 8:30 time. Of course, I paid attention to the most recent info, why wouldn’t I? I wouldn’t recommend booking with this tour company.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We are truly sorry to hear that your experience did not meet your expectations, and we appreciate the opportunity to clarify what happened.
Your Peñas Blancas River Safari Float tour was scheduled for January 15 and booked through the Viator platform. At the time of booking, Viator initially displayed an incorrect pick-up time of 8:30 AM, while the correct and operational pick-up time for this tour was 7:30 AM.
This 7:30 AM pick-up time was communicated and confirmed through two channels:
- Via Viator messages
- Via WhatsApp prior to the tour date
Unfortunately, when our driver arrived at Tabacón at 7:30 AM, your party was not ready, as you were expecting the later time. Due to operational schedules, we were unable to wait further and the tour was marked as a no-show.
That said, despite our cancellation policy and the no-show status, our team made a good-faith exception and approved a 50% refund of the total reservation, which was communicated clearly to you along with the supporting conversation history.
We understand how frustrating conflicting information can be, and we sincerely regret the confusion caused by the initial discrepancy shown on the platform. We continuously work with our partners to prevent situations like this and improve communication clarity for future guests.
We truly appreciate your feedback, as it helps us improve our service, and we wish you all the best during your travels in Costa Rica.
Angela_W, May 2025
This was an outstanding adventure. This company was very organized and everything was well thought out. Clean Restrooms were available along the way and the snack at the end was amazing. Pablo, our tour guide was friendly and very knowledgeable about all aspects of nature. I highly recommend this tour for everyone!
Nadine_G, Mar 2025
We did the river tour on our first day of vacation, and we saw all the animals in those two hours that we had hoped to see our entire trip. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and could answer everyone’s questions. He was able to point out so many animals that we would have missed on our own. If you’re looking for a relaxing float down the river to see many different animals, this is definitely the tour for you!
Simone_W, Mar 2025
We had a fabulous trip-great for all ages! The guides were so professional, helpful, and informative! We learned a lot and saw a lot. We would highly recommend!:)
Justina_H, Feb 2025
We had a great experience floating down the river. Our guide was knowledgeable and was able to point out many local plants and animals. We loved watching the monkeys eating and playing in the trees above us!
Response from Host, Feb 2025
Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us! We’re so glad to hear that you had a great time floating down the Peñas Blancas River and enjoyed spotting the local plants and animals along the way. It’s always a joy to see the monkeys playing and eating in the trees—they really add a special touch to the tour!
We’re also pleased to know that your guide’s knowledge and expertise enhanced your experience. Sharing the wonders of the river and its wildlife with our guests is what we love to do most.
Thank you for choosing our safari float tour, and we hope to welcome you back for more unforgettable adventures in the future!
Steven_S, Feb 2025
We booked ahead and scheduled an 8a pickup at their downtown office. If you choose that option, arrive early so you can find it and figure out where to park. The storefront is not well marked. Parking is behind the office. The van picked us up right on time.
There were 3 personnel: the driver and two guides. They were all very friendly. On the drive over, we received a briefing on what to expect and some of the local sights were pointed out. The ride took about 30 minutes to get there.
When we arrived, everyone had time to go to the bathroom while they got the boats ready. They were quick to do so. We were fitted with life jackets and then we were on our way! They gave us all water bottles, too. We had 5 people on our boat plus our guide, Diego. He was awesome! The river was not crowded at all. The two boats from our company and the one boat from another company were separated enough that you rarely saw them. It felt like we were the only ones on the river. We saw a lot of animals - monkeys, iguanas, sloths, and birds. Diego was very enthusiastic and knowledgeable. We had a nice camera so he put us in the front so we could get the best pictures.
We spent about 90 minutes or so on the water. When we arrived at the end point, there was a restaurant that gave us drinks (juice or coffee), yucca bread, fried plantains, and local cheese. This was included in the price of the trip. Guides got everything cleaned up while we relaxed, ate, and watched the local birds.
This was a great experience - one of our favorite tours from Costa Rica.
Kara_C, Jan 2025
Excellent tour! The guide was very knowledgable and we saw a crocodile, monkeys, and lot of birds. The snack at the end on the local farm was neat, too. Would recommend.
Asif, Dec 2024
We really loved this excursion. From the outset our guide Diego was spot on. He asked us what we hadn’t seen yet—I mentioned monkeys and my wife mentioned toucans. On the drive, he literally heard and spotted a toucan and stopped the car. His telescope isolated the toucan literally over a hundred meters away, we got great views!
The boat ride itself was very peaceful and relaxing, a great departure from the action packed excursions from previous days. We were asked to paddle on rare occasions when he needed help, but otherwise Diego took care of everything. We got to see iguanas, plenty of monkeys, amazing birds and even a few surprises like a porcupine and otter. Diego had a laser pointer which helped us follow his eyeline, and his binoculars were really helpful.
At the end there was a nice snack. A tasty fruit juice and banana cake. We aren’t fans of plantains but the fried plantain cheese combo was actually quite good. Overall we loved this excursion.
Response from Host, Dec 2024
Thank you for sharing your detailed experience! We're thrilled that you enjoyed the excursion and that Diego provided such an attentive and personalized experience. It’s great that he could spot wildlife that matched your and your wife’s interests, and we’re glad the peaceful boat ride was a relaxing change of pace.
The variety of wildlife you encountered sounds amazing, and it’s good to know Diego’s expertise made it easy to spot and appreciate everything. We’re also delighted you enjoyed the snack, even the plantain dish! Your kind words mean a lot, and we’re definitely going to share this wonderful feedback with Diego. Thank you for choosing us, and we hope to welcome you back for another memorable adventure!
Adam_B, Oct 2024
This was our first trip to CR and we had a list of wildlife we wanted to see. This tour pretty much checked off 75% of our list, thanks to our guide Diego (who was extremely knowlegable and patient). We went the first week of September, the beginning of rainy season... Didn't see a cloud in the sky, and it was very quiet. I'd recommend bringing binoculars, and wear a pair of shoes you don't mind getting mud on, as you have to board the boat from a muddy shore.
Melissa_W, Aug 2024
This was a wonderful, relaxing experience! We didn’t want it to end! Cezar was an excellent guide and he worked really hard to find animals in the trees and in the river banks to show us. We saw monkeys, lizards, iguanas, bats, toucans, and more! The snack at the end was delicious and the small farm we visited was lovely. Would definitely recommend!
Amy_M, Aug 2024
We had such an amazing time. My 13 year old son was really excited for this trip and it didn’t disappoint. We knew going in that nature can have a mind of its own and we weren’t guaranteed to see any animals but our guide was great at looking for them and we saw way more than expected. He even stopped on the way and pointed out a sloth from the road. The snack at the local farm was great and a nice way to finish the tour. Would definitely recommend.
RICARDO_M, Aug 2024
We were hoping to spot some wildlife and have a more relaxing experience than white water rafting. Pick up and drop off at our hotel was seamless. Our tour guide, Jose, did a great job- we were lucky to see a number of howler monkeys during our trip including a baby and he gave us a lot of other interesting info about Costa Rica. The snack at the farm after the trip was delightful and a great way to pass the time while José and our driver got everything ready for the return trip.
Carina_R, Jul 2024
Great experience. Family of 5 (kids ranging from 2-8), everyone had a wonderful time . Guides were informative , César and Jose went the extra mile to help us find sloths & monkeys. The lunch included was delicious, we appreciated the fresh cheese , cake , and juice.
Billi_T, Jul 2024
Our family had a wonderful safari boat ride. Pick up was on time and it was a quick ride to the boat take off. We had a chance to use restroom before we boarded the raft. Throughout the 2 hour ride we saw birds, amphibians, 2 monkey species. Our guide was very knowledgeable about Costa Rica and the animals. After the ride we were at a “farm/home” where we ate a heavy snack accompanied with fresh juice or coffee. Plantains, cheese, fresh breads were delicious! On our quick ride back to the hotel, our guide took us on a detour where we spotted a Sloth (I had told our guide earlier we had not seen one yet), WOW! He really went out of his way to make sure we saw everything!!! This is a wonderful excursion. You will not need to take anything with you. They provide all you need. Enjoy the ride!
Cree_S, Apr 2024
This is a must do adventure! Diego was an awesome host and was able to educate us and point out various animals. We were able to see all different birds, sloths, monkeys, and so much more.
Barbara_A, Mar 2024
Fantastic trip. Very mellow and safe for multiple ages and abilities, though you will need to be able to step into and out of the raft and make your way down and up some outdoor steps. The guides Andreas and Diego were stellar - very knowledgeable and thoughtful. We saw Jesus Christ lizards, snakes, howler monkeys, countless birds and more. This day was a major highlight of our trip.
Dhwanil_S, Mar 2024
The boat ride was almost 2 hour long but the time flew by. We saw so many different species of Toucans, birds, owls, iguanas and monkeys. Guide was also very nice and informative. The restaurant after tour serves fresh food which is an added plus.
Tracey_B, Feb 2024
We had an amazing experience on the safari trip. Although it was raining the animals came out to play! Sloth, Kingfishers, Monkeys, Snake Birds, little red frogs, Toucans and more. We would not have seen alot of the wild life without the guide as they are so difficult to spot. Would definitely recommend this tour
Emily_A, Dec 2023
This was the perfect excursion! We were picked up at 7:45am and we’re back at the hotel by 11:45am. Our tour guide, Diego, did an outstanding job teaching about the local agriculture and history of the towns we passed on the short drive to the launch site. He was very informative on the wild life we saw too. He even spotted a sloth on our drive home and stopped to take pictures with his telescope.
Eric_M, Aug 2023
Jose the driver was friendly and timely, David our guide was phenomenal! His knowledge of the river and ALL of the flora and fauna was incredible and made the trip truly special. He set honest expectations early and then exceeded them at the last minute with a sloth sighting! We also saw bats, monkeys, iguanas, tons of birds including some fleeting toucans, motmots, and inhingas to name a few. His bird calls were great and kept the kids entertained and the snack/lunch at the farm at the end was delicious and authentically Costa Rican. The farmer was very welcoming and the vibe was perfect, we'd go again in a heartbeat!
Allison_M, Apr 2023
This tour was great and well worth the price. We saw some interesting and beautiful animals that we would have missed if it weren’t for the experienced and knowledgeable guides. Our guide was incredibly friendly and hospitable, and he taught us a lot about the local wildlife.
Nicole_P, Dec 2022
We really enjoyed this tour! All the guides made it such a fun, memorable, & informative experience. + we saw A TON of wildlife that we didn't see anywhere else in Costa Rica. The coffee & snacks at the end was a really nice touch. Don't miss this tour!
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