The Sloth and Kayak Tour - Ethical wildlife encounters
Recommended by 98% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Limon, Costa Rica
- 2 hours 45 minutes (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Why travelers loved this
·
Overview
Enjoy the wild side of Limon with this hiking and kayaking tour. Join a small group and follow your guide as you navigate the local ecosystem on foot and by river—a great way to see the area from a unique vantage point on the water. Surrounded by rainforest and beaches, spot a wide variety of wildlife, including iguanas, monkeys, and sloths. Perfect for nature-lovers, as well as those who like to keep active on vacation.
- Meet like-minded travelers with a small, capped tour group
- No need to hire a kayak separately before the tour
- Explore the Costa Rican jungle under the supervision of a local guide
- Enjoy peace and tranquility in a natural setting
What's Included
- Kayak
- Insurance
- Professional local guide (English & spanish)
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Pachos Place Kajac and SurfingJ8Q4+FJ7, Limón Province, Punta Uva, Costa Rica
You meet up with your tour guide at Punta Uva at Pachos place. When you arrive at Punta Uva take a right and look for the second beach hut, it will be the one with Rasta colors. DON'T GET CONFUSED WITH SLOTH POINT. Pachos Place Kajac and Surfing 6009 1870 https://maps.app.goo.gl/SMRbJtqRR1fVaJM6
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.What To Expect
1
Playa Punta Uva
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Infant seats available
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 8 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Ethan_F
We had such a great time kayaking up the river with our guide. He was very knowledgeable about the area and the wildlife. He pointed out many animals and plant life, very interesting. The hike at the end was short, but very rewarding, the views were excellent.
Reviews
4.9
based on 314 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Jaime_S, Aug 2026
Great time learning about nature during a fun kayak experience. Our guide Estaban was extremely informative and helpful.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thanks for the review! We’re glad you enjoyed the kayaking and learning about the nature around you. Pura Vida!
KEVIN_B, Jul 2026
The tour with Dani was fantastic! Definitely a great start to my Costa Rican vacation! We got to see turtles, bats, iguanas & sloths that I wouldn’t have seen without a guide, not to mention Dani gave me great recommendations for Puerto Viejo! Highly recommend this tour!
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're so happy the tour was a great start to your Costa Rica adventure. Thanks for the recommendation, and we hope you enjoyed the rest of your time in Puerto Viejo. Pura vida!
Vallab_N, Jun 2026
Great tour if you want to see wildlife. The kayak tour was relaxed with plenty of shade, which was nice. We saw plenty of tortugas right next to the kayak, a few sloths further up in the tree, a toucan, monkeys, and some other animals. Estaban was an excellent guide!
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you for your review! We’re so glad you enjoyed the relaxed pace of the tour and all the wildlife you were able to see along the way. Pura vida, and thanks for joining us!
Marisa_S, May 2026
An intimate experience with a guide traveling down a small waterway through the Jungle of Costa Rica. Our guide Stevan was fantastic and so knowledgeable about the area and the wildlife. We learned so much and felt like we had just a wonderful experience. Saw monkeys, sloths, iguanas, turtles, a hawk and so much more. Would recommend to anyone traveling in Costa Rica
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you so much for your beautiful review! We’re so happy to hear you had such a special experience exploring the jungle and wildlife of Costa Rica. It means a lot to us that you would recommend the tour, and we hope to see you again someday. Pura vida!
Lesley_V, Apr 2026
Dan was exceptional! A wonderful tour guide with a winning personality and interesting local knowledge. He pointed out so many animals and had interesting facts about all of them to share. The tour was paced well so there was plenty of time to enjoy the peace and beauty around us. The kayaks were comfortable and in great condition too. The hike after the kayak trip was an unexpected treat. Spectacular views of the coast and interesting local history along with more facts about the trees and insects we saw. Well worth every penny. Dan was a joy.
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you so much for the amazing review! We’re very happy you enjoyed the peaceful experience, the wildlife, and the beautiful views along the way. Pura vida, and we hope to see you again in Puerto Viejo!
Blair_D, Apr 2026
Juanito is your man, very knowledgeable about the jungle, but also very chill. You will enjoy this excursion as there is lots to see.
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you so much for the great review! We’re very happy you enjoyed the excursion and all the beautiful nature along the way. Pura vida, and thanks for visiting us in Puerto Viejo!
Eric_B, Apr 2026
Our whole family loved kayaking! Elmer was a great guide and showed us and told us about so many plants and animals!
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you so much for the lovely review! We’re very happy your whole family enjoyed the kayaking experience and the amazing nature around Punta Uva. Pura vida, and hope to see you again soon!
james_l, Apr 2026
It was loads of fun. We saw a good amount of wildlife. The kayaks were very good stable boats. One of my friends leaned so far off center to avoid a branch, on a regular kayak, he would have flipped the kayak and gone in the water. I am a seasoned kayaker and found the boat tracked well enough!
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you so much for the awesome review! We’re very happy you enjoyed the kayaking experience and all the wildlife along the way. Pura vida, and hope to see you again for another adventure in Puerto Viejo!
Maria_S, Mar 2026
Great experience. Juanito was exceptionally knowledgeable about the plants and animals we saw. Easy kayak. Beautiful setting. We saw monkeys, sloths, macaws, toucans, and iguanas. On our hike Juanito pointed out many different plants along with their medicinal uses.
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you so much for the wonderful review! We’re very happy you enjoyed the beautiful scenery, the wildlife, and learning more about the local nature. Pura vida, and we hope to see you again in Puerto Viejo!
Johan_E, Mar 2026
Fun experience, can for sure recommend! We got see both sloths, monkeys, turtles, etc. our guide was very informative and kind.
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you so much for the kind review! We’re very happy you enjoyed the experience and all the wildlife along the way. Pura vida, and thanks for recommending us!
Jamie_P, Mar 2026
Jungle Dan was an excellent tour guide! We saw monkeys, sloths, turtles and iguanas on our journey. If you enjoy paddling and animals, this is a must do!
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you so much for the great review! We’re very happy you enjoyed the kayaking and all the amazing wildlife along the way. Pura vida, and hope to see you again in Puerto Viejo!
Maureen_F, Feb 2026
Daniel was an extremely knowledgeable and amiable guide. He also understood the river and jungle and established a leisurely and enjoyable pace for our outing. He was safety-minded, so we felt cared for during our excursion. We were fortunate to only have two other travelers in our group and we got an early start, avoiding the big tour groups. We highly recommend having Daniel as a tour guide!
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you for the beautiful review! We’re so happy you enjoyed the peaceful experience on the river and all the nature around you. Pura vida, and we hope to welcome you back to Puerto Viejo someday!
Kylise_M, Feb 2026
Saw a ton of animals, sloths, howler monkeys, and an iguana! The kayak part of the tour was really cool and pretty!
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you so much for the great review! We’re very happy you enjoyed the kayak tour and all the amazing wildlife along the way. Hope to see you again in Puerto Viejo!
Kristin_M, Jan 2026
It was awesome! Elmer was so good at finding animals to show us. Highly recommend. We saw sloths, huge spiders, monkeys. Totally worth the price!
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you so much for the amazing review! We’re very happy you enjoyed the experience and all the wildlife along the way. Thanks for recommending us, and we hope to see you again in Puerto Viejo!
Summer_C, Jan 2026
We saw howler monkeys, spider monkeys, and lots of sloths! In addition, there were a lot of birds and reptiles. This was a fantastic tour! Our guide, Elmer, was friendly, knowledgeable, and gave us a lot of insight about the history and culture of Costa Rica. I can’t recommend this tour enough!
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Thank you so much for this amazing review. We’re so happy you got to see howler monkeys, spider monkeys, and plenty of sloths.
Elmer will be very glad to hear your kind words.
Anne_G, Jan 2026
The slow pace gives lots of opportunity tonspot wildlife. Our guide Danny was reallybgood at finding sloths and we saw rainbow Toucans. The walk to Punta Uva was also informative, and he was helpful about finding other tours.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Thanks for the review! We’re glad you enjoyed the relaxed pace and that Danny helped you spot sloths and toucans. Happy to hear the walk to Punta Uva and the extra tips were useful. Hope to see you again.
Christoph_L, Jan 2026
We did the tour in a small group of 6 with Jungle-Dani and had a really great time. He knows a thing or two about the ecosystem he calls his office and showed us so much we would not have seen alone. We saw some iguanas, sloths, monkeys, bats and a whole lot of turtles and birds. 10/10 would recommend!
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Thanks for the review. We’re glad you enjoyed the small group and that Jungle-Dani helped you spot so much wildlife. Happy to hear you had a great time.
Holly_H, Jan 2026
We had a wonderful kayaking trip with Roberto. Our small group was a lot of fun. He provided a personal and comprehensive history of the area and was very knowledgable and respectful of the local wildlife. We saw wild sloths, monkeys, iguanas, bats, turtles, birds and more. We recommend you wear bug spray, only bring electronics you need (although a water-proof bag is provided), and be prepared to get a little wet. We highly recommend this excursion.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Thanks so much for the review. I’m really glad you enjoyed the kayaking and the small group experience. Happy to hear you connected with the history of the area and the wildlife along the way. Thanks as well for sharing those helpful tips, and I truly appreciate the recommendation.
Chris_B, Dec 2025
Esteban was great and the whole crew were very professional and caring. Book this, you will not regret it! We saw many types of wildlife including several reptiles/turtles, sloth, monkeys, birds plus much of the native flora/fauna. We felt blessed to have this experience and want to bring family back to experience it.
Jrn_S, Dec 2025
Elmer was our guide and he was very engaged, patient, knowledgeable and his love for the nature and animals was contagious.
We had the 8:00 tour, and found this the best way to start the day while it still was cool and before too many others enter the river.
We spotted and observed a lot (8!) of sloths, both near and far. Also iguanas, toucans, turtles and monkeys. So much, that we spent three hours without noticing that time flew by. Really amazing. But watch your expectations, it is not guaranteed the animals will show themselves.
We recommend arriving relieved and only drinking water before, as there are no toilets at the beach. Also, you'll want to wade in the water so footwear for this is recommended. Else bring a sun hat and a good camera, as hopefully you'll need them! Enjoy!
Keelyn_D, Oct 2025
Peaceful kayak tour with wonderful guides (who are great with kids)! We saw more wildlife here then we did in cahauita national park-may have been the time of day but nonetheless! We had three young kids (4 to7) and they all did great. Would highly recommend.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you so much for sharing your experience! We’re really happy to hear your family enjoyed the tour and that the kids had such a great time on the kayaks. It’s wonderful that you got to see so much wildlife too! We’ll make sure the guides hear your kind words. Pura Vida :)
Ethan_F, Oct 2025
We had such a great time kayaking up the river with our guide. He was very knowledgeable about the area and the wildlife. He pointed out many animals and plant life, very interesting. The hike at the end was short, but very rewarding, the views were excellent.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thanks so much for joining us and for taking the time to share this! Glad you enjoyed the paddle and the hike :)
Jennifer_E, Sep 2025
I went on a sloth tour with Elmer and had such a great experience! The kayaking was fun, and Elmer made the whole tour even better with his kindness and patience. My bike tire went flat on my way he didn’t rush me or make me feel stressed, he simply waited and made sure I was okay. He was welcoming and warm. I really appreciated that level of care. If you’re looking for a guide who is knowledgeable, patient, and genuinely cares about your experience, I highly recommend booking a tour with Elmer! You can tell he loves what he does.
Veronica_A, Sep 2025
Amazing. Excellent. Amazing guide and place. A highlight! Great everything. Lovely and relaxing and we saw so many animals!
Response from Host, Sep 2025
Thank you so much for your kind words! We're really glad you enjoyed the guide, the place, and all the animals it means a lot to us. We hope to see you back again soon. ¡Pura vida!
Nancy_L, Aug 2025
This was great for our first activity in the Puerto Viejo area. Our guide, Esteban, was super friendly and informative. He told us all about the local wildlife and plants during the hike and kayak tour. We saw plenty of wildlife and had a great time chatting with him.
Response from Host, Sep 2025
Thanks so much, Nancy, for your comment! We’re glad Esteban made your first Puerto Viejo activity special and that you enjoyed the wildlife and tour. Hope to see you again soon!
Pura vida!
Maria_G, Aug 2025
We had such a nice morning. Punta Uva is stunning and we went with the kayaks through the river. The kayaks were very good ones and we saw lots of nice animals. It was raining a bit and that made the atmosphere even prettier. We had Elmer as a guide and he was so nice and relaxed and knew so much about the animals. We would always do this tour again, the price is absolutely worth it. Renting the kayaks without having a guide wouldn‘t have been this good of an experience. Gracias Elmer!
Response from Host, Sep 2025
Thank you, Maria, your comments help us keep providing the best service :)
We’re so happy to hear you enjoyed the morning at Punta Uva, the stunning scenery, and the kayak tour with Elmer as your guide. He truly is an expert, and we’re glad his company made the experience even more special. We hope to see you again soon!
Pura vida!
Dana_S, Aug 2025
My partner and I had a good time with Elmer today, saw quite a few sloths as well as basilisk lizard, toucans, lots of turtles, wolf spiders, and more! Quite an adventure just going down an unassuming river/creek. Also didn’t expect a little hike at the end but it’s beautiful!
Response from Host, Sep 2025
Dana! Thank you for sharing your experience! We’re very happy that you and your partner enjoyed the tour with Elmer and saw so much amazing wildlife. The river and hike are truly special. We hope to see you again soon!
Pura vida!
Laura_S, Aug 2025
Juanito was nice enough, however didn’t seem particularly engaged. The tour was late starting, there was no hike, and then once we dragged kayaks back to heh he literally disappeared without telling us where to leave equipment. We did see sloths, monkeys and bats and the kayaking was enjoyable enough. Not worth the money, expensive for the experience we had
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Thank you for your honest feedback. We’re truly sorry for the issues you experienced. When we spoke with Juanito about this tour, he told us the beach was unusually crowded, but he also admitted there’s no excuse for the delayed start, missing hike, and lack of communication at the end. He feels very ashamed that the experience fell short, and we share that feeling , we are deeply disappointed this happened.
We’ve already addressed these points with him to ensure this doesn’t happen again. We’re glad you still enjoyed seeing sloths, monkeys, bats, and the kayaking, but we know the overall experience should have been much better. Thank you for bringing this to our attention, it helps us improve, and we hope one day we can welcome you back to give you the great experience you deserve.
Lara_K, Aug 2025
Elmer was a great guide and fun to be around. My 16-year-old son enjoyed chatting with him a great deal. We took the 9 am kayak tour and saw lots of wild animals, including sloths, toucans, howler monkeys, capuchin monkeys, turtles, butterflies, and more. The kayaking portion was about an hour to an hour and a half, and then a brief hike to a Vista point. That is plenty of time in a kayak. Make your reservation today.
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Elmer is getting better and better reviews all the time haha, so happy your family had a nice time on the tour :)
CiaraB, Jul 2025
We had a wonderful tour with Elmer from Caribe Sur. Saw quite a few Sloths, one was really close to the river's edge so definitely the best view of a sloth we had all trip. Among other wildlife we saw a family of howler monkeys, turtles, Macaws, some really cool spiders, and heard lots of interesting facts from Elmer along the way. The walk after the kayaking took us to a really beautiful viewpoint. All in all, a really lovely experience. The only slight negative for me was we were given a double kayak. I really would have preferred single kayaks, but didn't think to ask before the tour, and at that point it was too late as we were about to set off, but I'm sure if you state your preference when you book they will give you the option, so that was my own oversight. Thanks to Elmer and Caribe Sur for a wonderful tour.
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thank you so much for your review, Ciara!
We’re truly happy to hear you enjoyed the tour with Elmer and had such a complete experience surrounded by nature.
We work hard every day to provide high-quality service with passionate guides who care about every detail, so it means a lot to know that came through.
Thank you for trusting us and for taking the time to share your experience.
We hope to see you again on your next visit to the Caribbean.
Pura vida ✨
From $64.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
Compare Similar Experiences
Current
The Sloth and Kayak Tour - Ethical wildlife encounters
314
2 hours 45 minutes
Free Cancellation
From
$64.00
Customers Who Bought This Tour Also Bought
Explore Similar Things to Do
Attractions in Limon, Costa Rica
More attractions near Limon, Costa Rica