Jungle Crocodile & Carara National Park-Punta Arenas Highlights
Recommended by 91% of travelers
Puntarenas, Costa Rica
- 5 to 6 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
What's Included
- Port pickup and drop-off
- Transport by air-conditioned minivan
- All Fees and Taxes
- WiFi on board
- Bilingual tour guide
- Entrance fee to Jungle Crocodile Safari
- Entrance to Carara National Park
- Food and drinks, unless specified
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Pickup details
Your tour begins at the main gate of the pier, where our guides will be waiting for you with a sign displaying your name. Look for our red shirts for easy identification. Timing: Tours are scheduled 30 minutes after your ship docks, and the earliest tour starts at 8:00 AM. As the best local tour operator, we guarantee your return to the cruise ship.
Operating hours.8:00 am
Itinerary
1
Puerto Caldera
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Tarcoles
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
Jungle Crocodile Safari & Bird Watching Tour/ Tarcoles River CR
1 hour • Admission Ticket Included
4
El Jardín Orotina
35 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
5
Carara National Park
1 hour • Admission Ticket Included
6
Puntarenas
Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Service animals allowed
- Stroller accessible
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Most travelers can participate
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- At time of booking, Cruise ship passengers must provide the following information at time of booking: ship name, docking time, disembarkation time and re-boarding time
- Comfortable clothes are recommended
- Minimum of 2 passengers apply. There is a possibility of cancellation after confirmation if there are not enough passengers to meet requirements. In the event of this occurring, you will be offered an alternative or full refund
- Tours departing from San José do not include stops at the Monkey House or a city tour in Puntarenas
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 20 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
Reviews
4.6
based on 11 reviews
Rebecca_W, Mar 2026
This tour was a perfect combination for a taste of the Puntarenas area, and our guide Ronald greatly exceeded my expectations.
Ronald met our small group right at the end of the pier. He made sure we were comfortable in the airconditioned van (a must for this Alaskan) and off we went on our adventure. He was chatty and informative about the flora and fauna of the areas we were traveling through. Our first stop was to see the Capuchin Monkeys, and this was the highlight of my mom’s entire trip. We were able to witness and interact with a family group of Capuchins. Our next stop was Carara National Park, and this is where Ronalds's skills as a certifies guide really shone through. He was amazing at spotting elusive species (most of which we would never have spotted on our own). Then, he would set up his spotting scope for us to clearly view and capture beautiful photos. I was most impressed seeing the Agouti, Toucans, Macaws, and learning about the poison dart frogs we encountered. Enroute to our next stop, Ronald spotted some Howler Monkeys and pulled over for us to observe them. Then he dropped us off for our River Boat Tour on the Tarcoles River “River of Crocodiles” where we were entertained by our fun-loving boat guide and we saw multiple amazingly huge crocodiles up close and personal and all types of birds. After the river cruise we were so lucky to be joined by Joanna, another certified wildlife guide and Ronald’s wife, for the remainder of our day. After another unscheduled stop to observe a pair of nesting Macaws we headed to a local lunch spot where Joanna assisted in helping us order some local foods. She then accompanied us into a Butterfly Garden and explained the life cycle of butterflies and how best to photograph them. Ronald and Joanna were so personable and receptive, that when my mom mentioned she would really like some fresh coconut meat to eat, Ronald pulled into a store and purchase a fresh coconut and even cracked it open so my mom could enjoy it. Now that is better than icing on a cake!!
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you so much for sharing such a detailed and heartfelt review.
We are absolutely delighted to hear that this tour was the perfect combination for experiencing the best of the Puntarenas area. Ronald truly takes pride in delivering a high-level guiding experience, and your recognition of his wildlife-spotting skills at Carara National Park means a great deal. As a certified guide, his ability to locate elusive species and provide scope views for photography is something he continuously works to perfect.
We’re especially happy that the Capuchin monkey encounter became the highlight of your mom’s entire trip — those moments are exactly what we hope to create. Sightings of agoutis, toucans, macaws, poison dart frogs, and even the spontaneous stop for howler monkeys truly showcase how dynamic the region is.
It sounds like your river experience on the Tárcoles River (“River of Crocodiles”) was equally memorable. Seeing those massive crocodiles up close is always an unforgettable part of the day.
We also love that Joanna was able to join and enhance the experience further — from assisting with local cuisine to explaining the butterfly life cycle and helping with photography tips. And of course, Ronald making that special coconut stop is such a perfect example of how much he genuinely cares about our guests’ experience.
Your kind words about their professionalism and warmth truly mean the world to us. It was an honor to be part of your journey, and we hope to welcome you and your mom back to Costa Rica in the future.
Marjorie_K, Apr 2025
We have limited mobility and the guide Katherine made sure we were able to see wonderful things. We enjoyed Katherine and our driver Gi Gi. Lots of fun and great sightings of birds and animals.
Response from Host, Apr 2025
Thank you so much for your kind words! We're thrilled to hear that Katherine and Gi Gi made your tour enjoyable and accessible despite the mobility challenges. Our team is dedicated to creating memorable experiences for all of our guests, and it’s wonderful to know you had fun and saw so much wildlife. We look forward to welcoming you back for another adventure soon!
Robert_W, Jan 2024
We saw more crocodiles than I expected...one even made a full circle near the boat for us! I would have appreciated it if our guide (Luis) had warned me that the monkeys at the Monkey House would be jumping onto me before he led me into their area. Luckily, I like monkeys but this would have been a terrifying experience had I been afraid of them. I felt badly that our driver had to drive some distance to reach us when there were only two of us on the tour. Both he (Willy) and Luis were very good about helping my husband get in and out of the van.
Sherri_B, Apr 2023
Monkeys, crocodiles, macaws, birds, phenomenal food and excellent guides made this tour memorable and and extreme value for the money. Marco, Christian and Yiyi were so much fun, full of great information and made our private tour experience feel one of a kind. They were truly wonderful and we will be recommending them to anyone visiting Costa Rica in Puntarenas and Limon.
Christine_B, Jan 2023
Helardo is a very knowledgeable guide, and passionately shares his love of his homeland. With a private tour for 2, he picked up quickly on our interests and went above and beyond.
From $170.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Jungle Crocodile & Carara National Park-Punta Arenas Highlights
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