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Mangrove Boat Tour Damas Island, Manuel Antonio

Recommended by 97% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Quepos, Costa Rica
High interest
Booked 4 times today.
  • 4 hours (approx.)
  • Pickup offered
  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.9
·
· Gary_L ·
Jun 2026
We had a great time on this tour, our kids had a blast, we saw a lot of animals like otter and capuchin monkeys and young crocodile and boas and Jesus Christ Lizards running on water.... And more! The tour guide Ellias was knowledgeable, friendly, professional. The tour was relaxing yet very interesting, great for people who want to see the jungle but prefer less walking. Highly recommended!
· Glenda_S ·
Jul 2026
Johnny was great! Very knowledgeable and didn't rush the tour. We went in the afternoon due to a earlier commitment. We thought we were not going to see the monkeys but we did at the last minute and he just let us take it all in. Lunch was amazing and our group with kids were so friendly. Overall such a great experience!

Overview

    What's Included

    • Lunch
    • Bottled water
    • Air-conditioned vehicle
    • All Fees and Taxes
    • Boat with captain

      Meeting and Pickup

      You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup

      Pickup points

      Select a pickup point

      Pickup details

      We can pick up at any Hotel, Vacation Rentals, Airbnbs within Quepos & Manuel Antonio Please give us the name of the place for the pickup. Thank you! : )

      or

      Meeting point

      • Costa Rica Jade Tours Mangrove Tours Dock
        Contiguo al hotel pueblo real, Provincia de Puntarenas, Quepos, Vista Mar de Paquita, 60601, Costa Rica

        The guides have the Jade Tours Uniform.

      End point

      This activity ends back at the meeting point.

      Itinerary

      Isla Damas (Pass By)

      Additional Info

      • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
      • Not wheelchair accessible
      • Most travelers can participate
      • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 18 travelers

      Cancellation Policy

      You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

      Traveler Photos

      Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)
      Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)
      Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)
      Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)
      Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

      Featured review

      Tracy_A
      Excellent experience and our guide was also excellent. I think his name was Guillermo. He was super knowledgeable about the plants and animals. We saw a sloth, tons of monkeys, coati, raccoons, boas, lizards, hawks and more. I would definitely recommend.

      Reviews

      4.9
      based on 2,809 reviews
      Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
      Sort by: Most insightful

      Our guide Kenneth and...

      Jennifer_M, Jul 2026
      Our guide Kenneth and boat driver David were great! I don’t know how they spotted all the wildlife that they did.

      The trip supposed to be 3...

      Max_A, Jul 2026
      The trip supposed to be 3 hours, but only took 1 hour as they rushed back to have lunch at some local joint. We took 2 pm trip. I would not recommend. Not worth $75 per person, may be 30$ and honest expectations that the trip itself is 1 hour.

      Johnny was great! Very...

      Glenda_S, Jul 2026
      Johnny was great! Very knowledgeable and didn't rush the tour. We went in the afternoon due to a earlier commitment. We thought we were not going to see the monkeys but we did at the last minute and he just let us take it all in. Lunch was amazing and our group with kids were so friendly. Overall such a great experience!

      We had a great time on...

      Tamer_O, Jul 2026
      We had a great time on our mangrove boat tour. We saw lots of wildlife, the highlight being lots of monkeys. Our guide was very knowledgeable and friendly.

      Cute monkeys and a great tour guide

      Oliver_B, Jul 2026
      This was an amazing boat ride through the mangroves. Javier, our guide, was absolutely the best, very knowledgeable and excellent at explaining everything. We had the opportunity to be with the white face monkeys in our boat. They just hopped on the boat and were very sweet and friendly. Javier explained that those were juveniles so it was safe and it was okay. He also pointed out that we should watch for the older ones. The entire experience was just amazing. Lunch was really good and the hotel pick up was right on time. Excellent service.

      Exciting tour!

      Tara_H, Jul 2026
      Cool experience see how the mangroves are important to the overall ecosystem. Our tour guide was helpful in knowing about the mangroves, as well as helped to spot different birds, a boa constrictor, monkeys and lizards. I would for sure recommend this tour

      Short tour, poor guiding, and our food restrictions order was ignored

      Pinhas_B, Jul 2026
      Not recommended. We booked this boat tour (to see monkeys) advertised as 4 hours long, but it was much shorter in practice — we left at 9:00 and were back by 10:15. The guiding in English was minimal, both in content and language skill; the guide wasn't very engaged and seemed distracted by other things. After the tour we went to the restaurant, where we had pre-ordered fresh fruit and vegetables only, due to kosher dietary requirements. Instead we were served a cooked dish, which we couldn't eat. Our recommendation: skip this tour.

      Do not book with viator.

      Admir_B, Jun 2026
      The boat tour was only 2hrs and not 4hrs as described in the booking. I wrote to viator about this and asked for a partially refund. They told me they couldn't do anything and would not compensate me for it. There are cheaper sites to book the tour from so don't book through viator. The tour itself was very good and very informative and a very good guide as well.

      Response from Host, Jul 2026

      Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We're delighted to hear that you enjoyed the tour itself and that you found both the guide and the experience informative. We would like to clarify one point regarding the duration of the tour. The 4-hour duration advertised on our booking page refers to the complete door-to-door experience, which includes hotel pickup, transportation to the mangrove dock, the 2-hour boat tour, the meal served after the tour, and the return transfer to your hotel. The boat ride itself is approximately 2 hours, while the remaining time is dedicated to transportation and dining. We understand how this may have caused some confusion, and we appreciate your feedback. We'll review our tour description to ensure the itinerary and timing are as clear as possible for future guests. Thank you again for joining us, and we hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back on another adventure in Costa Rica.

      Fun way to spend a morning

      Jackie_A, Jun 2026
      Johnny was a great tour guide. He showed us lots of wildlife and gave us time to watch the animals and take pictures. We saw 2 hawks chasing a heron, monkeys, lizards, sleeping bats, and other creatures. He also taught us about the mangrove forest. Lunch at the soda afterwards was delicious.

      Just OK

      Alan_M, Jun 2026
      Time in boat was just under 2 hours, though time from pick up to drop off was four hours. Lots of time traveling to boats, at bathrooms, and lunch. Distance traveled was short. Habitat was marginal, despite guide telling us mangroves were protected (thin strip of mangroves in front of oil palm plantations). 16 people in boat with little leg room. Guide was generally knowledgeable with occasional incorrect information or tall tale. Wildlife sightings were modest. Boat and guide worked hard to make sure everyone could see and take photos.

      Fun and educational tour for family

      Gary_L, Jun 2026
      We had a great time on this tour, our kids had a blast, we saw a lot of animals like otter and capuchin monkeys and young crocodile and boas and Jesus Christ Lizards running on water.... And more! The tour guide Ellias was knowledgeable, friendly, professional. The tour was relaxing yet very interesting, great for people who want to see the jungle but prefer less walking. Highly recommended!

      River was low and it made...

      Michelle_J, Jun 2026
      River was low and it made it hard getting into the mangroves. We saw snakes, lizards, bee hives, termites, crabs, unusual birds and more. Our guide was knowledgeable of the wildlife. We did see any sloths or monkeys

      Not a 4 hour tour. Very shallow, boring water they take you in.

      Janae_J, Jun 2026
      Very boring, also wasn’t 4 hours.. maybe 2 hours and 30 minutes maximum. The tour itself was so short, definitely not worth $75. I was very disappointed. The lunch wasn’t very good either.

      Response from Host, Jul 2026

      Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We're sorry to hear that the tour did not meet your expectations. We'd like to clarify that the 4-hour duration advertised for this experience refers to the complete door-to-door tour, including hotel pickup, transportation to and from the mangrove dock, the approximately 2-hour boat safari, and the meal served after the tour. The boat ride itself is not advertised as lasting four hours. We understand that every guest has different expectations, and while many visitors enjoy the opportunity to observe nocturnal wildlife in its natural habitat with the guidance of our experienced naturalist guides, we recognize that this type of nature-focused experience may not appeal to everyone. We're also sorry to hear that the meal did not meet your expectations. We appreciate your comments, as they help us evaluate and improve the overall experience we provide. Thank you again for your feedback, and we wish you all the best during your travels in Costa Rica.

      The tour was great. The...

      Lauren_S, May 2026
      The tour was great. The boat ride was peaceful and we saw great wildlife. The tour guide, Eli, was wonderful. He was knowledgeable, friendly and really made it a good experience. It was a great way to experience a different side of of Costa Rica!

      Excellent

      Danxin_H, May 2026
      Very cool.The tour guide is very knowledgeable and helpful and I saw many animals and the lunch is very delicious

      Fun tour with lunch

      Susan_M, Apr 2026
      Kevin was a great guide and showed us many animals and plants. The lunch after was very good. We were picked up and dropped off at our hotel. Very well done.

      Must Do

      Julia_M, Apr 2026
      Kevin our tour guy was amazing! Very knowledgeable! The area was beautiful and the monkeys were great!

      As well as abundant flora...

      Christie_T, Apr 2026
      As well as abundant flora and fauna, just the setting is gorgeous—even (or especially) when it’s raining.

      Good

      Sara_B, Apr 2026
      It was a great experience, monkeys in the boat, on the boat, lizards, turtles and a very good guide Edgar

      Kevin and this tour are outstanding!

      Julei_S, Apr 2026
      Kevin was fantastic! This was our favorite of our week's trip! He was so knowledgeable and even took professional photos during the trip that he shared with us after the tour! We highly recommend this one to all!!

      Great Tour!

      Michelle_H, Apr 2026
      We've done this tour a few times and it's always great. Danny was awesome, super friendly and knowledgeable.

      chaos.

      Margaret_P, Apr 2026
      The pick ups are not well organized. We were in the van going back-and-forth, picking up people for over an hour and we are backtracking several times. They crammed at least 20 people in this vehicle. There were no more room for anyone to sit. The departure area near the mangrove was very laid-back. The mangrove boats were not clean and needed maintenance. I was not comfortable on this tour. At the lunch place I ordered a cab and went back to my hotel. I was not interested in being in a crowded van for another hour plus

      Fun times in the mangroves

      Kaitlyn_K, Apr 2026
      We had a great time with our knowledgeable guide, Kevin. He’s very skilled at spotting animals and can tell you anything you’d want to know about the animals. After our tour we were taken to a soda and had a delicious lunch.

      Fun

      Karin_K, Apr 2026
      It was fun and relaxing. The guide was informative. My kids loved the monkeys, especially when it climbed over them.

      Excellent experience and...

      Tracy_A, Apr 2026
      Excellent experience and our guide was also excellent. I think his name was Guillermo. He was super knowledgeable about the plants and animals. We saw a sloth, tons of monkeys, coati, raccoons, boas, lizards, hawks and more. I would definitely recommend.

      Amazing tour!

      Jordan_C, Apr 2026
      We got to see so many animals and our guide was very informative. Loved seeing the monkeys play all around our boat and the trees.

      Awesome experience!

      Vanessa_M, Mar 2026
      Very friendly! They respect the animas on this tour. We saw crocs, monkeys, lizards, birds, anteaters!

      ​"Our mangrove tour with...

      Taylor_M, Mar 2026
      ​"Our mangrove tour with Rudolfo was nothing short of spectacular. From the very beginning, his expertise and passion for the ecosystem were evident. He has an incredible eye for detail, pointing out a diverse range of animals that we definitely would have missed on our own. Not only was he a fountain of knowledge, but he also went above and beyond by capturing high-quality photos of the wildlife and our group, ensuring we had perfect memories to take home. ​Beyond his technical skills, Rudolfo is a truly pleasant and kind individual. His English is excellent, making communication effortless and the entire experience educational and engaging. It is rare to find a guide who combines professional expertise with such a warm, welcoming personality. He turned a simple boat ride into an unforgettable adventure. If you are looking for an amazing experience in the mangroves, Rudolfo is the man to see—he is simply the best!"

      Had a great tour with...

      Laura_V, Mar 2026
      Had a great tour with Enderson as our guide. His passion for the animals and ensuring we saw as much as possible was great. Nice to explore the area in a different way. Saw a sloth, monkeys, cool birds, and more.

      Would Definitely Recommend!

      Steven_D, Mar 2026
      We had an amazing time on this tour! The guides were very knowledgeable, and we saw a lot of different wildlife. Would definitely recommend!

      From $75.00

      per person

      up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

      Book ahead!
      On average, this is booked 24 days in advance.

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