Mangrove Kayak Tour | Manuel Antonio
Recommended by 93% of travelers
Quepos, Costa Rica
- 3 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Why travelers loved this
·
Explore our promoted experiences
Overview
Explore one of the most important mangrove ecosystems in Costa Rica on this fun kayak tour. Just offshore from the popular Manuel Antonio National Park are thousands of acres of protected forest, home to all kinds of birds, mammals, reptiles, and insects. Your naturalist guide will tell you about the area’s biodiversity while you paddle peacefully in the shade of the mangroves.
- Tour timings depend on the tides
- All kayaking equipment is provided
- Lunch and refreshments are included
- A must for nature lovers who want to get active
What's Included
- Lunch
- Bottled water
- All Fees and Taxes
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Kayak equipment
- Naturalist guide
Meeting and Pickup
You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup
Operating hours.10:00 am
Itinerary
Isla Damas (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
- Not wheelchair accessible
- 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 10 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
Haydee_V
Friendly and knowledgeable tour guide. Lots of fun and breakfast was good. Highly recommend the tour.
Reviews
4.7
based on 467 reviews
Scot_P, Feb 2026
Great tour. Lots of paddling. Saw many birds, lizards and even a white faced monkey. Friendly and informative guide. Go into it with an open mind.
Shaun_L, Jan 2026
Pickup and drop-off were good, and the guide was friendly enough. We used single kayaks (tandems were offered).
But overall, the tour felt poorly run. There was no real effort to bring the group together or explain the plan. They didn't even ask if anyone had kayaked before — it was basically assumed everyone knew how to paddle, steer, and handle a kayak. Life jackets were treated as optional ("anyone want one?"), which, on its own, is fine, but combined with zero check-in, it didn't feel very professional.
The kayaking itself was just "okay." We saw a little wildlife, but not much, and at one point we paddled out into a big open-water area, fought the current to get there, stopped briefly, then turned around — with no explanation. A lot of the time, it felt like we were just wandering rather than being guided.
Lunch afterwards was honestly poor — the worst local food we had in Costa Rica — and we ended up getting food again afterwards because we didn't enjoy it. There was also some awkwardness around what's included/'s not, and when we tried to buy a soda, the restaurant said cash only, which felt odd and added to the overall "off" vibe.
If you just want to rent a kayak and paddle around, the activity is fine. But as a guided tour, I wouldn't recommend booking this with Jade Tours.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Thank you for sharing your detailed feedback. We’re glad to hear that the hotel pickup and drop-off went smoothly and that our guide was friendly, but we’re very sorry that other aspects of the tour did not meet your expectations.
We take guest safety and clarity very seriously, and we apologize if the introduction to kayaking felt rushed or lacking. Life jackets are included and optional for experienced paddlers, but we understand that offering them without a proper check-in or briefing can feel unprofessional. We will make sure to reinforce proper safety checks and instructions at the start of all tours, especially for guests who may be new to kayaking.
Regarding the route and wildlife, river conditions can vary daily, which sometimes affects where the tour goes and what can be seen. However, guides are trained to provide context and explanations, and we regret that you felt this was missing during your experience.
We’re also sorry to hear that the included lunch did not meet your expectations. We aim to provide a local, authentic meal, but clearly it fell short for your group. We’ll review the dining component and clarify payment options and inclusions to avoid future confusion.
We appreciate your honest review, as it highlights areas where we can improve organization, communication, and guest experience. We hope that despite these issues, you were still able to enjoy some time on the water.
Kind regards,
Jade Tours Costa Rica
Haydee_V, Jan 2026
Friendly and knowledgeable tour guide. Lots of fun and breakfast was good. Highly recommend the tour.
MelanieZigman, Jan 2026
Beautiful, peaceful kayak tour through mangroves. Tour guides are relaxed, welcoming, friendly and very knowledgeable.
Jan_E, Dec 2025
Excellent tour. Edgar shares his vast knowledge of flora, fauna and history & culture with humour. We learned lots, and enjoyed kayaking through the mangroves. We had quite a show from the capuchin monkeys. They came very close, but Edgar made sure that we were safe and could still take photos. Our meal afterward was very good.
Holly_S, Nov 2025
Hard to find but a very interesting sight to see the “other” side of the jungle . Edward was funny and friendly. Saw large birds monkeys and snakes!
nancybalch, Nov 2025
Paddling a kayak is the best way to experience wildlife and nature. Close to the water’s surface, gliding silently along. Our guide Elias was friendly, knowledgeable, and loved sharing the ecology of the mangroves.
Amanda_A, Sep 2025
Had an excellent tour guide - Edgar. He was very knowledgeable about the plants and animals. We were able to see monkeys, birds and learned about the unique ecosystem.
Brian_H, Aug 2025
Peaceful beauty in a white and red mangrove forest. I wish I could have seen more wildlife than crabs.
Rose_S, Aug 2025
Elias was a top guide. No one else had booked at the same time as us so we were lucky enough to have a private tour. Elias was very friendly and informative. It was a lovely relaxing experience with nice views and some wildlife.
Lynne_S, Mar 2025
The trip is a wonderful departure from the tourist scene. It was relaxing, fun and very informative! Our guide, Elliot was amazing and obviously passionate about sharing insights about his Country and its ecosystem. I highly recommend this tour!
Katherine_M, Mar 2025
Stephanie was great - such a kind and knowledgeable guide. It was a fun tour, and at times even challenging which I enjoyed. We learned a lot about the mangroves and even saw a silky anteater.
Erin_T, Jan 2025
Fantastic experience! Our guide, Eli, was very kind and knowledgeable. He protected us from the angry monkeys. Oh right, and there were angry monkeys!!! They were super cool! He also took pics and shared them with us. Our driver, Kenny, handled a bit of road rage with a large amount of patience. Overall, a super good experience.
CHARLENE_L, Sep 2024
My sisters and I spent a week in Costa Rica and did three different tours. This tour was the one we were most excited about. It was the most expensive tour and the most disappointing.
The mangroves were interesting, if you like mangroves. There is a beauty to them for sure and the tunnel of mangroves was fun, but an inexperienced kayaker would struggle. And we saw a little else but mangroves.
Our guide seemed disinterested. He spoke about the mangroves but spent a lot of time away from us. He had his phone out a lot on the tour. I know one time he was on an app to identify birds- but it seemed as though he was on it more than that. And on the drive back, he was scrolling Facebook. I am old and think that if someone is at work and trying to make an impression on customers, stay off of social media while at work.
The redeeming part of the trip was the meal afterwards. It was very good.
Nicole_O, Sep 2024
First and foremost. The guide was unprofessional. She made us rush our lunch and charged me £15 more than its real price.
Response from Host, Sep 2024
Your review is posted in the wrong location, unfortunately Tripadvisor does not change this.
Our guides never charge extra or additional costs for this tour or any other of our tours.
Kind regards!!
Jennifer_A, Jul 2024
This was my second time doing this tour. The experience of kayaking through the mangroves, seeing the animals, and learning about this amazing ecosystem is something that I'll never forget and I'll probably do thus tour every time I stay in the Manuel Antonio area. I highly recommend it.
James_S, Jun 2024
Eli our guide was incredible and made this a wonderful experience. I would recommend this tour to anyone who enjoys kayaking and nature.
Viros_S, Jun 2024
My friend and I recently participated in the kayak tour, and we feel compelled to express our dissatisfaction with the experience.
The tour was almost entirely silent, with the staff seeming to know very little about the area. Despite expectations, we only saw one falcon and one iguana. The 90-minute tour primarily consisted of kayaking without much interaction or guidance, which was quite disappointing.
The staff's organization left much to be desired. There was a significant gap between the guide leading the group and the one trailing behind, sometimes stretching up to 200 meters. At one point, my friend was left behind and was not informed when we changed direction. The lack of communication was frustrating.
One major issue was the provision of only a small 500mL bottle of water despite the very hot weather. It would have been much more considerate to advise participants to bring extra water.
When the tour concluded, we were made to wait in the van for 20 minutes while the staff cleaned the kayaks. This was particularly inconvenient as it was nearly 2 PM, and everyone was tired from the tour.
The disorganization continued during lunch. There was confusion about what we were allowed to order, and we witnessed a staff member reprimanding a family for mistakenly taking bottled water and juice. Such an attitude is not conducive to good customer service.
We felt it was important to share our experience, as we struggled to find accurate reviews when booking.
In summary: Avoid this tour—it’s not worth the price.
Thank you.
Rob_B, Jun 2024
We had a great kayak tour! The mangroves were beautiful and we saw a monkey, iguanas, baby crocodile, snake and other animals. Stephane was a very knowledgeable and friendly guide. My daughters and I enjoyed this kayak trip.
Peter_H, May 2024
The mangrooves is a very beautiful and peaceful place. Armando is a very good and knowlegdable guide who his proud of his country’s nature. The lunch was in the restaurant in Quepos and it was delicious. We really appreciated free pick up from a Quepos hotel.
Lianne_C, Apr 2024
This was a very relaxing kayak tour. But I was expecting to see more wildlife. We saw a few birds and iguanas and that was it. Price was too high for what we got. We drove ourselves and didn't get any discount over those taking the your bus. Lunch was excellent. Our tour guide was ok. He wasn't overly friendly at the start but got better as the tour went on. I was expecting to have my own kayak but he doubled us up as couples. No monkeys. Other motor boats on the water so wasn't as secluded as I thought it would be. We went up and came back the same route. It probably says that in the description. If you're going for the kayak and scenery, it's very peaceful. But don't expect to see animals or interesting wildlife.
Rebecca_C, Apr 2024
we saw a few birds and a group of white faced monkeys and got to learn about the important ecological niche of the mangroves. guide was great and we split the group in english speakers and Spanish. dinner out afterwards was a nice touch. transportation turned out super easy since they picked us up and dropped us back at our hotel in Manuel Antonio
Carrie_A, Mar 2024
We really enjoyed it. There were no mosquitoes surprisingly. The staff was very supportive and helpful. If you have back issues choose a single kayak as the doubles have different back support, just so you will be more comfortable. Wear water shoes or keens and bathing suit with athletic shorts as you will get wet behinds. The guide took pictures of us all and air dropped them to us at the end. I thought that was nice. I wouldn’t plan anything else on the day you do this because the time may change because you have to wait for high tide so that varies. You might like a hat with the mesh face screen because there were gnats…But optional. The staff was super friendly and helpful. I definitely would do it again.
Kurt_M, Mar 2024
great kayaking thru mangroves able to see monkeys and a few birds but very quiet and relaxing
excellent lunch in quepos
stephanie was very good and pointed out a lot
Debra_S, Mar 2024
We get there and there’s not enough water to launch the kayaks. Mother Nature to blame, but tour operator actually hassled us about refunding! Viator says they’ll handle it.
Bruce_B, Mar 2024
Not a satisfying experience. Pick-up was 20 minutes late. The guide, Stephanie, was nice but added very little to the trip. Apparently due to her lack of English skills and consequently her lack of confidence in speaking English she contributed very little while we kayaked. Even when we don't find flora and fauna on a guided trip, the guide will often contribute much in the way of information about the area, history, etc. Not the case here. Also, zero instructions were provided and no warning was given about the very slippery slope down to the kayaks. Lunch was fine but also seemed rushed: slop 'em and move 'em along. We expected better from this experience.
Therese_J, Feb 2024
The tour was fine, however, a number of deficiencies:
- shuttle bus had no air conditioning in 90+ heat (repaired on return trip)
- one bottle of water (not cold, not even cool) provided for the entire outing
- one toilet on site (to be expected), however as first group of the day, it was disappointing to use a facility that had not been cleaned (garbage can overflowing)
- no orientation prior to getting into kayaks
- sketchy loading/unloading area, challenging for many upon entering or disembarking their kayaks
- after returning, the group sat around (on bus or outside) for at least 15 minutes while staff rinsed and locked up kayaks.
The return ‘home’ was much better with the air conditioning repaired. The traditional lunch at end of tour was enjoyable.
Leanne_S, Feb 2024
The tour was nice overall. Communication about the departure time could have been better. A reminder email the day before would have been very helpful since the departure time is based on high tide. The tour operator had estimated 3 pm when I reached out 3 months before to book, but all of the other emails afterward kept the default departure time of 10 am so, forgetting that they had mentioned 3 pm 3 months earlier, we arrived ready to go at 10 am. Not a huge deal but an extra reminder of the up to date departure time would have been really helpful. Otherwise the tour guide was nice, the mangroves were pretty. We mainly saw birds, not much other wildlife. The meal after the tour was excellent. Overall I would recommend.
Cathal_M, Feb 2024
Really disappointing. The guide really upset my partner to the point of tears.
There was no communication from the guides about what to leave in the van and what to bring in the kayak.
My partner had never kayaked before she asked if we should go first and the guide, in front of the entire group, rather than reassure her seemed to take this as an insult. He then proceeded to call her out in front of the entire group as being disrespectful and made a petty comment that because of her disrespect our double kayak would now wait until the end and go last.
A few minutes later the guide apologised, that he was having a difficult day and that it was hard work taking out all the Kayaks by himself and the driver had forgotten the water and this compounded his reaction.
While miscommunication ans misinterpretation is of course possible, (English is neither person's first language) this was the most strange behaviour I have ever witnessed from a guide and made the kayak trip very unpleasant to the point that we chose not to eat with the rest of the group.
I messaged the company with this feedback and received no acknowledgement.
Shayne_D, Feb 2024
Would not book through Jade Tours again. There was no air conditioning in the van to go on the tour which was very unpleasant. We had to bring our pack sack with us on kayak as no storage available. Guide was not very knowledgeable. Not a relaxing tour as we were paddling almost the whole time.
From $70.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
Compare Similar Experiences
Current
Mangrove Kayak Tour | Manuel Antonio
467
3 hours
Free Cancellation
From
$70.00
Customers Who Bought This Tour Also Bought
Explore Similar Things to Do
- White Water Rafting
- Rafting
- Shore Excursions
- Extreme Sports
- On the Water
- Outdoor Activities
- Quepos
- White Water Rafting - Jaco
- Rafting - Jaco
- Shore Excursions - Jaco
- Extreme Sports - Jaco
- White Water Rafting - San Jose
- Rafting - San Jose
- Shore Excursions - San Jose
- Extreme Sports - San Jose
- Shore Excursions - San Antonio De Belen
- Extreme Sports - San Antonio De Belen
Attractions in Quepos, Costa Rica
More attractions near Quepos, Costa Rica