Fajardo Bioluminescent Bay Night Kayak Adventure from San Juan
San Juan, Puerto Rico
- 2 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Experience the magic of glimmering bioluminescent waters waters on this evening kayaking tour. From San Juan, head for Fajardo, then jump aboard your 2-person kayak and paddle out to a mangrove. As you dip your paddle in the water, the tiny organisms called dinoflagellates glow and shimmering creating a mesmerizing spectacle.
- See a natural wonder by kayaking through bioluminescence at Bio Bay
- Insight from your guide adds context to what you see
- Relax with hassle-free pickup from select San Juan hotel
- Soak in unique views you won’t get anywhere else
What's Included
- Two person kayak
- Live interpretation and commentary
- Life-jacket US Coast Guard approved
- Round trip Transportation from selected hotels
- You must be able to swim.
- Guided Tour
- bugs spray
- Pregnant women are not allowed to participate in the kayaking tour
- Towels
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Pickup details
Confirmation Required: After choosing your preferred pickup location, contact us at least 24 hours before departure to confirm your selection and receive your exact pickup time. Timing Flexibility: Pickup times may vary slightly (±15 minutes) due to traffic, hotel policies, or operational needs. For your convenience you can bring towels, change of clothes and mosquito repellent Thank You! Additional Information: • Minimum age requirement: 6 years old. • Participants must possess basic swimming skills. • Double kayaks will be provided, odd-numbered groups will be paired accordingly. • All participants are required to sign a waiver before the tour. • Bring bug repellent for your comfort. • Maximum weight limit: 250 pounds per person or 450 pounds combined. • Expect to get wet from the waist down, so dress accordingly. • Pregnant women are not allowed to participate in the kayaking tour. • We reserve the right to refuse admission to anyone visibly under the influence of alcohol or drugs; charges will still apply. • The bioluminescent intensity experienced may vary due to natural factors such as weather conditions, tide, moon phase, sunlight, etc. We do not alter our photos. • The night kayaking tour operates rain or shine, except in cases of extreme weather events or warnings from local weather authorities or the U.S. Coast Guard.
Operating hours.4:00 pm
What To Expect
1
Laguna Grande
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- 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
- Weight limit is 240 lbs. per person.
- To join this tour, you must be able to swim.
- Pregnant women are not allowed to participate in the kayaking tour
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 14 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
ceejoseph516
Great experience. Emily and her staff were very helpful and made the journey fun. The Bioluminesce was nice but I do wish we had been able to see it in a larger area. Overall it was still a great experience
Reviews
4.3
based on 69 reviews
Bradi_J, Apr 2026
The staff were wonderful and the experience was amazing! Highly recommend putting this on your list of adventures!
Vitor_A, Nov 2025
Professional staff, reached out one day earlier, FUP some time before pickup, and a safe travel there and back. Be prepared for the mosquitos and eventual crashes with other kayaks, not everyone knows how to paddle, and the dark+narrow canal also does not help a lot hahahah
Esther_P, Oct 2025
Great tour! Smooth transport, good communication, and helpful guides. Note that the bio glow wasn’t super visible, it was more like little specks but that seems to be the way it is in this area.
Devin_S, Jul 2025
The staff was amazing. They really did a great job with safety and explaining everything. I can’t overstate that enough. They really did a great job. But there was no glowing marine life. I would’ve liked to have been warned when I booked the trip. It’s a lot of work and not cheap. And it’s really disappointing to come all this way not to see anything. I know they can’t control that, but it should’ve been ok big bold letters on the website. May not see anything. That being said the kayaking was still an incredible experience. Just a better heads up would’ve been helpful as far as our expectations.
Rena_R, Jul 2025
Unfortunately it was canceled because of bad weather, but the team was friendly and professional. The immediately apologized and offered either a refund or to reschedule.
Talie_S, Jul 2025
Skip this one. The kayak village smelled awful, there was zero bioluminescence to be seen, and it felt more like bumper boats in the dark than a magical experience. We spent most of the time blindly paddling, getting whacked by branches, and eaten alive by mosquitoes. Not worth the time or money.
Brett_T, Jul 2025
It was VERY crowded. There were 28 in our group and at least 3, if not 4, other groups there. They were not coordinated as well as they could have been. To add to the semi organized chaos, the bay where you meet SMELLED awful. It may have revived all of the negatives if there was some bioluminescent to be seen hiding under a dirty old tarp that 3 kayaks put over our heads to make it darker, but the vmgeneral consensus was that there was maybe a slight flicker, vut nothing breath taking as expected. My biggest fuss was wirh the smell and lack of coordination. I understand the environment cannot be controlled. However, there ate probably better spots without as much light pollution to view this. For reference, we went out the day after a new room, so moonlight wasn't the inhibitor. The guides were nice and did the best work what they had to work with, bug there is some high level restructuring needed to make this a more pleasant experience. The best part was the ride there with Angel - he oozed positivity
Ashley_W, Jul 2025
Very cool experience! Always felt safe and paddle wasn't hard. Definitely something cool to see if you've never had the chance.
EdrieneKyle_L, Jun 2025
It was a struggle to paddle but it was all worth it to see them glow so much.
They say it's not a guarantee to see them plankton's but we were very fortunate.
Ps. Don't forget to bring a change of clothes.
Ellen_S, Jun 2025
The night kayak alone was super fun! Even with low bioluminescence! AJ and Emily (and one more!) were super nice as well and Angel’s pick up was professional, kind and timely! Great experience!
Sarah_P, Jun 2025
Tour guides on this tour were great, very personable and super helpful if you are an inexperienced kayaker. The bay and canal are absolutely beautiful. The Bioluminescence isn’t super bright (that’s the only reason for 4 stars instead of 5) in this bay, but Fajardo is more convenient than the other two bays if you are staying near San Juan and the experience was well worth it!
Kenneth_B, Jan 2025
If you're expecting a quiet night time paddle through the mangroves and an opportunity to commune with nature, you'll be very disappointed.
Our group was about 30 people and there were many other groups out there. In the narrow portions of the paddle path there were collisions with returning groups and people getting hit with other people's paddles.
The bioluminescence was cool, but I wouldn't do this experience again.
Aimee_B, Jan 2025
Tour guides were great. It was a clear night and the stars were amazing, the mangroves exciting with the glowing jelly fish, but the bioluminescence wasn’t as brilliant or exciting as we anticipated.
Sheila_W, Jan 2025
The experience itself is unique and the kayak guides were very conscientious and helpful.
Their “business” operations not helpful. I received no contact or feedback as to what time they were to pick us up. This lack of communication was despite numerous attempts to call (no answer & mailbox full); did manage to leave one voice mail; numerous text requests through their website and through Viator who I booked through. It resulted in a very fretful day as to know what I needed to be at agreed pick up point. The original reservation had it at 6:30
However there was a review from the day before about a miscommunication regarding pick up time and that client missed the whole tour due to it. That was the reason why I continued to try and contact business.
The Viator rep said they would contact vendor and then let me know….but I NEVER heard back from Viator either.
I finally reached the business at about 5:00PM and was told they already confirmed with me a 6:15 pick up. That was NOT true; they NEVER contacted me that day or any day before. There was no accountavikti On their part which was extremely disturbing.
They advertised they kept small groups of 12 for the experience which was appealing. Yes there were only 12 of us in our little group but we were combined with more people, resulting in over 20 some people in the kayak group. That was crowded!!! And with all levels of kayakers which made it somewhat chaotic at times. Plus it was very loud with many voices and annoying flash picture taking. It really disturbed the tranquility a night kayak experience should be.
So I would not recommend this company unless you can get personal information from them in a timely fashion. And I would want a much smaller kayaking cohort.
Wiktoria_S, Jan 2025
The tour was really nice, the pickup was well planned and our guide was super fun. It was a very bright night but we were still able to see some bioluminescence thanks to our captains. They also took great care of us, the activity was a bit tiring but definitely worth it!
Charmonique_T, Jan 2025
I took a photo of the inside of my hotel room because, due to the unprofessional tour company Viator contracts, Puerto Rico Access Eco Tours, that’s exactly where l ended up. They gave a different hotel meeting point than what was on my booking, which was a further walk. Then asked me to arrive 15 minutes early to the original hotel on my booking, with 7 minutes notice , then 8 minutes later changed it back to the different hotel meeting point without calling me, they sent an email without notifying me. Sounds confusing to you, reader? Well it was to me.
As a result, l got to the hotel 2 minutes late. I tried to call the driver, who hung up on me and refused to answer the phone. The tour owner then called 1 minute later and berated me, saying l was rude to the driver when l told the driver l would be to the location at 4:15 instead of 4:00, because my booking and confirmation call said 4:15pm from the day before.
Mind you, the driver called me at 3:51 pm to tell me he was told to pick me up at a different hotel for 4pm. The company sent an email (which l didn’t see until later) at 4pm saying l needed to be at a different hotel for 4:15 pm. Though THEY caused all of the confusion, the tour company and driver refused to give me a 1-2 min grace period to walk to the updated hotel. They wouldn’t let me get an uber to catch up with the tour in Fajardo, refusing to provide me with the address. I begged the owner to allow me to catch up with the tour because it was my birthday and l had traveled to Puerto Rico alone and that l had booked this excursion months before. He didn’t care. I wasn’t rude, l was confused.
I have used TripAdvisor’s Viator division to book loads of tours in different countries over the years and have never had a bad experience or been treated this way. It ruined my birthday. No one should have to spend an hour crying on customer service phone calls waiting for a Viator supervisor only to be sent an email from Viator customer service saying l need to “work it out with the tour operator.” The same tour operator hung up in my face and refused to answer any calls or try and accommodate me at all.
Shame on you, Puerto Rico Access Eco Tours, and shame on you, Viator.
Response from Host, Apr 2025
We regret that this guest’s experience did not meet her expectations; however, it’s important to clarify a few key facts.
We made every effort to accommodate her, including clear instructions and multiple updates regarding the pickup location. Unfortunately, the guest did not check her email in a timely manner and became verbally aggressive with our driver — someone who was simply following instructions and trying to assist her.
This is a private company, not a public entity. While we are kind and professional, we will not tolerate disrespect toward our team. Kindness should never be mistaken for weakness. Our drivers and staff deserve the same level of respect that any professional would expect, and we stand by our decision not to subject our team to mistreatment.
We value all our guests and strive to provide clear communication and high-quality service. But when a guest refuses to take accountability, lashes out at our staff, and creates a hostile situation, we must draw the line.
We wish her well in her future travels.
Patricia_C, Dec 2024
The Bioluminescence is awesome. But you have to kayak to the bay in complete darkness. I was crashing against the mangrove, I panicked and screamed for light as the guides have lights… only to be laughed at and told that “it is part of the experience”. Well, panicking, feeling that I am lost in the darkness and not getting help shouldn’t be part of any experience in my opinion. A little compassion maybe? I cannot believe anyone truly enjoys that part of the tour.
Veronica_F, Jul 2024
Seeing the glow in the water, it was spectacular. It’s fun when you go with your partner of friends or family.
Crystal_T, Jul 2024
For my first time experience It was nice the biobay was beautiful and the instructors were great. Definitely an experience to remember and share with others
Paula_S, Jul 2024
Of everything we've done in Puerto Rico this has been my favorite excursion. Kayaking through the mangrove was such a cool experience. We all got soaked from the waist down so I was glad our driver told us that so we could bring a change of clothes. Make sure you bring bug spray. Incredible experience
jhayatt71, Jun 2024
First, the two hour tour lasted from 6:30pm to almost midnight, which would have been good information before hand given we had other evening plans. That being said, the ride out to the mangrove area was pleasant. Once we got there, we were surprised at the number of other tours running simultaneously. Our group was about 30 people, but when you add that to the other groups kayaking at the same time, it became quite crowded and you couldn't tell which group was yours at times. About 80 percent of the tour involved paddling through the canal to and from the lagoon in the pitch black conditions. This wouldn't have been a big deal but the lights on the back of the kayaks we were directed to follow were very hard to see, if they were even working. As far as the bioluminescence, it was underwhelming and we felt the juice wasn't worth the squeeze or the price. I am an experienced kayaker and was frustrated at the lack of control the guides exhibited on the way back to the start point. However, the guides were friendly, ensured everyone had vests on, and were knowledgeable about the nature preserve. All in all, not a terrible experience but we wouldn't do it again.
Alyssa_G, Jun 2024
Everyone was incredible! From the driver to the boat captains. I mean truly it was all a great experience. I wish we drove ourselves only bc we stayed in Loiza, so we added unnecessary time for our pick up in San Juan just to backtrack to bio bay. But our driver Angel was great! Music wasn’t too loud, a/c was perfect, a few bumps but that’s PR Lol. For the tour itself, it was magical. Very informative, I felt very safe with my teenage son and 9 year old daughter. They even found us a kayak so my daughter could sit between me and my husband. My teenage son paddled with my father and didn’t complain! Truly amazing!! But seriously I have never kayaked and I am definitely not “in shape” and I was perfectly fine. Great tour for beginners!! Very organized and we all left happy. Don’t hesitate, Book this tour!
Cary_M, Jun 2024
This was a wonderful tour. We got picked up at 4:30 in Condado in June and were a little unsure about whether it would actually be dark when we got there, but by the time we arrived and paddled up to the lagoon, the sun had just gone down and it was a perfect time to start seeing the bioluminescence.
This tour makes you feel like a jungle explorer, taking your boat in between the mangroves, fish jumping out from the water all around you!
We are experienced kayakers so we really splashed around with our paddles after dark, every big splash made a blue glow in the water below us. It was so cool! The tour is accommodating to all experience levels though. One of the couples had a hard time navigating the river, especially the first leg when you're going against the current, they kept bumping against the sides and couldn't get pointed straight. But the one of the tour guides was really nice and gave them more attention and guidance, and when they were really struggling he hooked up his boat to theirs and towed them so that they could get all the way up.
Captain Emily was the leader of our group and she was awesome. Entertaining, funny, and informative. We were also pretty lucky because it was near the new moon so it was dark everywhere -- if you go near the full moon it'll be harder to see the bioluminescence. But they give you a tarp anyway so you can see it under your boat. (And you can splash some of the water into your boat and see it underneath your legs!)
This tour was the highlight of our trip! I definitely recommend it to anyone who is comfortable with the idea of steering and paddling their own boat, or who is up for the adventure of trying it out!
norriscathy1, Feb 2023
These tour left San Juan at 4:10 pm and after an hour and half bus ride arrived at the stopping point. After a 30 minute briefing we loaded into two man kayaks for a mile and a half kayak trip through a very narrow channel loaded with fallen trees and tree roots. Finally arriving at the bay we saw nothing for almost 2 hours; just out looking looking for the "bugs". Finally the guides gathered all the kayaks together and threw a tarp over everyone's head so we could see the bugs. I waved my have in the water and am still not sure if it was a small number of "bugs" or my watch dial I was seeing. THIS IS NOT A BAY FULL OF THE "BLUE BUGS". The worst part of the tour was the trip back in the pitch black dark with no lights; you constantly collided with fallen trees and other objects during the mile and half back. You had best be in excellent shape for this tour. After another hour+ bus ride we arrived back at our hotel in San Juan. We had planned our whole trip to Puerto Rico around this tour, making certain we would be here for the best viewing with no moon. If I saw the "blue Bugs"; it was less than tea cup full and not very bright.
Response from Host, Jul 2023
Hi,
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback about your experience with our Fajardo Bioluminescent Bay Night Kayak Adventure from San Juan. We truly appreciate all comments, whether positive or constructive, as they help us improve our services to provide the best possible experience for our customers.
We understand that your expectations for the tour were set based on the anticipation of witnessing a bay full of "blue bugs". The bioluminescence phenomenon can be unpredictable and can vary from night to night due to several natural factors. While we cannot control the occurrence of the "biolumunescence," we aim to provide an unforgettable and enjoyable kayaking adventure under the starlit sky.
Regarding the narrow channel with fallen trees and tree roots during the kayak trip, let me remind that this is a natural reserve with Nature at it is. Safety is our top priority, and we strive to inform our guests about the physical requirements and potential difficulties during the briefing.
The use of a tarp to enhance the visibility of the bioluminescence is a practice we have adopted to amplify the experience.
Regarding the darkness during the kayak trip back to the starting point, this is a night kayaking tour, darkness is expected.
Once again, thank you for sharing your perspective. Your insights are vital in helping us enhance the quality of our tours.
Best regards
Hartman_C, Jan 2023
It was a fun kayaking experience!
The team is phenomenal! Before you go make sure to check the weather. We weren’t able to see the bioluminescent algae without the help of a darkening tarp due to the light pollution from the moon and the clouds spreading the light. But the overall experience was good!
Sarah_K, Dec 2022
Really fantastic experience! The staff was amazing. We learned so much about the ecosystem, and loved seeing the stars as much as the bioluminescence. Excellent for families.
ceejoseph516, Dec 2022
Great experience. Emily and her staff were very helpful and made the journey fun. The Bioluminesce was nice but I do wish we had been able to see it in a larger area. Overall it was still a great experience
Sarah_F, Nov 2022
It was a lot of kayaking, but I very cool experience. You do get wet! Tour guides were very fun! Definitely good for a group activity.
GerardoGomez, Oct 2022
Going through the bay was magical. A true beauty. The staff was very professional and made the experience so much fun.
Melanie_G, Oct 2022
Such an amazing tour. Recommend to anyone. The guides were fun and personable - especially Emily and AJ. Thanks for the once in a lifetime experience!
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