La Parguera Bio Bay Boat Ride and Swimming w/ San Juan Transport
San Juan, Puerto Rico
- 9 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Experience the sparkling waters of Puerto Rico’s bioluminescent bay on this boat ride from La Parguera. Make your way to the dock and join a small group aboard your vessel for a ride across the sparkling waters. Then take a dip in the waters and see the microscopic organisms glimmering all around you before heading back to shore.
- Learn about the natural phenomenon from your guide
- Explore the village of La Parguera before your boat ride
- Choose from two tour times to suit your schedule
- A small group means more attention from your skipper
What's Included
- Life Jacket
- All Fees and Taxes
- Local guide
- Boat transport to La Parguera Bioluminescent Bay
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Hotel Pickup and Drop off
- DinnerFood and Drinks will be available for purchase in La Parguera prior to the bioluminescent boat ride.
Meeting and Pickup
You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup
What To Expect
Take in the views as your captain leads you to a prime spot for bioluminescent activity. Put your hands in the water to watch the glimmering access or hop right in to swim amongst the sparkles. After you’ve had plenty of time to experience the natural phenomenon, climb back on board and let your captain take you safely back to shore.
1
La Parguera Bioluminescent Bay
2
La Parguera
3
La Parguera
4
San Juan
5
Old San Juan
6
Caguas
7
Cayey
8
Salinas
9
Ponce
10
Guanica
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
- Most travelers can participate
- **Swimming is not mandatory. While it is an option that we highly advise you to take advantage of, no guest is required to swim if they are not comfortable to do so**
- **This is not a Kayak Tour. Guests will be transported via motor boat through the protected waters to the best location to see and swim in the bioluminescence**
- **Total time on the water is 45 minutes - 1 hour. Guests will be able to swim for 20 minutes**
- **Visibility of the bioluminescence will fluctuate with weather, currents, and the moon cycle.**
- **All guests pay regular rate regardless of age. The number of participants is monitored by the DRNA and is by seat, not age**
- 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
Muralikrishna_S
We did the Bio Bay tour in La Parguera with a group of friends, and it was truly unforgettable. The boat ride was about 15 minutes, giving us time to relax and enjoy the night before reaching the bay.
Once there, we were able to jump into the water and even swim underneath the boat. You’re not fully submerged the entire time — the boat has a unique underwater swim-through area where you can comfortably float and experience the magic up close.
At first, we could see a bit of the bioluminescence glowing from the boat’s rotating motors — but once we were under the boat, it was absolutely breathtaking. The water lit up around us with every movement. It felt surreal! 🌊✨
Highly recommend jumping into the water to fully experience it. A few of our friends didn’t even know how to swim, but with life jackets on, they still jumped in and had an amazing time.
If you’re in the area, this is a MUST-DO experience. Truly magical and something you’ll remember forever! 💙
Reviews
3.9
based on 694 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Jamilliah_B, Jul 2026
It was very beautiful and fun will do again. It was a little behind schedule but that was not a problem. The staff was fantastic and funny and made the experience wonderful.
Jules_C, Jul 2026
The add shows pictures of people in kayaks with bright, glowing water. Please know you will be on a large boat, not a kayak, and you have to jump in the water off the boat. There were several other large tourist filled boats coming through with people and lights. The water did glow, but nothing like the pictures. Important to note that we made sure to go when there wasn’t a full moon as recommended. We saw some glow, but I am on the fence on the cost.
Tanya_C, Jul 2026
This was one of the best experiences of our whole trip to Puerto Rico. It was magical swimming in the bioluminescent bay under the stars. We rented a car and did the self transportation option and stopped at Cascada Delicias and Ponce along the way. Highly recommend this activity.
Elvira_F, Jul 2026
We had a blast and the water temperature was just right. Swimming in the bioluminescence simply felt magical. If you book this don’t short change yourself… Jump in!
Marlene_B, Jul 2026
Literally coolest experience ever! We’ve kayaked through the bioluminescent bay in Fajardo but there’s nothing like swimming in it! They’ll suggest you bring goggles but we didn’t end up using ours!
Girish_K, Jul 2026
Videos and pics will not do justice to this experience, you really need to be in the water to experience the magic. Nature is phenomenal, this was on our bucket list for a while and it was amazing. I can be scary for kids as you ride through the water in pitch dark conditions but once you get to the bay and dive in to experience the bioluminescence it’s absolutely magical. Just that it’s too short of a swim, would recommend the operator to increase prices and let us swim for at least 30 minutes. Also have some decent changing room facilities near the dock.
Karen_O, Jul 2026
The experience itself did feel short, but I would have stayed in the bay for hours if I could. We were part of a bigger tour group that got split onto 2 boats, a smaller boat and a bigger boat. We got onto the smaller boat, and thankfully it worked out that way, because our tour guide told us the group on the bigger boat would not be able to swim in the bay. We would have been VERY disappointed if that was the case for us, but it wasn’t. We traveled with a 9 y.o., a 7 y.o., and a 3 y.o., they all went in the bay and LOVED the experience. We brought our own swimmies because the younger 2 did not do well with life jackets provided on other excursions. I definitely would recommend this excursion and would do it again if I could. We Loved it!
Francesca_R, Jul 2026
Excellent experience! Our family enjoyed it along with dinner at one of the restaurants at the marina. Definitely add it to your trip!
Response from Host, Jul 2026
That bioluminescent boat ride and swim really is something special! So glad your family loved it and capped it off with a great dinner at the marina. We'll see you next time!
Mercedes_A, Jun 2026
It was awesome !!! this was my second time booking this activity and next time I come I will be doing it again.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thanks for sharing, Mercedes! We're thrilled that our guides are able to provide an incredible experience for you time and time again.
Can't wait for the next one, hope to see you soon!
Jayme_S, Jun 2026
This was an amazing experience and highly recommended for families. They accommodated all 15 of us and recommended a dinner spot for us
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Wrangling a big group of 15 can be a challenge, so we are thrilled to hear that the team took such great care of your family and hooked you up with a solid dinner spot. Come back and see us anytime!
Morris_J, Jun 2026
"Our tour was cancelled on the morning of the day we had reserved. We were offered another date or a refund, but unfortunately we were leaving the next day so we chose the refund.
I wish the tour operator had given us more advance notice or disclosed upfront how many people had booked—the listing only showed 'available' or 'sold out,' with no transparency about group size. Knowing the tour was undersubscribed would have let us plan an alternative activity. This was particularly disappointing since we were celebrating our wedding anniversary.
If you book this tour, try to schedule it early in your vacation so you have backup options. (Note: we couldn't, as all other dates were sold out.)
Response from Host, Jul 2026
We are incredibly sorry for the last-minute cancellation and the bummer start to your morning. Vacation time is precious, so we hate that we disrupted your plans, though we're glad we could get your refund processed right away. We hope the rest of your trip was great!
Rebecca_S, Jun 2026
The paperwork said to be there at 8:15, them the ticket person said 8:25, but we didn’t board until 8:45. All of that was a bit frustrating, but once we got on the boat, the guides were nice and the experience was great! Being able to swim in the water with beautiful stars above was an amazing experience.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Thanks for the honest feedback about the boarding wait time—we'll definitely look into smoothing out that timeline. That said, we're so stoked that the crew and the magic of swimming under the stars made the wait totally worth it!
Lea_S, Jun 2026
We had a fantastic time!! It was a bucket list item for me and I’m
So happy we did this one-we got to swim!
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Checking off a bucket list item is huge! We are so happy you got to experience the magic of that night swim. Thanks for choosing us for it!
Lynda_B, Jun 2026
It was an amazing experience. Night time boat ride. Bioluminescence swim. So amazing. The water was not too deep.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
That bioluminescent swim really is pure magic, isn't it? So glad you had an amazing night out on the water. Thanks for joining us!
Bex_H, Jun 2026
We opted for the tour with transportation included, and the ride itself was very comfortable. The guides were incredibly nice and welcoming throughout the day, though I do wish the tour had dived a little deeper into the history of the area.
Our main critique is the timing: it is a very long day of travel for only about 15 minutes of actual time spent swimming in the water. If you go into this tour with the mindset that you are primarily exploring and seeing a completely new area of Puerto Rico, it helps a lot! However, if you are booking this strictly for the swimming experience, you might find it a bit too short.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Thanks for the feedback! Glad you found the ride comfy and the guides welcoming. We appreciate the note on wanting a bit more history mixed in, and we'll definitely look into weaving more of that in. Hope to see you again down the road!
Alexis_C, May 2026
The tour and guide were excellent, sad we didn’t get to see much as we were told that the night and moon were were too bright to observe as clearly but still obtained some pictures and a great night swimming experience.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
So glad you enjoyed the night swim and had a great time with our guide! Mother Nature definitely has a mind of her own when it comes to the moon's brightness, but we love that you still made the most of the experience and grabbed some cool pictures. Thanks for hanging out with us!
Bahador_N, May 2026
Great experience overall! The team was very understanding and kindly offered a partial refund when two seniors in our group couldn’t attend due to health-related circumstances.
The tour was well organized, and the staff was friendly and professional. Due to the weather and bright moonlight, we couldn’t fully see the blue glow of the Bio Bay, but we still saw beautiful sparkles ✨ in the water around us, which made the experience special.
Highly recommend this tour if you’re visiting Puerto Rico!
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Thanks for sharing! We're thrilled that the team made you guys feel taken care of and made sure the group that attended had a great time.
We appreciate the recommendation, and hope to see you next time!
Rachel_C, May 2026
This was an amazing experience. Our family chose the smaller group tour on the smaller boat. The water was warm, bright and beautiful. I would have given this 5 stars if our boat captain had been more engaging…. Or engaged at all with us. He would answer questions when asked but seemed short and irritated and did not care to offer up any information on the area etc. When a few in our group got stung in the water he just shrugged and said “it’s jelly fish”. Jelly fish happen and we know this and everyone is fine but would have been nice of him to explain about it or something… anything… When we pulled back up to the dock he simply said “Good night”…. That was it.
We had been on a private boat tour with a different company the previous day and the captain on that boat was kind, knowledgeable and talkative. Perhaps we were expecting the same or perhaps our family is overly talkative. I would do this experience again, perhaps with a different captain or different company.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Hey Rachel, we appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback with us. We're glad you experiencing the magic of the bio bay with us, and are sorry to hear we left something to be desired.
We'd love to hear a little more, if you'd like to reach out to our main office, we'd be happy to talk!
Thanks again for sharing, we hope to welcome you back again soon!
Erik_B, May 2026
Had a fantastic time on this trip. Juan was our driver from San Juan to La Parguera and was great. He pointed out interesting sites along the way and stopped halfway through so we could stretch our legs. In La Parguera we were met by Nancy who showed us where to go when it was time to get on the boat, she was a very kind host. We got time to explore the area and have dinner. I can’t remember our captains name but he was also great. Overall a great experience
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Hey Erik! Thanks for sharing your experience with us! We're glad Juan was able to make the trip down south interesting, and made sure everyone was comfortable and had an opportunity to stretch their legs.
We appreciate the kind words, and will make sure to pass them along to the team. See you again soon!
Zack_P, May 2026
Super fun experience. We went out on a night that the bioluminescence was showing really well. It was completely dark, so we were able to enjoy the attraction to its finest. My wife is disabled and has an issue with mobility, and was able to access the water with minimal difficulty. I would definitely recommend to anyone who wants to see this cool phenomenon.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Hey Zack, thanks for sharing! We're glad you enjoyed experiencing the magic of La Parguera, and that we were able to ensure your wife got to partake as well.
We appreciate you joining us, and hope to see you next time!
Kaily_S, Apr 2026
It’s a great tour BUT don’t expect neon lights. It’s definitely cool to see, but if you don’t go in you don’t see its full effects.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Hey Kaily! We're glad you enjoyed the tour- getting in the water definitely makes the experience a little extra magical, but we are happy you were able to enjoy nonetheless.
We appreciate your feedback and hope to welcome you back soon.
AMBER_T, Apr 2026
Great boat ride! Everyone was very helpful. We had so much fun! And we enjoyed swimming in the bioluminescent bay! It looked like sparks flying off my fingers! I really loved the whole experience!
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thanks Amber! Glad you enjoyed the tour, and that you found the team to be helpful. The bioluminescence truly is magical and we're happy we could share it with you!
Hope to see you again soon!
Sonia_D, Apr 2026
Its best on the new moon. Looks shiny more than blue. Very cool, beautiful clear water. Definitely recommend.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thanks for sharing Sonia, glad you were able to enjoy the beauty of the bay.
Thanks for the recommendation, we'll see you next time!
Sandra_R, Apr 2026
The boat ride out is fun as they go at a good speed. Watching the people swim and seeing the glow around them was beautiful. The crew was great and my family loved it.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Hey Sandra, thanks for taking the time to share your feedback. We're glad the crew delivered on a good experience for the whole family.
See you next time!
Sandra_D, Apr 2026
My experience was a bit of disappointment as to what I expected according to instructions on this website and what really happened. According to the website we had the option to swim or not swim in the bay. Once we got ready to sail the option was get on a smaller boat if you anted to swim or take the bigger boat if you didnt want to swim, that would have separated our group of 6. We chose the bigger boat to stay together. And again expecting to e able to see the bioluminescent bay on a lower deck that had a bottom option of boat that you were able to see the bioluminescent bay of a glass or transparent bottom deck, that never happened. I was very much disappointed. Then there was the fact that we had a noisy and undercontrollable loud group of people that were obnoxious. Only gave me a headache and wasn’t able to enjoy the ride. Not worth the money spent
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Hey Sandra, sorry to hear the experience didn't live up to expectations.
We'd love to hear more- please reach out to our main office and we'll be happy to discuss!
Catherine_W, Apr 2026
Wonderful small group experience. Made things so enjoyable for this bioluminescent bay experience. The bioluminescence is amazing. My kid even made a friend on the boat.
Yvette_G, Apr 2026
Amazing experience, definitely worth the money and time. If you aren’t the greatest swimmer it’s super easy to do as well.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thanks for your feedback, Yvette! We're glad you enjoyed the tour and felt it was accessible to everyone.
Hope to see you back soon!
Jacob_M, Apr 2026
Be aware that the TARS blimp was built NEXT to the bioluminescent bay and the operator didn’t tell us that it was grounded when we went on our excursion. This made the light pollution so bad that we could barely see any of the bioluminescent algae. They didn’t say anything about it to us. When we went two years ago we went to a different part of the bay and it was amazing. I have no idea why they took us towards that horrible monstrosity of a blimp.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Hey Jacob, thanks for taking the time to share your feedback. We understand your frustration and would love to hear more- feel free to reach out to our main office at any time.
We apologize for expectations not being met, and hope you enjoyed the rest of your stay on the island!
Alexander_K, Apr 2026
Quicker and simpler than imagined...a short boat ride to the bay, 15 minutes in the water, short ride back. Bring towels and a sweater as the ride is chillier being on water in the dark.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thanks for sharing your feedback, Alexander! We're sorry to hear you didn't get quite as much time as expected, but we hope you enjoyed the bay nonetheless!
Feel free to reach out to our main office anytime, we'd be happy to talk more about your experience.
Take care and we hope to see you next time you're in Puerto Rico!
Brittany_C, Apr 2026
Everything was perfect! Finding the right kiosk was a little confusing, but not really an issue. Im a single mom traveling with 2 teens. We have a rental car, so we drove the long way from Isla Verde. We caught so much of the beautiful countryside on our way, to include wild horses, iguanas, gorgeous island homes, tropical forests, and more! We made stops at local beaches, Heladaria Lares (tons of unique island flavors of ice cream). Do yourself a favor and book this excursion and make it the most memorable experience of your trip!
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you for taking the time to submit your review! We consider all feedback and continuously look for ways to improve this experience. We know there are many things to do in San Juan, things to do in Puerto Rico, and different ways to experience the bioluminescent bays on the island. We thank you for choosing to join us on the Luminous One- Bio Bay Boat Ride and Swimming. Our hope is that all of our guests are able to discover Puerto Rico and its many natural beauties in a safe environment. While not for everyone, swimming in the bioluminescent bay in La Parguera has been a locally coveted treasure for decades. We thank you again for joining us and hope you enjoyed your vacation in Puerto Rico!
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