Palo Verde Boat Tours: Immerse in Wildlife and Sustainable Farming Experience in Ortega

Immerse yourself in a wildlife and sustainable farming experience with Palo Verde Boat Tours. Discover the true essence of Costa Rican culture and support local communities.

Duration: 3 hours, 10 minutes
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Palo Verde Boat Tours - PALO VERDE BOAT TOURS© has been a pioneer in Rural Tourism for more than 30 years. Our commitment is to provide unique and unforgettable trip experiences with the true Costarican family essence.

Visitors will enjoy and connect with a natural destiny special for the nature and wildlife lover type of tourist; and get to know the culture and ways of living of the families in Guanacaste.

Let yourself be captivated by the beautiful nature of Palo Verde National Park and Cipanci Wildlife Refuge, a great opportunity to enjoy a safari adventure by bordering the Tempisque River to observe wildlife (crocodiles, monkeys, birds, etc).

Expose yourself to an authentic “Blue Zone” lifestyle and taste our healthy dishes with locally cultivated ingredients from our small farm. We promise unique and inherited recipes from our grandmothers.

We thank your visit, for enabling us to provide working opportunities to women and men within our community, while also allowing us to produce and buy local products, supporting the growth of the local economy.

Self- Drive to our office.
Boat Tour length: 1h45 minutes. Lunch (45 min) & pottery (30 min)

What's Included
  • Enjoy complimentary snacks
  • Experience an intimate small group boat tour (contact us for private options)
  • Savor a traditional homemade meal, served family-style
  • Discover the area with a local guide (S/E available)
  • Stay hydrated with bottled water included
  • Refresh with juice and coffee
What's Not Included
  • Park fee ticket $10 p/p (CASH ONLY).
  • Private transportation
  • Gratuities / Tips
Meal Options
  • Healthy meals - Local & organic products. Traditional meals: rice, beans, chicken, fresh vegetables & fruits, corn tortillas,etc. Vegan or vegetarian dish available
Additional Information

PALO VERDE BOAT TOURS© has been a leader in Rural Tourism for over three decades. We are dedicated to offering unique and memorable travel experiences that capture the true essence of a Costa Rican family.

Guests will enjoy a boat tour tailored for wildlife enthusiasts and have the opportunity to engage in the sustainable farming practices of families in Guanacaste.

Your visit helps us create job opportunities for both women and men in our community, while also enabling us to produce and purchase local and organic products, thereby supporting the local economy.

Thank you for supporting Rural Tourism businesses run by local families like ours, PALO VERDE BOAT TOURS©.

Location
Palo Verde Boat Tours
According to your location, drive directly to these cities (choose one). ENTRANCE #1) Drive to Filadelfia / Corralillos / Palo Verde boat tours, in Ortega village (only during summertime). ENTRANCE #2) Drive toward Santa Cruz to Palo Verde boat tours in Ortega village.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(282 Ratings)
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Dinascott
Aug 18, 2024
Amazing boat tour, animals, and people! - This was by far one of my favorite days in Costa Rica. I set up a private boat tour for my family of 5 adults. From start to finish, they were so professional and friendly. They arranged transportation for us, and communication was seamless. Jose picked us up exactly as planned and was also our guide on the tour! We spent the whole morning with him, and he was fantastic! Along with Antonio, the captain of the boat, I don't think we missed a single animal! We had such a great time and they were so informative. They interacted with all of us and made the tour so personal for our family. Some of us had never seen monkeys in the wild and when several climbed out of the trees into view, it was simply amazing. It is something we will never forget. I have to take step back to our arrival to their understated, but quaint and serene location. Such a charming spot to sit and have the brightest juice and the most delicious coffee. Soon we were treated to seeing how traditional palmed corn tortillas are made on a wood fire. Maria served them with the most amazing cheese. The boat tour, the amazing lunch after the tour, the pottery show, the overall atmosphere, and the people who are involved are all just perfect. I will definitely to back the next time I am in Costa Rica!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Yogieikeda
Jul 12, 2024
Excellent, however if taking Uber, please read review - The tour was good. Our boat guide was excellent and the lunch delicious. The logistics could be improved. For example, getting from the Palo Verde meeting point to where the river boat launches is a 15 min. drive. Fortunately we hired drivers to wait for us, because I wasn't sure what transportation would have been provided to the launching point. Secondly, if you plan on taking Uber, be sure and arrange and pay for an Uber driver to wait for you because you won't be able to call and get an Uber to pick you up. The Palo Verde Boat tours meeting point is located in a remote location.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rebecca_d
Jul 8, 2024
Great adventure for a family - The guides were wonderful helping us spot lots of monkeys, iguanas, birds, bats and crocodiles. The lunch was amazing. The pottery demonstration was great, and we were able to purchase one of a kind pieces to take home.
Review provided by Viator
Sabine
Jul 7, 2024
A visit to paradise - It was a great break from the busy pacific coast! We made an online reservation (including lunch) and drove with our rental from playa Hermosa to Ortega. It was a beautiful drive through the country side. The last view kilometers the road was not paved - but in good conditions. Ortega is a small neat town, which we liked very much immediately. The location of Palo Verde boat tours is very peaceful and relaxing. The company is run by local families- we felt very welcomed and integrated. The tour with the boat was great! We saw many birds and animals on the tour. The explanations of our guide were very interesting and we felt how much he loves his place of home. We (two) got a boat for us alone with the guide (even we did not booked a private tour). Do never miss the lunch after the tour! We enjoyed the fresh cooked local food so much! It was difficult to leave this wonderful place - we were the last tourists who went on their way back. Why we got there? It was a tip of American tourists we met at a coffee shop at playa Portero & the recommendations on trip advisor.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Katherinev594
Jul 2, 2024
Pura Vida - Amazing tour 😍 we saw all kinds of wikdlife and our tour guides we the BEST. The lunch was simply delicious and the people friendly. We had our three yr old son with us and he enjoyed it as much as us. I recommend Pura Vida
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Emily_c
Jun 24, 2024
Amazing Palo Verde Boat Tour - Highly Recommend!! - We had excellent guides who were knowledgeable and very accommodating! We saw so much wildlife in a few hours, and learned a lot about the area. The boat ride was lovely - so peaceful and comfortable. The lunch afterwards was delicious. All around, this was a phenomenal tour and we both would definitely take the tour again. Thank you!
Review provided by Viator
Departure35091731936
Jun 22, 2024
Amazing Guides and Tour - Amazing tour guides sho went above and beyond to make our tour memorable! We saw many crocodiles, monkeys, bats, and birds. Would highly recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kellysk9762yi
Jun 18, 2024
All around fantastic way to spend a late-morning - Fantastic experience - saw monkeys, macaws, even a few crocodiles (despite it not being the right time of day to see them). Francisco was a perfect guide, as was the boat driver Toño, spotting and identifying so many animals. After that, the meal was so tasty, and the local artisanal ceramicist Willy was very talented - I was so happy to bring home a few pieces of his family’s work.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rory_k
Jun 4, 2024
Excellent Experience with Food & Wildlife! - This tour was one of our favorite experiences in Costa Rica! The guides were incredibly knowledgeable about the river and its wildlife and demonstrated a real passion for the area. The tour operators were determined to help our group identify wildlife and shared interesting facts we never would have uncovered otherwise. Additionally, we were blown away by the lunch offered as part of the tour! The food exceeded all expectations.
Review provided by Viator
Katherine_z
May 31, 2024
Highly recommend, great experience and perfect amount of time! - We had a great time! We saw monkeys, crocodiles, iguanas and a variety of birds on our boat tour. After the tour, we were served an authentic, delicious lunch. The staff was very warm and friendly. Overall, the perfect amount of time as well - our tour was at 9am and we were done with everything by about 12. Highly recommend!
Review provided by Viator
Select Date and Tickets
up to 15 guests
2 Adult
September 2024
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