Palo Verde Boat Tours: Immerse in Wildlife and Sustainable Farming Experience in Ortega
4.9
275 Ratings
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

For lovers of the great outdoors!

Experience the tranquility of the countryside through our personalized service led by our family and the Ortega community residents. This opportunity is ideal for those looking to familiarize themselves with local fauna and learn about our cultural heritage, all while supporting the small businesses in the region. Our experiences are designed for everyone, irrespective of age or physical capabilities.

Join us for a breathtaking and secure boat journey down the Tempisque River. Here, you’ll encounter a diverse range of wildlife, including varieties of birds, crocodiles, monkeys, and iguanas within the Palo Verde National Park & Cipanci Refuge.

Partake in the authentic ‘Blue Zone’ way of life. Sample our nutritious meals crafted using locally sourced organic produce and traditional techniques, grown in our farm or neighboring family homesteads. Our exceptional recipes have been passed down through generations and are a testament to our enduring community in Guanacaste. We pledge to serve you unique culinary treasures from our grandmothers.

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
(275 Ratings)
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696dans
Apr 25, 2024
Very nice trip, amazing food - Really enjoyed the boat trip with our 3 years old daughter. the service and kindness of the family that own this business was exceptional and above all the lunch after the trip stood up as our best food we had In Costa Rica !!! (I’m a Che) every bite was delicious and they only use local produce that was great quality. Recommend this trip even only for the perfect lunch 🤣
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jessica_c
Apr 22, 2024
Amazing local experience - While we initially signed up for this tour for the boat ride and wildlife, we found the highlight to be the traditional homemade lunch! It was insanely delicious. Everyone was incredibly nice, and we ended up also seeing some pretty cool animals. Definitely recommend for any age!
Review provided by Viator
Brigittepr8301ly
Apr 22, 2024
Best Palo Verde River Tour - This was our second tour with this family tour business, as good the second time around! We saw a lot of wildlife, amazing lunch! We will do this again!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mallory
Apr 4, 2024
A must do! - A beautiful family owned business in Ortega. We had fresh made corn tortillas and sour cream and fresh fruit juice before we left for our boat tour. The rest of our group did not show up, so we lucked into a “private” tour 😊. The guide and the boat operator were great. They were very knowledgeable and amazing at spotting tons of animals- including bats on a tree branch that were VERY camouflaged! We saw a family of monkeys playing, crocodiles, so many different types of birds, it was amazing and a highlight of our trip! The lunch back at the building was spectacular. Everyone was so kind and willing to share about their town and country. A little off the beaten path, but completely worth it! We drove ourselves and had a great time exploring!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Martamr1113uj
Mar 29, 2024
Tour to Palo Verde by boat and lunch - Beautiful excursion and typical lunch!!!! We had a great time and will definitely be back! We also witnessed the processing of clay.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kerrir921
Mar 23, 2024
Phenomenal wildlife tour with fun and delicious lunch! - This tour was phenomenal! We did a private boat tour and it was so incredibly special. Our guide, Jose, was a great spotter and we were treated to so much wildlife. My favorite was seeing capuchin monkeys with babies and watching them eat and play. After the tour, we had a fabulous lunch at the family's restaurant. The food was fresh and delicious - some of the juiciest, sweetest chicken I've ever had! It was marinated in a tamarind sauce, and wow! Everyone was super friendly, and we had so much fun. Highly recommend this wonderful tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Seaside58645424408
Mar 21, 2024
Fantastic! Me gusto mucho - This excursion is a must as i felt like a wild life photographer at one point ....maybe I was for 3 hrs. Thanks to Ronny for being available to organize the tour, good advice. We went with Franco who's knowledge of the flora y fauna is encyclopedic. Along with his driver-bus and boat-, it was obvious that they were not at their first rodeo as their complicity made it all the better for us. They'll bring you as close as safely possible so you can experience the live wilds of the shores. I've been on many tours, these people are in the top 1 percentile of the best! PURA VIDA!!! a todos!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sandi_d
Mar 20, 2024
The guides were very... - The guides were very experienced and knowledgeable we learned a lot and the food after was amazing and the staff there were just lovely
Review provided by Viator
Demar_g
Mar 17, 2024
The boat operators made sure we saw a bunch of wildlife - We had a great time. The staff and boat operators were wonderful. The boat operators made sure we saw all of the wildlife they could find in the area. When they saw an animal, they would steer the boat to it, and get as close as they could. Wonderful trip.
Review provided by Viator
Christinacc5015vq
Mar 23, 2024
Boat tour and lunch - We were a little disappointed with the boat tour but the lunch was very delicious. The people here are very friendly and welcoming. The reason we didn’t enjoy the boat tour is we felt the driver of the boat was not respecting the space of the animals. We got way too close and in one instance the whole boat was sprayed with mud when he got too close to a croc. We saw capuchins, bats and a few birds. The tour started late as we had to wait for some people to arrive. We didn’t travel very far up the river. The guide didn’t seem very engaged. Lunch afterwards was really good and very plentiful. We did an 11am tour and would suggest the earlier tour if possible to avoid the heat of midday.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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minimum 2 guests
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up to 15 guests
2 Adult
June 2024
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