Palo Verde Boat Tours: Immerse in Wildlife and Sustainable Farming Experience in Ortega
4.9
278 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
(278 Ratings)
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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
Familytravelors20
May 25, 2024
Must do activity with local Costa Rican family business - This family is amazing. Before our boat trip, they made fresh corn tortillas from masa they ground fresh upon our arrival and picked cashews from one of their trees and freshly roasted them for our tasting enjoyment. The boat trip exceeded our expectations - crocs, birds, iguanas, bats & white faced monkeys were among the spotted wildlife. But the lunch they served to our group of 17 was even more wonderful. Always smiling, always kind and accommodating - this family typifies everything that is good about Ticos! Great trip and you should add this to your “must do list” while in Costa Rica.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Bkchang1
May 7, 2024
Crocs and monkeys galore! - Absolutely incredible! We made this stop on our last full day in Costa Rica when we were driving back to Liberia. Such amazing plentiful wildlife with excellent guides, and the food was delicious. We saw three different types of monkeys and countless crocs. Highly recommend!!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Cappeclod
May 4, 2024
Boat tour - well worth the trip - Wonderful experience. Ortega is a tiny village located along a wide gravel road about 1 hr 15 mins from Liberia (the road between Liberia and Filadelfia is a nice sealed state highway). My father and I did the boat tour, which lasts about 1 hr (effective time on the boat). The tour includes a pottery demo, before the boat tour, and a good lunch afterwards. The boat tour offers a nice opportunity to see many animals, in particular howling monkeys, crocodiles and iguanas, in one of the many different natural environmens of Costa Rica. We really enjoyed the whole experience and I would warmly recommend it to anyone who's staying in the area as a good activity to fill half of the day.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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
Schliek
May 24, 2024
a disgrace - Hi guys, we had to pay 80 dollars for a boat trip of 1 hour. what did we see? Nothing. Completely nothing. 1 exception: 1 bird. see pic regards schliek
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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2 Adult
June 2024
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