Palo Verde Boat Safari
4.6
120 Ratings
Tamarindo
Explore Costa Rica's wildlife on a Palo Verde Boat Safari, savor a traditional lunch, and discover Chorotega pottery. Adventure, culture, and cuisine await!
Duration: 6 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Palo Verde National Park - Hotel Pick up

You will be picked up from your hotel journey one hour through the back roads of Guanacaste’s Sabanero (Cowboy Country) Province to Palo Verde National Park.

2 Hour Boat Safari on Tempisque River

After a scenic guided drive, you will then hope into your boat and spend 2 hours on the Tempique River that borders the Palo Verde National Park, best known for its murky water and spectacular wetlands. Your naturalist guide will help to spot wildlife in the dry forest vegetation and mangroves. There are over 600 different species of birds, both local and migratory. Appropriately, this tour is a real treat for bird watchers, as you’ll have the chance of spotting a wide range of fowl that includes storks, egrets, spoonbills, grebes and more. Also be on the lookout for monkeys, iguanas, scarlet macaws, anteaters, crocodiles and caimans, which can often be seen lingering along the banks of the river.

Costa Rica Style Lunch

After your boat safari, you will be taken to eat a plentiful Costa Rican style meal called a Casado with rice, beans, salad, plantains, choice of meat, and more. Dietary restrictions can be accommodated.

Guaitil Pottery Village

Before heading back, we will visit the Guaitil Pottery village that is famous throughout Costa Rica and the rest of Central America for its pre-Columbian Chorotega style. They will show you how they make the pottery and there is an opportunity to buy some if you like!

  • Playa Conchal - 7:20 am
  • Tamarindo - 7:00 am
  • Playa Grande - 7:00 am
  • Playa Flamingo - 7:00 am
  • Pinilla - 6:30 am
  • Playas del Coco - 7:00 am
  • Playa Hermosa - 7:00 am
  • Playa Panama - 7:00 am
  • Culebra - 7:00 am
What's Included
  • Bilingual Tour Guide
  • JW Marriott, Tamarindo, Langosta, Grande, Conchal, Flamingo
  • National Park fees
  • Lunch included
  • Hotel pick-up and drop off
  • Playas del Coco, Hermosa, & RIU Hotels, Playa Panama (Secrets Papagayo, Mangroove)
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
  • Andaz, Four Seasons, Planet Hollywood ($50 transport fee per booking, not per person)
  • Las Catalinas ($50 transport fee per booking, not per person)
Additional Information

Embark on a captivating 1 hour and 20-minute boat safari through Palo Verde National Park, where you’ll encounter Costa Rica’s rich wildlife, from crocodiles to monkeys. Following the safari, indulge in a hearty Costa Rican lunch to recharge, before diving into a fascinating presentation on Chorotega pottery, learning about its intricate designs and cultural significance. It’s a day filled with adventure, culture, and delicious cuisine, offering a memorable glimpse into the wonders of Costa Rica.

  • Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required
  • Child rate applies only when sharing with 2 paying adults
  • Children must be accompanied by an adult
  • A minimum of 2 adults per booking is required
Location
Tamarindo
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.6
(120 Ratings)
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1 star
Martha
Apr 25, 2024
A unique and pleasurable experience for our three generation family. - Carlos was a wonderful guide. He and the boat captain were an excellent team, spotting many animals and birds, getting very close for viewing and photographing.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Th47084
Mar 11, 2024
Palo Verde Boat Safari, Mucho Bueno. - We booked the Palo Verde Boat Safari as part of our visit to Tamarindo. The boat ride down the river was relaxing and very informative. Our guides finally found the white faced monkeys we heard about, but hadn't seen. The fruit bats lined up to imitate a snake was also incredible to witness, and to spot the birds in the trees like they did was awesome. The meal to finish off the tour was fantastic and a chance to taste traditional food prepared the Costa Rican way. Pura Vida. The pottery workshop before the boat safari was so interesting, and glad we bought a piece to bring home.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Cam2640
Feb 28, 2024
A great way to experience some CR life - Great experience. Ivan and Miguel both worked together to give us the best experience on the river. They really know the area and enjoy their jobs. Gil our bus driver did a great job at giving us a smooth and enjoyable drive. The food at lunch very good and pottery demo a little added treat. This tour was a great value. Thanks to all!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Juan_d
Feb 21, 2024
Lot's of wildlife - Ariel and Manuel were great guides. Saw a multitude of wildlife. Great lunch too. Beautiful scenery.
Review provided by Viator
Francoiseb780
Feb 21, 2024
A great trip - Fabulous tour with Family run business. We drove ourselves to their offices to pick up the boat. We also had lunch there which was superb. Well worth doing. saw crocodiles, parrots, monkeys etc...
Review provided by Tripadvisor
967kima
May 7, 2024
Pretty nice day - Richard I was a great driver and guide. We did see monkeys, crocodiles and birds. The meal was wonderful. The stop in Philadelphia park to see the iguanas very cool. But the drive versus what we saw so so. So mixed review. It’s a low key trip which many people will enjoy.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Savvakis1
Mar 28, 2024
Savvas and Michele in Costa Rica - The boat trip is very interesting and made more so by our informative guide who was able to point out many animals to photograph many of which would have been hard to see if they were not pointed out as they are hidden in the trees.Among animals you will see are crocodiles,monkeys ,iguanas, bats and a variety of birds.The boat trip was followed by a traditional village lunch and a demonstration of pottery craft.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kurt_m
Mar 17, 2024
kurt m - it’s a great trip to see wildlife in an otherwise arid area realize you are in a boat trip for 1 1/2 hours 1 1/2 hour drive to general transfer point the 45 min to boat 30 minutes to pottery exhibition , then 1 1/2 hours back It is an 8 hour trip not 5 worth it to see crocs and birds lunch was excellent our guide Victor was excellent with a great knowledge base
Review provided by Viator
David_m
Mar 14, 2024
Not all that exciting. - We didn't especially enjoy this tour. The guides were knowledgeable, but the river tour itself isn't very exciting. Also, the smell of the exhaust from the boats was a little bothersome, and I got food poisoning from something served at lunch. Meh.
Review provided by Viator
Susangx6881jm
Apr 27, 2024
Not much of a tour! Don't waste your money. - We were not impressed with our safari tour. We did see some animals and birds but based on the description, we expected a lot more. The meal was not as described, either. There was no choice of meat and no real drinks were provided. They served a punch of some kind, in a carafe, but if a traveler is concerned about water safety, it would be better to provide bottled water or canned soda. Also, the place we ate was not indoors, so it was very hot and humid. I did not do well with those conditions. Others may have no issue but my humidity tolerance is low. The drive to the river is very rough. Our tour van was not very comfortable and the air wasn't working right. All in all, I would not recommend this tour and found the price way too high for what you get.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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2 Adult
June 2024
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