The 4 Best Tortuguero Kayaking Tours

1.Canoe tour dentro del Parque

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 86 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $28Our pick

Start at 6:00 am with Tortuguero Adventures for a three-hour canoe ride through Tortuguero National Park. Your guide helps you spot caimans, howler monkeys, and tropical birds while you paddle quiet canals. Binoculars, ponchos, and paddles are included. The group is limited to 10 people, and coffee and tea are served before departure.

“Die Tour war von Anfang bis Schluss perfekt. Sehr einfache und freundliche Kommunikation mit Carmen. Die Tour startete pünktlich um 6.00 Uhr - davor gab es noch Kaffee und Tee. Der Guide war perfekt - er erklärte uns alles im Detail und nahm sich die Zeit alle Fragen zu beantworten. Wir sahen super viele Tiere.”

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2.Adventure Canoe Tour in Tortuguero

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 78 reviews · 2 hours 15 minutes (approx.) · from $25Best value

Set out from Tortuguero’s main pier in a paddle-only canoe with an accredited guide such as Norton, Eric, or Leroy. Over about 2 hours, explore the national park’s waterways in a group of no more than six, watching for monkeys, sloths, birds, basilisk lizards, caimans, otters, and other wildlife.

“We had a good time with Leroy and saw quite a few different birds and two caymans despite the bad weather. Overall it was a nice tour that I don't regret, but I do have to dock at least 1 star: all the other passengers spoke Spanish, so Leroy was switching between Spanish and English, but clearly said a lot more in Spanish — it was practice for me but still a bit annoying at times. Other than that, all of us paddled since the boat had no motor — I think it was a nice experience, but it's definitely not for everyone and I got quite wet due to…”

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3.Kayak Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 76 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $45

Set out at 6:00 am from Tortuguero with a kayak, life vest, and aluminum paddle. Guide Christian is praised for spotting monkeys, caimans, sloths, birds, and turtles, while Emanuel can help explain the National Park ticket process. Expect a small-group paddle that is peaceful, active, and weather-dependent.

“Great trip, very knowledgeable guide, Christian. Saw howler monkeys, lots of cayman, black turtle, snake bird and lots of others. Everything very safe and plenty of time to take photos and soak it all in.”

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4.Canoe tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 71 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $35

Set out at 6:00 a.m. from Tortuguero National Park for about two and a half hours on the park’s canals by canoe or kayak. A licensed guide leads your search for caimans, crocodiles, monkeys, sloths, iguanas, and birds. Groups are limited to eight, and guide Hugo has earned special praise for his professional, attentive approach.

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