Sarapiqui Riverboat Tour

Explore the amazing wildlife along the beautiful Sarapiqui River in modern eco-friendly quiet boats allowing a close encounter with both shore and river wildlife. Get your cameras ready! You’ll spend 2 hours meandering through different habitats and a variety of landscapes, each hosting its own special breeds of plant and animal life.

You will be picked up from your hotel and taken down to the Sarapiqui River where you will board a modern, comfortable, covered riverboat. A bilingual, naturalist guide who is an expert in spotting and identifying the wildlife that calls this river home, will introduce you to the river inhabitants as you slowly glide over the calm waters of the Sarapiqui.

You will explore the river-dwelling plants and animals living in the heart of the Sarapiqui within their protected elements. The easygoing riverboat ride is perfect for families, children, seniors, birding groups and anyone who loves nature. This tour can be arranged for groups of up to 45 people using one of its larger riverboats. The boat will cruise along the river with specially designed motors that are eco-friendly, quiet and clean.

Looking towards shore you may come across a family of Spider or Howler monkeys, or even see a sleeping sloth up in the trees. Swimming beside you in the water might be an otter, or a semi-aquatic crocodile or cayman.

Birds found in abundance here have made this a famous area for birdwatching. You might see rare finds such as the Tiger Heron, Sungrebe, or the elusive White Hawk and other raptors. More commonly spotted are the Kingfishers, Warblers, Sunbitterns, American Dipper, various Tanagers, and Anhingas.

The 50 mile long Sarapiqui River passes through mountains, pastures, and rainforests bringing a change of landscapes into view. The river sustains life for a diverse and vibrant ecosystem making wildlife observation here exciting and unique. It is also the irrigation source for plantations of sugar cane, coffee, cacao, and bananas. The rich agricultural environment supplies food and habitat for hundreds of plant, animal and insect species.

This tour includes a professional, bilingual guide, onboard safety equipment, bottled water, and transportation from your hotel in Sarapiqui. One way transport can take from 15 minutes to 1 hour depending on where you are staying. The total time for this boat tour and round trip transportation typically takes from 3 to 4 hours.

Please wear nonskid shoes and bring sunglasses, sunblock, insect repellent, rain gear, binoculars, and a camera. This is a great learning experience for people of all ages as you share in the gifts that nature provides.