Cano Negro Wildlife Boat Tour – Arenal/La Fortuna Area
Cano Negro is a wildlife refuge near the Nicaragua border about 1.25 hours from La Fortuna. The refuge is located in a remote area and has a rich ecosystem full of birds and wildlife.
As you cruise down the calm river, the guides will point out wildlife like monkeys, caimans, iguanas, and bats. An abundance of birds also can be seen, including herons, kingfisher, anhinga, wood storks, and roseate spoonbills. If you’re lucky, you may even get to spot an orange colored howler monkey, one of the only ones in the world! The tour is on a sturdy, pontoon boat.
After the boat portion, you will get to enjoy a traditional lunch back at the restaurant (a casado with rice, beans, chicken or vegetables, salad, and plantain chips). You’ll then do a short chocolate and sugar cane tasting. The guides also share some fun cultural traditions.
Cost: $76 per person adults. $53 per person children ages 4-11. Rates plus 13% tax. Children under 4 are free.
Offered: 7:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m. door to door from your lodging (approximate)
Includes: Round-trip transportation from your hotel or vacation rental house, bilingual naturalist guides, all equipment, water and drinks, snack (fresh fruit), lunch, tastings, and coffee.
Minimum Age: None
Accessibility: This tour is handicap accessible.
To learn more about the Cano Negro boat tour, read our post, Cano Negro: A Wildlife Boat Tour on the Rio Frio.
Peter C. (Verified Customer) –
A well organised tour that encompassed a lengthy drive through lowland sugar, cassava and pineapple plantations. The river boat tour itself was very relaxing, with frequent sitings of iguana and water birds. We also saw groups of three different species of monkeys, small bats, and an alligator, but no jaguar (not that we expected to).