Safari Float Tour to See Wildlife (Group Tour)- Arenal/La Fortuna
This is a leisurely float tour down the Penas Blancas River by inflatable raft or kayak. It focuses on seeing wildlife and birds in the surrounding rainforest. Monkeys (white-faced and howlers), sloths, birds, crocodiles, and Jesus Christ Lizards (they walk on water) can often be seen along the banks of the river.
There is also a cultural element with a stop along the river for a traditional snack. Here, you’ll get to enjoy homemade tortillas, local cheese, and coffee. You also will learn about one of Costa Rica’s crops, chocolate. The guides will do a short cacao demonstration and tasting to teach you about how chocolate is made.
This tour is close to La Fortuna. The van ride from downtown La Fortuna to the river is about 30 minutes.
Cost of Group Tour:
Inflatable Raft: $64 per person adults. $38 per person children ages 3-11. Rates plus 13% tax.
Kayak: $70 per person plus 13% tax. No discount for children.
Offered: 7:30 a.m. or 2:00 p.m.
*Exact pick up time varies by location and will be provided on your confirmation document. Extra charges apply for areas outside the standard pick up zone (We will email you if this is the case.)
Duration: 4.5 hours 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 snacks, drinks, and coffee.
Minimum Age: Children need to be at least 3 years old for the raft and 5 to kayak.
*For children under 3, we recommend the Cano Negro Boat Tour.
To read about our experience doing this tour and for more pictures, read our post, A Safari Float Tour in La Fortuna.
Have a question? Send us an email at bookings(at)twoweeksincostarica(dot)com
Return to La Fortuna/Arenal Tours
Two Weeks in Costa Rica, Inc. is registered with the State of Florida as a Seller of Travel. Fla. Seller of Travel Ref. No. ST41024.
Dmitry (Verified Customer) –
For a whole week we’ve been trying to get a good look at howler monkey and this trip delivered in spades. The float is mostly calm, you see a ton of local wildlife, and I would recommend doing it in kayaks with older kids. Total strike out on sloth 6 and under stick to the inflatable.
The chocolate sampling in the end was a great highlight to the trip, and our kids could not stop talking/planing their own chocolate creations with the cocoa beans we bought.
Glenn Sullivan (Verified Customer) –
Firstly we were shown how to get on/off the boat, how to paddle although that was not required too much & we had to wear life jackets, so very safety conscious. The water was not deep (31st March). Our guide was very friendly & informative, we saw a sloth, howler monkeys, a spectacled owl, a colony of small bats under a log, crocodiles, lizards, various birds.
The boat trip itself takes 2 hours so be prepared you may get an achy back and/or bottom as you sit in a raft for that length of time; we wore walking boots/shoes but ideally you’d wear water shoes/sandals as the inside of the boat will get wet, on my side it was about 6cms deep.
The snacks and drinks after the trip were a nice way to finish the tour. It was definitely worth the money.
Luc Bisaillon (Verified Customer) –
Impeccable tour on the Penas Blancas. While the river was too strong to use the kayaks, we were happy to use the inflatable boats to do the tour. The guide showed us points of interests, animals (monkeys, birds, bats, caiman) and vegetation. We were even able to taste a cacao flower/nut right on the river! The pace was nice and we did not have to paddle much. Because of the heavy rains in the weeks past, there was evident erosion of the river banks. The small group of 6 made it fun and interactive. At the end, we had a cacao demonstration and some snacks to taste. Transportation was efficient and comfortable. They provided waterproof bags so we could bring some items with us on the boat. I found the organization was impeccable and very safe.
Stephanie (Verified Customer) –
I was a little nervous about this tour since my 75 year old parents were with us, along with our kids (ages 4-10). But we all had a great time and it was one our of trip’s highlights! We saw crocodiles, monkeys, iguanas, and birds. Highly recommend!
Victoria (Verified Customer) –
Interesting tour in a beautiful setting. All aspects of the tour were well organized including hotel transportation. Would recommend this tour to all those who want to experience the areas natural beauty at any age.
Ajhantha J. (Verified Customer) –
The staff was great and the communication was quick with any questions we had. We saw lots of animals on the tour and had a great time!
Allison Harris (Verified Customer) –
During our trip to Costa Rica, we booked several guided hikes, but the safari float experience truly stood out. Our family of 4 (kids ages 7 and 9) had a private float with a fantastic guide, Lidiar. Along the river, we saw a variety of animals that we didn’t see elsewhere and enjoyed being on the water. At the end we were treated to a delicious snack and chocolate demo which really would have been the icing on the cake but that came on the drive home when Lidiar (also our driver) pulled over to spot sloths by the roadside. I highly recommend this tour and booking through Twoweeksincostarica.com. Their pricing was more competitive than our hotel’s, and they were incredibly easy to work with.