Boat Tour

 For wildlife watching we recommend  a motor boat tour on the Sarapiqui River or the Puerto Viejo River where you will have the opportunity to see a great variety of birds, reptiles, monkeys, iguanas and much more. 

The tours are generally two hours long and begin at the public dock in Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui.  There are different companies that sell boat tours at the public dock but we recommend Aninga Tours, also know as the Rural Community Tourism Association which was formed in an effort to highlight the importance of the cultural and historical roots of the river. 

The boat drivers are very experienced and are great at spotting wildlife. The best time to do the tour is in the morning or the afternoon, avoiding the mid day heat. 

Take Note…

• The boat tour starts at the public dock in Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui.
• There is no set schedule for the tours but we can call ahead and book it, even with short notice
• By car from Chilamate Rainforest Eco Retreat, it takes 5 minutes to drive to the public dock in Puerto Viejo
• It is also easy to get there by public bus. You can catch the bus to Puerto Viejo on the main road every half and hour. 
• By taxi it is about $15 round trip
• The tour is about 2 hours
• It is best to make a reservation since there is no office at the public dock but many different companies will try and sell you a tour and not all of them are equally as good!
• The price is $35 por persona for 1 – 2 people and $30 for groups of 3 or more
• We can often arrange better prices for bigger groups or families
• The tour is done in Spanish but a bilingual guide can be hired in advance for an additional price. Please inquire at our reception.
• They also offer longer tours including a cultural historic tour to Sardinal or Trinidad or even a trip all the way to Tortuguero! Please at ask reception for availability and prices