Palo Verde National Park tour with River Tempisque cruise
Activities

Palo Verde National Park tour with River Tempisque cruise

4.4/5

Excellent
8 reviews
from
£98.00
Free cancellation
Printed ticket only
Duration: from 4 hours to 8 hours
Why you’ll love this…
  • You'll head into the Palo Verde National Park and spot thousands of tropical bird species
  • There's a chance for you to see lots of wildlife as you take a leisurely cruise down the Tempisque
  • You can learn about a slower way of life in Costa Rica during a stop at a farm
  • This tour is led by an expert local guide with an unrivalled knowledge of Costa Rica
What to expect

Nourished by the River Tempisque, the fertile lands of Palo Verde National Park provide sanctuary to a mind-boggling line-up of exotic birds and other wildlife. This tour gives you exclusive access to the reserve, world-renowned for its biodiversity and natural beauty. Jose, one of our expert local guides, says "Palo Verde is home to around 280 different species of birds, but the most common are waterfowl and forest birds – there's an estimated 50,000 of them living there."

Your adventure kicks off with a cruise down the Tempisque. And being the only boat out on the river at this time of day means you'll have it all to yourself. What better way to see wild animals in their natural habitat? You'll enjoy unobscured views of a multitude of nesting birds – there's a vast number of heron species – howler monkeys, iguanas and even crocodiles basking on the riverbanks. From here, you'll head to a farm at one of the nearby local communities, where you can see how people in this part of Costa Rica live. You'll learn about the produce they grow and their traditional farming methods.

During your tour of the land, your guide will tell you about the history and traditions of the region. Since this place is nestled in the countryside, there are plenty of sprawling views for you to snap pictures of, too. You'll have plenty of time to fill your phone before starting the return journey back to your accommodation.

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What's included
  • check Transport
  • check Guide
  • check River cruise
  • check Drinks
  • check Snack
  • check Fresh fruit
  • check Lifejacket
What to remember
  • A minimum of 4 participants is required to operate the excursion with the rental car
  • Not suitable for guests with reduced mobility
  • Not suitable for guests who suffer from travel sickness
  • Bring insect repellent
  • Bring a hat
  • Bring suitable footwear
  • Food not included
  • Subject to weather conditions
Read more
Provider
TUI DESTINATION EXPERIENCES COSTA RICA S.A.
Booking fee
Good news! No extra fees are applied to this booking.
Cancellation policy
Receive a 100% refund if you cancel up to 1 day before the experience begins.

What people say about this experience

Excellent

4.4 /5

Based on 8 reviews from verified customers


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Sort by:

  • D

    Donna and Kevin

    Verified booking

    5

    13 March 2025

    Travelled as a couple


    Saw loads of crocodiles and it was amazing watching some of them so closely move into the water and swim by. The guides were great at spotting birds and monkeys etc. Had a first stop at a ranch which was lovely and were given fruit and coffee and then back there later for sugar cane demo. Great trip and would recommend.

  • S

    Sue Clarke

    Verified booking

    3

    9 March 2025

    Travelled as a couple


    Disappointed with the river tour as I expected a river tour that lasted longer not 1 hour. The majority of the day was spent looking at the big house, explaining about sugar cane and cowboys! Not worth the money and found it very misleading!

  • B

    Be careful your rep isn't lying

    Verified booking

    3

    9 March 2025

    Travelled with family


    We were conned by our sales rep. We asked for a nature reserve and river boat trip that was no more than 4 hours. We were very clear this is what we wanted, we also made sure to say we wanted no audience participation on our trip as one of our group is disabled and would find it very upsetting. Our trip was over 6 hours, 1 hour of what we wanted, 1 and a half hours of cultural learning and audience participation, the rest was travel. The guide was fantastic and should not be blamed.

  • M

    Michael

    Verified booking

    4.6

    8 February 2025

    Travelled as a couple


    An excellent tour and although it’s a very early pick up at 6am, it was well worth it. It meant our boat was the only one on the river so were able to see much more wildlife including crocodiles, iguanas, basilisk lizard, monkeys and and an array of birds including herons, kingfishers and birds of prey. David the tour guide & the captain of the boat were both excellent at spotting the wildlife & got us very close to the action. We didn’t get to see the ‘trapiche’, but it’s still a great tour.

  • T

    Tina

    Verified booking

    5

    2 February 2025

    Travelled as a couple


    Early start but so worth it! We saw so much, best time of the day to go. We were the only boat on the river. Cultural experience was good, I got to have a go at making a tortilla and it was interesting to learn about the history of sugar cane production.

  • C

    Christine

    Verified booking

    5

    20 January 2025

    Travelled with a group of friends


    Best trip I've done. Friendly people. Small group (12). Lots of elements. Guide and driver very knowledgeable. Boat trip saw loads of wildlife and sabenaro very interactive and interesting. Lovely family.

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