Kayak to the Heart of the National Park
Overview
Las Baulas National Park, created in 1990, is approximately 445 hectares & located on Costa Rica’s Pacific Coast, near the town of Tamarindo. The Tamarindo estuary is the biggest mangrove estuary in Latin America and the only way to get to it’s heart is by water. This makes it a quiet and private place in comparison to many of Costa Rica’s other National Parks that are easily accessible by car. Come and enjoy the nature it has to share!
Inclusions
- Single or double kayak with comfortable seat pads, back rests and life jackets
- Bottled water
- Snacks
- Protective dry bag to keep your valuables safe from water damage
What to expect
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Las Baulas National Marine Park, 500 M So De La Escuela De Playa Grande 933, Playa Grande 50308 Costa Rica
We’ll meet at Pangas Beach Club in Tamarindo where there is parking, bathroom & shower facilities.
Before setting out on a 35-minute kayak through lush mangroves I will brief you on the correct safety and paddling techniques.
On reaching the heart of the Park we’ll leave the kayaks ashore to hike numerous trails, observing as much wildlife as possible; howler monkeys, exotic birds, parrots, herons, cranes, iguanas, squirrels and others. You will see exotic plants, like dragonfruit cactus, wild hibiscus, mushrooms and big trees such as the garden of the forest and the national guanacaste tree.
We will visit and climb to the top of an archaeological site, built by the ancient indigenous people using rocks brought from nearby. Here we can see a stunning bird view of the tree canopy. This is a great place to observe the wildlife from above before returning to the kayaks for a refreshing drink and paddling back to Tamarindo.
During our adventure I will guide you, explaining the animal behaviours and plant life we see. Due to daily tidal changes it is important we schedule the tour 60 – 90 mins before high tide.
Duration: 3 hours
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Las Baulas National Marine Park, 500 M So De La Escuela De Playa Grande 933, Playa Grande 50308 Costa Rica
We’ll meet at Pangas Beach Club in Tamarindo where there is parking, bathroom & shower facilities.
Before setting out on a 35-minute kayak through lush mangroves I will brief you on the correct safety and paddling techniques.
On reaching the heart of the Park we’ll leave the kayaks ashore to hike numerous trails, observing as much wildlife as possible; howler monkeys, exotic birds, parrots, herons, cranes, iguanas, squirrels and others. You will see exotic plants, like dragonfruit cactus, wild hibiscus, mushrooms and big trees such as the garden of the forest and the national guanacaste tree.
We will visit and climb to the top of an archaeological site, built by the ancient indigenous people using rocks brought from nearby. Here we can see a stunning bird view of the tree canopy. This is a great place to observe the wildlife from above before returning to the kayaks for a refreshing drink and paddling back to Tamarindo.
During our adventure I will guide you, explaining the animal behaviours and plant life we see. Due to daily tidal changes it is important we schedule the tour 60 – 90 mins before high tide.
Duration: 3 hours
Additional information
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- Face masks required for travelers in public areas
- Face masks required for guides in public areas
- Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
- Social distancing enforced throughout experience
- Regularly sanitized high-traffic areas
- Gear/equipment sanitized between use
- Transportation vehicles regularly sanitized
- Guides required to regularly wash hands
- Regular temperature checks for staff
- Temperature checks for travelers upon arrival
- Paid stay-at-home policy for staff with symptoms
- Contactless payments for gratuities and add-ons
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 10 travelers
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Ticket delivery
You can present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity.
Cancellation
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start time of the experience.
Wairever
June 2021
Luis was our guide and Victor piloted our boat - no kayaks for our adventure because of some mechanical issues with their truck, but they did not let that spoil the morning - ventured out promptly at 8a and were able to see a tiny of wildlife including howler monkeys and crocodiles. We did a litt...
Luis was our guide and Victor piloted our boat - no kayaks for our adventure because of some mechanical issues with their truck, but they did not let that spoil the morning - ventured out promptly at 8a and were able to see a tiny of wildlife including howler monkeys and crocodiles. We did a little hiking as well to take in more of the NP from a different vantage point. Highly recommend this outfitter - thanks Luis & Victor!!!LaurenP2988
April 2021
It was quite windy during our stay in Costa Rica so we took a little motor boat out to the estuary. It’s really amazing such a wild and natural place exists right next to tamarindo! Tom (along with our boat driver) were such excellent guides! We spotted all sorts of birds cruising up the mangrove...
It was quite windy during our stay in Costa Rica so we took a little motor boat out to the estuary. It’s really amazing such a wild and natural place exists right next to tamarindo! Tom (along with our boat driver) were such excellent guides! We spotted all sorts of birds cruising up the mangrove forests. Next we took a hike through the dry forests. We saw a family of howler monkeys which were amazing. Tom explained all about the local trees and plants and we learned so much! It was really a wonderful morning exploring nature. Definitely recommend!Storyteller622352
March 2021
This was a highlight of our trip to Costa Rica. It was too windy and the current much too strong to kayak, so we took a boat instead. It ended up being better that way. We started out early in the morning, which seemed to be the best time to go. We saw a wide variety of birds including Parrots, O...
This was a highlight of our trip to Costa Rica. It was too windy and the current much too strong to kayak, so we took a boat instead. It ended up being better that way. We started out early in the morning, which seemed to be the best time to go. We saw a wide variety of birds including Parrots, Osprey, Heron, and Hummingbirds. As we made our way into the mangroves, we saw a racoon family climbing through the trees. Right where we planned to leave the boat to hike, we were greeted by a big Crocodile! Our guide was very knowledgeable about the flora and fauna pointing out everything along the way. We ended up seeing monkeys on our hike through the forest and bats hiding in a hollowed out tree. There were even ancient Mayan burial grounds we got to climb up. The excursion really exceeded all of our expectations!brentc790
February 2021
We thought we would be kayaking up the estuary. However, upon arrival we were informed that this was not possible. Instead we got a boat tour up the estuary and a walk around in the jungle. It was probably just as well as the winds were high and we would have had a very difficult time getting t...
We thought we would be kayaking up the estuary. However, upon arrival we were informed that this was not possible. Instead we got a boat tour up the estuary and a walk around in the jungle. It was probably just as well as the winds were high and we would have had a very difficult time getting to where the animals were plentiful by kayak. Tom was very knowledgeable with regard to trees, plants, insects and some birds. It was pretty cool information. The guy driving the boat was even better when it came to spotting wildlife. On our walk, he spotted howler monkeys in the trees. As we were boating back, he suddenly stopped and turned the boat around. He had spotted a crocodile in the mangroves. I have no idea how he saw it as were boating along at a pretty good clip. The crocodile blended in really well with the mangrove roots.Ian012014
March 2020
Tom was very pleasant and informative about the flora and history of the area. We enjoyed the trip very much just would specify no tripling up on one kayak had I known if advance this might happen
Tom was very pleasant and informative about the flora and history of the area. We enjoyed the trip very much just would specify no tripling up on one kayak had I known if advance this might happenEmber655
March 2020
It was a wonderful experience, Tom is extremely knowledgeable and excited about what he does, and the more questions we asked the more apparent it was that he is an expert in the natural world around us. It was an invigorating kayak ride, he’s willing to show you how to improve your stroke, And t...
It was a wonderful experience, Tom is extremely knowledgeable and excited about what he does, and the more questions we asked the more apparent it was that he is an expert in the natural world around us. It was an invigorating kayak ride, he’s willing to show you how to improve your stroke, And then we were introduced to many birds, many trees, the monkeys, plant life, And stories about how they came upon the archaeological ruins in the forest there that indicate that there were indigenous folks living here at one time. We enjoyed the time immensely.