There's tons to do and see on Costa Rica's Caribbean
coast. Here are some of the tours and activities we recommend that
are either in the area or which pick up/drop off at area hotels.
We'll even book it for you!
Most of our tours will pick you up and return you
right to your hotel (or sometimes to another Costa Rica
destination!). Tours which do not include transportation are
indicated below and we will be happy to assist to you in getting to
the start point in those cases.
Jump to:
Whitewater Rafting |
Jungle, Nature & Wildlife |
Indigenous Communities |
Local Activities
Multi-day day tours from Puerto Viejo to Tortuguero, Arenal, Bocas del Toro, etc
Multi-day itinearies including your stay in Puerto Viejo and other highlights of Costa Rica
Whitewater Rafting / River Trips
Many of the rafting trips include transportation between San Jose or Arenal and Puerto Viejo so it's like getting your transport to/from Puerto Viejo for free! Your luggage is secure throughout the trip so you're free to enjoy your day on the river.
Pacuare River: One Day |  |
| This trip gives you the ultimate blend of wilderness exposure and invigorating excitement. The Pacuare River is world
famous for its pristine beauty. A true river gorge, it is flanked by steep, green walls. Waterfalls cascade into
the river from both sides as colorful, tropical birds fly right over your head. Amazing views of this virgin Tropical
Rainforest appear before your eyes as you descend this true exploratory land. Includes transport to/from Puerto Viejo from/to San Jose or Arenal if you want. |
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Two Day Hike and Paddle Rafting Trip |  |
Our overnight Pacuare Adventure is a Paddle and Hike expedition. Not only will you raft a variety of exciting rapids, but you will also hike to pristine waterfalls, fun swimming holes and primary jungles. Overnight is at a lodge on the Pacuare River, the next you continue down the river for more exciting river adventures.
Includes transport to/from Puerto Viejo from/to San Jose or Arenal. |
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Pacuare Lodge Honeymoon Getaway |  |
Are you looking for an intimate, secluded getaway location for your Honeymoon or Destination Wedding? Picture you and your partner in the midst of a Costa Rica rainforest, the mighty Pacuare River rushing right outside your doorstep. Enjoy magnificent views atop a 30 foot waterfall; glide through a lush treetop canopy or simply snuggle up for the night with your special someone in our luxury River-View suite or Honeymoon suite and let the chorus of native wildlife serenade you to sleep.
This three-day two-night trip includes round-trip transport from your San Jose Hotel (pickup and/or dropoff at other
locations available too, just ask us for details), all meals, 2 night stay in fabulous river-view or honeymoon suite, therapeutic massage for two, pacuare canopy (zipline) adventure, private guide rainforest hike, whitewater rafting out of the lodge. |
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Reventazón River: Carmen Section |  |
| A great big water run, with moderate difficulty. The lush surroundings, abundant bird life and good amount of fun rapids makes this a great introduction to river running. This run is clearly divided in two halves. The first hour is very exciting, with big waves and long rapids. The second half is more relaxed as the river enters the true lower Caribbean, the surroundings take on a jungle character and the wildlife is more plentiful. Includes transport to/from Puerto Viejo from/to San Jose or Arenal if you want. |
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Jungle, Nature & Wildlife
The Puerto Viejo area has some of the most spectacular natural areas in the country and are even of international importance. The area includes several protected areas including Cahuita National Park and the Gandoca-Manzanillo Refuge.
Animal Rescue Centre, Chocolate Lady and Waterfall |  |
This trip combines three of our most popular activities: a visit to the Jaguar Rescue Center, a visit to an indigenous family that shows you how they make chocolate right from the Cacao trees in their yard and a visit to a local waterfall and swimming hole.
The Jaguar Animal Center rehabilitates mistreated, injured and/or confiscated animals, which are then reintroduced to their natural habitat in protected areas. Visitors have direct contact with monkeys, wild cats, sloths, raccoons, anteaters, marsupials, reptiles, amphibians, etc. |
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Caribbean Canopy & Zipline |  |
| Experience the richness and diversity of the jungle close-up from this adventure that lets you experience nature close-up. This canopy adventure has 9 aerial platforms and 14 on land with a total of 2560 meters of cable. Glide through the jungle on a zipline for a bird's eye view of the jungle. |
| Regular Canopy Tour: $55.00 p/p
Canopy Tour + Superman Cable: $65.00 p/p | More Info | Book It | |
Tortuguero Canal and Banana Plantation |  |
| See the world-famous Tortuguero Canals on a safari through the mangroves looking for wildlife like birds, mammals like sloths and monkeys, reptiles like the emerald basilisk lizard and with a bit of luck even a crocodile or a caiman. And visit a banana plantation to learn everything about this delicious tropical fruit. |
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Cahuita Boat, Snorkel and Hiking Trip |  |
| Cahuita National Park features the largest coral reefs in Southern Central America as well as great hiking trails with lots of wildlife. This trip combines a boat ride, snorkeling and hiking. First is a ride in a boat to Punta Cahuita. Once at the point, you can put on snorkel gear to explore first hand the “under water tropical forest”. You will then land for a guided rainforest hike, with comprehensive information on this particular area. Monkeys, sloth, several reptiles, frogs and beautiful insects are common sights. Round trip transportation to Cahuita with pickup/dropoff at your hotel in Puerto Viejo is included. |
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Gandoca-Manzanillo Refuge Jungle Hike |  |
| At the southeast corner of Costa Rica lies the unspoiled Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge, stretching to the border of Panama. Home to monkeys, sloths, a great variety of birds and much more. The area is rich with wildlife. It is also spectacularly scenic with cliffs and hidden beaches along the water. You can choose to meet your local naturist guide in Manzanillo town or we can pick you up at your hotel. Your guide will take you on a hike where you will learn much about the rainforest and its inhabitants and see its hidden wonders which take a trained eye to spot. |
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River and Sea Kayaking with Rainforest Hike |  |
| We will drive to the most beautiful location in the area, Punta Uva. This trip consists of three sections. After a safety briefing we will first embark in a magical sea kayaking journey paralleling a coast full of cliffs, caves, and the most amazing rainforest. Then we will paddle our way up river though gorgeous rainforest where you can expect to spot monkeys, sloth, colorful birds, river turtles, bats and iguanas.
Your professional guide will deliver a lot of interesting insights on this wonderful eco system. Back at the beach we will take a nice break to relax, swim and enjoy some nicely presented fresh fruit and snacks before hiking to the great over view at Punta Uva. |
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Full Day Jungle Adventure |  |
| Looking for the maximum in adventure? This full day adventure combines our canopy and zipline tour with a ATV ride, tarzan swing and much more in an action packed day you'll not soon forget! |
| One person per quad vehicle: $140.00 p/p
Two persons per quad vehicle: $110.00 p/p | More Info | Book It | |
Nighttime Turtle Watching |  |
| Take the opportunity to travel through time and go back to the beginning of evolution, represented by the nesting of these live fossils. The leatherback turtle is the biggest turtle in the world; it can be as large as 2 meters long and 650 kg of weight. We will have an unforgettable night walk along the Gandoca Beach; I will show you a different perspective of this spectacular experience. You will observe these mothers in the important work of laying eggs and at the same time you will learn important things about the natural history of these special animals in danger of extinction. Help us with the protection of sea turtles! Pickup and dropoff at your hotel is now included in our price. |
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Dolphin Watching and Snorkeling |  |
| Take a beautiful ride along the coast past Manzanillo deep into the Gandoca National park. Near the Panamanian border, atlantic and bottlenose dolphins come in to feed in the brackish waters near the Sixaola river. After seeing the dolphins, we cruise back to Mona island for snorkeling and/or diving! Then we continue back up the coast to Punta Uva for our second dive and second snorkeling site. An alternative tour from Cahuita with snorkeling off Cahuita National Park is also available. |
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Bird Watching |  |
| Thanks to our rich biodiversity, I will find and delight in pointing out and sharing my knowledge on the various bird species of the area, this is definitely a superb bird watching tour! Some of the species you could see in this area are the Red-capped Manikin, crested owl, the olive throated parakeet; pale vented pigeon, masked tityra, Collared Aracari, slaty ant shrike, keel-billed and chestnut-mandibled Toucan, Magnificent Frigate-bird, common black hawk, passerini’s tanager, and the black-cowled oriole, among others. |
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Learning about Indigenous Communities
Costa Rica's South Caribbean (along with Panama) is home to the Bri Bri people. Many of these communities had no exposure to the modern world until recently. These tours not only give you a glimpse into a unique life but they support these communities in their effort at economic diversification. The Caribbean is also home to a unique Afro-Caribe culture. Many of our tours take place within the protected areas of the Kéköldi Indigenous Reserve or the Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge.
Uatsi Waterfall and Indigenous Reservation |  |
| This combo tour includes transportation to/from your hotel as well as visits to the waterfall, to the Sixoala River (the border between Costa Rica and Panama), an indigenous reservation and an indigenous chocolate "factory" where the whole process from the growing of the Cacao plant to the making of this unique organic handmade chocolate is explained. |
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Bri Bri Medicine Man Tour |  |
| This tour will give you the opportunity to learn more about the culture of the indigenous peoples of Talamanca and meet with Don Cándido, a famed local healer who will teach you about local healing plants and methods. We will visit Centro Cultural Indigena and meet Don Cándido, the last in a long line of indigenous medicine men. At the centre there are more than 1500 plants used to cure different illnesses. There is a walking trail where you can see many of these medicinal plants and enjoy close contact with jungle birds and small animals. Also while you are here you can take a treatment with Don Cándido for any illness using nature's own botanical healing system. You can also learn about traditional foods, massage, history and science. |
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Local Activities
There are many local activities we can help you arrange. Many of these do book up so if you want to experience horseback riding along the beach or learning to surf in one of the best spots in the world, then have us book these activities for you.
Surf Lessons |  |
| Learn to surf in Paradise! Puerto Viejo is a great place to learn to surf as there are a big variety of beaches with different conditions suitable for any level of surfer. In a 2 hour lesson you'll be standing on your board -- guaranteed! Group, semi-private and private lesson options are available. |
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Horseback Riding |  |
| You will be picked up by your guide and we take you on a guided ride of the local beaches. There are only a few horses available at each location so advance booking is recommended. A very popular combo is our Ride & Relax package, where you will be treated with a relaxing massage after exploring the pristine beaches of the South Caribbean on horseback. |
| 2 to 2.5 hour trip with hotel pickup/dropoff: $75.00 p/p
Ride & Relax: 2 hour trip & professional massage: $140.00 p/p | More Info | Book It | |
Fishing trip |  |
| Our experienced captain will take you and your friends on a unforgettable day on the Caribbean Sea with the chance to land some amazing catches!
We have half and full day trips for fish such as Tarpon, King Mackerel or Red Snapper and others as well as the option to go fishing with the captain. |
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Scuba Diving |  |
| Our scuba trips have full access to Costa Rica’s only pristine coral reef ecosystem. 50 miles from the nearest city and largely unexplored, our barrier reef stretches from the town of Puerto Viejo to the Panamanian border and offers you more than 25 fixed dive locations ranging from shallow coral gardens to deep, fringing reefs and vertical walls dropping to over 140 feet!
We offer both a variety of trips for certified divers as well as discover scuba and scuba lessons for those wanting to experience the underwater world for the first time. |
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Pure Jungle Spa: Massages, Facials and more |  |
| The Pure Jungle Spa has been featured in many travel articles about Puerto Viejo including articles in USA Today and Conde Nast Traveler. It can feature as a highlight of your vacation too! Services offered include the Rainforest Immersion Massage, the Jungle Chocolate Facial, the Moka Rico 100% Pure Body Treatment, and the Exotic Foot Ritual. Click the link for many more options and information. |
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Beach Massage |  |
| Massage del Mar. What better way to relax than a massage on the beach with the breezes of the Caribbean Sea adding to the experience? Choose a private massage or side by side couples massage with two therapists or one of our special massage offerings. |
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Day Trips from Caribbean Coast
Full day tours departing from the Caribbean Coast for nearby destinations.
Bocas del Toro, Panama One Day Tour |  |
A day trip to the Bocas del Toro islands including dolphin watching, snorkelling and a visit to the Red Frog Beach.
If you don't have enough time for a multi-day trip to explore these islands but still don't want to miss out on this tropical paradise this one day tour will hit the highlights and keep you busy with activities as well. |
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Multi-Day Packages
Check out our Packages page where you can find popular multi-day itineraries like our Volcano, Jungle and Beach Package or our Costa Rica Wet and Wild Package -- these packages include your Puerto Viejo hotel, transportation to/from Puerto Viejo and tours and activities.
Our packages page also has some short multi-day packages that you can add-on to your Puerto Viejo trip to destinations such as Volcano Arenal, Bocas del Toro, Tortuguero or Monteverde. Check out all our destination packages.
Can't find what you're looking for? Have Questions? Contact us!
Our travel partner
Gecko Trail Adventures
have an office right next door at Hotel Banana Azul and can arrange all sorts of local activities in the area beyond those listed here or make special arrangements and tours for groups, etc.
They also can help you arrange the rest of your trip around Costa Rica by arranging transportation, hotels and activities throughout Costa Rica.
So send them an email or give them a call. They're happy to put together a package of activities that suits your needs or answer any questions you have about any of this.
You can contact Gecko Trail Adventures at:
- email
info@geckotrail.com
- telephone in Costa Rica at +506 2756-8412 (that's 011-506-2756-8412 from USA/Canada and 00-506-2756-8412 from most other parts of the world)
- telephone them via their USA number 1 415 230-0298 which forwards to Costa Rica.
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