Tempisque River Safari: Wildlife and Culture

Embark on an exotic boat safari through Guanacaste’s wildlife and countryside. Spot monkeys, crocodiles, and migratory birds, and enjoy a traditional Costa Rican lunch and pottery demonstration.

Duration: 6 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Palo Verde National Park - Enjoy a guided tour with a local expert. Embark on a 2-hour safari along the Tempisque River, the longest river in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Following the boat safari, a traditional lunch will be served, accompanied by a demonstration of the manual crafting techniques of the Chorotega native people.
What's Included
  • Entry admission to Parque Nacional Palo Verde
  • Certified bilingual guide (English/Spanish)
  • Hydration provided
  • Roundtrip air-conditioned transportation
  • Boat safari experience
  • Local style lunch included
  • Pottery lesson
  • All taxes, fees, and handling charges included
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
  • Breakfast
  • Dinner
Additional Information

Sit back and relax on a 1.5-hour journey from Papagayo, Tamarindo, and Flamingo Beach. The tour will take you through genuine villages and plantations of sugar cane, melon, cashew, and watermelon until you reach the charming village of Bolsón.
Your adventure includes a local expert as your guide. You’ll embark on a 2-hour boat safari on the Tempisque…

Location
Palo Verde National Park
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(20 Ratings)
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1 star
Lindajob2023
Jan 10, 2026
Wonderful boat tour in Palo Verde National Park! - Our family of 7 thoroughly enjoyed this boat tour! We saw amazing wildlife including many birds, monkeys, iguanas, and numerous crocodiles! The authentic Costa Rican lunch was very tasty and afterwards, a short pottery demonstration! Great selection of pottery and we bought several pieces! Would highly recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Turtlefuel
Jan 7, 2026
Amazing for crocs & birding - We were travelling with 10 family members including an 85 year old. This trip was a great way for all age groups to see the diversity of Costa Rica as a family. Our guide and the boat captain were both knowledgeable and fun. They made sure we had plenty of time on the water to see crocodiles, monkeys and various birds. If you are a birder this is the excursion for you. The place they took us for lunch was very authentic and tasty followed by a pottery making demo that was really well done. I didn’t think I would buy any pottery but there were such beautiful pieces. Definitely not the made in China with a Costa Rica sticker over top that we saw elsewhere. Great company, great excursion.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Courtneybi2911qj
Jan 3, 2026
Palo Verde river boat tour - We had an amazing time on the Palo Verde river tour and our guide helped us to identify howler monkeys, crocodiles, herons, osprey, orioles, storks, bats, and iguanas. We enjoyed a delicious lunch and pottery demonstration. We were excited for the opportunity to purchase beautiful pottery made in Costa Rica. It was a great experience!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jean-pierre
Nov 16, 2025
Amazing. - What a great experience.. Our driver and guide were amazing. We had a memorable day.. Thank you very much, to do absolutely. We saw crocodiles, monkeys, birds, and visited the beautiful farm Coyotes Muchas gracias
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dan_f
Jun 16, 2025
Great Day trip tour to Palo Verde! - Our guide Juan Carlos was incredibly knowledgeable and made the tour very worthwhile for our family. Guzman, our driver, also was great at navigating us back and forth. We saw many animals on the river tour. Spotting large crocodiles and howler monkeys were the highlights. Definitely recommended!
Review provided by Viator
741forest_sa
May 2, 2025
Wonderful Boat Safari. - We took this experience with our professional guide JC, and our driver Fernando. Everything was amazing, we saw lots of wildlife such as American Cocodriles, fishing birds, 3 types of monkeys, lizards and much more. The lunch was delicious. Thanks Blue Zone Tours.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
434ralphm
Jul 13, 2024
Palo Verde experience - Juan Carlos was an excellent guide on our bus and boat tour to Palo Verde in July 2024. His knowledge of the flora and fauna of Costa Rica were outstanding. We saw 2 types of monkeys, many different species of birds, awesome crocodiles, with the add of our knowledgeable boat captain, who worked hand in hand with Juan Carlos. Add in a rustic lunch at a local farm and the day was truly memorable. Blue Zone and Andres are the best!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Milan_w
Jan 31, 2024
Great tour of a beautiful area! - We had such an amazing time on this tour! Our guide Juan Carlos knows so much about the wildlife and you can really tell he cares about the nature, history, and people of Costa Rica. The driver, the boat driver, and our guide were all so nice to help point out some amazing animals. We saw a ton of monkeys, alligators, and different types of birds. The farm portion beforehand is also great - with such interesting scenery and information. Highly recommend!
Review provided by Viator
Jenifer_b
Dec 17, 2023
Excellent! - Our guide Juan Carlos was very knowledgeable and entertaining. We saw lots of monkeys, water birds, other birds including a mackaw. Lunch and pottery demonstration were ver enjoyable.
Review provided by Viator
Betty_g
Sep 8, 2023
River and wildlife tour. - The tour guide shared his extensive knowledge of Costa Rican history, geography, and ecology. The authentic lunch was delicious. We were picked up promptly and traveled safely.
Review provided by Viator
From $145
up to 15 guests
4 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).