Canoe Tour: Explore Tortuguero National Park Wildlife

On the canoe tour, we’ll explore the waterways of Tortuguero National Park, the country’s largest wetland. We’ll be on the lookout for wildlife like monkeys, iguanas, birds, caimans, and basilisks. This tour is perfect for unwinding and immersing yourself in nature.

Duration: 2 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Tortuguero National Park - Experience the water channels of Tortuguero National Park, the largest wetland in the country. We’ll be on the lookout for wildlife such as monkeys, iguanas, birds, caimans, and basilisks. This tour is perfect for unwinding and immersing yourself in nature.
What's Included
  • Life jackets
  • Certified Guide
What's Not Included
  • Entrance to the National Park, must be purchased online, costs $17
Location
Tortuguero
We meet the travelers at the main pier in Tortuguero.
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
5.0
(44 Ratings)
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Estherrr2595xn
Apr 14, 2026
Canoe tour of Tortuguero canals with Brandon, great experience! - I contacted Brandon via facebook and he was super helpfull in answering all my questions about traveling to Tortuguero and the tours he offers. Relaxt guy, enthusiastic, honest and knowledgable. Saw many animals at the canoe tour and my kids liked it a lot.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
865martijnt
Apr 8, 2026
Overall great experience - A beautiful, calm and quiet canoe tour. We booked at 9am because we didn’t stay in Tortuguero and the first ferry leaves at 6am, which is the earliest option of the tour. Brendan was a great, knowledgeable guide that has lived in Tortuguero most of his life. He speaks excellent english and even knows some dutch words (even for some species of animals(!) We saw plenty different animals including caymans and kingfishers.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Evamaria_r
Apr 7, 2026
Brandon very friendly and... - Brandon very friendly and attentive. The good experience. We also did a night tour with him we saw different animals.
Review provided by Viator
Andy_m
Mar 30, 2026
Perfect way to see Tortuguero's wildlife and beauty - Brandon is an amazing guide, having lived in the area his whole life - his knowledge of the wildlife and where it may be found is exceptional. Canoe is the perfect way to glide along the river and then into smaller locations that larger boats cannot - and thats where the wildlife seem to prefer! There's no rush, no question without answer and highly recommended way to spend a morning
Review provided by Viator
Volker
Mar 13, 2026
Fantastic morning tour - We had a fantastic canoe trip through the morning Tortuguero Amazon jungle. We observed several monkeys, various lizards, many birds and four caimans (without being eaten). Luis is a perfect guide who knows super well and makes the tour very entertaining. Highly recommended. Cayman without being eaten.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Puck_kaats
Feb 22, 2026
Happy guide! - We had a lovely canoe tour in Tortuguero with Brandon. We were with 5 people on a comfortable boat without a hard engine which created a relaxed atmosphere. The surroundings are beautiful and Brandon has made sure we have spotted many animals. I definitely recommend him!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
931agnieszkag
Feb 6, 2026
Thank you for an unforgettable wildlife experience - Highly recommended! Brandon took us through a narrow canal, which made us feel like we were in the middle of the Amazon. We saw caimans, toucans, many birds, and even a turtle. Perfect for anyone who wants an authentic wildlife experience in Tortuguero.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Brandon_y
Jan 2, 2026
Memories for a Lifetime - We booked a Canoe Tour for our family of 8 in Tortuguero National Park in Costa Rica. (Kids aged 9-23). Our tour guide was Brandon with Brandon Experience and he was an amazing guide. I would highly recommend him to anyone. Before our trip began, he reached out to me via WhatsApp and asked if we had any questions about our upcoming activity. We were new to this part of Costa Rica and didn't know how to properly get to Tortuguero and he helped us learn that we needed to first take a boat from La Pavon to Tortuguero. Brandon is very knowledgable of the area as he has lived there almost his entire life. He speaks fluent English and Spanish, so communicating with him was very easy. During our tour, Brandon was excellent! His knowledge of the area, the national park, and all of the wildlife and plants is very remarkable. He also has a great eye for finding wildlife on the canoe tour. Without him as our guide, we would have seen far less animals than with him. Brandon was able to spot and get us close to several howler monkeys and iguanas and even a caiman floating along the edge of the water in the marsh. He identified several different birds and flowers for us. Additioanlly, he was great to take pictures of our group several different times for us, and he even took pictures on his own phone of some of the animals and later sent them to us on WhatsApp for us to enjoy. He's great! The experience we had with Brandon was amazing and this was a wonderful tour in the beautiful national park of Tortuguero in Costa Rica!
Review provided by Viator
Global737339
Jan 2, 2026
Highlight of a lifetime - We booked a Canoe Tour for our family of 8 in Tortuguero National Park in Costa Rica. Our six kids are aged 9 years old and about 2 years older for each of the other kids. It was a perfect family adventure!!! Our tour guide was Brandon with Brandon Experience and he was an amazing guide. I would highly recommend him to anyone. Before our trip began, Brandon reached out to me via WhatsApp and asked if we had any questions about our upcoming activity. We were new to this part of Costa Rica and didn't know how to properly get to Tortuguero and he helped us learn that we needed to first take a boat from La Pavon to Tortuguero. Brandon is very knowledgable of the area as he has lived there almost his entire life. He speaks fluent English and Spanish, so communicating with him was very easy. During our tour, Brandon was excellent! His knowledge of the area, the national park, and all of the wildlife and plants is very remarkable. He also has a great eye for finding wildlife on the canoe tour. Without him as our guide, we would have seen far less animals than with him. Brandon was able to spot and get us close to several howler monkeys and iguanas and even a caiman floating along the edge of the water in the marsh. He identified several different birds and flowers for us. Additionally, he was great to take pictures of our group several different times for us, and he even took pictures on his own phone of some of the animals and later sent them to us on WhatsApp for us to enjoy. He's great! The experience we had with Brandon was amazing and this was a wonderful tour in the beautiful national park of Tortuguero in Costa Rica!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Companion02158008059
Oct 14, 2025
Best tour guide ever! - Brandon was an amazing tour guide! He knows so much about Tortuguero and all the animals that live there. His tours are highly recommended!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $25
up to 8 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).