Costa Rica - Nicoya Peninsula

Costa Rica Multi-Day Sea Kayak Tours

One of the best kept secrets...in sea kayaking is the southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica. The area is famed for its spectacular weather, and beautiful beaches, as well as calm coastal waters from which you can view the regions abundant marine and terrestrial wildlife. The offshore islands which dot the coast, the mangrove channels of the Organos river, and the 1,000’s of acres of national wildlife refuges that run to the water's edge provide a rich mixture of land and sea for the course of our tours. Fresh local fish as well as coconuts and tropical fruits harvested straight from the tree are likely ingredients of the delicious local and exotic style meals you’ll enjoy as we paddle through the islands and along the coastline of this tropical wonderland.

Our tours...bring you along beautiful stretches of the peninsula's coastline, allowing you to explore some of the small offshore islands, snorkel a shallow reef, paddle through the labyrinthine passages of a fresh water river, and enjoy a day of hiking in Curu, the peninsula’s premier wildlife refuge. Throughout your tour you will enjoy encounters with various species of monkeys, lizards, birds, and other members of the rainforest ecosystem as well as countless species of marine life.

In addition to enjoying what there is to explore on and above the water the snorkel gear we provide as courtesy for each guest will ensure you don’t miss out on the world beneath the waters surface. The relatively clear waters of the dry season provide a superb opportunity for viewing the underwater realm.  Check out reefs and the diverse marine life they support, sea turtles, flying fish, octopi, moray eels, various species of dolphin and even occasional whales.

We’ll begin by picking you up the morning of your trip and then driving you in our private air conditioned van to our launch site (we can pick you up at your hotel in San Jose or meet you in or near Tambor on the Nicoya Peninsula).  Here we will start by familiarizing you with our paddling and snorkeling gear, giving you a detailed paddling and safety lesson, and then loading up our expedition sea kayaks.

Once we are acquainted with the gear and are comfortable we will launch onto the warm turquoise waters of the Gulf of Nicoya.  As we depart we are likely to hear nothing but the sound of the water against the shore and the deep resonating calls of howler monkeys in the trees. As we paddle along steep cliff sides and coastal beaches the areas abundance of wildlife will begin to show itself. Pelicans and kingfishers flying over head, occasional flying fish, dolphins or sea turtles passing by and underwater reefs teeming with life forms of inexplicable diversity are just the beginning of countless encounters we are likely to have.

Tour Length: 2-5 days in length

We provide: all meals and drinks, safety equipment, two person tents, Therm-a-Rest sleeping pads (that convert into beach chairs), snorkeling equipment, binoculars, and at least one friendly and Costa Rican, English speaking guide. When coming out on a trip with Crystal Seas we feel that you shouldn’t have to buy any special gear, so we provide just about everything but the clothes on your back.

We provide you with drinks and all meals when you sea kayak Costa Rica

Crystal Seas has developed a reputation for exceeding the expectations of our guests with our attention to detail and the food we serve you is no exception. We pride ourselves in providing healthy hearty meals that will delight your palate as much as your body. Our use of locally caught seafood and freshly harvested fruits assure the creation of the finest local and exotic meals you will ever have tasted. We use organic local products whenever possible and will creatively accommodate any dietary needs.

Small personal groups…

A great experience of kayaking in Costa Rica involves many factors. One of these is the group size. A smaller group is safer on and off the water, allows for more interactions between the guides and guests and gives our guests a chance to really know each other. Furthermore, we can also adjust and modify the trip to the individual desires and interests of the group, allowing our guests to participate in various activities ranging from birding to advanced kayaking. For all these reasons and more we keep our regularly scheduled multi-day expedition group size to 10 guests and 2 guides.

No previous sea kayaking experience is required...

We begin each of our tours with a thorough safety/kayak lesson to familiarize you with your equipment so that you are adequately prepared for your adventure. This lesson includes paddling technique, sea kayaking safety, loading, unloading and handling of your sea kayak, an introduction to launching and landing in small surf, becoming familiar with our safety gear and other helpful and necessary preparations for our expedition.

At least two guides on all of our multi-day kayak expeditions with 4 or more guests…

On all of our Costa Rican tours, we provide two English speaking guides who are local to the area. This makes our trips safer, more intimate and allows our guests more time to enjoy activities such as an evening paddle or hike, additional paddling skill development, free-diving instruction, or learning about the culture with your guides.

Single and tandem kayaks are available...

As the popularity of sea kayaking has grown the range of experience levels of guests on our trips has expanded as well.  To accommodate this we have made single and tandem sea kayaks available on all of our warm water paddling trips.  Please let us know your preference of kayak type upon reserving your trip.

Sample 4-Day and 5-day Itinerary

Nicoya Peninsula Expedition

Day 1 Your tour begins with an early rendezvous at your hotel in San Jose or in or near Tambor on the Nicoya Peninsula where you’ll meet your guide(s) and the other members of your trip. From here your guide(s) will shuttle the group to our launching site.  We’ll make a stop in the village of Paquera to get some fresh fruit and give you the chance to experience a moment of this quiet little town rich in the vibrant communal essence which creates the backbone of Costa Rican culture. Once we arrive you’ll get your first chance to dip your feet in the warm waters of the tropical Pacific while we introduce you to all of our expedition gear and the basics of sea kayaking; i.e. how to not tip the boat when you’re getting out to dive on a reef, what to do when a sea turtle surfaces next to you, etc.  When we are all situated and comfortable we’ll head out on the calm waters of the Gulf of Nicoya to our camp at Playa Quesera.  The waters around you are dotted with islands which are either homes of local fisherman or uninhabited biological reserves. The entire coastline of Costa Rica is public so wherever we find a beach with some shade and a nice view we can stop off for a break, swim, snorkel or lunch to enjoy the taste of some local delicacies. This beach which lucidly presents itself as everyone’s tropical icon; pure white sand which spreads beneath the fronds of arcing coconut palms and descends beneath tropical blue waters, backed by trails disappearing into a rich forest thriving with sounds and sights of everything you imagine to be tropical.  From this vantage point we’ll enjoy a wonderful dinner while watching the sun descend behind the rising hills of the Nicoya.  Later as the blue sky gives way to darkness many of our clients will have their first view of the Southern Cross appearing just above the horizon.

Day 2 The waves which lulled you to sleep in the night will now welcome you to the second day of your tour. A local style breakfast along with plenty of the famous Costa Rican coffee will get us started on our day. Our route today takes us up the fresh water Organos River in search of habitat and wildlife that prefers the calm winding waterways and protected understory of the mangrove forest. Basilisk or “Jesus Lizards” which are so fast that they can run across the water, as well as numerous species of Egrets, Kingfishers, and Trogans are just a few of the animals we are likely to encounter during our passage through this pristine labyrinthine. We’ll work our way out of the maze to enjoy another lunch along the beach and then perhaps (for the sake of local tradition) siesta in the shade.

 Day 3 Howler Monkeys are likely to be our morning call to consciousness as they swing and call through the Nancita and Mango trees on the edge of our campsite. The morning will likely be spent observing Howler and White-Faced Capuchin Monkeys as well as rival territorial displays of tropical lizards called Ctenasaurs while enjoying another of our freshly prepared meals. From here we’ll leave the wildlife of the land in pursuit of marine life beneath the surface. A jagged and umbrageous sea floor just off the side of the internationally famous Tortuga (turtle) Islands will be our destination. Once your guide has located this underwater reef all of the boats will be lashed together and secured to an anchor beneath the surface so we can all put on snorkeling gear and dive down to see the wonderful world that exists below. Countless varieties of tropical fish as well as octopus, sea turtle, manta ray, eel, starfish, and crustaceans await and delight the attentive observer.

Hunger will most likely be the only voice determined enough to pull us away from this weightless and colorful world and so the world famous beach of the largest of the Torguga Islands known as Tolinga will be our host for an afternoon meal. After lunch and rest on shore we’ll finish up the day with a circumnavigation of Alcatraz Island (the local name for the Brown Pelican) which is replete with a narrow surge channel, steep towering cliff sides, and a passage through Costa Rica's natural version of the Arc de Triumph.  Once back on the white sands of Playa Quesera you’ll have time to relax or enjoy a walk along a trail which departs the campsite and ventures into a branch of the private Curu National Wildlife Refuge. After dinner and another of Costa Rica’s spectacular sunsets the numerous adventures of the day will remind us that it is time for a good night’s sleep filled with tropical dreams.

Day 4 Again we awaken to the sounds of the tropics descending from the trees and washing up against the shore... our final day has come. But just when you think you’ve seen all this place has to offer we’ll bring you to the center of terrestrial life in the area, the hub of Curu National Wildlife Refuge. From our beach the center of Curu is only about an hour away so you’ll have plenty of time and energy to walk the trails of this over 3,000 acre reserve. Along with supporting all of the wildlife known to exist in this region of the country the reserve is currently working on reestablishing spider monkeys and scarlet macaws. The amount of wildlife here is something you have to see to believe and the forests of giant balsa, cashew, almond, and la ceiba trees which create a canopy in which this wildlife abounds present an perfect example of a neotropical forest.  After breakfast on the shore of Curu Bay our van will arrive to shuttle you back to your pick-up location (approximate drop off times vary... mid to late morning in Tambor and late afternoon to early evening in San Jose).

5-Day Itinerary - same as "Day 1" to "Day 3" of the 4-day itinerary... 

…but, instead of going back to San Jose or Tambor on the 4th day we will take an extended hike in the Curu National Wildlife Refuge with a shorter paddle in the afternoon.  After another full day of activity we will enjoy another terrific dinner and then spend the rest of the evening relaxing.

Day 5 This morning we will wake, have breakfast and pack up camp.  After a short paddle back to our takeout our shuttle van will pick us up and take us near the small village of Montezuma to embark on a 30 minute hike through a primary jungle, leading us to a spectacular 60 foot waterfall. Here you can go for a swim in the natural pools and test your photographic skills. Afterwards, if time allows, we will stop at the small town of Montezuma where you can browse crafts made from the local artisans. As lunch time nears it will be time to shuttle back to your pick-up location (approximate drop off times vary... early afternoon in Tambor and late evening in San Jose).