KAYAKING

3-Day Costa Rica Kayak Expedition

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 provided as courtesy for each guest will ensure you don’t miss out on the world beneath the water's 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.

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

Once you are acquainted with the gear and are comfortable, launch onto the warm turquoise waters of the Gulf of Nicoya. As you depart, you 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 you 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 you are likely to have.

All meals during your trip are included. Crystal Seas has developed a reputation for exceeding the expectations of guests with an attention to detail and the food served is no exception. Crystal Seas Kayaking prides themselves in providing healthy hearty meals that will delight your palate as much as your body. The use of locally caught seafood and freshly harvested fruits assure the creation of the finest local and exotic meals you will ever have tasted. Crystal Seas uses 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 guests a chance to really know each other. Furthermore, Crystal Seas Kayaking can also adjust and modify the trip to the individual desires and interests of the group, allowing guests to participate in various activities ranging from birding to advanced kayaking. For all these reasons and more, Crystal Sease keeps the regularly scheduled multi-day expedition group size to ten guests and two guides.

No Experience Needed
Crystal Seas Kayaking begins each tour 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 safety gear and other helpful and necessary preparations for the expedition.

Guide to Guest Ratio
On all Costa Rican tours, Crystal Seas Kayaking provides two English-speaking guides who are local to the area. This makes trips safer, more intimate and allows 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.

Trip Details