KAYAKING

5-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

Day 1: Sample 5-Day Itinerary
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 the launching site. Crystal Seas Kayaking will 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. Upon arrival, you’ll get your first chance to dip your feet in the warm waters of the tropical Pacific while Crystal Seas introduces you to all the 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. Once everyone is situated and comfortable, you’ll head out on the calm waters of the Gulf of Nicoya. The route for this first day is designed to let you get used to the idea of paddling while in calm waters as you gradually work your way to the mouth of the Gulf. The waters around you are dotted with islands that are either homes of local fisherman or uninhabited biological reserves. The entire coastline of Costa Rica is public, so whenever you find a beach with some shade and a nice view you’ll stop off for lunch and enjoy your first taste of local delicacies. After lunch, continue the paddle along the coast until you arrive at Playa Organos where camp is set up for the night. This long protected beach surrounding the Organos River has a cool breeze and a broad horizon perfect for watching the stars while you fall a sleep to the sound of the waves.

Day 2:
The waves that 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 you started on your day. The route today takes you 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 you are likely encounter during the passage through this pristine labyrinthine. Work your way out of the maze to enjoy another lunch at the campsite and then perhaps (for the sake of local tradition) siesta in the shade. In the late afternoon, pack up camp and paddle a short stretch of water that will bring you just outside the western tip of the bay to Punta Quesera. Quesera is a beach that lucidly presents itself as everyone’s tropical icon; pure white sand that 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, enjoy another wonderful meal while watching the sun descend behind the rising hills of the Nicoya. Later as the blue sky gives way to darkness, many clients will have their first view of the Southern Cross appearing just above the horizon.

Day 3:
Howler Monkeys are likely to be your morning call to consciousness as they swing and call through the Nancita and Mango trees on the edge of the 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 freshly prepared meal. From here, 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 your 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 you 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 your host for an afternoon meal. After lunch and rest on shore, 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 Punta Quesera you’ll have time to relax or enjoy a walk along a trail that 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 you that it is time for a good night’s sleep filled with tropical dreams.

Day 4:
Wake to the sounds of the tropics descending from the trees and washing up against the shore. But just when you think you’ve seen all this place has to offer, Crystal Seas Kayaking will bring you to the center of terrestrial life in the area…the hub of Curu National Wildlife Refuge. From the beach, the center of Curu is only about an hour away so you’ll have plenty of time and energy to walk the reserve trails with over 3,000 acres. Along with supporting all the wildlife known to exist in this region of Costa Rica, 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. The forests of giant balsa, cashew, almond, and la ceiba trees create a canopy where wildlife abounds, presenting an example of a neo-tropical forest. Tonight, enjoy your last dinner together on the beach.

Day 5:
This morning, wake and pack up camp. The shuttle van will pick you up and take you to Estrella de la Playa for some refreshing cold beverages. Then shuttle to the small village of Montezuma to embark on a 30-minute hike through a primary jungle, leading to a spectacular 60-foot waterfall. Here you can go for a swim in the natural pools and test your photographic skills. Afterwards, hike back to the village of Montezuma where you can explore handicrafts made from local artisans. Gather for lunch at a local eatery where you can practice your Spanish and then shuttle back to your pick-up location (approximate drop off times vary... early afternoon in Tambor and late evening in San Jose).