Puntarenas Highlights Shore Excursion

This is our second Costa Rica tour using GioTours, first time in Limon (Atlantic coast) back in 2019 and now on in Puntarenas on the Pacific coast. Juan was our tour guide and Antonio our driver. Such talent from both in spotting wildlife from the bus that most of us would never even see. Juan's enthusiasm and passion for his country just bleeds in his conversations. He has so much character for the job! Our group size was 10 people. We stopped at a small fruit stand to sample a variety of native fruits. Tasty! En route to the Tarcoles River, Antonio pulled the bus off the road as he spotted a pair of macaws in a tree. Very pleasant surprise! Off to the Tarcoles River to hop on a Crocodile Man boat where Juan continued to serve as our tour guide and pointed out several different forms of wildlife including a variety of birds (both small - think swallows, and large - think vultures), crabs, monkeys and of course, named crocodiles (Lady Gaga, J.Lo, Torpedo, etc.), which we viewed from just a few yards away. Antonio then drove us to El Jardin where we enjoyed a traditional Costa Rican lunch and had some free time to shop, see a short presentation on making chocolate, stroll through a butterfly garden and taste Costa Rican coffee. Then back to the port in plenty of time before ship departure. Overall a great day! I wouldn't hesitate to book again with GioTours - we did.

Interesting tour, friendly guide, competent driver but unfortunately excursion not in French, abundant flora and fauna

We had driven across the Tarcoles River four years ago en route to Los Suenos but didn’t stop to enjoy the wildlife. This time we took a cruise that stopped in Puntarenas, so we decided to tour the Tarcoles River with Gio. In total, there were 10 folks who had signed up from our ship, but two didn’t show. The comfortable mini-bus had plenty of room for us to spread out. First and foremost, our guide Juan and driver Antonio were fantastic. Juan kept us informed and entertained while Antonio kept a sharp lookout for macaws and other wildlife en route to the river. The first stop at the fruit stand was a very nice touch. The mangos, papayas, pineapple, and apples were sweet and refreshing. We also tasted a Costa Rican fruit from palm trees that is boiled and mushed up. The flavor and texture was like a cross between a potato and chestnut. Although scheduled for an hour, the river boat captain took us around for 90 minutes. We saw perhaps a half dozen crocodiles, a lot of different kinds of birds, and even some monkeys. Lunch provided a good selection of typical Costa Rican food. We spent a little time to learn about the chocolate production process and taste some samples. There was also a butterfly garden and souvenir shop on site.

Best tour ever!! Charlie and Juan were great!

Literally just finished our full day tour of Costa Rica’s west coast. Several first impressions……. The beauty of the country and the wonderful hospitality. As wonderful as the sights were, it was surpassed by the knowledge, personality and kindness of Juan and Gustavo. Clearly, Juan is proud of his native country. This was conveyed with pride and a blend of exceptional humor. Thank you for a wonderful day and I feel as though friendships were made. Pura Vida CG

We did the Puntarenas Shore excursion. We were highly disappointed! There were no cruise ships in that day but they did pick up 6 of us at our resort. They send a driver with no experience or personality & poor English. He asked what we wanted to see today ... WTF! Some tour guide. It was obvious he had no idea. Had to call his boss a couple of times. We had to ask for fruit tasting & he said no. We showed him proof ... He had to call his boss... & then only 3 fruits... no mangos or fruits shown in pics although they were there. No monkeys, no colorful birds, no history or humor. The lunch was ok but certainly not a buffet but a cafeteria style ... few choices, rushed & no desserts included. Not at all as presented! The Crocodile Man adventure was awesome. Our driver parked at the top & we had to walk down to the boat. We were with friends & we both had canes & we had to walk up & down... other tour companies dropped off there people at the bottom right near the boat. He sat in the van & waited. I asked about the lookout & he told us the road was washed out so no go for that either. He truly knew nothing! We gave a very minimal tip because we always tip but we generously tipped the boys on the croc tour. If there is no cruise ship in the day you are going ...PLEASE DON'T BOOK THIS TOUR! Other people booked right at our resort with different companies & saw everything... birds monkeys, scenic overlook on the same day... same $$ We definitely booked with the wrong company!

Our Gio Tours excursion from Puntarenas was fantastic, but honestly, our guide Juan was the absolute star and the reason it was so memorable. Without his incredible sense of humor and engaging energy, the day could have felt routine—he kept everyone laughing, relaxed, and fully involved from start to finish. The port pickup/drop-off was seamless, the fruit market stop was delicious (those fresh mango samples were out of this world!), the Tarcoles River pontoon cruise delivered wild crocodile sightings and many birds, and the authentic Costa Rican lunch was plentiful and tasty. Juan brought the wildlife, culture, and history to life with fun facts and great stories. Gio Tours delivered a perfect mix of adventure and local flavor, but Juan’s witty personality turned it into something special. Highly recommend—5 stars, especially for him! 🌴🐊 Thanks, Juan!

Our Gio Tours excursion from Puntarenas was fantastic, but honestly, our guide Juan was the absolute star and the reason it was so memorable. Without his incredible sense of humor and engaging energy, the day could have felt routine—he kept everyone laughing, relaxed, and fully involved from start to finish. The port pickup/drop-off was seamless, the fruit market stop was delicious (those fresh mango samples were out of this world!), the Tarcoles River pontoon cruise delivered wild crocodile sightings and many birds, and the authentic Costa Rican lunch was plentiful and tasty. Juan brought the wildlife, culture, and history to life with fun facts and great stories. Gio Tours delivered a perfect mix of adventure and local flavor, but Juan’s witty personality turned it into something special. Highly recommend—5 stars, especially for him! 🌴🐊 Thanks, Juan!

This was a fantastic tour that I can only highly recommwnd. Juan (guide) and Carlos (driver) took the best care of us and we learned so much. The crocodile boat ride was the highly of the tour, and the lunch food at a local buffet restaurant amazing.

Our guide Juan Mauel and driver Ramon were fantastic. Juan is very entertaining and informative. The tour included a boat ride and the guide on the boat was also fantastic. Everyone is very friendly and we had a relaxing time seeing the sights.