6-in-1 Tour: Cahuita National Park, Tortuguero Canals & More!
Description
Tour Highlights: Guided Nature Walk in Cahuita National Park Walk along jungle trails and spot monkeys, sloths, raccoons, iguanas, and tropical birds in their natural habitat — bordered by white-sand beaches and coral reefs. Tortuguero Canals Wildlife Boat Tour Glide through peaceful jungle canals while watching for crocodiles, manatees, monkeys, and exotic birds in this biodiverse wetland ecosystem. Banana Plantation Drive-by & Photo Stop Discover the importance of banana farming to Costa Rica’s economy as you pass through plantation areas with a brief educational stop. ️ Local Handicrafts & Souvenirs Visit a small artisan market for locally made souvenirs, crafts, and regional snacks. Scenic Drive Through Puerto Limón City See local landmarks, colorful street life, and Caribbean culture as your guide shares insights into the region’s history and lifestyle.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Often referred to as the "Amazon of Costa Rica," the Tortuguero Canals are one of the country’s most iconic natural attractions. This guided boat ride takes you through calm, narrow waterways surrounded by lush tropical vegetation, offering close-up views of local wildlife. With the help of your guide, you may spot sloths, howler monkeys, iguanas, caimans, and a wide variety of tropical birds. The boat is equipped with a roof, comfortable seats, and life jackets, making it a safe and relaxing experience for all ages.
Explore a local souvenir shop with authentic Costa Rican crafts and enjoy a complimentary tasting of freshly brewed coffee and flavored cacao (like caramelized or cinnamon). When available, a short 15-minute walk through the adjacent garden showcases tropical plants such as pineapple, cacao, cinnamon, ylang ylang, and noni. The highlight is a live demonstration of how a banana plantation processing system works, an engaging look at one of Costa Rica’s most important exports.
This scenic 2-kilometer trail takes you on a guided walk through lush secondary forest, offering the chance to experience Costa Rica’s rich biodiversity up close. Along the way, you’ll enjoy beautiful landscapes and a variety of tropical flora and fauna. The trail is especially known for its frog species, including the striking red dart frog (Oophaga pumilio), as well as common sightings of howler monkeys, white-faced capuchins, and both species of Costa Rican sloths (two- and three-toed). Bird lovers can spot toucans, oropendolas, tanagers, hummingbirds, great kiskadees, and more. Squirrels, butterflies, and other fascinating creatures also fill this vibrant ecosystem.
Next, we’ll pause for a delicious local lunch at a relaxed spot along the way. It’s the perfect chance to savor Caribbean flavors like coconut-infused Rice and Beans, grilled fish with lime, tender chicken in rich Caribbean sauce, or crispy patacones. Pair your meal with a fresh fruit juice or a cold local beer and enjoy a flavorful break before continuing your adventure.
Discover the fresh and vibrant flavors of Costa Rica at a local fruit stand, where you’ll have the chance to taste tropical delights like sweet pineapple, juicy papaya, mini bananas, crispy platanitos, ripe watermelon, and even sip fresh coconut water. Sample tastings of fruit and local coffee are complimentary. If you’d like to try a Caribbean patty or a chilled coconut, they’re available for just $1–$2.
Take in the highlights of Costa Rica’s Caribbean region during a drive through coastal towns rich in culture and history. As you travel, your guide will provide an introduction to Costa Rica, its diverse geography, cultural roots, and development as a peaceful, nature-oriented country. You'll also gain insight into the province of Limón, shaped by Afro-Caribbean heritage, maritime trade, and the legacy of immigrant communities that continue to define the region’s identity today.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Your tour begins inside the pier, where our guides will be waiting for you with a sign displaying your name. Look for our red shirts for easy identification. We offer pickup right inside the pier, so there’s no need to walk outside the facilities. Timing: Tours are scheduled 30 minutes after your ship docks, with the earliest tour starting at 8:00 AM. As the best local tour operator, we guarantee your return to the cruise ship
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- At time of booking, Cruise ship passengers must provide the following information at time of booking: ship name, docking time, disembarkation time and re-boarding time
- Plastic is not allowed inside the National Park
Reviews(86)
Javier and Geoff were great guides. Fun and flexible for our family. They even Stopped at the local fruit stand and bought us a taste of Costa Rica. I highly recommend them.
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback! We’re thrilled to hear that you had such a great experience with Javier and Geoff. It’s fantastic to know they made the tour fun and flexible for your family, and that special touches—like stopping at a local fruit stand—helped create a more authentic Costa Rican experience. Your recommendation truly means a lot to us, and we will be sure to share your kind words with both Javier and Geoff. It was a pleasure having you with us, and we hope to welcome you back again for another memorable adventure in Costa Rica! Warm regards, SYL Travel Team
Katerin was an amazing tour guide. Very informative and friendly. We really enjoyed the fruit samples. The mango was amazing!! Great countryside scenic tour, a visit to the plantation, rainforest, local beach, viewpoint and shopping and a very reasonable price. I would definitely book a tour with Katerin again!
Thank you so much for sharing your experience! We’re delighted to hear that Katerin made such a positive impact on your day with her friendly personality and informative guidance. It’s great to know you enjoyed the variety of the tour—from the scenic countryside and rainforest to the plantation visit, beach stop, and local shopping. And yes… the mango is always a guest favorite! 😊 We truly appreciate your recommendation and are very happy you found the tour to be a great value. We would love to have you join us again for another unforgettable experience with Katerin! 🌿
Very knowledgeabl, fun, I loved it.
Thank you for your kind words! We’re so glad you had a fun and enjoyable experience. It’s always our goal to provide knowledgeable and engaging tours, so it means a lot to hear that you loved it. We hope to welcome you again on another adventure soon! 🌿😊
Catarina and Gigi were great companions and I told us a lot and explained things. They got us fresh fruit and we had a lot of fun with the two! During the boat tour and the hike we could observe many animals and there was enough time to take great photos. During a walk through an educational garden Catarina was able to tell us a lot about the cocoa, coffee and banana plants. We had a great day!
Vielen Dank für Ihre wunderbare Bewertung! Es freut uns sehr zu hören, dass Sie einen so schönen Tag mit Catarina und Gigi verbracht haben. Beide Guides geben sich immer große Mühe, unseren Gästen die Natur, Tierwelt und lokalen Pflanzen wie Kakao, Kaffee und Bananen auf eine interessante und unterhaltsame Weise näherzubringen. Es ist schön zu wissen, dass Sie während der Bootstour und der Wanderung viele Tiere beobachten konnten und genügend Zeit hatten, tolle Fotos zu machen. Auch freut es uns, dass Ihnen die frischen Früchte und die gemeinsame Zeit so gut gefallen haben. Vielen Dank, dass Sie Ihre Erfahrung mit uns geteilt haben. Wir hoffen, Sie in Zukunft wieder einmal in Costa Rica begrüßen zu dürfen! 🌿
It was rainy during our canal tour, but we were still able to see a few sloths & monkeys. "Rich" was our guide for the entire 6-in-1 & she was great! She was so good at spotting different things (snakes, sloths, monkeys, spiders, dragonflies, etc) along the jungle/beach trail. We also had someone with a challenging personality & Rich showed great patience. She is also fluent in both English & Spanish, so she made the trip enjoyable for everyone.
Thank you very much for taking the time to share such a detailed review. Even with the rainy weather, we’re happy to hear that you were still able to enjoy the canal tour and spot wildlife like sloths and monkeys—that’s always a special part of the experience. We’re especially grateful for your kind words about Rich. Her sharp eye for wildlife, professionalism, and deep knowledge of the area truly enhance the tour, and it’s wonderful to hear how much you appreciated her patience, positivity, and bilingual skills. We also value your recognition of how well she handled different personalities within the group—providing an enjoyable experience for everyone is something we take very seriously. We’ll be sure to share your comments with Rich. Thank you for choosing us, and we hope to welcome you again on another adventure in the future.
It was a well organized excursion. Catherine and Alex are two caring, thoughtful people who made the journey very pleasant and meaningful. The Costa Ricans are nice people in general, but our guide and driver were perfect.
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience. We’re truly happy to hear that you found the excursion well organized and meaningful. Catherine and Alex will be delighted to know that their care, thoughtfulness, and professionalism made such a positive impression. We take great pride in working with guides and drivers who genuinely enjoy what they do and who go the extra mile to make our guests feel comfortable and well cared for. Your kind words about Costa Rican hospitality and our team mean a lot to us. It was a pleasure having you with us, and we hope to welcome you back to Costa Rica for another memorable experience in the future.
What a great tour so fun. Mario was our fabulous driver and our guide was Rich who was one of the best tour guides I’ve had anywhere. She was so friendly bubbly and knowledgeable. We stopped at a shop that gave us samples of plantains coffee and fresh fruit then off to the rain forest/beach. Saw sloths and snakes giant spiders turtles iguanas and lots of different flowers. Walked out to the ocean which was so pretty. Then we had time for a local beer and some gelato. Passed the banana plants and then stopped in to learn about how they grow and more sloths !!! Grabbed a delicious meat pie and off to move our boat ride. We got another sample of frag fruit and a water and took a slow cruise down a canal to see lots of birds and iguanas and even a cayman. Truly got a great feel for Costa Rica and it’s very friendly people and it’s amazing country! Rice and Beans !!!
Kendrick Watson is amazing tour guide and super smart and informative. Best Tour in Costa Rica. New and modern van with AC and comfortable ride. Would recommend.
Thank you very much for your fantastic review. We are delighted to hear that Kendrick Watson made such a positive impression and that his knowledge and informative guiding helped make this your best tour in Costa Rica. It is also great to know that you enjoyed the comfort of the new, modern van and the air-conditioned ride, as we place a strong emphasis on both quality service and guest comfort. We truly appreciate your recommendation and your kind words. We hope to have the pleasure of welcoming you again on another tour in Costa Rica in the future.
We had an amazing day on this excursion. Our guides were very informative and helpful with taking pics of the animals. We saw Slots (also 1 was eating), birds, bats, monkeys and venomous snake. Rich asked us what we would like to see and do on this excursion. She made sure we saw all the animals that everyone wanted to see. Also, she was very informative about the plant life and what purposes these plants served. Never did we feel rushed and was a very relaxed environment. I would do this excursion again.
What a wonderful experience. Even tho it rained most of the day, we still saw the canals and the park. The boats were covered so that helped a lot. We saw a lot of sloths in the park which was an incredible experience. Our guide Pablo was the absolute best!! His personality, excitement and adventurous nature made the trip more than I could have expected.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience! We’re delighted to hear that, despite the rainy weather, you were still able to enjoy the canals and the park — and even spot plenty of sloths! Knowing that the covered boats made the journey more comfortable is great to hear. We’re especially happy that Pablo made such a strong impression. His enthusiasm, energy, and love for what he does truly help make each tour memorable, and your kind words mean a lot. We truly appreciate you taking the time to leave this feedback. It’s wonderful to know the experience exceeded your expectations.
