Crocodile Man Tour - THE ORIGINAL Tarcoles River Experience
Description
Crocodile Man Tour – The Original Tarcoles River Adventure Experience the original Crocodile Man Tour on the famous Tarcoles River, home to some of the largest American crocodiles in the world. With over 30 years of experience, our family-owned company has safely guided thousands of travelers on unforgettable close-up encounters with these giant reptiles in their natural habitat. Led by certified local guides, this tour offers thrilling wildlife sightings, fascinating stories, and incredible photo opportunities. The Tarcoles River is also a paradise for bird lovers, where you may spot scarlet macaws, herons, kingfishers, and other tropical species. Conveniently located between Jaco and Manuel Antonio, this is the perfect wildlife stop during your Costa Rica adventure. Book today and discover why we are the original and most trusted crocodile tour on the Tarcoles River.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Crocodile Man Tour takes place on the Tárcoles River in Central Pacific Costa Rica, one of the most populated crocodile rivers in the world! From our safe river boat, we cruise the river observing American crocodiles of all sizes in their natural habitat and up-close. Other reptiles such as iguanas and lizards that run on water are also frequently spotted. The river is home to an abundance of beautiful exotic birds, such as the Roseate Spoonbill, Scarlet Macaw, and a variety of Kingfishers, Egrets. In one tour it is possible to spot around 50 different varieties of birds! Admire the rivers’ surrounding rainforest scenery as we make our way towards the Guacalillo mangrove forest. We pass through the dense mangrove canals where animals such as monkeys, raccoons, and mangrove crabs may be seen. Our informative and fun tour guides accompany our visitors and provide interesting information about the river’s flora and fauna and ensure that everyone has a one-of-a-kind experience!
Continua sin parar hasta el punto de encuentro
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Si desea reservar para 1 persona , por favor comunicarse ya que el tour se realiza con minimo 2 personas
Reviews(181)
This tour was awesome! We got so close to about 8 different crocs and were able to see a ton of different birds. It was a highlight of our trip for sure!
This is the fifth Rio Tarcoles tour I've taken overall but my first with this company. The Crocodile Man Tour was the best of them all because our guide, Said - a University of Costa Rica biology student on semester break, was the most knowledgeable of any previous guide. I'm a retired college ecology professor with over 30 visits to Costa Rica and I still learned many new things from him. He was great with our grandchildren and treated them as students of Nature. He was funny, personable, and I particularly appreciated our "silent sitting" minutes in the mangrove forest to listen to nature. Watch the tide tables to book for a low, outgoing tide (as we did) to expose the most area for the crocs and prepare to be wowed!
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're thrilled you enjoyed your tour with Said and that his knowledge and passion made your experience so special. We'll be sure to share your kind words with him. We hope to welcome you and your family back again soon! Pura vida!
What a great morning out, choosing the 8am trip was perfect. We arrived greeted by the tour guide, who was funny from the moment we arrived. Speaking English and switching to Spanish when he chose to. We saw a fair amount of crocs and wildlife. Cannot recommend this enough!
Thank you for your kind words and recommendation! We're so happy you enjoyed the tour. We hope to see you again soon! Pura vida🐊🌿☀️
Amazing experience we loved it!!!
Thank you so much! We're so happy you loved your experience. Hope to see you again soon! 😊
We had a fantastic experience with Crocodile Man Tours on the Tarcoles River. From the moment we arrived, everything was well organized, and the staff was friendly and helpful. We were 5 adults on this tour. Our guide was outstanding—knowledgeable, energetic, and genuinely entertaining. He made the tour fun while teaching us about the incredible wildlife and ecosystem of the Tarcoles River. We expected to see crocodiles, and we certainly did! We saw numerous crocodiles, including some enormous adults and even baby crocodiles. What surprised us most was how much other wildlife we encountered. During the tour, we saw a variety of birds, including egrets, herons, sandpipers, and white ibis, as well as turtles and the famous "Jesus Christ" lizard. The river scenery was beautiful, and the entire experience felt like a relaxing nature cruise. The boat was comfortable, and because we visited during the shoulder season, it was uncrowded and allowed for excellent wildlife viewing and photography opportunities. The guides were great at spotting animals and positioning the boat so everyone could get a good look and take pictures. This tour offers excellent value and is suitable for all ages. As retirees, we especially appreciated that it was a calm, comfortable excursion that allowed us to experience Costa Rica's amazing wildlife without strenuous hiking or activity. If you're visiting the Jaco or Tarcoles area, I highly recommend Crocodile Man Tours. It turned out to be one of the highlights of our Costa Rica trip! If you would like more information, feel free to access my page, Pink Bear's Retirement Adventures.
Thank you very much for sharing your experience and for your kind words! We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed your tour on the Tarcoles River and that our team helped make it a memorable experience. We love showcasing the area's incredible wildlife, and knowing that you were able to see so many animals makes our work truly rewarding. We especially appreciate your recommendation and the time you took to write such a detailed review. We hope to have the pleasure of welcoming you back on your next visit to Costa Rica. Pura Vida, and thank you again from the entire Crocodile Man Tours team!
We did the tour today May 15th 2026 a crocodile tour with The Crocodile Man Tours and had an amazing experience from start to finish! From the moment we made the reservation, the customer service was very attentive, friendly, and professional. Our guide, Zaid, was incredibly knowledgeable about the crocodiles, the area, wildlife, and many interesting details throughout the tour. You can really tell he is passionate about what he does. The boat captain was also excellent — very skilled, professional, and made us feel safe and comfortable the entire time. We absolutely loved this experience and will definitely be coming back, but next time we want to do the private tour! Highly recommended if you are visiting Costa Rica.
Thank you so much for your kind review! We’re delighted to hear that you enjoyed your tour and that Zaid and our captain helped make it a memorable experience. We truly appreciate your recommendation and look forward to welcoming you back for a private tour on your next visit to Costa Rica! Pura Vida, The Crocodile Man Tours Team
Jose made the whole trip that much better. He had us in stitches the whole time. We saw many crocs & babies! Up close & personal but safe. We very much enjoyed this!
Thank you so much for your kind words! 😊 We’re so happy Jose made the trip fun and memorable. Seeing the crocs and babies up close is always an amazing experience! 🐊 Hope to see you again soon!
Great family experience! Thanks to Captain Juan and all the crocodiles: Lady Gaga, Bin Laden, Tyson, Rocky, Shakira and Tornado 😂 The children will not be disappointed... and neither will the parents!
¡Muchas gracias! 😊 Nos alegra que toda la familia haya disfrutado la experiencia con el Capitán Juan y nuestros cocodrilos 🐊 ¡Hasta muy pronto!
Excellent tour, I recommend to go as early as the morning that there are fewer people and crocodiles are more appreciated
¡Muchas gracias por su recomendación! 😊 ¡Será un gusto recibirles nuevamente!
My expectations weren’t high and this tour and our guide was outstanding. We went with Active Adventures Tours and it was so fun. Safe and the guides were very knowledgeable and entertaining. Highly recommend!
Thank you so much for your kind words! 😊 We’re thrilled to hear the tour exceeded your expectations and that you had a fun, safe experience with our knowledgeable and entertaining guides. We truly appreciate your recommendation and hope to see you again soon!
