Cruising on a 100' Wooden Sail Ship in Province of Puntarenas
Description
Join us on a Shared morning or sunset cruise out of Marina Pez Vela, Quepos. (Up to 46 guests) The Brisa Elegante is a one-of-a-kind luxurious two-mast Gulet, built by world class craftsmen in 2010 in Turkey. Built and maintained to provide charter guests exquisite comfort and a unique sailing experience. Featuring two expansive teak decks, grand banquet tables, wet bar, multiple spacious lounge areas and a selection of water toys. In the salon you will find gorgeous floor-to-ceiling solid mahogany, comfortable seating and eating space and plenty of natural lighting.
Tour Options
Itinerary
This is a shared cruise for up to 46 guests. We guide you boarding Brisa Elegante. We leave the Marina Pez Vela to start the cruise, setting sails, and sail into the open sea. During the cruise, you can spot dolphins, turtles, manta rays. And, yes, we sail.
We following the coastline along Manuel Antonio beach with an extraordinary view of the untouched Manuel Antonio National Park rainforest. Passing the small islands you can spot frigate birds, pelicans, and brown boobies.
We anchor near Playa Biesanz for swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, use of SUP's, and "walking the plank".
After the water sports activities an early lunch/ dinner will be served.
For the morning cruise: After lunch we lift the anchor and slowly return to the marina. For the sunset cruise: Brisa Elegante will sail into the sunset and shortly after sunset return to the marina.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(254)
What an absolutely fun time on our sunset cruise with Diego and crew. The ship was in great shape and was quite largebat 100 feet. Food was beyond great as were the drinks. Swimming in the ocean was a highlight not to be missed.
Thank you for your wonderful review! We're so happy you had such a fun time on board with the Brisa Elegante crew. It's great to hear you enjoyed the sailing, the food, and especially the swim in the ocean. We truly appreciate your kind words and hope to welcome you back for another unforgettable cruise!
Absolutely wonderful trip. It rained but the crew were so upbeat and did everything they could to make our trip memorable, they even put the sails up for my husband as he has sailed many times. Good is magnificent. Really well cooked as so much of it. If you get a chance book this now
Thank you so much for the wonderful review! We are happy you had such a great time, even with a bit of rain. Our crew loved sailing with you, and I’ll be sure to pass along your compliments to the chef; he will be delighted to hear you loved the food. We appreciate the high recommendation and hope to welcome you both back on board soon! Pura Vida!
Diego and his crew made the day a wonderful experience. We went out in the morning. Boat is amazing, lunch was incredible. The place we stopped to swim was a very calm cove... Good for snorkeling and swimming around. Good vibe on the boat... Very chill. Would definitely go again!!!
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience. We are glad to hear that you enjoyed your morning cruise, from the comfort of the boat to the calm swim and snorkel session. Providing a relaxed atmosphere and a high-quality lunch for our guests are top priorities for us. Diego and the entire crew appreciate your kind words, and we would be delighted to welcome you back on board in the future.
Unfortunately, this tour did not meet our expectations. One of the main reasons we booked was because the description emphasized that dolphins, whales, and other wildlife are “often” seen. I understand wildlife sightings are never guaranteed and are completely out of the tour operator’s control, but we didn’t see any marine life at all, which was disappointing. The bigger issue was the advertising around snorkeling and the stop at Playa Biesanz. The description suggests you’ll stop there for swimming and snorkeling, but guests are not actually taken to the beach. Instead, the boat anchors in roughly 30 feet of open water, where guests float with pool noodles. There were a couple of kayaks and paddleboards available, but with 30+ guests onboard, everyone had to take turns. Snorkeling was never offered, and the water depth and conditions didn’t seem suitable for it anyway. The food was also underwhelming and was probably our least favorite meal of all the tours we’ve taken during this trip. The included cocktail was extremely sweet, and the kids’ smoothies tasted more like watered-down snow cones than fresh smoothies. Finally, for a tour marketed as a sunset cruise, it was disappointing that we returned to the marina before sunset. It was lightly raining, and the crew explained that they needed to head back early for safety reasons. I completely understand that weather conditions are beyond anyone’s control, but it still added to the feeling that the experience did not match what was advertised. Overall, while the crew was friendly and some factors were outside their control, the experience fell short of the expectations created by the tour description.
Dear Whitney, thank you for sharing your feedback regarding your cruise on the Brisa Elegante. You mentioned our tour description and how it aligned with your expectations, so I would like to clarify a few points for the benefit of our future guests. * Wildlife Encounters: We sail on the open Pacific Ocean, where wildlife roams freely. Because these animals are entirely wild, encounters can never be guaranteed. However, the Brisa Elegante is a unique wooden vessel; our hull does not emit the harsh underwater noise of standard motor cruisers, which often makes us a preferred choice for dolphins and whales when they are in the area. * Playa Biesanz & Snorkeling: We do not advertise landing on Playa Biesanz itself, as our vessel's 9-foot draft makes approaching the shore impossible. Instead, we anchor safely in the bay near a reef known for excellent snorkeling. Unfortunately, following tropical storm "Cristina" and days of heavy rain, underwater visibility was extremely poor during your tour. For our guests' enjoyment and safety, we recommended against snorkeling that day. * Water Sports: We provide multiple kayaks and paddleboards for our guests. During our one-hour water sports break, guests may occasionally need to wait a brief moment for a piece of equipment to become available, but everyone who wishes to participate gets a turn. * Our Cuisine: Our chef prepares traditional Costa Rican home-style meals using the freshest local produce and the catch of the day, delivered fresh to the ship each morning. We are truly sorry to hear that our menu did not suit your personal tastes. For our tropical cocktails and smoothies, we use ripe, locally grown mangoes and pineapples, which naturally carry a distinct, vibrant sweetness. * Early Return: Guest safety is our absolute priority. Due to an approaching thunderstorm, our captain made the professional decision to return to the marina early. While we deeply share your disappointment over missing our spectacular ocean sunset, we will never take chances when it comes to weather and safety on the water. Pura Vida, The Brisa Elegante Team
I booked this tour with my wife and kids. The crew and dinner were great. The only change I would suggest is that the possibility of motion sickness should be prioritized in the description for the tour. Both of my kids were pretty sick. We wouldn't have booked if we knew of the possibility. The crew was very accommodating though. I would definitely recommend this tour for people that aren't prone to motion sickness.
Dear Timothy, Thank you for your review. We're glad you enjoyed our crew and dinner service. We're sorry your children experienced motion sickness during the cruise. While this can occasionally happen on any boat, we appreciate your feedback and are pleased our crew was able to assist. Thank you for sailing with us and for your recommendation. The Brisa Elegante Team
One of our fav days from our trip! Staff was amazing and food was delicious! Plenty of room on the ship so it wasn’t crowded like other tours I’ve done!
Dear Claire, Thank you for the kind words—we’re so glad it was a highlight of your trip! Great to hear you enjoyed the space on board, the food, and our crew’s hospitality. We’d love to have you back aboard Brisa Elegante soon. Pura Vida!
Excellent afternoon cruising into the sunset
We are so glad you had an excellent afternoon with us! There is truly nothing quite like watching the sunset from the deck of our 100' wooden sail ship - it’s the kind of magic that never gets old. Fair winds, your Brisa Elegante Team
The crew was amazing. Always making sure we had enough water/drinks and food. A definite must if in the Quepos area.
Dear Karin, Thank you so much for your kind review! We’re so happy to hear you had a great time and that our crew took good care of you. That’s exactly the experience we aim to create. We really appreciate the recommendation and hope to have you back on board next time you’re in Quepos and Manuel Antonio area!
This was much better than the party catamaran. The boat was gorgeous. The sails were up the entire time. The service was amazing. The grouper meal we had was delicious. It wasn’t super crowded and a bunch of young kids getting drunk. It was my favorite excursion in the 4 months that I have been here.
Thank you, Lisa! We’re so happy to hear your time aboard Brisa Elegante was the highlight of your stay in Costa Rica. Sailing on a 100’ wooden sailboat along the coast and nearby islets is truly special, and we’re glad you enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere, attentive service, and fresh grouper prepared onboard. We’d love to welcome you back for another Brisa Elegante day cruise and sailing experience in Manuel Antonio and Quepos!
Check in was well organised. Parking free nearby. An incredible sailing ship. The best cocktail of the holiday included and was so large that it lasted us for the trip! You could buy extras tho. Fabulous trip out to sea - we saw a trutle swimming by and dolphins passing nearby. Lunch was fabulous - so tasty - choice of chicken, fish or veggie. Chance to swim/snorkel and jump off a very high diving platform for those brave enough. Kit provided - noodles to float around on, snorkel gear etc. Very relaxed atmosphere. Definitely not a booze cruise. One young couple, but most people were middle aged. We came away feeling very chilled/ We would thoroughly recommend this trip.
Happy Birthday, Chris, and thank you for the glowing review! We are so glad our ship and crew could make your birthday treat a success. From the wildlife sightings to the diving platform, it sounds like you made the most of every moment. We truly appreciate the recommendation and hope to see you back on the water soon! Pura Vida, Christian
