Damas Island Kayaking Mangrove Tour from Manuel Antonio

This is an easy paced kayak where you learn a lot about the trees in the mangrove forest and much more about the canal’s place in the ecosystem. Our guide Franklin was super: informative, engaging, funny. The lunch at the end was very good—the traditional chicken with rice and beans but also with nice vegetables and a small salad . My wife and I (both in our 70’s) were the only two on the tour and we felt really privileged to have this experience.

Franklin was friendly, helpful, and knew a lot about the wildlife of the mangroves. We saw many crabs, water birds, snakes, and learned about the ecosystem of the mangroves. The tour was small which made the experience tailored to our family. We saw other groups with so many people that it seemed like ir would’ve difficult for people to know what the guide was saying. Also Amigos del Rio time of th tour was based on the tides which was extremely important. We had friends use another group that did not do that and they got stuck in the too shallow water.

I would recommend this option over the boats. Assuming you have a basic level of fitness, this is a great trip. Since you have control over your own kayak, you can slow down or stop when you want to see certain things. Our guide was fantastic and gave us some great information about the biology of the mangrove and the plants and trees. We saw monkeys, birds, lizards and other animals in the mangrove. The trip was pretty easy until we had to return. The last 1/2 mile back was upstream. This means that you really had to put some effort into paddling to get back to the starting point. If you are in decent shape, this won't be a problem. However, if you would describe yourself as a couch-potato, you may have difficulty. I enjoyed the exercise, but I readily admit that I am not most people.

We brought our 6 year old on this tour, and the team was 100% outstanding! Our driver, Luis, was sweet, caring, and most importantly, a great driver! Our guide, Franklin, was really friendly, knowledgeable, and skilled at what he does. He connected well with our little one, kept both the jokes and the learning coming all throughout the experience from the drive through the tour. Lunch at the office prior to the tour was also fresh and delicious! Highly recommend!!

Ulises, our guide for the tour, made sure we had a lovely day while taking in the unique calmness of the mongroves and learning many interesting facts about specific trees and animals in that area. The various animals from crabs to moneys and macaus made the kayak tour even better. We felt safe all the time, enjoyed the tour from the first to the last minute and a happy to end the day with great recommendations where to go and what to do for the next days!

Very informative guide about the mangroves, trees etc which was interesting but we didn’t see any wildlife unfortunately apart from crabs and a couple of birds. We were the only 2 people on the tour. A lovely lunch at the end.

We did a Mangrove Kayak tour with Franklin that was great. We saw many birds and learned a lot about the 4 different types of mangroves. Franklin’s English was also excellent, and we had great conversation during the tour since it ended up being a private tour as no one else was booked for the same time.

You can not go wrong with Amigos Del Rio. We have always used them for our tours over the years and their level of service is top notch. My wife, and our three teens had a great time today kayaking in the mangroves. Franklin, our guide, was extremely knowledgeable, patient, and funny. I'd definitely request him as your guide! Also, the the kayaks themselves were some of the best I saw on the water. We passed a few other tour groups and their equipment just didn't seem nearly as nice. A huge thanks to Franklin and Amigos Del Rio. Make sure to check out their other awesome tours as well!

We had a great time on this trip! We took our 10 and 12 year old girls and we had a wonderful time kayaking through the mangrove trees. Our guide, Franklin, was extremely knowledgable about everything we saw and provided so much wonderful information about the eco-system. This was a fun, relaxing and beautiful activity and the lunch at the end of the trip was fantastic! Highly recommend!

I always love getting on the water and paddling, but this kayak tour was extra special in large part because our guide, Franklin, was excellent. He shared his wide-ranging knowledge in a gentle, interesting way as we paddled along. Franklin was able to see and show us so much we would have missed - like a yellow boa constrictor curled up in the branches of a bush, a large iguana which was hard to distinguish from the tree where it sat, and a beautiful bare-throated tiger heron camoflaged among the branches and leaves, and many other birds and creatures. The tour was unhurried, and I found it both relaxing and exciting.