Crocodile Man Tour - THE ORIGINAL Tarcoles River Experience

This was a wonderful trip! We saw many crocodiles and birds. This exceeded our expectations. Our Guide, Jose, greeted us at the meeting point and provided coffee. When I complemented him on how good it was, he said the secret ingredient was that he made it with love. He continued to keep us entertained with jokes and warm Costa Rican attention as he pointed out crocodiles and different species of birds. He was very knowledgeable and our boat captain was able to get us up close to the nature we came to see. Both of these young men were good examples of the kind, friendly and warm people we continue to meet in Costa Rica. We highly recommend this tour.

The tour was awesome! Jose, our tour guide was very informative and fun! I saw lots of crocodiles and different birds! The whole experience was relaxing and fun! I highly recommend! 🐊🤠

We joined several guided tours in La Fortuna and Monteverde, but this was by far the best tour of our entire trip. My husband was quite skeptical about a crocodile tour because he didn't think crocodiles were very interesting, but by the end of the tour he was truly impressed. First of all, the river is absolutely beautiful. We also saw so many different birds that we hadn't seen anywhere else in Costa Rica. Pelicans were flying overhead, we saw macaws, and many other bird species. At one point, the river meets the ocean, and the scenery there is simply breathtaking. The moment of complete silence as we drifted into the part of the river surrounded by jungle on both sides, with nothing but the sounds of nature around us, is something we will remember for the rest of our lives. Our guide's sense of humor was perfect because, to be honest, it wasn't exactly relaxing to start floating down a river with crocodiles! He made everyone feel comfortable from the very beginning, and we learned so many fascinating things throughout the tour. Thank you for such an unforgettable experience!

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!

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!

Amazing experience we loved it!!!

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.

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.

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!