At sunset, this tour leaves from the little beach next to the ferry dock in Paquera. When the nights falls you will be able to see the plankton glow in the dark. For more then a full hour you will be able to see this natural phenomenon and be enchanted how fish light up their path in the water or when you take a swim or move your hands through it. Bioluminescence is found in many parts of the world, however in most locations it is either seasonal or requires perfect conditions in order to occur. Contrastingly, the Paquera Bay is home to bioluminescence year-round but we would like to inform that the moonlight effects the visibility of the bioluminescence and also tides and streamings. therefore, we are not able to guarentee a good visibility of the bioluminescence in the last week before full moon and the evening of full moon.
In front of this Island we will anchor the boat to watch the magic of bioluminicence and you're be able to swim.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Sunset Bioluminescence Tour by Boat lasts about 2 hours. The itinerary has 1 stop.
Prices start at $50 per person for this Santa Teresa experience, booked through Viator with the price shown before checkout. There is 1 booking option, so the final price depends on the option you choose.
Yes. Cancel at least 1 day before the start for a full refund. Later cancellations are non-refundable.
The meeting point is We will start our tour from the little beach at the right side from the ferry dock of Paquera. Hotel pickup is not part of this experience.
The experience is available in EN, ES.
It is a small-group experience with a maximum of 12 participants.
Yes, bookings are confirmed instantly.
Travellers rate it 4.4 out of 5 across 52 verified reviews; it is run by El Gecko Tours.
Very nice experience: sunset in a magnificent setting, bird watching. At nightfall, we were able to swim and discover the bioluminescence. It is really worth experiencing. Unfortunately, the photos do not do justice to the splendor of the phenomenon. I recommend it 200%. Magical!
We specifically made a stop in Puntarenas during our trip to Costa Rica to do this tour, taking the ferry to Paquera in the afternoon and returning in the evening, and it was worth it because it was a fantastic experience. On the boat there were only the three of us, the nice guide, and the captain who took us by boat into the bay, among the islands at sunset, even leaving early since we had arrived sooner. The atmosphere was jovial and relaxing with the music and the fruit that they offered us during the break on the beach. When darkness fell, they anchored not far from the coast and we dove in for the most extraordinary experience of our vacation: swimming in the bioluminescence is like being in a dream, it feels like swimming among the stars, it feels like being cloaked in fireflies...difficult to describe, very emotional. It's just a shame that with a normal camera or mid-range phone you can't capture anything in the dark, but the memory will stay with us forever. I highly recommend this experience and this agency to anyone.
We are absolutely thrilled with the tour. It is a wonderful experience and looks like millions of glitter particles floating around you when you move in the water. We liked the tour so much that we went whale watching with El Ghecko the next day. This tour is also highly recommended!
We had a fantastic experience last night with The Men of Gecko tour. By boat we left for some sightseeing and when night fell and all the fruit, beer and soda was consumed we could swim as in the starry sky. Super attentive staff with Alex and Illia, well looked after by Inge and Juan in the background. I would definitely recommend this tour!
Very kid friendly. You get to swim with the bioluminescence/phytoplankton so make sure you wear a swim suit and bring dry cool others/towel. The kids loved it! (We have a 4 y/o and 8 y/o) You get to tour the small islands as well and see the birds. We actually saved a bird from the water that couldn’t swim.
This tour is well recommended. Gecko's operators , Jile and Alex, were so informative while being very professional and funny. They gave us the choice to swimm in the ocean. They gave us a thoughtful tour of the nearby islands. They were very punctual, courteous and provided us with fresh fruit and water. I would definitely be back. The bioluminiscence was visible and so pretty.
We had a boat with two tourguides on our own. The sunset was stunning and the fruits, they offered, very sweet. We could see the glittery plancton and could swin in it. It was amazing!
Nice folks Beautiful area. Nice hanks for the boat ride. The boat is a good way to see the area Thanks
Amazing! Don't leave Santa Teresa withaout doing it. There are no many places around the world to experience it.
Very good service. They continuously sent us phone messages with all the instructions as well as the location of the meeting point. We didn't have a problem. It was an amazing experience. 100% recommended.
| Tour | Duration | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunset Bioluminescence Tour by Boat | 2 hours | 4.4 (52) | $50 | |
 Tortuga Island Sunset and Bioluminescence Tour from Santa Teresa | 7 hours | 4.8 (4) | $137 | View |
 Eddy's Bioluminescence Reserve in Punta Cuchillos | 1h 15min | 4.9 (122) | $40 | View |
 Isla Tortuga boat tour - from Paquera | 6 hours | 4.9 (69) | $98 | View |
 Double Kayak Bioluminescence Tour in Costa Rica | 1h 45min | 4.6 (45) | $35 | View |
 Tortuga Island Snorkeling Boat Tour from Santa Teresa Costa Rica | 8h 30min | 4.5 (21) | $137 | View |
 Paquera Bioluminescence Tour by Kayak | 2 hours | 4.2 (10) | $35 | View |