Discover Ortega and the National Reserve Cipanci on this guided boat tour along the Tempisque River. Home to a wide variety of birds including the Scarlet Macaws and the Jabiru (the largest storks in the world), the wildlife refuge is an important nesting site. Following the tour, enjoy a traditionally made lunch with local cultivated ingredients.

Experience this less touristy area of Costa Rica
Enjoy a homemade lunch, served family style
The park fee is not included in the tour price
Keep in mind, August to October is rainy season

Sample Menu

Main

Healthy meals

Local & organic products. Traditional meals: rice, beans, chicken, fresh vegetables & fruits, corn tortillas,etc. Vegan or vegetarian dish available

What's Included

Small group boat tour (ask for private rates)
Homemade lunch (family style)
Local guide (S/E)
Juice & coffee
Snacks
Bottled water

Park fee ticket $10 p/p (CASH ONLY).
Private transportation
Gratuities / Tips

Meeting And Pickup

Meeting point

Palo Verde Boat Tours
50302 Provincia de Guanacaste Ortega, 75 mts south of the local catholic church, Provincia de Guanacaste, Ortega, 50302, Costa Rica
According to your location, drive directly to these cities (choose one). ENTRANCE #1) Drive to Filadelfia / Corralillos / Palo Verde boat tours, in Ortega village (only during summertime). ENTRANCE #2) Drive toward Santa Cruz to Palo Verde boat tours in Ortega village.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Wheelchair accessible
Infants must sit on laps

No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 travellers

Operated by Palo Verde Boat Tours

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s cancelled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
This experience requires a minimum number of travellers. If it’s cancelled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveller Photos

Featured review

Laurie_S

What a wonderful group of locals. If you are looking for an off the beaten path, authentic experience then this is the place for you. The food, cooked by grandma and served family style, is absolutely excellent. They are so knowledgeable about local flora and fauna.

Reviews

5.0

183 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travellers.

Showing 1-10 of 183 reviews

A wonderful experience!

Walt_P, May 2023

This is a wonderful boat tour plus! We were warmly greeted, treated to juice and coffee after which we tasted home made tortillas and roasted cashews we saw prepared in the traditional ways. Our knowledgeable tour guide found us siting after siting, and the boat driver positioned the boat strategically for views and photos of crocodiles, monkeys, sleeping bats, and many species of birds. Locally grown lunch following the tour was delicious. A wonderful experience!

Amazing tour!

Solange_G, Apr 2023

We went on this tour my husband and I with our 5 year old son. We loved it. The house/restaurant that welcomes you before the tour is super nice and clean. Hosts and our guide were amazing. On the tour, we saw lots of crocodiles, monkeys and birds. The lunch was awesome. Our best excursion of the week. Very respectful of nature.

Gliding Along the Palo Verde

Aleucard, Apr 2023

Palo Verde Boat Tour was a nice, relaxing excursion that allowed us to see a plethora of Costa Rican wildlife, including a troop of capuchin monkeys who ate, played, and frolicked as we watched up close. Our guide did her best to describe what we saw, but her English was somewhat limited, so her explanations weren't detailed. The lunch that was provided after the tour was quite delicious and wonderful. Be forewarned...getting to the meeting point involved a harrowing trek through rocky, unfinished roads. If you're renting your own vehicle, make sure that you get an SUV/4x4, because many of the roads in the area are not well maintained (and go with a reputable, bigger car rental company like Hertz or Avis...I felt that we got scammed by Europcar/Fox Rent-A-Car with mandatory car insurance fees that were tacked on top of our car rental fee, and they refused to accept our credit card's primary car insurance coverage).

Viator is the best

Laureen_R, Apr 2023

Everyone was super, super nice and very accommodating We saw monkeys, huge crocs Boat was comfortable

A great way to see the wildlife - The host family works hard to make it a great experience

Ken_C, Mar 2023

Saw monkeys, bats (asleep!), crocs and many different birds - all quite close. Guide was excellent. The lunch at the end is prepared by the family operation and is delicious.

Good organized boat trip....

Miron_L, Feb 2023

Good organized boat trip. Delicious lunch. Friendly and knowledgeable staff :Very satisfied! I will recommend it to everyone

No complaints! Great tour!!

Francisco_S, Sept 2022

The tour was great!!! We were able to see many different birds, lizards, and even a baby crocodile!! Although I think that was a very lucky spot. The lunch afterwards was delicious and much needed I have no complaints for this tour 5 stars! I think it is important to keep in mind nothing is guaranteed in terms of what you see. It really depends but the workers as well as the captain of the boat work really hard to spot and get you to see everything they can.

A real taste of Costa Rica

Federico_C, Feb 2022

The tour is excellent, you see a lot of crocodiles, monkeys and exotic birds. But the most amazing is the local food and the attentions delivered by the local family.

Great experience.

Mike_S, Dec 2021

Staff was very friendly and did a great job finding and getting us close to wildlife. Food after the boat ride was excellent.

Don’t pass this one up!

Anonymous, Dec 2021

This was an amazing trip. Our driver couldn’t have been more helpful. Even spotted iguanas, red parrots and monkeys while driving there and back! Once at the boat launch, the captain and guides were eagle eyes in spotting wildlife instantly and pinpointing where they were at for our untrained eyes to focus in on. Once monkeys in the trees were spotted, the guides called to them and the monkeys continued to call back! Truly amazing. Once back from the boat ride we were treated to a freshly homemade Costa Rican lunch. Everything was so far above expectations. All seemed family and community driven.

Wonderful way to support the local economy

Laurie_S, Dec 2021

Don’t miss this

Richard_S, Aug 2021

The tour was amazing, our guides were knowledgeable and knew the area incredibly well. We saw capuchin and howler monkeys as well as crocodiles, and I heard the group leaving before us say they saw the same, plus macaws. The food was also incredible, fresh ingredients and traditionally prepared. I can’t recommend this tour highly enough.

Great river tour, from wonderful people

Glen_M, July 2021

Lovely people, very knowledgeable guide, boat captain and a delicious lunch Saw all types of wildlife, had a great time.

Excellent boat ride and the best Costa Rica restaurant around!

Julie_C, Mar 2021

The Captain and first mate did an excellent job showing us all of the animals on the river. We were amazed at how much wildlife we saw in our 1 1/2 hour tour. We saw huge crocodiles, a white faced Coti, howler and white faced monkeys, lizards, and lots of different birds!! After the tour we were treated with an absolutely delicious authentic Costa Rica lunch. The meal and home made ice cream was all organic and the best around!!

Natural beauty

Isabela_S, Dec 2020

Excellent customer service from every member of the staff, from the greeter at our meeting place, to the owner, tour guide and boat driver. Thanks to our guides’ keen eyes, we saw many interesting sights on the river and enjoyed the local food provided.

Ça vaut le coût

Jacques_C, Jan 2022

Entreprise familial avec des gens passionnés aux petits soins avec nous du début à la fin je vous recommande