Experience the wonder of bioluminescence close-up, with a guide to lead the way and provide commentary, on this evening kayak tour from Fajardo. Get instructions on kayaking if you’re a novice, and paddle along a mangrove channel to reach the bioluminescent bay at Laguna Grande. Then, marvel at the blue lights and use your oars to create illuminated trails in the water. All kayaking equipment is included for your convenience.

See the bioluminescence at Laguna Grande on a night kayak tour from Fajardo
Let a guide lead you to the prime spots and explain this natural wonder
Paddle by mangroves and see and stir up the glowing blue lights in the water
All the kayak gear and instruction you need provided for ease

What's Included

Two person kayaks
Fajardo Bio Bay Tour
Safety Briefing and 101 Kayak Lesson.
Life-jackets

Gratuity
Private transportation
Weight limit is 250 lbs.
You must be able to swim.

Meeting And Pickup

Meeting point

Peniel Access Eco Tours
Las Croabas, 987 Road, Fajardo, 00738, Puerto Rico
We are located inside the Kayak Village in PR-987 km 6.8 Fajardo PR 00738.

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
Service animals allowed
Not recommended for travelers with back problems
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions

Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
You must be able to swim.
Weight limit is 250 lbs
Maximum weight is 250 lbs.
Must be able to swim to join this tour.
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 travelers

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 canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Featured review

Sharon_k

Loved it. The luminescence was magnificent. Great experience with family. Joe, one of the guides, was especially nice and took great care of my granddaughter and me.

Reviews

4.5

204 reviews

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

Reviews by Viator travelers.

Showing 1-10 of 204 reviews

Must try

Angelica_h, Sep 2023

Great experience. The staff was amazing, entertaining, and caring ( my favorite was Emily, she’s great )The bay was beautiful, we did the 8pm tour and it was definitely a memorable adventure.

Fun and exhilarating

Naznina_C, Aug 2023

The staff was very helpful and accommodating. The kayak ride was about 3 miles and worth seeing the bioluminescence bay.

Great Experience!

Gabriela_G, Aug 2023

Amazing experience! The staff are professional, polite, and knowledgeable. Would definitely participate in this experience again :) Be ready to paddle and bump into trees (we didn’t but slowed down for those who did, haha)

Great experience

Victoria_N, Aug 2023

Don’t let your expectations to be spoiled by photoshopped pictures and videos from internet. The experience is very different to those, but still magical.

Magical bio bay

Renee_W, Aug 2023

Guides were funny. The experience was magical. Captain Joe was extremely helpful wuth my friend who was nervous

Great experience

Sharon_k, Aug 2023

Loved it. The luminescence was magnificent. Great experience with family. Joe, one of the guides, was especially nice and took great care of my granddaughter and me.

Disorganized. Too busy. Poor communication .

swfd42xfkf, Aug 2023

It’s dark and felt unsafe. Guides are not clear on directions. So many tours going at once and they are not distinguishable. All of the guides call the participants “guys”. Perhaps it would be helpful to call the groups by their individual tour names or distinguish in a different way (different color guide lights ). Was very disappointed.

Terrible

Brianna_M, Aug 2023

To be honest, some of the hosts were being rude and impatient. They expect you to basically know how after they give you instructions on how to do it or even if it’s been years or your second time learning how to do it. Also they talk behind your back. I’ll give credit for them trying to help you throughout the way but it’s not always a good case. It’s really dark and can’t use flashlights unless they do it. On top of that my experience wasn’t really good enough, I barely seen the bioluminescence water. 1/10 for me. Emily I think was her name was really great though!!

Not worth it

Toni_K, Aug 2023

The group was very big. It was super dark which I understand is part of the experience but I had to ask the guides to turn on a light multiple times so as to see something around where we were kayaking. We crashed into the trees along the canal numerous times because we had no idea where we were going. The bioluminescence had to be seen under a tarp which was passed around the group which was super weird. I expected to see very obvious glow but was disappointed to not see much of anything,

Kayak under the moon

Joyce_R, Aug 2023

Everything was smooth and pleasant. Guide were knowledgeable and friendly. The tour started on time, and they allowed enough time to enjoy the bioluminescence experience.

Thanks Nitshy and crew!!

Kathleen_B, Aug 2023

Nitshy was an amazing guide. One person in our group had never kayaked before and Nitshy supported that kayak by staying closer by and yelling "left!" or "right!" when needed. Her sense of humor, and that of Emily and the whole team was fantastic. And the bioluminescence... WOW!

A wonderful and unique experience!

Dayra_A, Aug 2023

The staff was friendly, knowledgeable and patient. We, a group 10, had an awesome experience. Special thanks to the guides Michael and Emily who took extremely good care of us.

Not for me

Hanan_H, Aug 2023

If u did not ever kayak, it was way too hard. Barely saw the glowing. Ran into the bushes. Got a bit hurt.

Response from Host, Aug 2023

We're sorry to hear that your kayaking adventure didn't meet your expectations. Our night kayaking experience is indeed designed to offer a unique and thrilling challenge, allowing participants to immerse themselves in a new and exciting activity. We understand that it might have been more challenging than anticipated, this tour is rated moderate. We always encourage our guests to read through the description and details of the activity before booking to ensure that they are fully aware of what to expect. Kayaking, especially at night with glowing elements, can require some physical effort and coordination. Night kayaking is not for everyone, and we recommend that participants carefully consider their physical capabilities and level of experience before taking the tour. This will help ensure that you have a safe and enjoyable experience that matches your expectations.

Nice trip to the bay....

Tricia_S, Jul 2023

Nice trip to the bay. Definitely thought the bioluminescent would be brighter. Guides should instruct people on working together in the kayak as we had several log jams during the event.

Memorable Kayaking Adventure in the Dark

Mahendra_A, Jul 2023

This was a unique experience! Kayaking through the mangroves to get to the Bioluminescent Bay in near-complete darkness was ethereal. This was only the second time my wife and I had done any serious kayaking, so our vessel was moving along like a drunken sailor until one of the guides hitched his kayak to ours to prevent it from getting stuck in the mangroves at every turn. That was a tremendous help. We had a half-moon that was occasionally shrouded by clouds, but there was enough light to prevent us from fully appreciating the flickering of the dinoflagellates. A new moon would have been ideal but, from what the guides told us, even then there is a slight ambient light which prevents you from experiencing the full effect. Th solution? The guides provided a tarp that we covered our kayak with to create a pitch-dark tent. The bioluminescence was very clear to see then. While this lasted for only a few minutes, I was quite happy to have experienced the effect. The guides were proficient, cheerful, and funny, shepherding our kayaks through the darkness with verbal communication and occasional light to illuminate the way. Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed the tour. Additional notes: - The tour was actually at 8:30 PM, not 7:30 (based on the time of year, I suppose). So we were done past 10 PM - The kayaking center is well organized, with multiple tour operator cabins arrayed in a semicircle. - The center is a bit out of the way, so a rental car would likely be a must. Don't know if Uber would work there. - Prepare to get WET. You can carry your phone, wallet and car keys in a waterproof pouch, or leave them with the tour operator.

Very neat experience

Christina_N, Jul 2023

Easy to follow kayaks even when navigating in very dark waters and mangroves. Very neat to see the glow when the paddle hits the water at the darkest parts of the journey and even better when the tarps were provided for complete darkness when we were out in the bay. I would say there is some moderate activity needed as you kayak about 15 to 20 minutes out needing to navigate through some narrow ways. If you've never kayaked before, just partner up with someone who has and it shouldn't be a problem.

Warm water glowing exercise

Ree_S, Jul 2023

The glow was amazing as was seen by swirling our hand in the water, sprinkling it on our legs and observing under a tarp. My family that attended was a combination of novice paddlers and intermediate paddlers. We had a great coach (forgot his name) and then was assisted by the leader of the tour Nichi. She was quite incessant in helping us. In some ways it was supportive and other ways didn't give us enough independence. We went out on the latest tour so we could not see the nature around us. The headlamps on our heads were not permitted. Overall, the experience was great. The equipment was good and the warm water was not bad either.

Great time

Jana_C, Jul 2023

The crew was very friendly and helpful. My friend didn’t know how to kayak and a guide stayed close by the whole time. The microorganisms lit up beautifully! I had a get experience. I can only remember Emily and Sammy but the crew were all nice

Hard work with little benefit

Suzanne_D, Jul 2023

I saw the bioluminescent bay about 20 years ago and it was a magical, wonderful experience and so I forced my family to participate in this trip. I don’t know if it’s human pollution or just another location, but this trip was unspectacular. The tour guides were great and very helpful at getting us back on course.. Fajardo isn’t the best location to view the dinoflagettes. Because of light pollution, the only way to experience the bioluminescence was to put a tarp over ourselves. (!) And we went during a new moon, the darkest period! If I had known this, I would have traveled to another location. The trip to the lagoon and back were hard work. I kayak at least once every year or so, and it still kicked my butt. Lots of low branches, pitch black (wear glasses if you have trouble driving at night), and it was crowded with other kayaks and boats going the opposite direction. We got stuck in the trees several times. It’s 3hrs of kayaking (paddling against the current on the return trip). Every once in awhile there was a traffic jam and we had to abruptly stop, all crashing into each other. You work hard and your arms will be sore. I would say it’s a fine night kayaking tour, but don’t expect to be awed!

Response from Host, Jul 2023

Dear Suzann, Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts on your recent bioluminescent bay tour. We appreciate all feedback as it helps us improve our services. I'd like to address some of the concerns you raised and provide some insights from our perspective. Firstly, I understand that you had a magical experience visiting the bioluminescent bay 20 years ago, and we genuinely appreciate your decision to bring your family along for the trip this time. However, it's important to note that nature is constantly evolving, and the conditions at the bay may have changed over the years due to various factors, including human impact and environmental changes. While we strive to maintain the beauty of the bay, some aspects may have evolved. Regarding the location, we have chosen Fajardo as it remains the most accessible option from the San Juan area. We understand that light pollution can impact the visibility of the bioluminescence, and we make every effort to mitigate its effects. However, it is challenging to control all external factors, and we apologize for any inconvenience caused by this. Moon phase is indeed a significant factor that can influence the visibility of the bioluminescence. While visiting during a new moon is generally recommended for the darkest conditions, it is not the sole determinant of a perfect viewing experience. There are other components, such as weather conditions and water quality, that can also contribute to the overall experience. We acknowledge that the tour can be physically demanding, especially during the kayaking portion. The two-hour kayaking journey, which involves paddling against the current on the return trip, is rated as medium-hard to ensure participants are adequately prepared for the adventure. We advise guests to come prepared for this challenge and to bring appropriate gear, including glasses for those who may have trouble seeing in low-light conditions. The popularity of the tour is a testament to the unique and awe-inspiring experience it offers. However, we understand that the higher number of participants can lead to congestion during certain parts of the tour. We continuously evaluate and adjust our operational procedures to manage the flow of kayaks and boats more efficiently. Again, we appreciate your feedback and will use it to enhance the overall experience for our guests. We hope you consider visiting us again in the future, and we'd be more than happy to assist you in choosing a different time or location that may better align with your expectations. If you have any further questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out to us directly. Warm regards,

Not recommend

Tomasz_A, Jul 2023

Very bad organized to many kayak both ways to many people on group I think it was to dark to fill comfortably and the kayak in the water

Response from Host, Jul 2023

Thank you for sharing your feedback about your night kayaking experience. We understand that kayaking in darkness can be challenging, but it is a night kayaking experience as the tittle of the tour suggest. We acknowledge that the presence of other groups on the bay might have contributed to a crowded feeling during the kayaking activity. we prioritize your safety. While we don't cancel due to rain, if there's lightning in the area, we'll cancel the tour. Your well-being is essential to us, and we'll always take necessary precautions for a safe experience.

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