Join a nighttime adventure into the waters of Laguna Grande as you visit the area’s amazing bioluminescent bay during this half-day excursion. Hop aboard a kayak as you paddle through the dense mangrove forests, heading to the area where the microscopic plankton puts on its surreal aquatic light show when you glide through the water. Your professional guide also tells you more about this fragile ecosystem and how visitors can help protect it.

Nighttime kayaking excursion to bioluminescent bay in Puerto Rico
Paddle your way through the waters in a kayak
Marvel at the glowing plankton in the water
Learn about this fragile and unique eco-system from the guide
Get picked up and dropped off at your hotel (in the San Juan area)

What's Included

Complimentary pickup and drop-off in selected areas of San Juan (Old San Juan, Condado and Isla Verde locations and touristic zones). Locations outside of San Juan are subject to additional pick up fee.
Maximum weight to participate is 250 lbs (113 kg) per person
Quality kayaking gear and equipment (small size for children)
Kayaking orientation and instructions
Commentary of the surrounding area and its flora and fauna
Bottles of water

Gratuities
Pickup in: Dorado, Rio Grande, Fajardo, Humacao. Meeting point option available.

Meeting And Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Pickup details

Complimentary pick up only in selected areas of San Juan: Old San Juan, Condado, Isla Verde, Miramar, Ocean Park and Calle Loiza. Meeting point available by PR-3 in Rio Grade, Luquillo and Fajardo. Exact pick up time will be provided the day prior to the tour.

What To Expect

Laguna Grande

2 hours 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Maximum weight to participate: 250 pounds (113 kg) per person
Due to the strict weight restriction all participants are subject to be weighted prior to beginning the tour. No cancellations or refunds will be issued if a person neglects to inform correct weight, and is not able to participate of the tour.
Each participant must be capable of paddling on their own on a 2 person kayak, and be able to sit on the same position for about 2 hours.
You will get wet, it is recommended that you wear bathing suit underneath, bring a towel and extra clothes for after the tour.
Pregnant women, persons with recent surgeries, past injuries or back problems, heart complaints or other serious medical conditions cannot participate on this tour.
This tour does not includes a stop to eat.
The bio bay is an unpredictable natural phenomenon that may be influenced by multiple factors. Bioluminoscity level can vary from very visible to minimum or none without any previous notice. Full Moon phase may also affect the visibility. In the event of this happening alternate methods such as the use of a tarp will be incorporated in order to appreciate it.
Please travel light and only bring the necessary to the tour. Leave behind electronic devices, any important documentation like passport, large sums of cash or credit cards. Cell phones require waterproof case. Bespoke Lifestyle Management will not be responsible for lost or stolen belongings. No luggage allowed on the buses.
Reservations made for the 6pm tour (second run) have a probability of being rescheduled to the first run if minimum is not met, or first run still has spaces available.
Minimum age to participate is 7 years.

Not wheelchair accessible
Participants cannot be afraid of the dark as you will be kayaking thru pitch black areas.
Failure to provide correct weight or hotel/lodging/cruise information upon booking may result in bus not being able to pick you at your location or close to it. No refunds will be issued due to this.
Bus will wait only 5 minutes after your assigned pick up time. No refunds will be issued if you miss your pick up.
This tour operates under rain and other weather conditions. Guide will determine to call it off when thunderstorms or other serious conditions happens.
Total estimate duration of 5 hours includes: 2 to 2.5 hours driving time and 2 hours at tour site
Published starting time is only an estimate. Exact pick up time will be provided the DAY PRIOR to your tour.
Bespoke LM Reserves the Right of Admission - If a person appears to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs, not following instructions or being disruptive the Guide has the right to Cancel their reservation at any moment, and No Refunds will be issued due to this.
Persons with the previously listed health restrictions cannot participate on the tour. No refunds will be authorized if a person neglects to read complete description and does not meet the safety requirements and limitations on the day of the tour.
Most travelers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 28 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

The answers provided below are based on answers previously given by the tour provider to customers’ questions.

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Q:What causes the bioluminescence that we see during the Bioluminescent Bay Glass Bottom Kayak Tour from San Juan?

A:The luminescence is caused by our glowing friends, the Pyrodinium Bahamense, microscopic planktons capable of producing natural light at the touch of your hand!

Feb 2021

Q:Is there a weight limit to use the kayak during the Bioluminescent Bay Glass Bottom Kayak Tour from San Juan?

A:The weight limit for glass-bottom kayaks is 185-190 lbs (84-86 kg) per person. Height will also influence, even if not reaching the weight limit. If any guests weigh 190-260 lbs, please let us know in the "Special Requirements" box at checkout.

Feb 2021

Q:Do you provide life jackets on the Bioluminescent Bay Glass Bottom Kayak Tour from San Juan?

A:Yes, and the use of lifejackets is mandatory during water-related activities.

Feb 2021

Q:Can pregnant women participate in the Bioluminescent Bay Glass Bottom Kayak Tour from San Juan?

A:Due to safety concerns, Pregnant ladies past their first trimester are not permitted to ride.

Feb 2021

Q:Can I bring my children on the Bioluminescent Bay Glass Bottom Kayak Tour from San Juan?

A:Children must be 7 years or older to participate.

Feb 2021

Traveler Photos

Featured review

Simon_C

My friends and I had a great experience with the kayak tour! We would highly recommend it to anyone who hasn’t seen the bioluminescent bay yet.

Reviews

3.5

248 reviews

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

Reviews by Viator travelers.

Showing 1-10 of 248 reviews

Night kayaking was...

Christopher_H, May 2023

Night kayaking was interesting; would not recommend it to an inexperienced kayaker. Tour guides were good; too many companies out there though.

It was thrill to kayak...

Jim_R, May 2023

It was thrill to kayak through the mangrove swamp that leads to the bay, complete with chirping frogs and fireflies, and a tarpon. The guides were good company and informative - they clearly enjoy what they do. The visibility of the bioluminescence is subject to light and weather conditions, but when necessary the guides put a tarp over our kayak flotilla to allow us to splash our hands in the water and see the incredible light affects.

Worth missing dinner!

Frank_A, May 2023

We had a blast. We thought we missed the pick up at first but the pick up time in San Juan was flexible due to traffic. The bay is a long drive there and back and the whole trip was closer to 6.5 hours than the 5 hours advertised. The experience was a lot of fun and there is a full paddle back in pitch darkness listening to the wildlife. I think we enjoyed that more than the bioluminescence in the bay. Bring your partner! Not ideal for a solo trip

Do anything else but this trip

Keith_G, May 2023

Absolutely horrible experience. Trip was very over sold and extremely under whelming. Definitely not worth $220, not even close. A complete and total waste of time and money. Reason 1: groups should be placed by level of experience. The level of inexperience was shocking, not to mention dangerous. Giving people with zero kayaking experience a 10 minute "lesson" on land in not only laughable, but potential criminal given on how bad things turned out. Reason 2: 95% of the trip was spent kayaking in the channel to the bay and only about 7 minutes in the bay (not what was sold). Reason 3: While in the bay, the entire group is tethered together with no opportunity to explore (not what was sold). Reason 4: group was huddled under a tarp, yes a tarp, to see the the bioluminescence (not what was sold).

This was a beautiful...

Christina_P, May 2023

This was a beautiful kayak trip! It was gorgeous to go through the mangrove forest and kayak at sunset. Unfortunately, it was no more than that. The guides were too busy chattering with themselves and listening to music to interact with people on the tour or share any additional information about the area or Puerto Rico. There are many groups that do this - pick a different one.

Wonderful experience!

deb_s, Apr 2023

The guides were phenomenal. Unfortunately we do not recall their names! Definitely would do it again!!

Worth the trip

Marc_P, Apr 2023

The bio luminescent bay was unique, the kayaking part was more challenging than expected but I was up for the challenge.

Good trip but be aware of long travel & waiting time if not in Fajardo.

Tanya_H, Apr 2023

The trip itself was fun but we spent over an hour sitting around waiting for trip to start and guides could have been doing more teaching about the flora/fauna or how to paddle kayaks. There was essentially minimal “guiding” & the extremely large group was unwieldy. Should disclose that those doing pick up from San Juan will add minimum of 1-3 hrs before actual trip.

Great time

Deanna_C, Apr 2023

Gabriel and his crew were very knowledgeable and helpful. The kayak into the lagoon was a little challenging with all the different people and groups. It was also difficult to see at times so going slow was a must. The bay was beautiful and the bioluminescence was amazing! I wouldn’t recommend you do the later tour with children though as it’s really difficult to see and going in you are going against the current

Must do in the dark on a no moon night

Pramod_M, Mar 2023

this was a really fun experience. We got lucky and received a kayak with a transparent bottom so we could see the bioluminescent plankton underneath our kayak and it was gorgeous. This was an experience worth having the guides for great. They made us feel safe and we had a good time.

Nature's glitter

Barb_S, Mar 2023

Having a driver pick us up and take us to the bioluminescence bay was relaxing. To ensure we got to see the glowing plankton our guides brought tarps to cover ourselves with to darken the water. We even got a stellar constellation presentation

Great but maybe not for under 16

Monica_M, Mar 2023

The bioluminescence is so cool and we had a great star night. However, be prepared for a long pick up/drop off and then 45 min ride out to location and 30 mins to wait until you get started. Drive yourself if you can. The actual kayak time is probably an hour. We were with a bunch of young adults without kids mostly and there just was too big and aggressive of a group for my liking. At one point, my boat had been rammed into so much and pushed us into a mangrove that my 13yr old said she never wanted to kayak again (and she has done it before, without issue). It just was too much in the big group. I would totally do this again in a small group and our guides were fine, just outnumbered and never came to our aide even after yelling help. If you are 20yrs old-60 without kids, this is for you. If you have older kids, no problem. Caution if you have younger kids that may need a bit more time and patience, they will not cater to you. Location is amazing though….

Should have skipped this one....

erinn_g, Feb 2023

we booked our adventure knowing there were 3 of us and one of us would be paired with someone else. I planned to be that person. We got a call confirming our hotel pickup, what to wear, eat, bring. Our shuttle arrived 10 mins late, went to pickup other riders, realize he forgot people and had to go back and get them. We got to the site where we leave from and are informed my friend has to go in a glass bottom kayak and I said I would. My friend wasn't wanting the clear bottom but they forced that on her. I asked why I wasn't informed of this before, I was rudely told I had booked 3rd party so it didn't matter because I would have known it had been through the company. I didn't realize I had booked third party, I just went through TripAdvisor- I also didn't realize 3rd party bookers were treated so poorly. We left on the kayaks and paddled through mangroves that smelled so bad- sulfur- it was terrible. We got to the bay and virtually saw nothing. We had to splash our hands in the water to see any sparks- which we reminiscent of striking two rocks together. The tarps we put over our heads did nothing. It wasn't a good night. We paddled back, it smelled so bad, and got out of the kayaks and returned to our shuttle. The guides were kind- not so much the guys under the tent. Biggest waste of money.

Response from Host, Mar 2023

We are sorry the experience that day was not up par to what it usually is. By booking thru Viator/TripAdvisor they are the third party vendor, and we are the local provider along with the kayak team. Regardless how the reservation was made, everyone is to be treated with the same respect. We are in the transition of replacing all of our glass bottom kayaks for regular ones. They are no longer in our listing, but we still have some in use. Glass bottom kayaks can only hold up to 185 lbs per person, this is why your friend had to be on one of these in order to have the regular kayak available for someone surpassing this weight. The bio bay is an unpredictable natural phenomenon that may be influenced by multiple factors. Level of bioluminescence can vary drastically from one day to another. Even thou the disclaimers are listed, I understand on this day several factors contributed for a not so favorable experience, our apologies.

Adventurous and Fun

Muhsin_A, Feb 2023

This was actually fun and adventurous. Wish there wasn't so much light pollution and we could of seen these plankton's really glow. Although we did get to experience some glow. Manolo and his team were very patient with me and my spouse as we were first timers and well we weren't so good at this kayaking thing. None the less thank you for the unforgettable experience.

Bad timing

Linda_W, Feb 2023

Felt rushed and went too early while it was still light. Didn’t get the full luminescence experience.

Great Kayak Tour

Errin_E, Feb 2023

My friends and I did the 6 pm kayak. We got picked up at 3:30 in Condado. Our driver was so nice and informative. There was probably about 20 people in the tour. We had to kayak over to the mangroves. That was the hardest part but its a short distance. It was light out when we started. I loved that because you could see the mangroves, trees, and even an iguana. We had to wait when we got to the bay for it to get dark. Then we put a huge tarp over the kayaks to see the bioluminescent effect. Very cool. The kayak back was in the dark- so amazing and fun!!!! The guides were very helpful, nice, informative and funny. I highly recommend this tour group.

Once in life time opportunity.

Karen_F, Jan 2023

This was the best tour. Take the time to do if you have the opportunity. Our guides were wonderful at helping us kayak thru the dark jungle area.

Cool experience!

Stefanie_A, Jan 2023

Very cool experience! Had a blast on the water. Would have loved to have gone on a darker night to see the lights even brighter but overall enjoyed the experience

Nice experience and relaxing

Terra_R, Jan 2023

This was a very relaxing and interesting trip. It was a full moon, so you could not see the plankton, but the guides covered us with tarps so we could get a good view. It was like watching pixie dust drip off your hands. Paddling through the mangrove trees in the way was beautiful.

unforgettable memory

YING, Jan 2023

I have many unforgettable memories for the trip, you can look up the starry sky when kayaking in the sea, so peaceful

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