Río Peñas Blancas Safari Float, Arenal/La Fortuna
Float down the Río Peñas Blancas to spot monkeys, sloths, iguanas, and waterbirds with your naturalist guide.
Nice float and our raft guide was excellent.
We loved the river float. We saw so many animals, sloths, monkeys, iguanas, lizards, fish, and birds. Our kids loved paddling the rafts and even had... Read more
Wonderful guides, beautiful relaxed float on the river. Great snacks at the end.
SOOOO much fun! I cant even being to count the number of animals we saw.
Very relaxing, saw lots of wild life. Mariano and Diego were great. A surprise snack was lovely. Would recommend especially if you don't want to do... Read more
Overview
Highlights
- Float down the Río Peñas Blancas on a raft
- Spot monkeys and sloths in the trees along the riverbanks
- Look for a rare lizard capable of walking on water
- See a wide range of flora and fauna while enjoying a relaxing boat ride
Know before you go
4 hours
4 years old & up
Small group, 15 people or less
Snacks and water bottles included.
What you'll do
Your day starts with a pick-up at your hotel and a transfer to the launching point on the Río Peñas Blancas. Here you'll be greeted by your naturalist guide, get outfitted with life vests, and listen to a brief safety overview. Then it's time to hop into a four-person or six-person raft and cast off, beginning your relaxed but fun floating trip down the river. Your buoyant raft is designed not to disrupt the river's delicate ecosystem, and you'll have to paddle only rarely along the journey—the river will do most of the work!
Keep your eyes on the shores and the forest canopy, where your guide might help you spot monkeys, sloths, iguanas, turtles, caimans, and a wide variety of birds, including herons, cormorants, American darters, and passerines. With some luck, you might catch a glimpse of the rare basilisk lizard, capable of walking on water. Your guide will also point out fascinating vegetation, like the ficus and kapok trees that lean across the river to form shaded tunnels. At the end of your scenic four-hour journey, you'll disembark at the docking area, where your driver will be waiting to transfer you back to your hotel.
Start times
-
Daily8:00 am, 2:00 pm
What's included
- Round-trip transportation
- Naturalist guide
- Life vests
- Snacks and bottled water
- Entrance fees
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Get startedSee alternatives
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(Because the center's goal is to release as many animals back into the wild as possible, the wildlife present at the center is subject to change.) During your visit, you'll also learn about conservation and sustainability.
Proyecto Asis Wildlife Rehabilitation Center - Volunteer Experience
Visit Proyecto Asis, a wildlife rehabilitation and rescue center. A naturalist guide will lead you on a tour, introducing you to the resident animals and sharing their stories. You'll likely see anteaters, monkeys, snakes, parrots, sloths, and more. (Because the center's goal is to release as many animals back into the wild as possible, the wildlife present at the center is subject to change.) During your visit, you'll learn about conservation and sustainability. As part of the volunteer tour, you will also have hands-on opportunities with the animals. Learn how to prepare and serve food to the animals, interact with them (following the guide's instructions), help clean cages or craft animal toys, and more. You will go home with unforgettable memories!
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Sky Adventures Tram & The Hand of Arenal
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Explore the forest from an elevated perspective on this excursion to Sky Walk, one of the first hanging bridges in Costa Rica. Follow a naturalist guide along a series of nature trails and five suspension bridges (some as high as 230 feet or 70 meters), stopping to appreciate various flora and fauna along the way. You'll see monkeys and snakes if you're lucky! During the 2-mile (3-km) hike, you'll enjoy views over the forest canopy and spot colorful birds, butterflies, and insects.
Arenal Hanging Bridges Guided Walk
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Traveler photos
Travelers often mention
Summarized by AI based on kimkim traveler reviews
Many reviewers enjoyed the opportunity to see a variety of animals such as sloths, monkeys, iguanas, birds, and more during the river float. Some, however, noted that weather conditions impacted the number of animals they saw. (18 mentions)
Multiple reviews highlighted the guides as knowledgeable and helpful in pointing out and providing information about wildlife and other sights along the river. (11 mentions)
Unique experiences such as the guide's humorous pineapple cutting demonstration and unplanned events like rescuing stranded kayakers added memorable moments to the tour. (7 mentions)
The overall experience of floating down the river was described as relaxing and peaceful by many travelers. (6 mentions)
Traveler reviews
4.8
4.8
4.9
Find animals and birds Read more
Because of weather, I also think we have not seen so many animals as we could see under different weather conditions.
At the end of the tour there is half an hour session about the chocolate production with chocolate tasting. Since we have been visiting chocolate plantation already with really... Read more
Too long on the raft; overall too long.
Would recommend especially if you don't want to do rapids but want to be on the water. Read more
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