Río Peñas Blancas Safari Float, Arenal/La Fortuna

4.6 (33 reviews)
Float down the Río Peñas Blancas to spot monkeys, sloths, iguanas, and waterbirds with your naturalist guide.

Overview

Float slowly down the wildlife-rich Río Peñas Blancas and experience the tranquility of the rainforest on a family-friendly rafting trip. It's the perfect opportunity to observe the region's diverse wildlife like monkeys, sloths, iguanas, turtles, and alligators, as well as birdlife like herons, cormorants, American darters, and passerines. Your naturalist guide will point out various flora and fauna, from towering trees to rare reptiles, as you make your way downstream on this relaxed but adventurous excursion.

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

Duration
4 hours
Recommended for
4 years old & up
Group
Small group, 15 people or less
Food & Drink
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

  • Daily
    8:00 am, 2:00 pm

What's included

  • Round-trip transportation
  • Naturalist guide
  • Life vests
  • Snacks and bottled water
  • Entrance fees

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Travelers often mention

Summarized by AI based on kimkim traveler reviews

Wildlife sightings

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)

Jen
“We saw so many animals, sloths, monkeys, iguanas, lizards, fish, and birds.”  — Jen M.
T
“Saw some Cayman, Howler Monkeys, a tree porcupine and many birds.”  — Therese B.
M
“We saw iguanas, bats, owls, monkeys, and TONS of different birds.”  — Michael H.
Knowledgeable guides

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)

Wanda
“He was extremely knowledgeable and friendly, pointing out things along the way I never would've seen.”  — Wanda H.
C
“Ceaser, our guide and paddle boat operator was so engrossed in helping us appreciate the experience and uniqueness and history of the area.”  — Chakrapani S.
A
“our guide was brilliant, knowledgeable, full of humour and chat thank you Martin.”  — Anna L.
Special experiences

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)

T
“After the tour, we were surprised with a snack, some moonshine and then followed up with an education about chocolate farming.”  — Therese B.
A
“Our activity was made some what more exciting by an unplanned rescue of a couple of stranded kayakers (both were rescued, unharmed and laughed about their experience).”  — Anna L.
M
“One highlight was definitely when the guide managed to get the howler monkeys to start calling back to him.”  — Michael H.
Relaxing experience

The overall experience of floating down the river was described as relaxing and peaceful by many travelers. (6 mentions)

Jen
“It was fun, relaxing, and we learned so much.”  — Jen M.
Wanda
“At the end of the very relaxing float he took me to an eco farm for snacks made entirely from ingredients from the farm.”  — Wanda H.
Cheri
“It was relaxing going down the river and spotting the wildlife, but adventurous enough not to be boring.”  — Cheri A.

Traveler reviews

33 total ratings, 29 with reviews
4.6
Feature ratings
Quality of Experience
4.8
Guides, Drivers and Staff
4.9
Transport
4.9
Serena
Serena V.
Spring Valley, NV | Reviewed on Feb 21, 2025

The Safari Float on the Peñas Blancas River was really good. However, the description mentioned 'small groups', but our group had about forty people, which I wouldn't consider small. This might affect others' expectations.

Judy
Judy J.
Los Angeles, CA | Reviewed on Feb 03, 2025

Floating down a river in Costa Rica is a not to be missed experience! We had an excellent guide, Chris, and another couple in our raft who were fun to talk with. While we did float downriver a bit, there was also quite a bit of paddling to be done. Th raft was ok the first hour, but by the end of the second, we were all sore and anxious to get off the raft.

Tips for future travelers

Be prepared to paddle and be uncomfortable sitting in one spot on a raft for two+ hours.

H
Harry Z.
Canada | Reviewed on Jan 20, 2025
Very enjoyable with much to see. Read more

Very enjoyable with much to see.

Tips for future travelers

Take it!

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Russ
Russ D.
San Jose, CA | Reviewed on Jan 17, 2025
Very calm and peaceful float. Saw a crocodile bats monkeys. The guide was very informative and helpful. Read more

Very calm and peaceful float. Saw a crocodile bats monkeys. The guide was very informative and helpful.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Lynn
Lynn N.
Seattle, WA | Reviewed on Jan 07, 2025
Guide and trip were stellar. Would highly recommend this activity to anyone. Read more

Guide and trip were stellar. Would highly recommend this activity to anyone.

Tips for future travelers

Bring binoculars if you have them!

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Fredric
Fredric E.
West Chester, PA | Reviewed on Dec 21, 2024
Fun morning floating down river. Nice snacks. Great guide. Amazon big how they can
Find animals and birds
Read more

Fun morning floating down river. Nice snacks. Great guide. Amazon big how they can
Find animals and birds

Tips for future travelers

This is a mellow enjoyable trip. Nothing scary. But fun

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
jim
jim r.
Flagami, FL | Reviewed on Nov 06, 2024
Nice float and our raft guide was excellent. Read more

Nice float and our raft guide was excellent.

Tips for future travelers

The bus ride was fun to and from, we brought a bag and left it in the bus (with the driver) while rafting. Very well produced adventure.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Jen
Jen M.
Mequon, WI | Reviewed on May 03, 2024
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 a chance to take a cold dip in the river. The river float was a perfect first adventure in Costa Rica. It was fun, relaxing, and we learned so much. Read more

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 a chance to take a cold dip in the river. The river float was a perfect first adventure in Costa Rica. It was fun, relaxing, and we learned so much.

Tips for future travelers

No need for bug spray.

Quality of Experience
The experience really was wonderful! Seeing animals in their natural habitat that we would only otherwise see in a zoo was a really great experience.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
The guides and driver were friendly and knowledgeable. And they truly love what they do!
Transport
The transport was great. The air conditioned van was really nice.
Catherine
Catherine H.
Harrison, NJ | Reviewed on Apr 21, 2024
Wonderful guides, beautiful relaxed float on the river. Great snacks at the end. Read more

Wonderful guides, beautiful relaxed float on the river. Great snacks at the end.

Tips for future travelers

Small waterproof bag for a phone would be helpful.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Knew the animals and plants so answered all our questions. Generally informed regarding the ecology of the area.
Transport
Picked us up on time
Milan
Milan Š.
Czechia | Reviewed on Mar 30, 2024
It was interesting experience, but due to rainy weather we didn't enjoy it as much as we could in case of good weather - but as our guide said - this is a rain forest and rain is good for nature :-)
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

It was interesting experience, but due to rainy weather we didn't enjoy it as much as we could in case of good weather - but as our guide said - this is a rain forest and rain is good for nature :-)
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 dedicated guided tour including tasting, this half an hour could not compete with proper chocolate tour, which we highly recommend.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport

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Itineraries with Río Peñas Blancas Safari Float