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Costa Rica Travel Information

Pure Nature Rio Frio Safari Float – Peaceful Wildlife Watching from Arenal

May 16, 2018 By Sammi 45 Comments

The Rio Frio safari float was by far, the most enchanting and peaceful boat rides I’ve ever done in Costa Rica. This 2 hour pure nature safari ride quickly climbed to the top of my list of things to do in La Fortuna and Arenal after I had an incredible day floating down a gorgeous river surrounded by nothing but nature.

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Rio Frio Safari Float (Cold River)

The Rio Frio is a slow moving river in the Caño Negro Wildlife Reserve, stretching from the hills of Los Chiles near the Nicaraguan border in Alajuela to Guatuso, about an hour drive from La Fortuna . The Caño Negro Wildlife Reserve is considered to be one of the most bio-diverse areas in Costa Rica. This is an unspoiled area in the country that only few people get a chance to visit!

If you’re looking for an unique wildlife watching experience out of Arenal or La Fortuna, put this one high on your list!

Pure Nature Safari Float

We arrived in Guatuso for the start of the rafting trip in the backyard of a local’s home, which sits on the bank of Rio Frio. I went with a family of four so our group was small. It was just the five of us plus our guide so we had the best attention.

The first time I did a morning tour in November, the second time we did an afternoon in May. We had wonderful weather both times (cloudy but no rain). The afternoon tour was a bit noisier (there are some houses along the river) but we saw lots of wildlife both times. I would recommend the morning over the afternoon though, we saw more animals in the morning.

Start of the Safari Tour

This nature safari isn’t like others, it’s on a raft instead of a boat with an engine and we were the only ones on the river . Our guide did the majority of the paddling, navigating the calm waters to get us as close as possible to the wildlife. With engines, animals scare easily and you can’t get into the tight corners as you would with a small raft.

So there we were, the 6 of us on a raft, floating down this small but peaceful river when no more than 2 minutes after we pushed off, our guide pointed to the trees for our first wildlife encounter.

This juvenile three toed sloth was climbing down a tree right above our heads! Our guide got us into the right position so we could see him in full view as he clambered down.

As sloths only touch ground to go potty once a week, we caught him right in the act. We watched him climb down until he disappeared out of view into the bushes.

We hadn’t even been on the river for more than 5 minutes and we already saw one of my favorite animals in Costa Rica! From that point and on, I couldn’t wait to see what other exciting wildlife encounters we’d have.

We floated down the river, quietly admiring its natural beauty and wondering what other animals called these waters home. And we found out soon enough.

Wildlife on the River

We saw adult, baby and juvenile Jesus Christ lizards scampering on the water, male green iguanas in orange breeding colorations, a huge troop of white face and howler monkeys flying from tree to tree, an otter slyly slinking into the water, a caiman sunbathing and tons of birds including kingfishers, trogons and anhingas.

No matter how boat rides I’ve done before, Costa Rica still awes and impresses me!

Great Tour for Families

The little girls on the boat were having a blast and by the end, they were even pointing out monkeys and iguanas! Although we had to be as quiet as possible on the river as not to disturb the animals, I could tell they were having trouble keeping their excitement inside.

It made me happy to see the younger generation having a wonderful time learning about nature and being outside. They kept asking what everything was and would listen intently to our guide as he explained to them about each animal and their special characteristics. By the end of the boat ride, they kept chattering about that awesome monkey next to them and the ginormous iguana in the tree and it continued on all the way back.

At the end of the safari float, they took us to a local’s house not too far away to give us fruit juice and snacks, a nice way to end the day before we headed back to La Fortuna.

La Fortuna safari float video

You can watch a video of the pure nature safari float we did in May 2018 below.

What to know about the La Fortuna safari float

• You can bring a small backpack on the raft, preferably waterproof in the rainy season
• Bring a good zoom lens for your camera!
• It is really hot in this area so bring sunglasses, a hat and sunscreen.
• I wore long hiking pants to ward off mosquitoes and KEEN sandals , but definitely bring mosquito repellent if you’re wearing shorts.
• The tour company provides water on the bus.
• They run two tours, one in the morning (8 AM) and one in the afternoon (1 PM).
• You won’t get wet in the raft so no need to bring a change of clothes.
• Snacks and drinks are provided after the rafting.

Tour Company and Discount

Our tour operator partner in La Fortuna is the only company that operates the safari float on this specific section of the river. They actually  operate this tour in 3 different sections of the Rio Frio with 1 boat per section.

We have a partnership with our partner to give our readers 7% off this tour. Note that this tour is called Pure Nature Safari Float. Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge Los Chiles boat tour is another tour on the same river but on a covered motor boat and from a different “put in” spot. The safari float is on a raft with no motors.

If you’re in Manuel Antonio and would like to do a similar boat tour, check out the Damas Island Mangrove . You can go on a boat or kayak through the mangroves to see wildlife.

Read about other things to do in La Fortuna below!

La Fortuna waterfall :  Beautiful waterfall in the rainforest. Easily accessible though requires over 400 steps to get to the bottom.

Horseback riding La Fortuna :  Ride through valleys and rainforests for beautiful views.

Arenal Combo tour : 4 in 1 combination tour. Includes hanging bridges, La Fortuna waterfall, volcano hike and hot springs.

Balsa River rafting :  Easy Class 2 and 3 white water rafting, only 30 minutes from Fortuna.

Penas Blancas safari float (similar to this one but closer to La Fortuna)

Reader Interactions

Sharon says

March 18, 2024

Hi Sammy, Thank you very much for the great website and comprehensive information. How long is the Pure Nature Safari Float? Thank you in advance Sharon

March 25, 2024

Hi Sharon, it’s little over a half day tour

Shu Dong says

January 3, 2024

Hi, Sammi, Thank you for the great website. I am trying to choose between boat tour and safari float. Which one can see more animals? Are there other tours good for watching wildlife with kids?

January 4, 2024

I would recommend the safari float because it’s quieter and the raft can get closer to animals.

December 30, 2023

We loved this float tour. At the end of our two weeks in Costa Rica, all four family members agreed that this activity was the best thing we did, by far, on our trip (and we did many A+ activities!). César was our guide and he was, perhaps, the best tour guide we’ve ever had for any tour anywhere. He was superb. On the drive from La Fortuna to the river, he stopped along the road because he saw a sloth climbing to the top of a tree and we all got to see it. On the river, we saw all of the animals we hoped to see, and César would “stop” the raft so we could get a long look and some photos. Lunch at Wendy’s was wonderful. Our tour was during the first week of December, 2023, and we had great weather…no rain, warm, but not hot sun, and a gentle breeze. We were the only ones on the tour perhaps because it was still low season.

Hi Patti, thanks for your feedback and comment. We are glad you had a good time on the tour and got to see why we love it!

Lorna Foster says

November 21, 2023

We booked the Pure Nature Safari Tour through My Tanned Feet and it was perfect from start to finish. We were met at our hotel by Moses our driver and Cesar our river guide. Cesar was extremely knowledgeable about the river and we saw every animal shown in the photos shown above! We were also taken to a delightful home cooked authentic Costa Rican lunch at “Wendy’s place”. Delicious! Thank you Cesar and Moses for a memorable fabulous day! Totally recommend this tour!

November 22, 2023

Hi Lorna, thank you for your comment and we’re glad you enjoyed the tour and experienced it first hand why we love it! Thank you for booking through us and for leaving your feedback

Colleen says

March 4, 2023

Saludos from Seattle! . I notice this post was created in 2018. Just wondering if all is the same with this Pure Nature Rio Frio tour in 2023? Also because we’ll be there end of July/beginning August (rainy season), is it possible to book this tour just a day or two in advance for a party of 4 – when we know the weather forecast? How far in advance does this tour fill at this time of year? Muchas gracias!

March 14, 2023

Hi Colleen, we sent you an email last week with more information

Krista says

February 26, 2023

Wondering if there’s the possibility to see crocs/alligators or snakes on this tour? We’ll be going to crocodile bridge, so if not, it’s not a big deal, just wondering. Thanks!

February 27, 2023

There can be caimans or crocodiles. We don’t have alligators in Costa Rica.

Alisa harris says

January 10, 2023

Hi, will be taking the river float trip in February with Jacamar. What is customary and how much USD would be appropriate for the guide?

January 11, 2023

Hi Alisa, if you’re asking for tip, the standard is 10% and you can tip in USD or CRC

SClayton says

January 2, 2023

We will be traveling with three children, ages 2 years, 4 years and 5 years. Do you know of your for Rio Frio or Penas Blanca(?) that can accommodate the children’s ages? There will be 6 adults as well.

January 3, 2023

Unfortunately the 2 year old is too young for their minimum age requirement for both tours, but you can request the tour as private and they can run it with the 2 year old

January 4, 2023

June 26, 2022

Hi Sammi, Trying to decide between Rio Frio and Penas Blancas. Traveling as a family with 8yo and 10yo in mid-August, our goal is to see as much wildlife as possible. In which of the two spots are we more likely to see more wildlife or is it about the same? I assumed more wildlife in Rio Frio since it’s more secluded but based on some answers above seems the opposite to me. Could you please clarify? Thank you.

June 27, 2022

Both rivers offer similar wildlife watching opportunities, the main difference between the two is that Rio Frio is exclusive to one operator only so there will only be one boat down the river during your tour so it’s much quieter and more of an exclusive experience, it can offer more wildlife viewing opportunities since it’s quieter with less people

Many companies operate the float down Penas Blancas river, so sometimes there can be like 10 boats at a time depending on how busy it is

As it is nature and wildlife, we can’t guarantee better sightings over another since nature will do what it does, I personally saw more wildlife on Rio Frio

Daniela says

February 28, 2020

Hi- Such an awesome website! We booked our Adobe rental car through you. 🙂 My husband and I are going to travel to CR for the first time in the end of April and would love your recommendations on a couple of things. We have 2 weeks in country and are going to start with 3 nights in Arenal, 2 nights in Bijagua, 3 nights in Ocotal/ Guanacaste and 4 nights in Puerto Viejo (Limon).

We would love to go on a river float to see wildlife (sloths etc.). Where would you recommend we do that? We’re not adrenaline junkies and would prefer something slow with lots of wildlife to something fast and motorized.

Where would you split up the 8 hr drive between Guanacaste/ Ocotal and Puerto Viejo (Limon)? We plan to drive via Cano Negro rather than through San Jose.

I’m into natural healing, healthy foods etc. and would love to visit an indigenous village that perhaps has a curandera or where they grow their own medicinal herbs. Would a visit to the BriBri be recommendable?

Are you aware of any tours that might visit a school or other social institution?

Thanks so much!

March 4, 2020

Arenal/La Fortuna has great river safari floats (like this Pure Nature post), it’s my favorite actually.

You can check out Sarapiqui , it’s not right in the middle but you could stay there to break u pthe drive.

I’d definitely arrange a visit to BriBri when you’re in Puerto Viejo, that would be a nice experience.

January 5, 2020

Will be in Arenal next week 1/8 – 1/10! First-timers to CR w/husband+17 yo daughter. Can we drive ourselves to Rio Frio and meet the guide there? Our hotel said 2 hrs ea way for Cano Negro tour, felt too much for us. Yr post says 1 hr drive and small tour, how can we confirm that? Is Rio Frio much more interesting/wildlife/scenic vs Pena Blanca float (sounds a bit boring/less wildlife per reviews). Muchas Gracias for this amazing blog, rented our car thru yr link!

Hi Robin, if you want to do Rio Frio, it is best to meet at the tour office and take their shuttle because the start of the tour is at a local’s house and hard to find on your own. It is not quite inside the Caño Negro wildlife refuge itself and the Caño Negro boat tour starts at a different place on the river.

Both Rio Frio and Peñas Blancas are nice river safari floats but Rio Frio is an exclusive tour so way less people.

Brian Welte says

April 17, 2020

Sammi and Yeison,

I’m glad I found this comment and learn that it’s best to meet at the Jacamar office rather than trying to drive ourselves to the local’s house near the Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge. The Jacamar office is in La Fortuna, correct?

We plan to book this tour (through MyTanFeet of course!). After the tour we plan to drive to Bijagua de Upala. Is it OK to meet at the Jacamar office and then follow the bus to Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge so we can continue on to Bijagua from there rather than going all the way back to La fortuna?

Hi Brian, yes you can do that 🙂

June 29, 2019

You’re very welcome 🙂 And yes they can certainly do a 1968 and Penas Blancas in one day. You can pay with credit card at their office the day before the tour.

We are actually currently in the process of finalizing a partnership in Manuel Antonio with a tour operator there so when you send us the email, let us know what you’re interested to do there too.

June 28, 2019

Hi Sammi, Your info is amazingly helpful, thanks! We will be in Arenal area for 3 full days in August. Two Adults and our 12 year old son. Here’s our itinerary draft: Day 1: Proyecto Asis Volunteer in the morning, Bogarin Trail in the afternoon Day 2: Safari on the Penas Blanca River in the morning, Arenal Volcano hike in the afternoon (1968 trail) Day 3: Mistico Hanging Bridge Birding Guided Tour morning, Don Olivio Chocolate Tour afternoon We are not renting a car so we will rely on tours and shuttle service. (after Arenal we’re off to Manual Antonio) I know zip lining is spectacular – for various reasons we are skipping it this trip and we have been to waterfalls on other trips. We are staying at a hotel with hot springs on site so we are covered with the hot springs experience. We want some down time to relax at the hotel. In your experience and opinion – would you recommend swapping the Penas Blancas Safari Tour with the Pure Nature Rio Frio Safari Float – and possibly skipping the 1968 Trail hike due to time. Or is there something else you recommend we cut out so we do the Rio Frio in place of the Penas Blancas? Thanks!

I would personally do the Penas Blancas morning and Volcano hike in the afternoon, the hike is pretty nice and the Penas Bancas river offers the same wildlife watching experience as Rio Frio. Rio Frio is if you reallllly want something more exclusive and personal since there aren’t other boats or companies on that part of the river, Penas Blancas you will see more.

Susan Davis says

Appreciate your input, thanks!! We’d like to use Jacamar. Think they would do a combo tour with Penas Blancas + 1968 Trail? Do you know if they are they taking credit cards or pay pal only (we don’t use pay pal) Also – do you have a partnerships with a tour company serving Manual Antonio? Thanks so much!

Rachel says

April 21, 2019

Thanks for all your awesome information! We are planning a trip for next winter and hoped to spend time in the Arenal area and probably at the coast near Jaco or Samara. I read your great articles on both. I’m wondering how you would recommend splitting the time? 5 day Jaco, 5 day La Fortuna? Etc. We will be there for 10-11 days and are traveling with 4 adults and 2 kids (9&12) who love nature and hiking and also love a good chill beach. Thanks much for your thoughts!! ❤️

Hi Rachel, if you’re flying in and out of San Jose, the easiest beach would be Jaco/Manuel Antonio. I personally wouldn’t recommend 5 days in Jaco, I’d split it in between Jaco and Manuel Antonio. If you’re renting a car, there are a lot of other chill beaches in between though which are less touristy like Esterillos Oeste ad Playa Bejuco

You could definitely do 5 days in Arenal, there is a ton of things to do in that area and you can see a lot of the area.

Norman says

February 5, 2019

Hi Interested in the Rio Frio safari tour. We are (4) at the Arenal Paraiso Hotel in March and have a free day. – Would we have to make our own way to the tour destination? – How long would it take as we would prefer the morning tour? Thanks for any info Norman

Hi Norman, roundtrip transportation is included in the tour so you don’t have to drive to the river. The drive from la Fortuna to the Rio Frio river start is around 1 hour, and pick up is around 7-730 AM (will confirm the time when the reservation is made).

March 1, 2018

Hi Nicole, the drive from Tabacon to the tour is about 1 hour. It’s not really windy or bumpy, from what I remember it was mostly on a paved road.

Nicole Cook says

February 28, 2018

How far away is this excursion from Tabacon Thermal Resort & Spa? Is the road there windy and bumpy? Thanks!

February 18, 2018

My wife and I are in our early 60’s, active, enjoy hiking, swimming and kayaking, but have never gone white water rafting. Although the safari float sounds wonderful, we were thinking that we would like to try white water rafting instead. We would also book it thru Jacamar. Can you help us decide which excursion would be best for us?

February 19, 2018

Hi Marc, if you haven’t done white water rafting before, the one from Arenal is really nice! Not super crazy but crazy enough 🙂 Jacamar made a video of the white water rafting Class 2 and 3 rapids you can watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMag2Og4zVw

Yeison did that one last year and he had a lot of fun. I think that’d be a great tour for you guys to do since you haven’t done rafting before and the scenery is really nice.

January 29, 2018

Super interested in the Rio Frio safari tour, but wondering if minimum age is still 8 yrs. old for this. We are traveling to Arenal area in 2 weeks with a 6 year old who would love this safari, but obviously will not book if age limit is 8. Thank you in advance!

January 30, 2018

Hi Julia! The minimum age is 5 so you can definitely go with your 6 year old, they will love it!

January 16, 2018

Rio Frio is not listed as an option. Does it go by another name?

Hi Peter! Yes they call the tour “Pure Nature Safari” 🙂

Jeremy says

May 20, 2017

Do you think it would be safe to bring a DSLR camera on this tour? I don’t plan on jumping in.

Hi Jeremy, yup bring it! I took the photos in the post with my DSLR and you don’t get wet at all. Don’t miss the awesome wildlife shots and bring your DSLR

Ryan Biddulph says

November 18, 2015

Love that sloth! We’re arriving by Puerto Viejo in 10 days. Living in Buena Vista on a house sit for 2 months in an off the grid setting. I look forward to seeing toucans and Howler monkeys and all of these fab creatures as our neighbors. Neat change up from the more suburban life of here in Granada, Nicaragua.

Cool 🙂 I’m sure you will see plenty of wildlife in PV. Hope you enjoy your time in Nicaragua and CR!

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Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge: Know This Before You Visit

Home » Where To Go In Costa Rica » Cano Negro » Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge: Know This Before You Visit

Last updated on July 19th, 2021 at 05:10 pm GMT-6 (Costa Rica time)

Written by Nikki Solano

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Our sister site pura vida eh inc. has cano negro tour discounts . con mucho gusto (you’re welcome) and pura vida.

Get the Costa Rica info you need by browsing our article's TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Reasons to visit the Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge

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As an avid birdwatcher, fewer places top Ricky’s annual to-do list than the Cano Negro Mixed Wildlife Refuge (more commonly known as the Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge ). This calm, quiet, and beautiful refuge comprised of rivers, lagoons, marshes, and swamps forms a haven for resident and migratory birds, not to mention other kinds of wildlife . Thanks to its location in Costa Rica’s north-central region (it nearly touches the border shared with Nicaragua), the Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge is a peaceful place to retreat to away from the thrilling adventures that await further south in and around La Fortuna.

Note that at the core of the Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge is the very small community of Cano Negro. Throughout our article, you’ll see the refuge cited as the Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge and the community cited as Cano Negro.

We absolutely love visiting the Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge . If you’re curious why, see our quick list of reasons below.

• The Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge invites exploration of wetland ecosystems
• The Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge provides fantastic bird-watching opportunities (resident and migratory species) during the driest months of the year (January, February, March, and April)
• The Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge provides great bird-watching opportunities year-round (mainly resident species between May and December)
• Cano Negro boat tours offer a relaxing, easy, and comfortable way to explore nature and see wildlife
• Thanks to the refuge’s tall, 18-meter tower that overlooks the lagoon, there’s a place to snap spectacular, panoramic shots of the refuge
• The boardwalk at El Sitio is wheelchair-accessible and well-maintained
• Visits support residents and businesses in the small community of Cano Negro
• From most popular destinations, including La Fortuna and San Jose, travel to Cano Negro doesn’t require a 4×4 vehicle

Boating on Rio Frio and the Cano Negro lagoon

Though sections of the Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge can be explored on foot, the most common way to experience Cano Negro is via a guided boat tour (see the “Ways to experience the Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge ” section below for details).

The essence of Cano Negro boat tours is the slow-moving trip you’ll make down the flat Rio Frio (Frio River). During the journey, you’ll float down wide-open sections of the river where the water appears glass-like and mirrors the surrounding landscape. You’ll also pass through narrow canals where brush along the river’s banks comes within arm’s reach. No matter where you float–past pastureland, alongside local fishermen, or through collections of water lilies–all is quiet. If you’re in search of a tranquil place where you can explore Costa Rica’s natural environment in an immersive yet non-evasive way, in the seat of a boat that travels down Rio Frio is where you want to be.

Depending on the time of year you visit the Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge , you may or may not be able to boat on the large, nearly 2,000-acre Cano Negro lagoon , which is considered a complementary add-on experience (if/when available) to boating trips down Rio Frio . Large numbers of birds, especially migratory birds known to visit between January and April, tend to congregate around the lagoon.

During wet months (typically May through December), when the refuge floods with rainwater, the Cano Negro lagoon is accessible by boat. Cano Negro boat tours that include a visit to the Cano Negro lagoon provide an opportunity to float around the open lagoon in search of bird species. We’ve always had great luck seeing ospreys and cormorants flying overhead, in fact, our last boat trip to the Cano Negro lagoon during the wet season delivered us to a tree that houses a colony of hundreds of cormorants. Not only was it incredible to witness a gathering of more than one hundred cormorants all in one place, but it was a treat to hear their collective grunts, which sound like an orchestra of oinking pigs.

During dry months (typically January through April), when the refuge receives little rainfall, the lagoon has little to no water and becomes inaccessible by boat. Captains typically deliver boat tour participants as close as they can to the Cano Negro lagoon . You may also be able to get off the boat and explore the lagoon on foot. Our last visit to the Cano Negro lagoon during the dry season surprised us with a sighting of more than 50 light-pink roseate spoonbills. Our visit during the dry season also allowed us to spot far more caimans around the refuge because water levels were low.

Other features at the Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge

If you’re not scared of heights or sets of steep staircases, you may wish to climb to the top of the 18-meter Cano Negro tower that overlooks the Cano Negro lagoon . This attraction is only accessible by boat when the refuge floods, but when that’s the case, most captains can bring you to the spot during boat tours without problem. Though there isn’t anything to do at the top of the tower other than take in a beautiful view , it’s worth the ascent/descent if you want to see what the 25,000-acre Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge looks like from above.

In Cano Negro, at the government-operated site known as El Sitio (see the “Ways to experience the Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge ” section below for details), you’ll find a wheelchair-accessible boardwalk that extends out over the water and a lovely, open-air gazebo you’re welcome to rest at . This is a great (and free) place to grab a seat and watch birds fly around the refuge. Note that the boardwalk is arched, so visitors in wheelchairs should be accompanied by individuals who are strong enough to push chairs up slight inclines and prevent chairs from rolling down slight declines.

The Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge provides some of the best bird-watching in all of Costa Rica . Not only is spotting birds nearly guaranteed no matter when you visit, but there’s a big enough variety of species to keep seasoned birders entertained.

The list of birds you can see at the Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge is far too long to recite. Instead, here’s a list of bird species that we’ve personally had the pleasure of seeing during our visits:

• Herons , including night herons, green herons, little blue herons, great blue herons, and tiger herons
• Egrets , including snowy egrets, great egrets, and cattle egrets
• Spoonbills , including roseate spoonbills
• Kingfishers
• Flycatchers
• Owls (thanks to our knowledgeable boat captain who knew in which tree along Rio Frio they typically sleep)

Wildlife of many other types resides in the Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge but is more difficult to spot than the thousands of social birds that fly around on the regular. During our trips down Rio Frio and visits to the Cano Negro lagoon , we’ve seen:

• Caimans , including spectacled caimans
• Iguanas , including green iguanas
• Lizards , including the common basilisk (a.k.a., Jesus Christ lizard)

We’ve also heard the call of howler monkeys from within the refuge.

Ways to experience the Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge

Cano Negro is a laid-back destination, but planning a visit can be rather confusing given that there are several ways you can explore the refuge . To help clear up the confusion, below we outline 5 different ways you can experience the Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge or its surrounding area.

This option is ideal for travelers with a rental car

This way of experiencing the Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge assumes you will get yourself to and from the community of Cano Negro via rental car or public bus. Once you arrive at the community of Cano Negro, you can hire a boat captain at the community’s central dock , which sits at the southeast end of the community. Though there are usually several boats and captains waiting at the dock, availability is not guaranteed . Availability is especially tough to come by during the busy high season (mid-December to April), which is nearly identical to the refuge’s optimal bird-watching season (January to April).

If you choose to take a boat tour from the central dock, you can park your rental vehicle at your own risk in the makeshift parking lot you’ll find at the dock. Locals stationed at the lot offer to keep watch over parked cars for tips.

This way of experiencing the Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge also assumes you will get yourself to and from the community of Cano Negro via rental car or public bus. Once you arrive at the community of Cano Negro, you can hire a boat captain at the MINAE (Ministerio de Ambiente y Energía) office known as El Sitio , which sits at the southwest end of the community. There are typically less boats and captains waiting at El Sitio than at the central dock. Also, here too, availability is not guaranteed , especially between mid-December and April.

If you choose to take a boat tour from El Sitio , you can park your rental vehicle at your own risk in MINAE’s free parking lot. The lot is sometimes, but not always, patrolled by a security guard.

When we plan to drive ourselves to and from Cano Negro (or take the bus), our preferred way of experiencing the Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge is to prearrange a boat tour through a tour operator or hotel that’s based in or around the community of Cano Negro . With this option, availability can be guaranteed in advance . Several of the tour operators and hotels that are based in or around the community of Cano Negro staff their own captains and have private docks where their boat tours depart. This saves you from needing to track down an available boat and captain at either the central dock or El Sitio in the community of Cano Negro. This option may also help keep your rental vehicle safe as some tour operators and/or hotels provide boat tour participants with private parking.

As a heads up : During the dry season, when some parts of the refuge are without water, tour operators and/or hotels that normally run boat tours from private docks may need to use docks in other areas around Cano Negro where water levels are deep.

This option is ideal for travelers with a rental car or travelers staying overnight in Cano Negro

If you’re the do-it-yourself type, you’ll be disappointed to learn that it isn’t possible to tour the Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge on your own by boat (you’ll need to hire a captain to steer you around). A way you can provide yourself with at least some freedom to explore is to rent a kayak or canoe . A few hotels in and around the community of Cano Negro have this equipment to rent or to provide to hotel guests. If you’re wanting to explore Cano Negro on your own terms, consider spending a night or two in or around the community so you have ample time to explore the refuge at your own pace. Note that Cano Negro has only a few (modest) accommodations, there’s no bank or ATM in the vicinity, and there’s little to do apart from exploring the refuge, so plan to stay overnight in the area only if you’re comfortable with these conditions.

This option is ideal for travelers without a rental car and/or travelers stationed in La Fortuna/Arenal

When we’re up in Costa Rica’s north-central region, particularly in the La Fortuna/Arenal area, and we wish to spend some time at the Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge , we like the option to reserve a Cano Negro boat tour through a tour operator or hotel that’s based outside of the community of Cano Negro .

This option is the most popular way to experience Cano Negro . It’s especially convenient for travelers stationed in or around La Fortuna who want to make a trip out to the Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge and back in one day.

With this option, availability can be guaranteed in advance , plus transportation to and from the refuge and the tour operator’s home destination (La Fortuna, for example) is provided . Simply reserve a Cano Negro boat tour through your preferred tour operator (several tour operators based in La Fortuna run Cano Negro boat tours ), get picked up at your hotel on the morning of your chosen tour date, and enjoy the day tour experience. Included in the cost of most Cano Negro boat tour s of this kind is transportation to and from the refuge, a tour guide, the boat rental, the captain rental, and usually a snack if not a full lunch (or both). Some tour operators provide the option to explore the Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge in an inflatable raft or a canoe, in addition to standard exploration via boat.

It’s important to note that not all Cano Negro boat tours that depart from outside the community of Cano Negro explore the Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge ‘s core . Instead, some Cano Negro boat tours that depart from outside the community of Cano Negro explore a section of Rio Frio that flows north of the community. If you’re wondering why this matters, and specifically, what difference it makes to tour the refuge’s center versus the refuge’s outskirts, continue reading below.

The most controversial question that keeps popping up within Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge discourse is this: Should boat tours that run on a section of Rio Frio that flows north of the community of Cano Negro be considered Cano Negro boat tours ? Rather than answering this question with a blatant “yes” or “no” response, let’s look at what you’ll get with either experience.

Overall, what you want to get out of your Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge experience speaks volumes. If you’re merely looking to participate in a relaxing river trip that presents some of the ecosystems, birds, and other wildlife that are present in Costa Rica’s north-central region, then it likely won’t matter to you which section of Rio Frio you tour. Actually, you may prefer to go with a Cano Negro boat tour that doesn’t travel as far into the refuge as the community of Cano Negro, especially if you have no specific interest in visiting the community, the lagoon, or the tower.

On the other hand, if seeing the community of Cano Negro, visiting the lagoon, and/or climbing the tower interest you, you’ll need to make sure you sign-up for a boat tour that specifically explores the core of the refuge. The best way to know if the boat tour you’re eyeing does that or not is to ask the boat tour’s operator outright. You can also ask the tour operator whether their boat tour experience departs from within Cano Negro proper, or whether it includes visits to the lagoon or tower. “Yes” answers to these questions are signs that the tour takes place in the heart of the refuge.

Details regarding Cano Negro boat tours vary across tour types and tour operators. In addition, tour costs can fluctuate between the high season and the low season ( click here for more information about Costa Rica’s high and low seasons ). Some tour details, including the duration and course of the tour, can be negotiated with boat captains. The information provided below should be viewed as an approximate guide, not an exclusive list.

Ricky and I are big fans of the Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge. That being said, we’ve also worked with enough travelers to know that the attraction isn’t for everyone.

Truly, you need to love flora, fauna (especially birds), and nature overall to really appreciate what the Cano Negro area has to offer . You don’t need to be a botanist, an ecologist, an ornithologist, or a scientist of any kind to enjoy your visit, but you should be the type of person who sees nature exploration as an adventure. If you’d prefer to couple nature exploration with fun, physical activity, like white-water rafting, zip-lining, and canyoning tours commonly do, you’d be better off skipping the Cano Negro area and spending more time elsewhere in the country . Alternatively, if the idea of seeing a rare bird species is thrilling enough for you, don’t forget to add a visit to the Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge to your trip itinerary.

It’s also worth mentioning that visits to the Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge are nearly effortless experiences . They require little physical exertion, which makes them great for seniors; travelers with limited mobility, strength, or endurance; and families with young children.

Getting to and from Cano Negro

There are two ways to reach the community of Cano Negro by car : the route via Los Chiles (Highway #35), which approaches Cano Negro from the northeast, and the route via Guatuso / Upala (Highway #4), which approaches Cano Negro from the southwest. Both routes eventually lead to opposite ends of Road 138, which provides direct access to Cano Negro . The community of Cano Negro sits about halfway along Road 138 from either Highway #35 or Highway #4.

Regardless of which route you take to get to Cano Negro, you’ll need to drive part of the way on Road 138. Road 138 is a non-mountainous (but curvy in places), pressed-gravel road that isn’t difficult to drive provided you don’t speed. Watch out for potholes (especially during the wet season; May to December), be prepared to drive through a cloud of dust when you’re passed by another vehicle, and drive slowly to avoid damaging the body of your rental car with loose rocks and pebbles that are easily kicked up by car tires.

Despite the name, you won’t actually see the town of Los Chiles if you take this route. That’s because you’ll reach the turnoff to Cano Negro before you reach Los Chiles.

This route is ideal if you’re driving to Cano Negro from La Fortuna or San Jose . It involves driving nearly the full length of Costa Rica’s paved Highway #35 which connects Muelle to Los Chiles in the country’s north-central region. Approximately 7 kilometers south of Los Chiles (roughly 65 kilometers north of Muelle), you’ll encounter Road 138, which is marked with a sign for Cano Negro. If you turn left at the sign and follow Road 138 for approximately 20 kilometers, you’ll find the community of Cano Negro.

From La Fortuna via Los Chiles, the approximate one-way drive time to Cano Negro is 2 hours. From downtown San Jose via Los Chiles, the approximate one-way drive time to Cano Negro is 4 hours.

This route is ideal if you’re driving to Cano Negro from La Fortuna or Bijagua . It involves driving Costa Rica’s paved Highway #3 which connects Muelle to the town of Upala (via the town of Guatuso) in the country’s north-central region. Approximately 12 kilometers south of Upala (roughly 27 kilometers north of Guatuso), you’ll encounter Road 138, which is marked with a sign for Cano Negro. If you turn at the sign (turn left if traveling from Upala; turn right if traveling from Guatuso) and follow Road 138 for approximately 25 kilometers, you’ll find the community of Cano Negro.

From La Fortuna or Bijagua via Guatuso, the approximate one-way drive time to Cano Negro is 2 hours.

Whenever we drive to Cano Negro (usually via La Fortuna), we prefer to take the route via Los Chiles to get to Cano Negro. Then, when it’s time to leave Cano Negro, we take the route via Guatuso back to La Fortuna.

Since the route via Los Chiles is the straightest route and requires the least number of stops, we take it on the way to Cano Negro to best avoid potential delays. After we’re done at Cano Negro, we take the route via Guatuso as it provides a nice change in scenery. The easy, downhill route through Guatuso (when driven from Cano Negro to La Fortuna) is particularly scenic in the afternoon when the sun begins to set over the region’s plains and a distant, conical Arenal Volcano .

Click on a photo in the gallery below for discount and tour information.

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Two Weeks in Costa Rica

Travel and Moving Blog

Cano Negro: A Wildlife Boat Tour on the Rio Frio

• Jenn and Matt
• Activities , Family Travel , National Parks & Reserves

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Costa Rica is well known for its impressive wildlife, but some places offer notably better viewing than others. One such spot is the Cano Negro Mixed Wildlife Refuge near the country’s northern border with Nicaragua. This remote wildlife refuge is best accessed from La Fortuna or Bijagua. We recently took a boat tour along the river. In this post, we’ll share some of the amazing animals and birds we saw and how you can plan a visit.

About Cano Negro Mixed Wildlife Refuge

The Cano Negro Mixed Wildlife Refuge ( Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Mixto Caño Negro ) is an expansive river and wetland ecosystem near the Costa Rica-Nicaragua border.

With an impressive 9,969 hectares (24,634 acres) of protected habitat, this national park hosts around 160 species of mammals, including monkeys, sloths, and jaguars. There are 90 species of bats alone!

Birds are also abundant. The wetlands are an important stop for North American migrants that overwinter in the tropics. More than 300 different bird species have been identified at Cano Negro.

Our Tour Experience

Driving to cano negro.

Our tour began in the town of La Fortuna near the base of Arenal Volcano. Here, we hopped into a small van with our tour guide, Alvaro, and a few other tourists. Alvaro explained that the drive to Cano Negro and the Rio Frio (Cold River) would take about 1.25 hours.

It was a long drive but far from boring. As we passed farm fields, small rivers, and patches of forest, Alvaro explained all about the area.

The farms, he told us, were growing yucca, cassava, and taro root vegetables. He explained more about each one, how they are planted and harvested, and what they are used for.

As we got closer to Cano Negro, Alvaro turned down a bumpy side road. We drove more slowly now, around the ruts and big bumps. We also started to see more wildlife. There were wading birds and even some small caiman (crocodiles) in the wet drainage basins along the road.

The Rio Frio

We soon made it to the tour operator’s base camp built along the Rio Frio. Outside, several large pontoon boats were docked.

The Rio Frio, we learned, runs through the Cano Negro Mixed Wildlife Refuge and eventually flows into Nicaragua. Shortly after crossing the border, it connects with the enormous Lake Nicaragua.

The wide river was brown and murky with large trees and thick shrubs along the edges. Oversized iguanas sunned themselves on the grassy bank by the boats.

Stepping out of the van, our group was led into a big building where some other small tour groups congregated. There was fresh fruit, coffee, juice, and cold water waiting for us. We also met the other guides who would be with us that day. Along with Alvaro, there were two guides named Jason and the boat captain, Max.

Cano Negro Boat Tour

First sightings.

Without even pushing off from the dock, our guides started to point out the wildlife around us. On the left side of the boat, a large caiman was partially submerged, keeping a close eye on us.

In the nearby tree was a camouflaged bird called a potoo. Our guide Alvaro, zoomed in with his scope. The impressive bird looked exactly like tree bark.  

As we began motoring down the slow-moving river, Max, the captain, steered us closer to the forest. Our guides pointed out iguanas and river turtles sunning themselves on logs.

We also saw monkeys. First, there was a troop of howler monkeys. These bigger blackish-brown monkeys moved slowly through the trees. As the boat went under them, they let out loud bellows. Our guides told us these monkeys could be heard as far as 2 miles (3.2 km) away.

A larger male, the alpha, snapped branches and tossed them into the water below at us.

The Golden Monkey

Upon closer look, we noticed something strange about one of the monkeys. One of them looked different. Instead of a blackish brown, it had much lighter fur that was a gold/orange color.

Our guides explained that we were indeed seeing something special.

This monkey was a young female that they had seen before. She was born with a genetic mutation (of recessive genes) that causes less pigmentation in the fur. So instead of having dark fur like the rest of the troop, she has a golden hue.

Jason explained that this is the only one they know of in the area but that there have been three or four reported in Costa Rica. In the whole world, there are only around nine monkeys like this. Other than the color, they are completely normal and accepted by the group.

After a long pause trying to get good photos of the golden monkey, Max throttled the boat slowly against the current. We saw more howler monkeys and many caimans but also a lot of birds.

Some that we identified were the Great Egret, Ringed kingfisher, Amazon kingfisher, Bare-throated Tiger Heron, Green Heron, Turkey Vulture, Montezuma Oropendola, Collard Aracari, Sungreb, Wood Stork, and Anhinga. The Anhingas are interesting birds that have a bill that can spear fish. They are most often seen drying their wings on logs.

Our guides told us that birds congregate year-round in the wetlands but especially during dry periods.

Other Wildlife

During the approximately two hours that we spent on the river, we saw some other interesting wildlife as well.

On the underside of a tree branch we saw a family of long-nosed bats. They were sleeping together in a curved line. Jason told us that they position themselves this way to look like a snake. This keeps away predators. Each bat, we learned, can eat up to 2,000 mosquitoes per night!

We also saw many medium sized green basilisk lizards. These are sometimes called Jesus Christ lizards because they can sort of walk on top of water. Alvaro explained that their webbed feet create tiny air bubbles that help keep them off the surface of the water. With some speed, they can travel over the water for up to 6 or 8 meters (20 to 26 feet)!

There was also another type of monkey we encountered, the spider monkey. These were much more shy than the howlers. We saw one troop swinging through the branches with their long arms. Our guides explained that these monkeys only have four fingers and that the fifth one was eliminated through evolution.

After returning back to the base camp, everyone was excited for lunch. The staff had been busy preparing traditional casados (plates with rice, beans, chicken or vegetables, salad, and plantain chips). For the kids, there were either chicken or fish fingers.

Trapiche Demonstration

After a hearty lunch, we all loaded into the vans. But there was one more surprise. Just down the street, we stopped at a small farm.

As we shuffled through an old wooden corral, the guides showed how they traditionally grind sugar cane to make juice and molasses (called tapa de dulce ). We then got to try some of the agua dulce (cold sugar cane drink).

On the other side of the corral, we took seats on simple wooden stools. The guides served us raw cacao beans alongside some freshly brewed coffee. For those willing to try it, a shot of local guaro (liquor made from sugar cane) was also offered up.

This farm stop was just what we needed for the long van ride back to La Fortuna and the perfect way to end our tour.  

Planning Your Visit

There are a few different companies that offer tours to Cano Negro from La Fortuna.

If you’d like to book the Cano Negro wildlife boat tour through the same company we used and often send clients to, send us an email at bookings(at)twoweeksincostarica(dot)com. Please include the number of adults, children (with ages), date you’d like to do the tour, and your pickup location. Booking through us costs the same and helps support our website!

$72 per person adults, $50 per person children ages 4-11. Rates plus 13% tax. Children 3 and under are free.

Time Offered

7 :30 a.m. (pickup time at La Fortuna-area hotels and vacation rentals).

Full day, 8-9 hours, including transportation

Accessibility

The Cano Negro wildlife boat tour is handicap accessible and good for any age or ability. There is limited walking and the paths around the facility are suitable for a wheelchair. The boat has a sturdy metal ramp to board and there is very little movement when on the pontoon boat (no rocking or swaying).

What’s Included

Transportation from most La Fortuna-area hotels and vacation rentals, certified naturalist guides, snack, drinks, coffee, lunch, and the farm demonstration.  

Have a question about visiting Cano Negro or want to share what you saw? Leave us a comment below.

Looking for more information to help you plan your trip check out these posts:.

Arenal Ecoglide: Family-Friendly Zip Lining – The focus of this zip line is to make you feel safe and comfortable but still have a blast!

A Safari River Float in La Fortuna/Arenal : Here is another mellow boat trip to see wildlife but much closer to La Fortuna.

La Fortuna Waterfall: A Tropical Oasis – Visiting this beautiful cascade only takes a couple of hours but is well worth the stop.

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Costa Rica Guide

Travel information and maps, caño negro wetlands national wildlife refuge.

Caño Negro is off the beaten path, but worth the effort.

Most visits start out at Los Chiles where you board a boat and glide up the Río Frío through canyons of green towards the everglade like Lago Caño Negro.

Hundreds of tourists from the Arenal Volcano region bus in every day to tour “Caño Negro” but many of these tours never actually enter the wildlife refuge because the boundary is some distance from Los Chiles and the wildlife watching is excellent along the Río Frío outside the refuge.

Migration plays a big role in the population of the waterways; you may see a bull shark’s fin slice the surface; this area is the end of their annual trip up the Río Nicaragua from the sea, but most people come to spot migratory birds.

During the green (rainy) season from May to October, water from the mountains is plentiful and the Río Frío overflows its banks to form Lago Caño Negro positioned smack in the middle of the flyway for migrant North and South American birds. Millions of birds arrive here to winter over during the dry season beginning in December. The water level falls continuously for the next three to four months until all that is left is the main channel of the Río Frío and the migrants depart.

Birds – Among the many birds found in Caño Negro are: glossy Ibis, black-necked stilt, neotropical cormorants, American anhinga, northern jacana, American widgeon, wood stork, white Ibis, black-bellied tree duck, northern shoveler, snail kite, green backed heron, roseate spoonbill, and blue-winged teal. This is one of the best places to see the Nicaraguan grackle, whose only Costa Rican habitat is Caño Negro and other marshy areas just south of Lake Nicaragua.

Animals – spider, capuchin and howler monkeys, spectacled caiman, crocodile, jaguar, cougar, tayra, ocelot, tapir, white-tailed deer, jesus-christ lizard, black river turtle, green iguan

Fish – Snook, guapote, alligator gar, drum fish, tarpon, and bull sharks

The Río Frío has good fishing for snook, guapote, alligator gar, drum, and huge tarpon (fish stories claim up to 100 kg or 220 lbs). Fishing is allowed in the reserve from July 1 to March 31, license $US 45 from the ranger station in Caño Negro village. There are no established high profile fishing guide outfits currently operating, but if you are willing to round up a boat and provide most of your own tackle, Caño Negro is a well kept fishing secret.

East of Los Chiles, the Río Medio Queso spreads into a shallow wetlands when rainfall is plentiful. The region near the border is officially protected by the Corredor Fronterízo National Wildlife Refuge, but the whole area is excellent for wildlife viewing.

Caño Negro isn’t particularly near anything. When we visited, we embarked on a small boat at Los Chiles with our bicycles stacked to one side spent the cay on the river and lake then disembarked at Caño Negro village, where we continued west and south. If you are traveling by bus, your only option is back towards La Fortuna Arenal and San José. If you are driving, there is no bridge over the Río Frío at Los Chiles, you have to turn west off the main road about 6 miles (10 km) south to reach the nearest bridge at San Emilio to drive to Caño Negro village and on to Upala (4WD recommended in the rainy season).

When to visit

This area has some of the lowest rainfall totals for Costa Rica. Even during the rainy season when the rivers are overflowing their banks, most to the rain is falling farther south then running into this region.

There are advantages to visiting any time of year.   Many migratory birds arrive in December when the snow flies up north and depart in May.  The dry season runs January through April and it’s driest towards the end of this period.  Average of 98 inches (2,500 mm) rainfall per year, and 5 hours of sunshine per day.

Use the drop down menu to see weather patterns and other seasonal information for the month you are thinking about visiting Cano Negro.

Getting There

Most people visit on tours from the Arenal region.

Driving – From San José there are several routes to the northern lowlands. The main route follows the Pan American Highway west out of San José towards Naranjo (and San Ramón, but don’t go all the way there), after ~32 km turn right (north) on 141 to Naranjo followed by a 22 km climb to Zarcero that pays off when you get out and stretch your legs in the amazing topiary garden surrounding the whitewashed church (on your right in the center of town, you can’t miss it). Continue on 141 another 20 km to Quesada (known as San Carlos to all but map makers), then 8 km to Florencia where you turn right (north) on 35 which takes you the final 84 km to Los Chiles. (No 4WD required) To get to the ranger station at Caño Negro village you have to turn west off of 35 onto a dirt road about 10 km before (south of) Los Chiles (there is no bridge at Los Chiles) to cross the Río Frío at San Emilio. You can continue from Caño Negro village to Colonia Puntarenas (4WD recommended year round and required in the rainy season) where you can catch the paved road to Upala. Bus  – 1229 Los Chiles y Caño Negro Express departures daily from San José, Terminal Atlántico Norte, 5:30, 15:30, 217 km, 5 hours. Atlántico Norte company. Telephone (506) 256-8963 Air   – There are no regularly scheduled flights, but there is an airstrip and charters are available.

Entrance fees – There is no cost to enter the reserve, however if you are planning on fishing, you need a license, $US 50 from the ranger station in Caño Negro village. Hours – The reserve is open to visitors around the clock. The Ramsar ranger station in Caño Negro village is open 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday to Friday. Hiking trails – There are no established hiking trails in Caño Negro. Travel is almost exclusively by boat. Camping – Camping is allowed, but there are no facilities or official campsites.

Quick Facts

Size – 24,620 acres (9,969 hectares, 38 square miles, 29 times the size of central park NYC, 1/10th the size of Rocky Mountain National Park Colorado) Elevations – from 100 to 330 feet (30-100 meters) Habitats – Tropical lowland wet forest (rain forest), pasture, fresh water marsh, river, lake (some compare it to the Florida Everglades) Inhabitants Birds Glossy Ibis, black-necked stilt, neotropical cormorants, American anhinga, northern jacana, American widgeon, wood stork, white Ibis, black-bellied tree duck, cattle egret, northern shoveler, snail kite, green backed heron, Nicaraguan grackle, roseate spoonbill, and blue-winged teal Animals Spider, capuchin and howler monkeys, spectacled caiman, crocodile, jaguar, cougar, tayra, ocelot, tapir, white-tailed deer, jesus-christ lizard, black river turtle, iguana, Fish Snook, guapote, alligator gar, drum fish, tarpon, and bull sharks

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• Arenal Tours

Safari Float on Rio Penas Blancas

Free vacation planning.

The Safari Float on the Rio Penas Blancas is a great tour for observing wildlife in the Arenal Volcano area. Often referred to as the Monkey Tour, this tour is perfect for anybody that does not want to travel all the way to Cano Negro in search of exotic animals.

The day starts off when you are picked up from your La Fortuna hotel. After all participants are picked up, you will be driven about 20 minutes out of town to the Penas Blancas River. Your guide will provide safety and paddling instructions. Then you'll climb into your inflatable whitewater rafting boat and go for a leisurely paddle downstream in search of wildlife.

This part of the river is rated only Class 1 for easy paddling over light rapids but it flows at a steady speed to push you gently along. The paddles are mostly used for steering to see both sides of the river for a better vantage point to see wildlife.

The Rio Penas Blancas corridor is home to many species of wildlife including howler monkeys, sloths, iguanas, basilisks, turtles, crocodiles, toucans, anhingas, and more. While we cannot guarantee what you see, your guide will point out the wildlife visible on the day of your visit. At some point during the tour snacks will be provided. The take out point is a small rustic ranch owned by a Costa Rican family whom you might meet.

After the tour you will be returned to your hotel. The tour usually lasts 4.5 – 5.5 hours including round trip transfers, though this is subject to change. The tour includes transportation, equipment, guide, and snacks.

• Paddle through a biological corridor
• Search for exotic wildlife

What to Bring

• Change Of Clothes
• Insect Repellent
• Enclosed Sandals Or River Shoes
• Reusable Water Bottle

Location and Availability

The Safari Float on Rio Penas Blancas is available from Arenal, Arenal Zone 2, Arenal Zone 3, Chachagua Rainforest Hotel, and Nuevo Arenal

• Learning Family

Cancellation Policy

Safari Float on Rio Penas Blancas: Cancellation Policy

Recommended ages.

Latitude: N 10° 30' 28.74" Longitude: W 84° 30' 33.56"

• Overall 94.7% (501 Guest Ratings)
• Experience: 94.2%
• Expectations: 94.1%
• Guides: 96.1%
• Logistics: 94.4%
• Value: 95.5%

Excellent tour!

Very enjoyable trip; wonderful guide; fun chocolate event at the end.

Awesome tour with amazing guide. We loved Saul!

All went off smoothly and we had a great experience.

So this is a lovely tour but it is about a 1/2 hour too long. Your butt starts to hurt sitting for so long on the raft. It also gets very hot. You do see a lot of animals but you can't walk around to see them because you are in the raft. The guides were amazing and the little chocolate experience at the end is a great surprise. We loved it. It just would have been better if it were a 1/2 hour shorter. It's hot out there. That said, the guides were great!

We saw a lot of wildlife that we really enjoyed on this trip. This was perfect for our less thrill seeking family! Absolutely gorgeous and calm! The snack afterward (tortilla, cheese, and plantains) was so delicious and the chocolate informational demonstration and tasting was great.

This was one of our favorite tours! The guide, Bryan, was great! We saw lots of animals and learned a lot about Costa Rica!

Guide was great at finding wildlife. Pickup was too early for having time to get breakfast

Fun tour with chocolate tour a surprise add on

Great tour, beautifully managed Loved the snack at the end Bonus info on chocolate-making and a sip of chocolate was an unexpected bonus

Loved our guide. Knowledgeable and ethical.

This tour was a wonderful surprise! I had no idea that we would have a chocolate tasting afterwards. This was a great day. Only problem was a little bit of difficulty communicating with our guide. I think he was new.

Wonderful tour. The staff was excellent and informative

Did this tour before...always enjoyable!

Fantastic tour, we all really enjoyed it. The guides were great, pointing out wildlife and taking videos and pictures for us. After the float, we were able to enjoy some snacks and see how chocolate was made, as well as press some sugarcane. This was unexpected addition that the kids really enjoyed!

This was a lot of fun, and the guides made the trip even better. An excellent experience.

Fabri was a fantastic guide. With a great sense of humor. Made it so much fun.

Guide was great. Our favorite experience while in Arenal.

Probably the best tour we went on during the entire trip. Knowledgeable and friendly guides and we saw lots of wildlife (including crocodiles, howler monkeys, lots of birds and lizards, and even a tayra).

Our role guide was so knowledgeable and friendly! The whole group (ages 4 yo to 71 yo) all loved it.

Guide Carlos was amazing, did very well with the children and very informative of history, culture, and ways to keep Costa Rica eco friendly. lunch/snack was an amazing experience and surprise. My family really enjoyed it.

Carlos was our guide! He was great and very knowledgeable of the area. He was very friendly and we really enjoyed the trip.

Enjoyed this more than I expected! The snack and Costa Rican moonshine at the end was a great experience too!

Our guide was very knowledgeable and charming.

Great guide we really both enjoyed it.

Exceeded our expectation. Guide was awesome - spotted several animals and plants. Very friendly and spoke good English

A nice float down the shaded river. Spotted howler monkeys, crocodiles, and many birds. We had a light lunch and a shot of "moonshine" after the trek.

Happily surprised by the coffee, sugar, chocolate demo/tasting plus lunch!

Amazing tour, guide was knowledgeable and social, and our snack after was great!

Very nice, despite rain in the beginning. The refreshments at the end were an excellent touch

Loved the float! We had a great guide and saw lots o creatures. The lunch at the end was a nice experience too.

Had a great time. Always impressed by the guides ability to spot wildlife.

They were great and even fed us lunch, which we didn’t expect! And it was DELICIOUS!

We did see some crocodiles, bats, monkeys, otters. There were bats in the bathroom which was kind of scary, but I guess that's the rainforest! This is a nice, slow trip. ?.

We were originally booked for a kayak trip, but the water was to high to be safe so switched to a raft. We were very glad to have PTW step in to handle this.

This was the most amazing experience! Hands down one of the best parts of our trip. We saw alligators, monkeys, many birds, bats, many kinds of iguanas, and many beautiful plants. Our guide was absolutely wonderful. The meal at the end was a wonderful experience. Absolutely the best!

We wanted to do this activity for the sake of our younger child who was too afraid to try out white water rafting. This fit the bill. It was a ride down a nice river, where the guide pointed out wildlife. We saw so many birds, some monkeys, and even crocodiles. It was hard to see though so don't forget your glasses like I did, and bring binoculars if you have them. The guide was able to turn our boat around to get a better glimpse of the wildlife because you can easily miss it. We had paddles to help him when needed, but it wasn't a lot, so we weren't tired afterwards (except from the sun - it was hot!). The guide and driver were really wonderful. Can't say enough about them - I think his name was Marco and the driver was Jorge. My family of 4 went with a family of 3 and Marco. Even though the other family spoke Spanish and we spoke English, the guide was able to speak to both of us easily. What was surprisingly fun was where we ended up after the rafting. We had a nice snack (plantains, cheese tortillas), and got to learn a little bit about sugarcane, cacao and coffee production. We had yummy coffee, hot cocoa and sugarcane drinks! They had friendly ducks and a rooster that my kids loved.

It was a great tour. We had a lot of fun!

Our tour guide was excellent!

Our tour ended up being just my husband and I so the individual attention was fantastic! Our guide spotted a boa constrictor in a tree right above my head! He took some great pictures of a horned owl through our binocular lens with my phone.

Amazing tour! Had such friendly guides, the day ended up being super nice and we saw pretty much every animal we could including a crocodile and a sloth!

The guides were excellent, we were able to see lots of birds, monkeys, sloths, and a crocodile. The food and chocolate at the end was very good.

This was awesome. Our boat guide, Frank was great, very knowledgable about the environment. Saw two families of Howler Monkeys, crocodiles, Tucans, slothes, and many other birds.

Exceeded expectations in all respects! Fauricio and Jorje were excellent hosts/guides and the little snack at the end was wonderful.

so uh fun!!

This was a great tour both in terms of what we saw, the background information and the "farm" and snacks at the end.

We were the only people on our safari float and we loved the trip down the river. We saw many animals, birds, a snake and crocodiles. It was fun to paddle and hear our guide tell us about nature and the wildlife. Our coffee and food at the end of the trip were delicious and the people were gracious hosts.

Again not a lot of wildlife. Paddling on the river was fun and the food after and demonstration was well done.

Best tour. We said we liked wildlife in natural habitat and this was perfect. Guides excellent as well.

El clima no fue tan favorable pero aún así una gran experiencia.

Our guide was amazing. We saw so much wildlife and learned sbout Costa Rica!!

The guide as really great and knowledgeable. We saw lots of wildlife too.

Really great tour guides and lovely people who provided snack as well. Was a great adventure. Perfect weather, lots of animals. Lots of fun.

We really loved this as a start to our holiday. It was peaceful and the guides were great at spotting wildlife and knew their birds. Also, the driver stopped to show us a sloth on the way back which was one of our best sightings throughout the trip.

Funny and knowledgeable guides. Delicious food stip

Wonderful guide he found up otters, crocodiles a sloth, monkey and a toucan bird. Highly recommend

The guide was amazing! He was able to point out wildlife that we wouldn't have otherwise seen and was able to identify everything we saw.

What a special experience, rafting in a good rainstorm. Our guide knew so much, and even held an hilarious conversation with a howler monkey. The farm at the end is incredibly charming - with delicious food and drink.

I did not go .

Again the guide was friendly,funny and really tried to find all the wildlife he could find for us to enjoy!

Guides were great! Probably for people under the age of 60, as you get very stiff sitting in a cramped position for 3 hours.

We got really lucky with the weather and saw so much wildlife. We also really enjoyed the 'snack' at the end!

Great tour guides, we enjoyed this trip. One funny thing happened was the van would not start again after arriving at our destination but it was more funny than a problem. They ended up fixing the van by the time we needed to be picked up at the end of our tour.

Everything went as planned, but we did not see that much wildlife on the trip so it got a little boring.

We really enjoyed the river float. Our guide was very knowledgeable and shared a lot of information with us. We saw a lot of wildlife. The only negative was we found the total length of the tour too long. The tour could have been wrapped up sooner. Maybe less time eating the snack and trying to get everyone organized into the vans or cut out the stop at the Iguana bridge. Then we had a long drive back to our hotel. It really dragged on once the river float itself was over. We were also probably anxious to get back since it was our last day and there were other things we wanted to see!

Jonathan went above and beyond and made this experience wonderful because he took the time (and considerable energy) to point out the sites and animals and explain the history and biology of the surroundings.

A fun paddle down the river which was a little low in February. Some wildlife but less than we were expecting.

Our guide had to pump up the seats of our boat before we started and they lost air as we floated. We sat on the edge of the boat. Saw some bats, alligators, monkeys and iguanas. Our guide, "Marcus" was amazing. What an interesting soul. He was a top notch rower, full of interesting information and a joy to be around. I give kudos and recommendations to Marcus. He made the trip fun and interesting for us. The meal at the end was a nice touch.

Absolutely loved this trip. And again our guide Steven was the best!!!!

Great guide. Enjoyed the wildlife.

Excellent in every way.

Our guide was very knowledgeable and went out of his way to get us to see the animals we wanted to see. An excellent experience.

The hosts did a wonderful job with the lunch. Well done!!! Home style tortillas and drinks!!! Beautiful surroundings too. Bravo!

Fun but wouldn't do this one again.

Our guide was wonderful. He stopped whenever something was interesting and explained all about the river and the wildlife. He answered all questions.

Guides were good. Tour was enjoyable.

Joe was great as a guide. I was a little disappointed in the "farm visit". I had read reviews and most had said that was the highlight and it was why we chose this tour but there no farm tour just a brief explanation of how cocoa is made. The snacks and drinks were very nice but I would have loved to see more of the actual farm operation...I thought we were supposed to see sugar cane press etc.

Again we had a great guide. We saw monkeys and birds. Nice refreshments at the end of the tour as well.

Absolutely relaxing experience - exactly what I needed at that time. We saw a lot more things up close than I thought.

Our guide was awesome. Hoped to see more animals but you can never control those things!

the friendly guides were great animal spotters! very fun and relaxing ride with a lovely breakfast treat at the end.

Loved this tour as well and the guides were fantastic.

Exceeded our expectations. The tour ended with a visit with a local family, lunch, and grinding our own hot chocolate, which was an unexpected highlight.

The farm experience was wonderful. More cultural experiences in some other tours would be good.

Sleeper tour. I bet a lot of people don't take this tour because it seems less exciting, but we saw so much and the guides, wildlife, and visit to the farm were all top notch.

Excellent guide

Great tour. We all had a lovely time!

It would have been nice to see more wild life

The guide was extremely knowledgeable and you could tell that he loved what he did. Thoroughly enjoyed the float trip, and the other passengers. Great experience.

Great tour. High point was visiting a working farm.

Our guide was amazing! Scenery beautiful. Really nice to visit the local family for coffee and treat.

The tour went above my expectations because I didn't even know that a light lunch was included. I wished the guides talked more about the development of Costa Rica. I was disappointed that I didn't see any sloths or toucans, but I still had a blast on the safari and felt safe the entire time.

We loved this great float down the river. Just exciting enough for Max. The visit to the plantation was exceptional.

Lovely. Really enjoyed visit to Don Pedro Finca

Jorge was our guide...he was amazing at his job and does it with a passion for people, his country , nature and his guests. He was charming, funny and informative. Not sure how he managed to spot all the wildlife that he did. We got to see monkeys, crocs, snakes, bats, basilik, tons of different birds. I recommend this tour 1 00%.

Limited wildlife.

Was hoping for more wildlife. Kinda boring.

This was the highlight of the trip for me. Great guides, great stop along the way with the best cup of coffee in CR

our guide was fantastic!

Mario and the two guides he had along for training we geeatbwe had such a wonderful time seeing all the nature in Costa Rica the family that we visited along the trip was awesome

I only rated this lower because we had already seen a bunch of the wildlife so it wasn't as "exciting" as if this was done earlier in our trip. Our guides were good, not great.

One of the best experiences of the trip, and I loved seeing the farmhouse and meeting the family.

We appreciated the visit to Pedro's Farm.

I would recommend this to all! A really nice morning on the boat, the guides Stephen and Jorge 1 and 2 were fun and informative and I loved the stop we made at Do Pedro's place. A nice look into culture living history!

The guides were great they went out of their way to make sure the little ones were involved even making grass woven animals for them at our stop for a break

This excursion was amazing. Our guide and driver Pablo and Pedro were both great. The guide was so excited about the entire trip and we saw lots of animals, which got him just as excited as we were. He truly enjoyed his job. He stopped at one point and my son did the nintendo 5 with him (swung from a rope into the river) and the stop at the farm was very nice. We enjoyed the farmers stories although Pablo needed to interpret them for us. His family was very kind and their treats were very tasty.

Again.........Excellent. Farm stop was awesome.

Pedro was our guide. Best guide on our whole trip. His enthusiasm and good humor was infectious. Just outstanding. He should work for the tourist ministry!

seating was not comfortible for people in their 60's- limited scenery

This tour is nice for people who want mellow. It was nice to see the wildlife and float on the river. It seemed about 30 minutes too long but it could have been because of the heat!

not much wildlife readily seen. lunch at the residence was a fabulous, especially the host.

loved stop at family farm

We weren't sure what to expect. It was an enjoyable outing, but we didn't see much for animals. The guides were great though in trying to get them to come out. There was nothing really memorable about this outing, but we did really enjoy the coffee break stop at the farm. That was really neat and I hope it stays a part of the experience:)

Not a fault of the tour but we were grouped with an annoying family and was a bit long and uncomfortable

The Guide was great. He was humorous, knowledgeable and a great personality. He made the trip a highlight of our visit to Costa Rica.

Lovely guide, his English a little hard to understand, but his enthusiasm couldn't be beat. Loved the stop over at the farm. Trip was a little too placid for us (our choice!)

We saw some interesting wildlife on this trip. The guides were very good and did their best to show us the wildlife. The guide who spoke on the bus was humorous and personable. Stopping at the farm towards the end of the trip was a nice touch.

didn't see any animals but stopping at the Farm was very special. it was nice that our family was in 1 boat together.

Very nice, loved the guide and the side trip visiting real folks that live in the area.

Enjoyed both the float on the river and stopping at a local farm for a snack. Very pleasant tour guide and again very informative.

We were okay, but some of the people had a bit of a scramble to get up the slopes. Perhaps a prior warning would help. Guides were great and we really liked the short stop at the farm

so relaxing, highlight is the stop for coffee break at Don Pedro's farm, amazing opportunity

We all loved this excursion and loved Edson's knowledge and enthusiasm for his job! This float was wonderful!

awesome tour guide and trip

Great experience. Our guide Gabrielle, was fantastic. He was knowledgeable, funny, friendly, and very professional. We loved the stop at Peter's Farm. What an all around terrific time.

This was a fun trip and visiting the farm there was interesting. We didn't see anything that we had not already seen but still enjoyed the float. Our guides were quite good and made it fun.

Very nice experience. The guide (Gabriel?) was very knowledgeable and available to stop and spot animals along the way. Very interesting the stop by the locals house!

Pablo our guide was FANTASTIC. we saw so many creatures It was a good time

we really enjoyed the safari and managed to see a few animals.

Absolutely fabulous experience, terrific guides (Gabriel and Pablo).

Tour guide was really good!! Had a nice experience at people the Costa Rican Family we visited.

Steven's english was the best of the whole trip. He was also very funny and knowledgeable. It was great fun having him get the howler monkeys to howl for us.

This was fun, but not my favorite.

Our guide was excellent! Really enjoyed it. Did want to see a bit more wildlife, but the farm tour was a wonderful surprise! Really did enjoy this!

Fantastic. Wish it had gone on longer.

The best ever.....

Lots of fun with great guide.

A great way to observe nature and have lunch with "locals"! Jorge, our guide, was very knowledgeable and made our morning fun.

The folks on this tour showed their concern for client safety. The driver and guide were wonderful! When they took us to the designated location on the Rio Penas Blancas and discovered the water level was too high, they offered us an even more expensive tour -- lunch included-- and took us on the Cano Negro. The trip was a bit longer than expected, but we saw lots of wildlife. Please thank everyone for being so wonderful and accommodating to us.

The guides were especially helpful in spotting animals.

Safari Float on the Peñas Blancas River

This completely relaxing float trip takes you on the beautiful Río Peñas Blancas where you’re bound to spot tropical birds such as oropenolas, toucans, kingfishers, as well as, monkeys, poison dart frogs, caimans, and more! This serene river is only 30 minutes from La Fortuna and blessed with wildlife. You’ll drive with your guide to the entrance of the river and board an inflatable raft along the banks of the Peñas Blancas river. Your guide will do all the work and paddle along this easy-going river, pointing out the Costa Rican wildlife along the way. Bring your camera and binoculars – you won’t want to miss out!  Just enjoy the ride. You’ll then finish up your Safari Float with a fresh, tropical fruit break and return to your hotel. This half-day Safari Float tour near the Arenal Volcano is ideal for children, birders and anyone interested in Costa Rican birds and wildlife.  One of the nicest features of this tour is that it is very camera friendly – there’s no chance of capsizing so your camera gear should be completely secure.

Enjoy the ride.

• Departure at Luna: 7:20 am /1:20 pm
• Arrival at Luna: approximately 12:20 pm /6:30 pm
• Duration: approximately 4 hours
• Recommended ages: For nature lovers 6-75 years old.
• Rate: $65 per person + 13% Tax, please inquire for extra transportation costs at the reception.
• What to bring: Secure shoes or sandals, change of clothes, sunscreen, camera & big smile.
• Includes: Entrance fees, fruit fiesta snack, beverages, safety equipment and professional bilingual guides.

Privacy Overview

Safari Float at Peñas Blancas River

We Will begin our 20 min. drive towards the river at about 8 a.m. On arrival, your guides will welcome you with the gear and safety instructions necessary to ensure an exceptional day on the tranquil waters of the Peñas Blancas river, where we will leisurely float on safe and stable rafts.    

You Will enjoy this relaxing half-day tour with bilingual naturalist guides who are river safari experts. During the adventure, we will have the opportunity to observe some of the fabulous flora and fauna of the region. We can spot a variety of animals like sloths, monkey, caiman, turtles, and exceptional tropical birds that will cross our path. We will enjoy a delicious snack of fresh fruit on the river bank before returning to the transportation to head back to your hotel.

No experience necessary for this adventure, our qualified guides will provide you with all of the basic instructions and complete confidence to enjoy the activity to the fullest.

• Things to bring
• Experienced bilingual guide
• Transportation from/to the hotel with A/C & Wifi on vans
• Entrance fee
• Mineral bottled water
• Boat Transportation
• Comfortable clothing
• Tennis shoes
• Insect repellent
• Any cancellation or modification of the reservation made less than 24 hours before departure will incur a penalty of 100%
• The customer shall it be at the agreed time and place, we’ll wait a maximum of 5 minutes. In case of No Show, the reservation will be charged to 100%

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Adults: 1 selected='selected' 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50

Children: selected='selected' 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 5-11 years

Infants: selected='selected' 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50

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