Enjoying the Tamarindo estuary tour in Costa Rica.
Hearing Pedro’s stories on the Tamarindo estuary tour were fun.. He has been a tour guide in the town’s mangroves for over thirty years.
He promised us a howler monkey and a crocodile, and he delivered!
You will have enjoyed rainforests, volcanoes, and the Pacific Ocean on your Costa Rica trip, now it is time to add another natural phenomenon to your itinerary.
An estuary is formed when fresh river water meets the salt water from an Ocean.
At the edge of Tamarindo lies a beautiful estuary, home to some awesome wildlife, natural mangroves, and a tale or two from the locals.
After my day experiencing the mangroves, I have written this blog to detail how you can take the Tamarindo estuary tour, including practical information, important knowledge, and whether it is actually worth the hefty cost.
Let’s start with how you can enjoy this Tamarindo excursion!
Our guide Pedro on the estuary tour.
How you can enjoy the estuary tour in Tamarindo.
There are several companies which offer an estuary safari tour at Las Baulas National Park on the outskirts of Tamarindo.
Despite being only 5 minutes drive away from the packed beaches in Tamarindo, the estuary is like another world, and felt like a peaceful getaway for a morning.
Most tours in Costa Rica are full on, but this one is different!
Most tours will offer a pick up and drop off service for you, but if you want to head to the starting point yourself, the map below shows how close it is to the centre of Tamarindo.
Address for starting point of Estuary tours:
500 m SO de la Escuela de Playa Grande 933, Provincia de Guanacaste, Santa Cruz, 50308, Costa Rica.
This day trip from Tamarindo usually sells out in busy seasons, so booking in advance is important.
There are also several tour operator offices located in Tamarindo if you decide to book at the last minute.
Welcome sign.
Practical information for Tamarindo estuary tour.
An important thing to consider when planning your Tamarindo excursion is the changing of the daily high tide, as it is not consistent, as a result of the position of the sun relative to the Earth and Moon, along with the shape of the coastline, and underwater features.
Pedro taught us this fact about Costa Rica as we were exploring!
You will be sent the details of your tour start time, and pick up time once you have booked.
Tamarindo estuary tour cost range - £35 - £55 (time of year, and method of booking will dictate your costs. Viator is the cheap option that I chose to book with).
The waiting area.
Some important offerings which make this Tamarindo tour inclusive for everyone:
Short distance to the tour starting point from all of the accommodation in Tamarindo.
Assistance is available for navigating the stairs down to the river, and for entering the boat.
The estuary boats are shaded by a roof, which makes the torus operational in high sunny temperatures or rain.
Water and fruit is provided to every guest enjoying the tour.
The tour guides can speak English and Spanish.
There was a family with young children, and an old lady in her eighties enjoying the tour when I visited, and no one had any difficulty.
Rules of the tour.
Which animals live in the Tamarindo estuary.
Across its 167 square kilometres, Las Baulas National Park is home to over 170 species of animals, including mammals, reptiles, birds, fish, and insects.
Here are the ones you are likely to spot or hear a funny story about from your tour guide:
Mammals.
The most common mammals hanging in La Baulas are the howler monkeys, and you will hear them before you see them, that’s for sure! They are unique as they can travel long distances across the canopy in Costa Rica.
On a rare occasion, you may spot a collared peccary or two, usually lurking on the shore, looking through the trees at visitors.
Birds.
There are more species of birds than any other type of animal, so it is no surprise that we saw some beautiful rare birds, and a vulture ready to pounce!
Kingfishers, pelicans, herons, and egrets are the most common sights on the Tamarindo estuary tour.
Reptiles.
American crocodiles are the largest predators residing in Las Baulas National Park. The crocodiles are very well adapted to the brackish water and love the banks in low tide. As unpredictable creatures, tour guides will keep a safe distance from the creatures after spotting them.
I spotted Iguanas throughout Costa Rica, and in the Tamarindo estuary they were chilling on branches overhanging the mangroves.
Fish.
Fishermen love the estuary as there are many different species of fish, including snook, machete, mullet, and the colourful Sailfin molly.
Some information about the Estuary’s habitants.
Some more information about the Tamarindo estuary.
The Tamarindo estuary is part of La Baulas National Park on the outskirts of the coastal town.
The 500 hectare ecological park is home to many species of flora and fauna, and the estuary tour covers a large number of the species, depending on the tide, time of year, and weather.
The estuary in Tamarindo connects directly to the Pacific Ocean, and tidal changes influence it, contributing to its dynamic ecosystem.
The estuary consists of brackish water and mangrove forests, creating an ideal environment for crocodiles, crabs, monkeys, and rare birds.
The dense mangrove forests in the estuary consist of species like red, black, white, and tea mangroves, which play a crucial role in protecting the coastline from erosion, along with providing a habitat for various species.
As with most nature spots in Costa Rica, the estuary is a protected area aimed at conserving the natural environment and biodiversity.
Crocodile warning sign.
A very knowledgeable tour guide.
We couldn’t have asked for a better tour guide than Pedro.
He has been navigating the murky waters of the Tamarindo estuary for over thirty years!
He was very patient and made sure everyone on the boat spotted the different wildlife before moving on to the next sections, which was quite a task with some of the camouflaged crocodiles.
In some sections he spotted crocodile eyes popping out of the water from a distance, which we found to be very impressive.
He also made some loud monkey noises to try and attract some for us to spot, and it worked!
We learned some knowledge about every single animal which we encountered.
Heading to the boat.
Boarding the boat.
You may get wet when boarding and disembarking the estuary boat.
Although we didn’t get wet when boarding, we did have to step into the water when leaving the boat, therefore, we had to take our socks and shoes off to do so.
The tour guides are awesome in helping everyone.
Pedro and his colleague carried the old lady from the boat so she didn’t have to take her shoes off.
Aboard the boat.
It took a while for me to notice the life jackets attached to the ceiling of the boat.
I don’t think they would be much use against American crocodiles anyway!
Just incase, if a crocodile didn’t get us.
Learning about the mangroves of the Estuary.
Pedro was commentating on the importance of different parts of the estuary ecosystem as we travelled around it.
Mangroves are trees which are unique to brackish water, having adapted to thrive in the mixture of fresh and ocean water.
They are an essential part of the estuary system, with their roots tangling to form a complex web, which protects fish, birds, and other species of animals.
We could see on our visit in low tide how far up the water rises during high tide, due to stains on the roots.
Our guide Pedro was an expert at spotting wildlife moving around in the mangroves, including crabs, crocodiles, and little birds.
All of those decades of running the tour has given Pedro a sixth sense - that’s for sure!
Mangroves in the estuary.
Greetings from a howler monkey.
We could hear the loud noises from the howler monkeys echoing around the estuary before we even set off on the tour, and it didn’t take too long for a little furry friend to make an appearance.
The monkeys stay high up in the canopy inland, therefore, not every tour group gets to see them up close.
However, we got lucky, because a monkey came to the edge of the tree to see us.
Pedro did his best impression of a howler monkey to attract him!
Thirty years in the mangroves definitely helps to develop a monkey howl.
We got close enough to see the monkey’s distinct features, and he wasn’t intimidated by us one bit!
A loud howler monkey.
When is the best time of year to take the estuary tour?
As with any tour in Costa Rica, there are pro’s and con’s of visiting at different times of the year.
You want to spot a crocodile? The dry season wins.
The rainy season brings higher water levels in the rivers, meaning there is a larger body of water with perfect conditions for crocodiles. This means that they can be more spread out and harder to find.
Higher rainfall also makes the water in the estuary murkier, and reduces visibility for tourists.
You want a cheaper tour? The rainy season takes it.
Reduced tourism numbers means tours are cheaper in the rainy season. You run the risk of a wet tour, or cancellation due to rough conditions though.
The greenery during the rainy season is lush and abundant, therefore, you can fully immerse in nature.
A visit in May and November. The best of both worlds.
I visited in May and benefited from cheaper tour prices, dry weather, and I got to see plenty of wildlife.
Visiting in the shoulder seasons is a travel hack in Costa Rica!
A little bird camouflaged.
Spotting crocodiles and other creatures.
On our tour we spotted nearly 10 crocodiles, however, they are very camouflaged!
Luckily Pedro was an expert at spotting their eyes popping out of the water.
It took until near the end of our estuary tour to see a crocodile on land, and as you can see in the photo below it was still quite a distance away
Due to the close proximity of the estuary to the Pacific Ocean, crocodiles have been spotted in the Pacific Ocean close to the beach historically.
It is usually surfers which have the close encounters, and there have been several documented crocodile attacks!
A crocodile on shore.
We also saw hundreds of crabs making the most of the low tide.
They were moving around the foot of the mangroves, and small beach areas.
Crabs are abundant in the estuary.
Enjoying pineapple in the estuary.
At the halfway point of the tour, we were treated to some fresh pineapple.
It was pretty surreal floating in the estuary listening to stories while enjoying juicy fruit and some water.
This is a nice touch on the tour though!
Another tour, another pineapple.
A few tips to help you enjoy your estuary tour in Tamarindo.
Here are some tips which should make your day more enjoyable:
Dress for the occasion.
Although you will be sitting under shade, the tour can get hot and sweaty during the rainy season with high humidity, so bring light clothing, sunscreen, and a hat.
Bring binoculars and a good camera.
Some tour groups get lucky with wildlife up close, however, some don’t. Binoculars will help you spot the wildlife up close, and a decent camera will capture the creatures in an unforgettable way.
Respect the ecosystem.
Follow any directions from your tour guide, as they will keep you and the wildlife safe from harm.
Don’t forget to ask some questions.
Your guide is very knowledgable and will be happy to answer questions about the estuary and its inhabitants. You should turn your tour into an educational one to get the full enjoyment out of it.
A beautiful bird.
Smiling fishermen.
The best Tamarindo estuary tour for you to book.
Viator is a proven tour operator which provides awesome day trips for people all around the world.
I noticed that the Tamarindo estuary tour had a 4.5/5 star rating from over 300 tourists, so decided to give it a go.
I can’t fault any of my tour, with Pedro being awesome, the promises being delivered, and luckily, the sun was shining!
A complimentary pick up service included.
The included pick up and drop off were on time, so they also made my fun day run smoother!
A map of the estuary.
Tsunami ready!
Other fun activities in Costa Rica.
The Tamarindo estuary is only one part of the abundance of beautiful nature in Costa Rica.
Here are three other nature based activities which should be on your travel itinerary:
Mistico Hanging Bridges Park - La Fortuna.
The highlight of my time in La Fortuna was the hanging bridges tour at Mistico Park, which is overlooked by the Arenal Volcano.
Crossing the hanging bridges high above the rainforest isn’t for the faint hearted, but the rewards are worth it!
You can see an abundance of nature for as far as you can see.
We spotted a wide variety of wildlife, including vipers, monkeys, sloths, birds, tarantulas, and racoons.
I recommend taking a guided tour for this one, as the locals are experts at spotting different wildlife.
Three beautiful waterfalls.
La Fortuna, Montezuma, & Rio Celeste waterfalls were my favourite to visit during my recent Costa Rica trip.
Although visitors are not allowed to swim at Rio Celeste Waterfall, the sky blue water makes it truly unique, and one of the most photographed landmarks in Costa Rica.
Although both natural beauty spots are tricky to reach, a swim at La Fortuna and Montezuma waterfalls is an awesome way to cool down as your reward!
All three waterfalls are spectacular in different ways.
Zip lining in the canopy.
Another way of experiencing the rainforest from a height is zip lining across the canopy.
The opportunity to zip line across the rainforests is a big draw to Costa Rica.
You can enjoy this adrenaline way of traversing the forests in all of the major tourist destinations in Costa Rica, but I experienced it in Montezuma.
I visited in May, so it was quieter, but still awesome, considering the rainy season is a risky time to visit Costa Rica.
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