Playa Grande may be home to one of the top beaches in the world for viewing wildlife, but the estuary out back also has its fair share of flora and fauna. Choose between boarding a local Tico fisherman’s panga or a canoe for the more adventurous, for a two-hour guided estuary tour and see the brackish waters of Las Baulas National Park. Spend the morning or afternoon winding through the nooks and crannies of Rio Matapalo and take in the local wildlife and scenery. Because of Costa Rica’s diverse ecosystem an estuary tour will simply blow you way.

Don’t forget to bring a camera! Exotic orchids grow amidst the mangroves and trees lining the river. You’re sure to see caiman crocodiles sunning on the banks or swimming alongside the boat while green parrots and call from the above and howler monkeys play among the treetops. A Grande estuary tour will promise stunning photos teeming with wildlife you just won’t see anywhere else in Costa Rica.

Guides prefer to take at least two and can typically accommodate up to eight persons. The typical pick up and drop off is behind Hotel Bula Bula in Palm Beach Estates. Discounts generally offered for larger groups.