Experience the best tour Puntarenas, Costa Rica has to offer. Join us on this exclusive and private adventure led by a professional naturalist guide who will share the most important aspects of the Central Pacific Coast and introduce you to the rich wildlife of this fascinating region. This comprehensive tour includes a Rainforest Nature Walk and Hanging Bridges at Villa Lapas Reserve, a boat tour to admire the massive crocodiles of the Tarcoles River, a Puntarenas City Tour, a scenic country drive, sightseeing, a shopping stop, and opportunities to spot monkeys and scarlet macaws.
Your adventure begins with a relaxing drive through the picturesque Costa Rican countryside in air-conditioned transportation designed for small groups of up to 20 passengers, ensuring a personalized and professional experience. Along the way, your guide will highlight points of interest, including mango, sugar, and citrus plantations, diverse fruit stands, and rural farming communities.
Your first destination is the Villa Lapas Reserve & Eco Hotel, approximately an hour's drive from the pier. Upon arrival, you'll have some free time to use the restrooms and explore the surroundings before embarking on a rainforest nature walk, where you'll cross the Hanging Bridges. This Villa Lapas Sky Way walking tour covers 1.5 miles (2.5 km) and includes three suspended bridges, each over 180 feet above the ground and 300 feet in length, offering a stunning perspective of the tropical rainforest. This all-ages tour allows you to observe the rich vegetation of both primary and secondary rainforests while keeping an eye out for the diverse bird species, mammals, and other wildlife that inhabit this lush environment.
The nature walk lasts about an hour and includes some steep, uneven terrain, with ups and downs, making it unsuitable for passengers with limited mobility. After your rainforest adventure, enjoy complimentary tropical fresh fruits and iced tea before continuing to the Tarcoles River. Famous for its large American crocodiles, the Tarcoles River forms the northern border of Carara Biological Reserve on the Central Pacific coast of Costa Rica. During a one-hour boat ride, you’ll easily spot these massive reptiles, along with numerous aquatic bird species, monkeys, and scarlet macaws.
The tour continues with a visit to El Jardin Souvenir Store & Restaurant, a charming souvenir shop and art gallery offering a wide range of high-quality products. Here, you'll have free time to shop and enjoy lunch at the restaurant, where you can savor Costa Rica’s traditional dish, "El Casado," which combines rice, beans, vegetables, fried plantains, and your choice of meat (chicken, steak, or fish) for an affordable price of $10. (Lunch is not included in the tour price).
As you head back to the pier, you'll make a stop in Puntarenas City, the largest city on the Central Pacific coast. Puntarenas offers a variety of fresh seafood, such as shrimp, lobsters, and fish. The city’s lively Paseo de los Turistas, a tree-lined promenade adjacent to the beach, is a vibrant area filled with restaurants, discos, cafes, bars, and hotels, especially bustling on weekends. While the beach itself is not ideal for swimming due to murky water, it’s a great place to relax and soak in the local culture.
Exploring Puntarenas is a must, with its many beautiful and unusual old buildings, fabulous restaurants, and hotels. Don’t miss the city’s lovely old church, a must-see landmark. If you’re not interested in doing this excursion privately, no worries! Here is the public version: Puerto Caldera Combo Highlights Sightseeing Excursion (S2250)
