Catamaran Sailing Adventure with Barbecue, Gulf of Papagayo

Name: Catamaran Sailing Adventure with Barbecue, Gulf of Papagayo
Rating: 4.2 (6 reviews)

4.2 (6 reviews)

Sail along Costa Rica's Gold Coast, then drop anchor for swimming, snorkeling, and a traditional barbecue meal.

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Meg R.

Apr 23, 2024
We loved this! Snorkel was great and so nice To get On the water.

Lindsay N.

May 05, 2023
Overall a really great experience. Pros: shady interior on the boat, on board bathrooms, free drinks, friendly staff, lunch included. Highlight for us and our kids... Read more

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Overview

Soak up the sun and enjoy a sailing adventure on the Pacific Ocean! On this group excursion, you'll depart from a landing dock in one of three locations: Playa Tamarindo, Playa Flamingo, or Playas del Coco. Board your catamaran and set off along the Gold Coast, passing pristine bays, white-sand beaches, and tropical jungles (and keeping an eye out for dolphins, sea turtles, and breaching whales). The crew will serve tropical drinks as you make your way to a tranquil bay for swimming and snorkeling, and a barbecue meal with Costa Rican dishes will be served onboard before you sail back to the starting point.

Highlights

Sail along the Gold Coast on a catamaran
Swim or snorkel off the boat in a quiet bay
Enjoy a freshly-prepared barbecue meal with tropical drinks
Spot dolphins, sea turtles, and breaching whales

Know before you go

Duration
4h

Recommended for
6 years old & up

Group
Group tour

Food & Drink
Barbecue lunch or dinner depending on time, tropical drinks

What you'll do

This half-day excursion begins when you're picked up at your hotel and transferred to the landing dock at one of three locations—Playa Tamarindo, Playa Flamingo, or Playas del Coco—depending on which sailing spot is the closest. There, you'll meet your crew and the rest of your group, step aboard a large catamaran, and set off on your sailing adventure. Cruise along the Gold Coast's quiet bays, lush forests, and white-sand beaches. As you watch for dolphins, sea turtles, flying fish, and breaching whales, the crew will serve refreshing tropical drinks.

The captain will drop anchor once the boat arrives at a particular spot, and you'll have time to swim or snorkel in a sheltered bay or explore the nearby beach. When you've worked up an appetite, head back to the boat for a barbecue lunch on deck (featuring chicken, yellow rice, fruit, chips, black beans, pico de gallo, and cookies for dessert). After lunch, it's time to haul anchor and sail back toward your starting point, where you'll disembark, say your goodbyes to the crew, and transfer back to your hotel.

Start times

Daily

8:00 am, 1:30 pm

What's included

Transportation
Bilingual crew
Catamaran sailing
Barbecue lunch
Beverages
Snorkeling equipment

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Adventure at a family-owned "hacienda" or ranch where you will enjoy a spread of tropical fruits and fresh coffee or tea. From there, you will embark on a private boat safari of the wetlands, where you'll encounter an abundance of tropical birds, reptiles, and monkeys. You'll then return to land for a rum tour and tasting, where you'll learn about the process of creating high-quality rum from pure sugar cane and end with a delicious cocktail and stunning views of exotic birds along the banks of the lagoon.

Please note that transportation is not included, but can be added for an additional cost.

Traveler photos

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Traveler reviews

6 total ratings, 5 with reviews

4.2

Feature ratings

Quality of Experience
4.2

Food
4.0

Guides, Drivers and Staff
4.4

Transport
4.8

SUSAN G.

Ashburn, VA | Reviewed on Jan 11, 2025

A great day on the water! The boat was very large and almost too crowded in my opinion. Beautiful views, decent snorkeling. Lunch was okay but served very late (well after 3pm). Overall the day was much longer than anticipated and we were brought to sure in the dark (no lights on the powerboat that brought us to shore). That was a bit unsettling but we made it back just fine. Read more

Meg R.

South Windsor, CT | Reviewed on Apr 23, 2024

We loved this! Snorkel was great and so nice
To get On the water. Read more

Lindsay N.

Canada | Reviewed on May 05, 2023

Overall a really great experience. Pros: shady interior on the boat, on board bathrooms, free drinks, friendly staff, lunch included. Highlight for us and our kids was the stop in the middle to swim and snorkel in a secluded bay. It was a great way to get away from beach activities. Would 100% recommend. Read more

Jaya C.

Hermosa Beach, CA | Reviewed on Jan 05, 2023

Catamaran sailing adventure was good. Boat was clean and crew was quite friendly. Bar served drinks all the time. We got to see couple whales and sting ray but not much other wild life. It was more of party boat with music and alcohol. Would not recommend highly for kids. Snorkeling was ok. Was hoping to get some help from crew but there were lot of people on the boat so guess not possible. Food was basic but tasty. Sunset was very beautiful.
It’s worth for a relaxed sailing and drinks and... Read more

Wei S.

Bellevue, WA | Reviewed on Jul 19, 2022

The water wasn't clear so we couldn't see any fish. It was fun being on the catamaran, but we've done it a number of times before. We saw one sea turtle on this tour. If you have done catamaran at other places, I would just skip this one. Read more

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Catamaran Sailing Adventure with Barbecue, Gulf of Papagayo

Sail along Costa Rica's Gold Coast, then drop anchor for swimming, snorkeling, and a traditional barbecue meal.

Overview

Highlights

Know before you go

What you'll do

Start times

What's included

Like what you see?

See alternatives

Catalina Islands Scuba Diving

Nighttime Pacific Green Turtle Nesting Experience (Seasonal)

Safari Float Tour on Corobicí River

Kayak & Snorkel Tour in Tamarindo Bay

Palo Verde National Park Safari Cruise

Private Wetlands Safari & Rum Tasting with Lunch

Self-Guided visit to Playa Conchal - The White Shell Beach

Wetlands Boat Ride and Rum Tasting at Hacienda El Viejo

Traveler photos

Traveler reviews

Like what you see?

Itineraries with Catamaran Sailing Adventure with Barbecue

Gulf of Papagayo Experiences

Costa Rica Experiences

Best of Gulf of Papagayo

Trip Planning Essentials