Safari Float on the Peñas Blancas River, Arenal/La Fortuna

Float down Peñas Blancas River, wildlife-watching with a naturalist guide to spy monkeys, sloths, iguanas and waterbirds

Overview

Float slowly down the wildlife-rich Peñas Blancas River and experience the tranquility of the rainforest on a family-friendly boating excursion. This rafting trip is a golden opportunity to observe many species of wildlife, such as monkeys, sloths, iguanas, turtles, and alligators, as well as different types of birds like herons, cormorants, American darters, and passerines. Your naturalist guide will point out various flora and fauna, from picturesque trees to rare reptiles, as you make your way down the river.

Highlights

  • Float down the lush Peñas Blancas River on a raft
  • Spot monkeys and sloths in the trees along the riverbanks
  • Look for a rare lizard capable of walking on water
  • See a wide range of flora and fauna while enjoying a relaxing boat ride

Know before you go

Duration
4 hours
Recommended for
4 years old & up
Group
Small group
Food & Drink
A snack is included

What you'll do

Enjoy a relaxing morning or afternoon wildlife viewing excursion on this quiet rafting trip down the Peñas Blancas River. You'll transfer to the starting point on the river, where you'll put on a life jacket and hear a safety overview from your naturalist guide. 

Both 4-person and 6-person rafts are available. As you push off into the water and begin your float down the river, keep your eyes open for monkeys, sloths, iguanas, turtles, caimans, and a wide variety of birds, including herons, cormorants, American darters, and passerines. With some luck, you might spot the rare basilisk lizard, capable of walking on water.

Your guide will also point out some interesting vegetation, including dense branches of ficus, luehea, and kapok trees full of lianas and epiphytic plants. The foliage leans in and intersects from both sides of the river, forming magical and mysterious water tunnels full of fantastic shapes where very little sunlight gets through.

This tour is perfect for those who'd like to observe and photograph natural scenery and wildlife without doing a lot of walking. The light, buoyant raft, designed not to disturb the river floor or the plants and animals around it, makes for a quiet and peaceful trip. You'll only need to paddle occasionally to avoid an obstacle. If you'd prefer not to paddle at all, it's possible to just ride on the raft.

You'll transfer back to La Fortuna at the end of the journey.

Start times

  • Daily
    8:00 am, 2:00 pm

What's included

  • Transportation
  • Bilingual guide
  • Lifevest
  • Boat
  • Snacks
  • Bottle water
  • Entrance fees

Traveler reviews

19 total ratings, 16 with reviews
4.7 out of 5
Feature ratings
Quality of Experience
4.9
Guides, Drivers and Staff
4.9
Transport
5.0
G
Guillermo T.
West Whittier-Los Nietos, CA | Reviewed on Jul 17, 2023
Very relaxing, saw lots of wild life. Mariano and Diego were great. A surprise snack was lovely.
Would recommend especially if you don't want to do rapids but want to be on the water.
Read more

Very relaxing, saw lots of wild life. Mariano and Diego were great. A surprise snack was lovely.
Would recommend especially if you don't want to do rapids but want to be on the water.

Tips for future travelers

Make sure you take water shoes of some time.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Wanda
Wanda H.
Lake Elsinore, CA | Reviewed on May 28, 2023
I was pleasantly surprised to be the only one on the raft with the guide. He was extremely knowledgeable and friendly, pointing out things along the way I never would've seen. He also went into detail about these sights. At the end of the very relaxing float he took me to an eco farm for snacks made entirely from ingredients from the farm. Read more

I was pleasantly surprised to be the only one on the raft with the guide. He was extremely knowledgeable and friendly, pointing out things along the way I never would've seen. He also went into detail about these sights. At the end of the very relaxing float he took me to an eco farm for snacks made entirely from ingredients from the farm.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
C
Chakrapani S.
Manhattan, NY | Reviewed on May 18, 2023
Ceaser, our guide and paddle boat operator was so engrossed in helping us appreciate the experience and uniqueness and history of the area. Helped us spot many wonderful wild life Read more

Ceaser, our guide and paddle boat operator was so engrossed in helping us appreciate the experience and uniqueness and history of the area. Helped us spot many wonderful wild life

Quality of Experience
Calming experience to close out our trip
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Marilyn
Marilyn F.
Inglewood, CA | Reviewed on May 05, 2023
Absolutely exciting! I was a little afraid but glad I did it. I wanted to see a big 🐊 we saw a baby one. Read more

Absolutely exciting! I was a little afraid but glad I did it. I wanted to see a big 🐊 we saw a baby one.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
They stuffed to many people in the van.
M
marlyn C.
Los Angeles, CA | Reviewed on Apr 10, 2023
The local term for jip-bo-Jip - means land to water to land; Fortuna to the lake to Monteverdi; delightful ride, with the sailor stopping at interesting points to show us more birds and fauna Read more

The local term for jip-bo-Jip - means land to water to land; Fortuna to the lake to Monteverdi; delightful ride, with the sailor stopping at interesting points to show us more birds and fauna

Tips for future travelers

Go for the nice surprises and enjoy the ride

Quality of Experience
Fun, refreshing and great sight seeing
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Friendliness and points out interesting sighting along the way, birds
Transport
On time , clean and friendly have extra water for passengers
P
Protima W.
Mammoth Lakes, CA | Reviewed on Apr 03, 2023
We got to see iguanas, an elusive animal called Tira and birds. We had a very informative guide. This float was on a raft. It had rained heavily the night before and the river was quite full of water. Read more

We got to see iguanas, an elusive animal called Tira and birds.

We had a very informative guide. This float was on a raft. It had rained heavily the night before and the river was quite full of water.

Tips for future travelers

Bring a waterproof backpack.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
J
Jackson T.
Grand Junction, CO | Reviewed on Mar 26, 2023
We enjoyed this experience! Getting to see the wildlife from the water gave a whole different view and we saw some animals up close that would have been hard otherwise, including two types of owls. The food at the end was delicious! Read more

We enjoyed this experience! Getting to see the wildlife from the water gave a whole different view and we saw some animals up close that would have been hard otherwise, including two types of owls. The food at the end was delicious!

Tips for future travelers

We didn't fully know what type of boat we would be on and brought too much stuff to fit into the dry bag, but the trip was very mellow, and nothing got wet. I'd recommend that people pack lightly. We did bring binoculars which were great for seeing the various wildlife!

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
The van driver and the river guides were all great! The folks who prepared the food at the end were also awesome!
Transport
Jane
Jane R.
Newburgh, NY | Reviewed on Mar 16, 2023
Delightful rafting/floating along the river which was filled with so much wildlife that our guide pointed out continually. Read more

Delightful rafting/floating along the river which was filled with so much wildlife that our guide pointed out continually.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Cheri
Cheri A.
Simi Valley, CA | Reviewed on Feb 20, 2023

It was relaxing going down the river and spotting the wildlife, but adventurous enough not to be boring. You are in a raft and do have to paddle in parts, so you got some exercise too. You do spot animals, but you are traveling down a river, so you don't get as great watch as if you were still. I didn't know about the chocolate presentation after, and thought it would be boring, but it wasn't. And the chocolate was delicious.

Tips for future travelers

You are in a raft like you do water rapids in, not a solid boat. You or your phone could topple in the water if not careful.

Iris
Iris M.
Harbeson, DE | Reviewed on Jan 27, 2023
Our tour guide Carlos was very knowledgeable and made sure we saw as much wild life as he could find. Read more

Our tour guide Carlos was very knowledgeable and made sure we saw as much wild life as he could find.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport

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