Shore Excursions from Puntarenas, Costa Rica

[maggie3]

Our ship, the Celebrity Infinity, will be in port in Puntarenas for twelve hours, 7 a.m to 7 p.m.. We'd like to find a reasonably priced independent tour for the two of us that would include a river cruise, and sightings of howler monkeys, crocodiles, birds, other wildlife. We are noticing that a lot of these excursions seem to go out of Port Limon, but we are having trouble locating a reputable company who does excursions out of Puntarenas. Can previous travelers please recommend a company with whom you've taken a shore excursion from Puntarenas?

[pilotdane]

The Tarcoles river and mangrove southeast of Puntarenas is a good area for crocodiles, birds and monkeys. It's a 60-90 minute drive from Puntarenas. The bird species will vary with the season but I've had the best luck spotting Scarlet Macaw there in October.

 

Howler monkeys can be found most anywhere in CR if you get out of the cities. Morning and evening are the best time to hear them howel though they do it intermittently during the day. They are some the laziest monkeys so look for dark "blobs" in the trees.

 

 

Hearing howler monkeys is something you must do before you die. It is really "odd" hearing their howl through the forest as each group announces it's location. CR has a lot to offer if you slow down and look.

 

I shot this last week.

[Appygirl]

I took a shore excursion with Okey Dokey tours from Puntarenas. If you do a search of that name on this forum you will see others comments. We stopped at a monkey sanctuary and got to feed bananas to cappuchin monkeys. It included a river boat tour where we saw crocodiles, howler monkey, and various birds. About 7 hours and included lunch. There was a cooler on board with water, soda, and beer. Cost was $99 per person, but when you email for reservations, if you say you're on the Cruise Critic forum there is a $10 discount. We departed around 8am and arrived back after 3pm so we had time to wander the flea market along the beach before the ship departed at 7pm. There are other operators that will pick you up in Puntarenas, see some of the other threads. They all sound like they offer very good tours. Here is my blog posting of that day's shore excursion. I've posted photos of the wildlife we saw. His tour was one of the highlights of our cruise. http://appytales.blogspot.com/2010/06/port-of-call-puntarenas-costa-rica.html

 

I hope you enjoy your cruise and your day in Costa Rica.

[Tikibird]

Great shot, Pilotdane! Are those lilac-crowned Amazons? How did you get to Tarcoles River? A friend told me if we get to Carara, there are guides waiting at the car park to help you find macaws so all we need is transport. Not sure if we should hire a taxi for the day or drive ourselves around.

[Tikibird]

I took a shore excursion with Okey Dokey tours from Puntarenas. If you do a search of that name on this forum you will see others comments. We stopped at a monkey sanctuary and got to feed bananas to cappuchin monkeys. It included a river boat tour where we saw crocodiles, howler monkey, and various birds. About 7 hours and included lunch. There was a cooler on board with water, soda, and beer. Cost was $99 per person, but when you email for reservations, if you say you're on the Cruise Critic forum there is a $10 discount. We departed around 8am and arrived back after 3pm so we had time to wander the flea market along the beach before the ship departed at 7pm. There are other operators that will pick you up in Puntarenas, see some of the other threads. They all sound like they offer very good tours. Here is my blog posting of that day's shore excursion. I've posted photos of the wildlife we saw. His tour was one of the highlights of our cruise. http://appytales.blogspot.com/2010/06/port-of-call-puntarenas-costa-rica.html

 

I hope you enjoy your cruise and your day in Costa Rica.

Nice blog of a great tour, Appygirl! I'm glad they have someone selling the feather paintings, I just love those! I bought 2 of them in Cozumel in 2008 and would love to have more.

[Nonna and Papa]

What is the chance of encountering snakes on one of these tours? We are actually considering having my husband book such a tour, but not me. While not going to see the birds and monkeys is something I'd hate to miss, my fear may overcome my enjoyment.

 

Mary

[Nonna and Papa]

Isn't there anyone who has been on a nature tour in Costa Rica, who can answer my question regarding encountering snakes? I really would like to know.

 

Thanks,

 

Mary

[gordandmichele]

What is the chance of encountering snakes on one of these tours? We are actually considering having my husband book such a tour, but not me. While not going to see the birds and monkeys is something I'd hate to miss, my fear may overcome my enjoyment.

 

Mary

 

We have been to Costa Rica over 15 times and have been on countless tours and hikes. Although we have seen snakes (sea, boa, coral, small vipers), there have been very few, and most of the times guides had to point them out to us. The only one you really need to worry about is the fer-de-lance, and we have never seen one, although I'd love to.

 

Basically, don't even think about it. The snakes don't want anything to do with people, and on most guided tours you won't ever even see one, let alone get close to one.

[Nonna and Papa]

We have been to Costa Rica over 15 times and have been on countless tours and hikes. Although we have seen snakes (sea, boa, coral, small vipers), there have been very few, and most of the times guides had to point them out to us. The only one you really need to worry about is the fer-de-lance, and we have never seen one, although I'd love to.

 

Basically, don't even think about it. The snakes don't want anything to do with people, and on most guided tours you won't ever even see one, let alone get close to one.

 

Thank you for your reply. I still may end up sending my husband off alone....or else have a few drinks before....and after!!!:rolleyes:

 

Mary

[Appygirl]

Nice blog of a great tour, Appygirl! I'm glad they have someone selling the feather paintings, I just love those! I bought 2 of them in Cozumel in 2008 and would love to have more.

 

Thanks. To give you some idea, we bought 2 feather paintings at a store we visted on our tour. These 2 paintings were of parrots for $25 each and we gave them away to friends. The ones we bought at the flea market on the beach were a tiger, not because I'm a tiger fan but because the detail was amazing. The monkey feather I bought because I like monkeys! These were both painted on two feathers. The previous birds on one feather each. The ones I bought at the flea market at $20 each. I can't even buy a frame and glass for that price at home. I'll see if I can attach photos.

[pilotdane]

I have seen many snakes but none have been a surprise or scary while on a tour. If on a tour you will be on trails or on a boat which keep the wildlife far enough away to prevent them from being scary. The guide will probably spot them long before you notice and you will probably have to work hard to spot them even when the guide points them out. I would not let the fear of snakes prevent you from doing a tour or excursion. There are so many beautiful animals to see and jungle sounds to hear that I would not miss it for any reason. And, a few drinks won't hurt the experience. After all, you are on vacation.

 

I would advise you or your husband NOT go off trail in the jungle without a guide. Some of the snakes hunt differently than snakes in the USA so they are often in locations we do not expect.

[pilotdane]

Great shot, Pilotdane! Are those lilac-crowned Amazons? How did you get to Tarcoles River? A friend told me if we get to Carara, there are guides waiting at the car park to help you find macaws so all we need is transport. Not sure if we should hire a taxi for the day or drive ourselves around.

 

Sorry, I forgot to respond to your post.

 

Yes, I think those are lilac-crowned Amazons. I spotted two species of parrots on my last trip. Here is the other.

 

I got to the Tarcoles River via the road that runs along the waterfront, not by coming in from the park. It is about half the driving distance of going around to Carara but once you get off the Pan American it is a dirt road for 20-30km and I don't know if the road has a name. There are several tour boat operators on the ocean side, but you'd want to schedule something in advance to make sure they are there and ready for you.

 

Driving in Costa Rica is easy if you are accustomed to driving in Central America. Many roads do not have names or signs so getting around sometimes requires a bit of local knowledge or creative sign reading. Most of the National Parks have some manner of sign directing you to them though they often are not the easily spotted professional type we are accustomed to in The States. Hiring a taxi for the day or taking a ship sponsored excursion would certainly be the easiest. If hiring a taxi for the day be specific with the driver as to what you want to do and how long you want his services "drive us to the main parking area of Parque Nacional Carara and wait while we are inside the park... We want to be back at the dock by 3:00pm". Negotiate a price before getting into the car. Pay when you are back to the dock and stick to the agreed upon price. Tip the driver nicely if he was good and did not try to change the fare.

 

I think the biggest problem will be finding a rental car near the dock in Puntarenas. Rental cars are expensive so it might be just as cheap to hire a driver for half a day. You can check rental rates online before you go.

 

You will not need help finding Scarlet Macaw once you learn their call. You can hear them from 1/2 mile away. Spotting them in the air is usually the easiest since they are big, fly in pairs and call often. Finding them perched is more difficult and usually requires some luck but following their call usually works.

[Nonna and Papa]

I have seen many snakes but none have been a surprise or scary while on a tour. If on a tour you will be on trails or on a boat which keep the wildlife far enough away to prevent them from being scary. The guide will probably spot them long before you notice and you will probably have to work hard to spot them even when the guide points them out. I would not let the fear of snakes prevent you from doing a tour or excursion. There are so many beautiful animals to see and jungle sounds to hear that I would not miss it for any reason. And, a few drinks won't hurt the experience. After all, you are on vacation.

 

I would advise you or your husband NOT go off trail in the jungle without a guide. Some of the snakes hunt differently than snakes in the USA so they are often in locations we do not expect.

 

Hi Dane,

 

I really appreciate your thoughts and of course, the warnings. When I posted my question, I most certainly knew the answer; after all, it the jungle we're talking about. But while not naive, I so wanted someone to tell me (not in jest or sarcastically) that all the snakes would be on vacation that day, and no, I'd never see any. LOL!

 

Our trekking days are over and I won't even entertain the idea of going off on a trail by ourselves. I don't know what I'll end up doing, I'd really hate to miss the birds and the monkeys, but we'll see. Thanks, again. By the way, your pictures are wonderful.

 

Mary

[StartrainDD]

Our ship, the Celebrity Infinity, will be in port in Puntarenas for twelve hours, 7 a.m to 7 p.m.. We'd like to find a reasonably priced independent tour for the two of us that would include a river cruise, and sightings of howler monkeys, crocodiles, birds, other wildlife. We are noticing that a lot of these excursions seem to go out of Port Limon, but we are having trouble locating a reputable company who does excursions out of Puntarenas. Can previous travelers please recommend a company with whom you've taken a shore excursion from Puntarenas?

 

Maggie, which sailing are you on? We have a nice roll call going for the 10/24 sailing. We haven't settled on a tour yet but both "Your lucky tours" and "Okeydokey tours" have been quite responsive in suggesting possible tours. Check out our roll call board for the details (even if you're not on our sailing:eek:).

[Terri34223]

Sorry, I forgot to respond to your post.

 

Yes, I think those are lilac-crowned Amazons. I spotted two species of parrots on my last trip. Here is the other.

 

I got to the Tarcoles River via the road that runs along the waterfront, not by coming in from the park. It is about half the driving distance of going around to Carara but once you get off the Pan American it is a dirt road for 20-30km and I don't know if the road has a name. There are several tour boat operators on the ocean side, but you'd want to schedule something in advance to make sure they are there and ready for you.

 

Driving in Costa Rica is easy if you are accustomed to driving in Central America. Many roads do not have names or signs so getting around sometimes requires a bit of local knowledge or creative sign reading. Most of the National Parks have some manner of sign directing you to them though they often are not the easily spotted professional type we are accustomed to in The States. Hiring a taxi for the day or taking a ship sponsored excursion would certainly be the easiest. If hiring a taxi for the day be specific with the driver as to what you want to do and how long you want his services "drive us to the main parking area of Parque Nacional Carara and wait while we are inside the park... We want to be back at the dock by 3:00pm". Negotiate a price before getting into the car. Pay when you are back to the dock and stick to the agreed upon price. Tip the driver nicely if he was good and did not try to change the fare.

 

I think the biggest problem will be finding a rental car near the dock in Puntarenas. Rental cars are expensive so it might be just as cheap to hire a driver for half a day. You can check rental rates online before you go.

 

You will not need help finding Scarlet Macaw once you learn their call. You can hear them from 1/2 mile away. Spotting them in the air is usually the easiest since they are big, fly in pairs and call often. Finding them perched is more difficult and usually requires some luck but following their call usually works.

 

 

Good Morning,

You are one of the few people I have found on cruise critic that seems to know a lot about Costa Rica. We are heading for Limon next week and have not selected a tour as of yet. A lot of the tours we see mention a "Scenic Overlook" Guess we have lived in Florida too long and both my sister and I are very uncomfortable with windy roads and high scenic over look places. (Should I say didn't enjoy the cab ride in St. John :eek:)

Question how "scenic" is scenic?

 

We are leaning towards the ships tour of all about Limon, but from what I am seeing Limon isn't that big and might not be very interesting.

 

Thank you so much for getting back to me!

[pilotdane]

I was hoping someone with experience there would jump in... I have never been over to Limon so I can not help other than to say; avoid trips further inland toward the mountains where twisty roads and high overlooks are more common. Limon is in a pretty flat coastal area so you should be OK with a city tour. In general the drivers in Costa Rica are quite safe and courteous compared to many other Central and South American countries.

 

I do have to agree that a tour of Limon does not sound that interesting, but most towns have a few hidden jems. Normally I like city tours of the old colonial cities. They tend to be full of old Spanish architecture and lots of interesting history. More modern cities like Limon seem quite normal . I think the main reason cruise ships dock there is because they have a dock, not because it is a particularly interesting destination.