Back

Tortuguero kayaking and wildlife-spotting trip

cos11-kayaking-and-wildlife-spotting-free-cre

An early-morning kayaking trip through the backwaters of Tortuguero offers the chance to watch the jungle awake.

With its maze-like network of canals, lagoons and swamps smothered by tangled tropical vegetation, Tortuguero National Park is best explored from the water. Kayaking will allow you to remain quiet and unobtrusive, with a great chance of spotting the monkeys, sloths, river otters, caiman and iguanas that are regularly seen here. There is also a huge amount of bird life, from toucans, parrots and kingfishers to lesser-known species like the trogon, manakin and fruitcrow.

Wildlife is at its most active in the early morning, so we’ll set off at 7.30am for some gentle kayaking along a peaceful tributary where there are no motorised boats to disturb the animals. Trees laden with vines and orchids hang over these backwater channels and mangroves line their edges – a rich habitat for river life.

Activity Rating: easy

Papagaio

Your edit for Latin American inspiration

Our exciting range of articles on Latin America explore everything from iconic destinations and lesser-known cultural gems to delicious traditional recipes. You’ll also find exclusive travel tips, first-hand client reviews and the chance to get your personal questions answered by our travel experts.

View Extraordinary Inspiration
Bartolome, Galápagos

Meet our team

Real Latin american experts

  • Alex
    Alex Walker - Travel Expert

    A globetrotter since her childhood, Alex spent a year studying abroad in Guadalajara and has returned to Latin America countless times since then.

  • Rosie profile
    Rosie Kay - Travel Expert

  • Kathryn
    Kathryn Rhodes - Travel Expert

    Kathryn backpacked across Argentina, Chile, Bolivia and Peru before joining us. She has a degree in Philosophy and French and is a keen netball player.

  • Heloise
    Heloise Buxton - Travel Expert

    Heloise started her Latin American journey as an exchange student in Santiago, Chile. With extended summer holidays this was the perfect opportunity to backpack through Bolivia, Peru, Argentina and Brazil.

  • Maggie
    Maggie Wilson - Travel Expert

    Maggie visited Latin America on her first backpacking trip when she was 19. Since then, she has taken every opportunity to travel, and has managed to explore a lot of the region in subsequent trips.

  • Lina
    Lina Fuller - Travel Expert

    Lina's passion for the continent where she was born really took off when she moved to Córdoba (Argentina) to study, spending the holidays travelling between Argentina and her native Colombia.

0 1 2 3 4 5