Tours and Activities > Arenal Volcano La Fortuna > Caño Blanco Nature Sanctuary by Boat Tour
Create unforgettable memories on this exclusive wildlife watching river boat tour, taking you down a private section of the Rio Frio river to cruise through pristine wetlands, untouched mangroves and lush rainforest for incredible wildlife watching and birding opportunities.
Duration
7 Hours
Transportation
Included
Certified
Tour Guide
Mytanfeet
Customer Service
Description
This is a wildlife watching river boat cruise unlike others offered from La Fortuna. This extended half day tour starts with a 1.5 hour drive through pineapple fields and rural countryside, concluding on a dirt road in a remote location near the river sanctuary, before boarding the open air motorized boat.
The wildlife watching boat tour starts off going down the lush river, while your knowledgeable guide points out wildlife seen along the way and other important flora and fauna. Your boat captain is a local to the area, and will use their own keen eyes to point out familiar animals.
The boat cruises through the slow moving river for a couple of hours and then, turns into a pristine channel to take you through untouched mangroves and important wetlands. Here, birding becomes the prime activity, as kingfishers, herons, and shorebirds fly around peacefully, and as you reach the Caño Blanco Lagoon, the surrounding beauty and tranquility of this tropical paradise will amaze you. It is a true nature sanctuary!
Mammals that can be seen on this exclusive wildlife watching boat tour are bats, howler monkeys, spider monkeys, white face monkeys and sloths. Birds include kingfishers, boat billed herons, tiger herons, storks, ducks, hawks, potoos and trogons. You may also spot iguanas, caimans, crocodiles and turtles basking on the riverbanks.
The tour includes a delicious, home cooked lunch from a local family, cooked in a traditional Costa Rican kitchen and using fresh, organic ingredients from their own farm.
Starting $183 USD
per adult
Caño Blanco Nature Sanctuary Highlights
- Traditional home cooked lunch at a local house included.
- Small group size.
- Exclusive tour run by our tour partner. No other tour operator runs a tour that goes to this part of the river.
- Knowledgeable birding and wildlife guide.
- ~3 hours boating time on the river.
- Opportunities to stop along the drive to see wildlife.
See What Arenal Lake by Boat and Peninsula Trail is Like Below
What is Included?
Additional Information
- Confirmation will be given upon tour booking.
- Tour must be prepaid in full to book.
- Children must be at least 4 years of age to participate.
- Motorized boat does not have a roof or bathroom no board.
- Little walking, easy level.
- Morning pick up time around 7 AM. Afternoon pick up time around 1130 AM.
What to Bring
- Comfortable walking clothes
- Rain jacket.
- Binoculars, camera.
- Dry bag to hold items.
- Sunscreen, hat and insect repellent
Booking Form
We offer a 7% discount for adults and children for this tour. Our prices are quoted in USD and include all taxes and we never charge booking fees. What you see is exactly what you'll pay. While other websites might show lower initial prices, they often add taxes and fees at the end, Mytanfeet believes in transparent pricing from the start.
If you can't see the booking form below, please try refreshing the page or contact us for assistance.
Cancellation Policy
Read the cancellation policies here.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between this tour and safari float? Which one should I do?
The safari float, such as the Peñas Blancas Safari float, are on inflatable rafts and this specific tour is only a 25 minute drive per way from downtown La Fortuna. It does not include lunch, only snacks. Peñas Blancas safari float is a very popular tour with many different tour companies operating at the same time on the same portion of the river. Float time is around 1.5 hours.
The difference between this tour and Pure Nature safari float is the safari float is done on an inflatable raft, does not include lunch and goes down only the Rio Frio River, but our partner is the only one who operates down this portion of Rio Frio river. The float time is around 2 hours and drive time is around 1.5 hour per way.
The Caño Blanco nature sanctuary tour is on a small motorized boat that holds up to 10 people, is an exclusive tour run by only one tour operator, includes lunch goes down a different section of the Rio Frio river, and also goes down a wetland and mangrove channel that no other tour operator goes to. The boat time on the river is longer, around 3-3.5hours and drive time from La Fortuna is around 1.5 hours per way.
Peñas Blancas safari float is the cheapest, Pure Nature safari float is mid range and Caño Blanco nature sanctuary is most expensive due to its exclusivity.
How much walking is on this tour?
Very little. You will only walk from the shuttle bus to the boat dock, which is very close.
What is the boat like?
It is a small, open air (no roof) and motorized boat with plastic seats that have a back. Each boat holds up to 10 people.
What animals can I see?
Three types of monkeys (howler, spider and white face), sloths, iguanas, kingfishers, herons, caimans, crocodiles, turtles, bats, shorebirds, ducks.
What is the drive like to the river?
The drive is around 1.5 hours per way. It is on a paved highway for the most part, but the last 30 minutes or so is on an unpaved road that goes through farms and country side. If the guide sees something interesting, he will stop to let guests go out and see.
Are there bathrooms?
Yes. There are bathrooms at the local house where you will have lunch. No bathrooms on the bus or boat.
When do you have lunch?
If you book the morning tour, you will have lunch after the boat ride. If you book the afternoon tour, you will have lunch first.
What happens if it rains?
The tour will run rain or shine but because it has no roof, please make sure you bring appropriate rain wear like poncho, hat, rain jacket. If there is inclement weather that prevents the tour from operating such as floods, landslides, lightning, torrential wind, the tour operator will cancel and offer to reschedule or refund you. If the tour has already commenced and the guide decides the weather becomes inclement, the tour operator will inform us of your options for rescheduling.
What is the approximate pick up and return times?
Morning pick up time is around 7 AM, return time is around 2 PM.
Afternoon pick up time is around 1130 AM, return time is around 630 PM.
Times may change depending on conditions and your exact pick up and return time depend on your locations/hotel.
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