Tours and Activities > Guanacaste > Papagayo Gulf Beach Hopping
Experience the majestic waters of the Gulf of Papagayo on this private Papagayo snorkeling tour (Costa Rica). You can combine three different activities to visit different beautiful beaches, snorkel in pristine waters, fish or catch some waves.
Duration
4 or 8 hours
Transportation
Optional (extra cost)
Certified
Captain
Mytanfeet
Customer Service
Private Gulf of Papagayo Snorkeling Tour (Costa Rica) Description
If you are an ocean lover, then the best way to see the Gulf of Papagayo is by a private boat tour. On a private tour, you are the creator of your own ocean itinerary as you can combine any of these three services offered: beach hopping + snorkeling, fishing and surfing.
Your knowledgeable, personable and experienced Costa Rican boat captain will take you to the secret corners of the Gulf of Papagayo to visit secluded white sand beaches, snorkel in pristine waters to swim alongside sea turtles, tropical fish and rays, fish your dinner or catch some epic waves at the famous Roca Bruja in Santa Rosa National Park.
If you choose the afternoon tour, you'll sail back under the enchanting sunset sky. For morning tours, snorkeling clarity is better and there are more chances to see wildlife.
*The boat is docked at Playas del Coco Beach in Guanacaste. More details on transportation and beach meeting point below.*
Starting $110
per person
Free cancellation
if cancelled before 24 hours of start time
Full cancellation policies below
Private Gulf of Papagayo Snorkeling Tour (Costa Rica) Highlights
- Bilingual (English and Spanish) Costa Rican boat captain
- Morning, afternoon sunset and full day tours available.
- Morning hours are 8 AM to 12 PM, afternoon hours are 2-6 PM.
- Full day hours are 8 AM to 4 PM or 10 AM to 6 PM.
- Possibilities to see marine life such as sea turtles, dolphins, manta rays, humpback whales, whale sharks and pilot whales
Watch Our Video of the Private Papagayo Snorkeling Tour Below
What is included?
Additional Information
- Tour must be prepaid in full to book and confirmation will be sent upon booking.
- Free boat pick up from Playas del Coco beach.
- Transportation from your hotel to the beach meeting point is not included. The exact meeting point will be given in the confirmation.
- Boat pick up available from other beaches in the Papagayo Peninsula for an extra charge.
- To get on the boat, guests have to walk into the ocean up to about knee high, walk up a couple ladder rungs to get onto the boat and lift their knee at a 90 degree angle.
- Pet friendly
- Boat holds up to 6 people total with a combined weight of 980 lbs (445 kilos). If group is more than 6 people or over the weight limit, we can offer two boats.
- Food is not included. You may ask the boat captain to stop at a beachfront restaurant if you do not bring your own.
- Not suitable for pregnant women, families with newborns, those who recently had major surgery
What to Bring
- Towels, sunscreen, hat, sun protection clothing
- Snacks and food (there is a cooler on the boat). You may bring more drinks if you like.
- Wear your swimsuit, sandals and beach clothes.
Private Gulf of Papagayo Snorkeling Tour Costa Rica Cancellation Policy
Strict cancellation policy: If cancelled in less than 72 hours of boat tour time and date, there will be a 100% penalty fee. If cancelled outside this window, there will be a full refund minus a 5% administration service see. Boat can wait only 30 minutes, after 30 minutes, it is considered a no show and will be a 100% penalty fee.
Changes policy: Flexible in changes made with at least 72 hours of tour date but new tour date is subject upon availability. Cancellation policies apply to change requests. Refunds are given via the way the payment was made. If cancelled after 180 days since payment was completed, the refund is given by Paypal only.
Weather related changes/cancellations: The tour runs rain or shine, except for when there is a weather advisory warning or unsafe weather conditions. If the boat captain calls off the tour due to weather, we will give a full refund minus the 5% administration service fee. If the tour continues running but the client cancels on their own accord, the penalty fee is 100% of the payment.
There is no refund if the client decides to go back early during the tour. For confirmed surfing tours, the included national park reserve fee is nonrefundable regardless of the cancellation time window. This tour is not suitable for pregnant women, those with major health conditions and those who has recently undergone major surgery.
Private Papagayo Snorkeling Tour Costa Rica Frequently Asked Questions
What is the boat like?
The boat is a 21 foot Robalo. There are seating areas at the front and back of the boat. The boat is not completely covered, it is partially covered with seats underneath the canopy. There is no bathroom on the boat.
Can young children join?
Yes, this tour is great for kids, especially active kids who love water. However, we do not recommend it for families with newborns or infants because the boat doesn't have a bathroom. Furthermore, infant life jackets are not available and the boat has limited space.
If your group has young kids, we highly recommend the morning time slot in the rainy season due to the weather.
How many beaches and snorkel spots does the private Papagayo snorkeling tour Costa Rica go to?
For half day beach hop and snorkeling tours, you visit 2-3 beaches and snorkel spots. On a full day tour, you visit 4-6 beaches and snorkel spots. Since it's a private tour, you can stay as long as you want at each spot or as short as you want.
As the boat captain chooses which spots to go to depending on the conditions of the day, the spots vary. Generally, the tour visits beaches like Playa Huevo, Playa Jicaro, Playa Junquillal, Playa Penca, Playa Palmares, Playa Cocolito and Playa Nacascolito.
You can read and see more photos of the private Gulf of Papagayo boating tour in our blog post.
Can you see any animals on the tour?
Yes. The rich waters of the Gulf of Papagayo is home to a plethora of marine wildlife such as sea turtles, eels, tropical fish, dolphins and whales such as humpback whales and pilot whales.
The best time to see humpback whales are July through September and January through March. Wildlife sightings are not guaranteed but if you want to see animals, the boat captain will do his best to find them.
What is the surfing tour like?
The surfing tour is for intermediate surfers and above only as it goes to Roca Bruja (Witch's Rock) in Santa Rosa National Park. The boat will anchor by Witch's Rock and surfers need to paddle a few hundred feet to the different breaks.
Witch's Rock offers fast and hollow world class waves with clean barrels and consistent year round waves. The best time to surf Witch's Rock for the biggest swells with overhead waves are March through September. December through February tend to have consistent offshore winds, with smaller waves.
For the surf trip, the boat departs at 6 AM and returns at 2 PM. We do not offer half day surf trips. National park tickets are required for every visitor, even non-surfers. This is an additional $15 + tax USD per adult charge.
Surfboards are not included. If you need to rent a board, let us know which type of board in the comments.
The boat ride from Playas del Coco beach to Witch's Rock is around 50 minutes one way. You must pack a lunch, there are no restaurants near by to dock at. Non surfers can join, but the boat cannot leave Witch's Rock once anchored as the captain needs to be there at all times for the surfers when they want to go back to the boat.
Surfing tours are for up to 4 people with boards only.
What is the fishing tour like?
The fishing tour is inshore fishing, mostly trolling and jigging inside the Gulf of Papagayo. All fishing equipment will be included (rods, bait, hooks).
You can catch fish like mahi mahi, rooster, wahoo, snook, snapper, grouper, amber jack, jack crevelle, tuna and spanish mackaral. Mahi Mahi is best May through October, snapper is best July through December, grouper is best December through April and wahoo is best August through November.
Fish is not guaranteed but the boat captain will do his best to find you fish. You are allowed to take back your catch and the boat captain will clean it for you. The boat captain will determine which fish and how many are allowed to keep in accordance to Costa Rican law.
Fishing tours can hold up to 4 adults only.
I don't have my own transportation, can you provide it?
Transportation is not included to the beach meeting point. The boat cannot pick up or drop off in other areas like in Tamarindo or Flamingo but we can offer ground transportation by a private shuttle. If you require ground transportation, please let us know from where so we can check with our partners.
The boat is docked at Playas del Coco but boat pick up and drop off is available from other places such as Playa Ocotal, Playa Hermosa GTE, Playa Panama and any of the resorts on the Papagayo Peninsula such as Secrets Papagayo, Riu Guanacaste, Four Seasons, Andaz and Planet Hollywood for an extra fee.
If you need boat pick up from a resort or beach, please enter it in the comment section so we can let you know the details.
Where can we get lunch if we don't pack one?
On full day tours, lunch is not included. You may pack your own (there are coolers on the boat) or you can ask the boat captain to stop at a beachfront restaurant.
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