Tours and Activities > Playas del Coco, Playa Hermosa and Ocotal Tours > Papagayo Gulf Beach Hopping
Experience the majestic waters of the Gulf of Papagayo on this private Papagayo snorkeling tour. 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
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 choose from any of these three services offered: beach hopping + snorkeling, fishing and surfing or even combine activities for a full day of ocean fun.
Your knowledgeable, personable and experienced local 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 see sea turtles, tropical fish and rays, fish your own dinner or catch some epic waves at the famous Witch's Rock (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, water clarity for snorkeling is better.
*The boat is docked at Playas del Coco Beach in Guanacaste. Please check the location of Coco Beach to make sure you are in the correct place in Costa Rica.*
Starting $110
per person
Free cancellation
if cancelled before 24 hours of start time
Full cancellation policies below
Private Gulf of Papagayo Snorkeling Tour 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.
- Tours with surfing are full day from 6 AM to 2 PM.
- Possibilities to see marine life such as sea turtles, dolphins, manta rays, humpback whales, whale sharks and tropical fish.
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.
- Boat pick up available from other beaches/resorts in the Papagayo Peninsula for an extra charge.
- To get on the boat, it is a wet pick up. 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 knees at a 90 degree angle.
- Pet friendly. We must know in advance and you are responsible for your pets food/water/gear.
- 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 either two boats or one larger boat that can hold up to 8.
- Food/lunch are not included. You may ask the boat captain to stop at a beachfront restaurant or pack your own food.
- No bathroom on the boat.
- Not suitable for pregnant women, families with newborns and those who recently had major surgery.
What to Bring
- Towels, sunscreen, hat, sun protection clothing, sunglasses.
- There is a cooler on the boat so you may bring your own drinks and snacks if you wish.
- Wear your swimsuit, sandals and beach clothes.
Private Gulf of Papagayo Snorkeling Tour Cancellation Policy
Please check cancellation policies in the link.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the boat like?
The main 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.
The second boat is a 25 foot Pro-line with seating in the back and front of the boat with a partially shaded area. This boat can hold up to 8 people, so this boat will have priority for groups larger than 6.
We will offer you the available options as the boats have different prices.
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 with no changing rooms or tables.
If your group has young kids, we highly recommend the morning time slot in the rainy season (May through November) due to the weather. We also recommend the morning time slot in December, as it can get very windy in the afternoons.
How many beaches and snorkel spots does the tour 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 the post and in the video above.
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.
Sometimes on the beaches, there are coatis, white face monkeys, crocodiles, herons and hermit crabs.
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 for national park tickets which are nonrefundable under any circumstance.
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. If conditions are suitable, the boat captain may go to Ollie's Point, but is not a guarantee as this tricky surf spot activates only in certain conditions.
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 in the 21 foot Robalo. For larger groups, we can only offer the 25 foot Pro-Line boat.
I don't have my own transportation, can you provide it?
Transportation to the beach meeting point is not included. 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, Waldorf Astoria, Ritz Carlton, 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?
Food and lunch are not included. You may pack your own or you can ask the boat captain to stop somewhere during the tour. Exception is the surfing tour, as it will not be possible to stop somewhere for lunch due to the remote location of the surf spot. Please pack a lunch for all surfing tours.
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