Palo Verde National Park is an extremely important area in Costa Rica as it encompasses over 45,000 acres (18,210 hectares) of the Tempisque Conservation area.
This conservation area protects one of the most endangered ecosystems in Central America, tropical dry forest.
Furthermore, there are 15 different kinds of habitats from mangroves to swamps in Palo Verde, all home to thousands of animals throughout the year.
During rainy season the Tempisque river overflows, creating the perfect habitat for the wildlife to spend their winter months.
For those that want to see wildlife in Guanacaste, the Palo Verde National Park boat tour is one of the best.
It’s fun, does not require any walking or strenuous activity and just a little over a half day so you can be cruising down the river in the morning and watching the sunset at the beach a few hours later.
If you’d like to book this tour, please click here to go to our booking form.
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Location Palo Verde National Park
Palo Verde National Park is in the Guanacaste province, 60 kilometers (37 miles) from the Guanacaste Airport.
Video of the Palo Verde National Park Boat Tour
We made a video of our private Palo Verde boat tour which you can watch below!
This video was taken in March, peak of dry season.
Palo Verde National Park Boat Tour
The best way to experience the national park is by taking a guided boat tour down the river to go wildlife watching.
The boat tour is about 1.5 hours long, going down the Tempisque River in a 20-25 seater covered motorized river boat.
The Palo Verde National Park boat tour is an excellent half day trip from Playas del Coco, Tamarindo, Gulf of Papagayo, Flamingo, Potrero, Conchal and Liberia.
It’s also a great tour for families and senior citizens have limited mobility but want to see wildlife and nature as there is no strenuous activity involved.
There is minimal walking, as you just need to walk from the shuttle to the boat down the ramp. The guide and boat captain can assist if anyone needs help down the ramp.
Palo Verde National Park Animals
Here are some photos of the tour and animals.
The most common animals you will see on the Palo Verde National Park boat tour are iguanas, crocodiles, white face monkey, howler monkey, herons and birds.
We have done this tour 4 times during different times of the year. March is a great time to see migratory birds and crocodiles. We went during low tide and there are a lot of crocodiles during low tide.
We have also went in November. During this time, we saw a ton more monkeys and iguanas. In May and August, we saw lots of crocodiles and baby crocodiles but not quite as many birds.
Sloths are not really found in this part of Costa Rica so no sloths in Palo Verde, sorry.
If you want to see sloths, you should book this rainforest and sloth tour from Guanacaste.
Things to Know About the Palo Verde Boat Tours
For the Palo Verde National Park boat tour, definitely bring your camera! DSLR would be perfect for this trip to capture those great shots and bring the telephoto zoom lens.
A light jacket (during rainy season in case), binoculars, a wildlife field guide if you want, sunscreen with at least SPF 50, a hat, and bug repellent is a must.
The best time to go to Palo Verde National Park is during summer (December – April). This is because all the migratory birds are in Costa Rica so you will see way more birds. If you visit after May, you won’t see as many birds but you can see baby reptiles.
Palo Verde National Park Boat Tours
If you have a car and don’t want to book a full tour with transportation
The national park itself does not offer guided boat tours.
There are locals with their own boats, waiting at the boat dock but they speak very limited English and aren’t naturalist guides so you will need to hire a guide separately.
If you want to drive, you’ll meet the guide in Filadelfia and go together to the national park for the boat tour.
Book Your Palo Verde National Park Boat Tour!
If you do not have transportation and would like to book the full boat tour, please fill out the form and we’ll help you book the day trip!
We can also help you book just the guide and boat, if you already have a rental car and do not require transportation.
Want to read about other national parks in Costa Rica? Here you go!
Manuel Antonio National Park: A popular national park in the Central Pacific with white sand beaches, hiking trails and lots of wildlife. About 3 hours from San Jose.
Barra Honda National Park: A national park in Nicoya that protects dry tropical forest and has a plethora of caves. You can go hiking or take a guided caving tour.
Arenal Volcano National Park: Popular national park in the Northern lowlands, near La Fortuna city. Has the Arenal Volcano and rainforest. Great hiking and views of the volcano and Lake Arenal.
Poas Volcano National Park: Home to Poas Volano, one of the largest volcano craters. Newly reopened in 2018. Short walk to the volcano crater, reservations required. About a 1.5 hour drive from San Jose.
Tortuguero National Park: One of the best national parks for wildlife, especially turtles and birds. No road access as it is made up of rainforest covered sandbars and canals. Must go via plane or boat.
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Leah says
Sorry – one more question: Is there anywhere to stay near Palo Verde? We were hoping to do one day at Catarata Llanos de Cortes, spend the night somewhere nearby, and then do a boat tour in Palo Verde the next day.
Sammi says
Not really… Palo Verde is in a local town called Filadelfia and there’s not really anything there. Liberia would be a good option though, close to both.
Leah says
I’m really interested in seeing the Guatil indigenous village! Is this something that tours offer, or is it something I have to find myself? Any other info or tips about this? Thank you so much!
Sammi says
Hi Leah! Most of the tour companies combine the Palo Verde and Guatil visit together so you can ask them if they have any tours running for the day you want to go. It’s a popular tour so there’s a good chance to join one if you’re a solo traveler as most companies require a minimum of 2 -3 people for this tour.
yeison says
Hello Dyana, Another activity that you can do is to visit the Catarata Llaonos de Cortes Waterfall. It is very nice and great for children since it’s a beautiful waterfall with lots of places to have a picnic and enjoy. The only thing is that it is about a 1 hour drivef rom Playas del Coco but you can book a tour or rent a car which we recommend. You can stay at the waterfall for a whole day or half day. If you’d like to rent a car, we have an exclusive discount for our readers which includes free delivery and pick up at Playas del Coco. You can make a reservation or quote here: Costa Rica car rental discount.
Dyana says
I’m going in a couple of days with my family! I have one son (3years) and daughter (1 year) what would you recommend beside going to the beach? we will be near Playa Panama and Playa Cocos. Thank you very much for your recommendations!
Caroline says
Thanks for a great website.
Are there hiking Maps somewhere online for this park?
Sammi says
There isn’t but most people take the boat ride as the hiking trails are fairly short and not well maintained. You can ask for a map at the park entrance office
Mike says
Going down in June, the rainy season. Can you recommend a specific tour company? Ant other tips?
Sammi says
Yes! Randall from Shaman tours is excellent, I went with my parents and grandmother with him to Palo Verde and he’s super knowledgeable and an excellent naturalist guide. You can email him here to inquire about tours and book with him: shamantours@live.com
yeison says
You will find boats ready to go most of the times, you just have to show up but you need to go in the morning, they stop running boat tours in the afternoon.
Linda says
Where is the best place to find a tour?
Sammi says
You can show up at the national park and hire a boat there, but if you don’t have your own transportation you’ll need to book a shuttle or go with a tour company.
Joan says
Hi There – Last year we drove on our own to Palo Verde and got a boat tour. The cost of the boat tour was $15 us. I would like to do that again but can not find out what time the boats leave the dock. Would you know where I could find a departure time ?
Thanks
Daniel says
Everyone seems to be quoting in USD but I would imagine they take their local currencies too 🙂 Do most places have prices in both as I don’t plan on bringing USD with me, would that be a problem?
Also regarding the Palo Verde NP, how are the tours organized? Can I find a tour in the park upon arrival or do I need to book a guide with someone outside of the park who will take me on the tour of the park. Also is there any decent hiking trails in the park to see the wild life?
Thanks
Sammi says
Hi Daniel! Yep you can pay with colones or USD and you can ask them how much it will be in both currencies. You can book the Palo Verde tour with a tour company beforehand if you like and they will take care of the transportation and be your guide. We went with a tour company since we wanted transportation and a knowledgeable guide but I think you can go there yourself and book a boat. I’d suggest booking a tour since boat tours only run certain time of day and can fill up fast during high season. There are quite a few hiking trails in the park, but I’d check beforehand if you’re going in rainy season since it can get flooded with the river rising. It’s a great place to see tons of birds and wildlife!
Daniel says
Thank you for quick reply. Is there any tour companies that you would recommend?
Rachel M says
Nice article. BTW, do they charge different entrance fee rates between foreigners and locals in Costa Rica?
Sammi says
Yep! It’s $10 for foreigners and I think $1 or $2 for residents/citizens, they do this for all national parks too.