Bioluminescence Tour by Boat

Amazing!!!

I’ve been wanting to see bioluminescence for years. It’s part of the reason I wanted to come to Costa Rica. The tour was great and we were able to see it with no problem. I do recommend that you come when the moon has waned or during a new moon. Elvis, our guide, brought us to the perfect spots to see the algae.

BLATANT DISREGARD FOR SAFETY

I was filled with anticipation when we confirmed our reservation for a boat tour to witness and swim among the bioluminescent plankton, a truly unique experience. However, on the morning of the excursion, we were informed via email that the boat had malfunctioned and we would be kayaking instead. While we were both competent swimmers, we lacked experience in kayaking. Nonetheless, we assumed that as it was a guided tour near the shore, we would be in safe hands. Upon disembarking from the ferry, we encountered a lack of signage or guidance on where to proceed. After waiting for 30 minutes past the scheduled start time, we realized that the guide did not speak English, and there was no translator available. Although this should have raised concerns, fellow kayakers kindly offered to assist with translation. Despite our misgivings about the situation, we proceeded with the excursion. With only three kayaks in the group, we embarked in the fading light of evening. However, our initial excitement quickly turned to fear. On the return journey in the darkness of night, we found ourselves stranded with no guide in sight, unsure of our location. Eventually, we managed to navigate our way back to shore, where the guide greeted us with laughter. To our dismay, the guide proceeded to record my distress at being left to navigate the situation independently. The blatant disregard for safety and the well-being of customers exhibited by this company is unacceptable. Such negligence raises serious concerns about their suitability to offer tours of this nature.

So cool!! A unique experience!!

This was a truly magical experience. We happened to have a nice and new moon so it was extra dark to swim and see the bioluminescence. They say it’s year around but I may suggest asking the tour group. It’s supposed to be year around. We drove from near Tamarindo at the JW Marriott, and it was about 2 1/2 hours, but the roads were a lot nicer than going north of tamarind. Paquera is a small town, but we found a place to eat, but there were a couple restaurants closer to the ferry where the meet point is. The guide only spoke Spanish, but it wasn’t super necessary to participate other than just missing out on some of the background about the area. The meeting area does have litter unfortunately, but it was absolutely gorgeous once you were out on the water. I thought it was worth the drive to have a unique experience. We were offered water and fresh pineapple.

Dont waste your time booking. No gurantee the tour will opetate

Absolute waste of time. Tour operator cancelled at noon of the organized day. We had no open options and spent the evening in the bar!

Not as per label but still lovely

The bioluminescence was wonderful despite some strange hiccups - we were meant to have an English guide but our guide didn’t speak a word of English, and didn’t even introduce himself! Still we had a beautiful night.

This tour was good but not great

We waited next to the ferry station at a small rocky beach full of litter for at least 20 minutes for our boat to arrive. We were told the bigger boat just broke down. 12 of us sat in a small boat, but it was just a short ride. The guide understood English, but spoke Spanish. There was no moon when we were out and we rode to the dark side of a small island and started to see more and more sparkles in the water. The highlight was jumping in and swimming when the bioluminescence got a bit stronger. Unfortunately we were not able to capture it on camera. Overall it was a good experience.

Highly recommend

Absolutely brilliant experience to remember forever. We went as a family with children 8 and 9 years old. We all enjoyed swimming in the bioluminescence and spotting constellations in the sky, we even saw a shooting star.

The very best part of my trip to Costa Rica!

It was the most amazing experience! The guides were so helpful and friendly, even though they couldn't speak English. The sunset was the prettiest one I've seen! I was wearing a cotton dress but swam among the illuminated plankton and took the ferry dripping wet afterwards... Pura Vida! And although we'd never previously met, everybody on our tour just had so much fun together! I would do this again in a heartbeat!

SMH

The site is under construction wasn’t able to locate the tour Don’t get to go Tried to call to cancel but no answer

Really cool to see

It was really cool to see the bioluminescence The guide only speaks Spanish though He gave us juice and pineapple during the ride

Cool experience, just as expected, would recommend!

We had a great time swimming and boating around. Our driver even found a stingray to show us once we were safely back in the boat on the way home. It was a good experience overall.

Go see a miracle of nature!

The guide seemed as excited as we were. He was very tuned into our experience & tried to make it as perfect as possible. It was a truly memorable experience I have wanted to see for years.

The Wonders of Mother Nature

Amazing natural phenomenon. Be sure to wear your swimming suit. Great tour of surrounding area prior to the tour.

Meh.... Experience

Ok I'll be really honest I gave it 4 stars because I really love nature and for the effort of the company overall it's an overpriced nature activity which you can just actually do for free if you just know where to look for it. There was no proper information where to park and since probably I'm the only one who speaks English the entire time the guide speaks Spanish and of course I have to ask another to interpret it for me. Over it's something to do if you're in the area but not really something you go crazy for.

One of the most incredible experiences I've ever had in my life

One of the most incredible experiences I've ever had in my life. We wound up doing the kayaking tour because it rained the night of the boat tour, but it was still phenomenal. Watching the water light up as we glided through the mangroves was incredible. I highly recommend it!

Magical

It was incredible. Juan, the guide, was awesome. The other guide was friendly too, but only spoke spanish, so I couldn't really talk to him unfortunately. They told us lots of facts first and showed us the area on the boat while we were waiting for it to get dark enough. Unfortunately, as I traveled alone, the rest of the group was a rather difficult family who already complained why we didn't see anything on open water (although it wasn't even dark yet and the guide explained that we needed to go to a special dark place with a high concentration of the microorganisms). When we arrived, it got more and more magical. I took a swim and it was just amazing. Could have stayed there forever but sadly the mother started to freak out after just 5 minutes because of some lightnings far away. Even though the local guide told us not to worry, she demanded that we would go back. Juan said I would have to agree because I payed for it too and there was no danger, so I said it was fine, to deescalate the situation. We went back almost an hour early. As I had to wait for my taxi, we had a nice conversation and suddenly Juan decided I should just get back on the boat and the two guides went back to the bioluminescence with me alone to enjoy the rest of the time. I won't dare to try to describe this experience. You must have seen it yourself I guess. It's nothing like the photos (maybe only the waves turing bright blue when the boat speeds up). But most magical thing happens when you put your hand into the water or just swim/dive. Really an incredible experience. Thanks again to Juan, Juan (the owner) and the third guy whose name I sadly forgot. PS.: Juan told me they do the Isla Tortuga tours too, but go to a more calm beach with less tourists. So if you looking to do that, El gecko might be a great tip too. I can definitely recommend him as a guide!

Mixed feelings about this.

There were four of us and we partnered up with another couple for a total of six people. The launch location is just beside the ferry terminal, but is unmarked and is behind construction barriers. The directions we were given didn't indicate this, so not knowing the tour would begin from behind the construction barriers, we got a little lost. Another tour company gave us directions and we backtracked to the location. There is secured parking for your vehicle in a private property, for a small fee. We were given a short intro about the bioluminescence by the guide and then we were paired off and each pair was assigned a kayak. The guide indicated that he might not have life vests for everyone (WTF! ), but in the end everyone had a life vest. Another short intro about how to paddle and how to steer. The guide helped everyone into their kayaks and we just paddled around getting the feel for the kayaks and we were off just as it turned pitch dark. The guide has a red light attached to his head and turns it on when (and if) the group gets separated and if he needs to get your attention. We went in July of 2022, so it was rainy season, and yes, just as we were getting our briefing it started to come down. It didn't let up the entire time we were on the water. Lots of thunder and lightning, but the guide said the best place to be for lightning is on the water. I didn't believe him then, and I still don't believe him now. So our group of four kayaks started out in the pitch dark. Can't see where you are going and once a fellow kayaker gets about 10 metres away from you, you can't see them either. It was raining so hard it was difficult to see and even harder to hear anything. Once we got to the bioluminescence area I have to say I was very disappointed. Probably because of the rain, but it was nothing like any of the spectacular pictures that I've seen. Yes we saw some bioluminescence, but just barely. Mixed feelings; Good: - knowledgeable guide - equipment / kayaks were in good condition Not so Good: - better directions to meet up point - not keen on going in rainy season. maybe it will be different in dry season, but I will NEVER do this again in rainy season. You can't control the weather, and for us it really was a waste of 98,000 colones for not much. - safety - the best place in a lightning storm is NOT on the water - the guide should keep his headlight on. Very difficult to see where you are going or where you should be.

Amazing experience with kids!

I did the kayak bioluminescence tour with my two kids 7-8. The guide were amazing and very attentive to my kids pace and needs. He took the time to explain the effect but also let us enjoy the magic of it. We went out on a beach so we could swim in the bioluminescence, it was crazy. This was a bucket list experience for me and they are a very safe and reliable company.

Not to miss

an extraordinary experience with Juan our guide. Departure at 5:30 p.m. from the pier, swimming on a small beach with tasting of fruits and drinks. when night falls, the magic happens! you have to live it to believe it.

Beautiful bioluminescence

This trip was absolutely incredible. Talk about nature at its best, wow! If you have not seen bioluminescence you must do this trip. I have seen bioluminescence in Puerto Rico, Mexico and California and none of them compared to this place. It goes like this. Kayak the ocean, watch the sunset and then the magic show starts! Juanito and Juan are good guys and work hard for you. I highly recommend this trip, you will love it.

Swimming in the the sky full of stars

This was the most magical experience ever! We went out with the boat short before sunset und while we waited on the water for the dark our guide explained the area on Nicoya Peninsula and the phenomenon of the Bioluminsecence and has some fresh fruit. The guide was a real Tico with his heart deeply connected to the land and the ocean. And the when it was dark enogh we could see it!!!! We went into the water and it felt like swimming in an interactive sky full of glitzering neonblue stars. So magical!

Fantastic local Tour

We chose the Biolumineszenz-Tour by El Gecko Tours because of the option to take a swim in the water at night and to explore the magic on our own. This is the only tour that we found with this option. It was the highlight of the tour and we would definitely recommend this to everyone. Juan and Juan are very sympathic and friendly guides and they give a 100% to create a wonderful and unforgettable experience. It was great to support the local and not the commercial Tours.

Best tour to do in Paquera!

It was one of the best tours I have ever been too! It was so amazing to swim in the sparkling water under all the stars. The tour guides was so friendly and nice. I give this activity 10 of 10!!

Great tour

It was a great experience. Inge and Juan are really nice and the boat tour was great because you did not only have the bioluminescence ocean but also a boat tour during the sunset. The light of the bioluminescence is actually white and not as blue as on the pictures.

Awesome!

Absolutely amazing!! El Gecko had to cancel our tour that afternoon, but arranged for us to do the same tour with Eddy's the same night. Gave us excellent directions to get to Eddy's, and Eddy was delightful! It was a wonderful experience!

Unique experience that made our trip special

This tour with Juan was awesome. Truly an authentic experience with a knowledgeable local. We drove on Juan’s boat to see the sunset and many small islands. It was beautiful. Then we ate delicious fruit at a small island reserve and snorkeled in the dark to see bioluminescence in the bay. The water was warm and it was so cool. Like lights sparking underwater while you moved. Definitely recommend getting in the water while on the tour, and recommend this tour with El Gecko!

Quite ok

Very nice, but you can only see something if you move the water yourself, for example when you swim. Nothing lights up on its own.

Stars in the sea and in the eyes

We left with Eddy, a great specialist in local bioluminescence, the conditions were ideal with a moonless night and... it was fantastic, worthy of a James Cameron film. We covered the best locations for 2 hours in contact with the water with maximum comfort thanks to its special boat.

Tolles Erlebniss

Super einmaliges Erlebniss. Guide hat erst auf Nachfrage Ablauf und Erlebniss erklärt. Vermutlich aufgrund der fehlenden englisch Kenntniss. Der Ausflug hat sich gelohnt.

Wundervolles Erlebnis 💙

Es war ein super schönes Erlebnis, alles hat perfekt gepasst. Sehr gute Organisation und netter Kontakt vor Ort. Kann ich zu 100% empfehlen.

Tolle Erfahrung!!

Wir haben die Tour nur zu zweit mit einem Guide gemacht. Trotz des Regens war es eine tolle Erfahrung und dank des Guides haben wir viel Neues dazu gelernt. Alles war super zuverlässig organisiert und wir haben uns sehr gut aufgehoben gefühlt! Danke :)

Supergaaf!

Deze tour was echt heel gaaf. We zijn met een boot rond 17.15u het water opgegaan en zo kan je nog genieten van de ondergaande zon. Daarna is het even wachten tot het donker is, en dan kan je genieten van de prachtige blauwe bioluminesence. Omdat wij rond nieuwe maan gingen, was het extra donker en kan je het nog beter zien. De tour duurt ongeveer 2 uurtjes en je kan ook zwemmen in een ondiepe baai. Tijdens de tour krijg je fruit en drinken aangeboden. Wij verbleven ook in El Gecko hotel, waar je kamers voor niet al te duur kan huren. Een aanrader!