
Palo Verde Boat Expedition
On this 1.5-hour tour you’ll explore the wetlands of Palo Verde in a covered boat. Your guides can tell you more about this complex habitat and point out the many species of rare birds that call this reserve home.












- Duration:
- 5 hrs
- Available Days:
- Every day
- Schedule:
- 9:00 AM, 11:00 AM, 1:00 PM, 3:00 PM
- Inquire for Transportation
- Mobile Ticket Included
- Offered in English, Spanish
This tour begins with a fresh fruit snack (accompanied by coffee or tea) before you hit the trails. You’ll reach your boat and set off on your bird watching adventure. After you explore the marshes you’ll head back to enjoy a sumptuous banquet before you leave.
Palo Verde has some of the largest populations of birds in all of Central America. The El Viejo wetlands have salty and freshwater marshes. These marshes are full of fish, which attract a large number of birds. On your tour you can keep an eye out for beautiful birds like roseate spoonbills and jabirú storks. You can also expect to see a variety of reptiles, crocodiles, and white-faced capuchins.
Attraction Visited

This remote sanctuary for neotropical birds is located at the mouth of the murky Tempisque River where the sluggish waterway pushes sediment into the Gulf of Nicoya (Gulfo de Nicoya). A vast network of mangrove-rich swamp, lagoons, marshes, grassland, limestone outcrops, and forests comprise the 32,266 acre (13,058 ha) Palo Verde National Park. Flanking the Dr Rafael Lucas Rodriguez Caballero Wildlife Refuge and the Lomas Barbudal Biological Refuge to the south, the three parks encompass similar habitats that form the Tempisque Conservation Area (Area Conservacion Tempisque), along with Barra Honda National Park.
Read more:Palo Verde National Park
What to Bring
Comfortable walking shoes, a camera, bug spray, and sunscreen.
What's included
Fruit snack, refreshments, buffet lunch, and a guided tour of the wetlands.
Transportation
Many of our tours and activities offer transportation pick up & drop off options from several locations and destinations. Options vary by tour, see “BOOKING REQUEST” for full details.
Similar things to do
To learn about how far Costa Rica has come, you need to understand the nation's history. The Palo Verde Boat Expedition and Cultural Tour will teach you about the country's cowboy and agrarian history, as well as how this tradition influenced the emphasis Costa Rica now places on sustainability.
Enjoy the fruits of the sustainability movement when you explore protected wetlands. See a variety of animals in their native habitat. Don't worry, you'll have the opportunity to enjoy refreshments before your tour and after.
This tour will introduce you to Palo Verde's wildlife as well as its indigenous culture. Have your camera handy as you search the riverbanks for monkeys, crocodiles, and a myriad of birds on this nature cruise through the Palo Verde National Park.