VIDEO: TRIP’S SNEAK PEEK
Join us for a fully guided, majestic 7-day escape kayaking one of the few tropical fjords in the world. You will circumnavigate the northern region of the Golfo Dulce (meaning Sweet Gulf), located in the Southern Pacific region of Costa Rica.
Discover this off-the-beaten-path eco-destination, full of natural wonders & rich wildlife. Explore the rivers’ estuaries, and its magical labyrinth of mangrove forests. Paddle with Dolphins, and Turtles, and experience a week full of deserted beaches, primary rainforests, national parks, tropical isles, and remote snorkeling spots.
This is the best of super-natural Costa Rica, comfortably staying at 3 unique, family run, waterfront ecolodges, each serving tasteful dishes made with fresh, natural, organic ingredients.
Costa Rica
In the afternoon your guide will meet you at the water for the safety & trip briefing, and kayak fitting where after we’ll launch for our first Golfo Dulce kayaking experience, ending the day with sunset paddling & delicious dinner in the Beach House, overlooking the wonderful Golfo Dulce.
Costa Rica
Join your naturalist guide in the afternoon for a nature & wildlife spotting hike through the dense primary rainforest, or enjoy some swimming & snorkeling the coral heads nearby. Stand up paddle boards are readily available too, as are the fishing rods for you to try and catch some healthy dinner right in front of the lodge.
Costa Rica
Lunch, a jungle hike, a dip in the sweet waters, and dinner are the remaining ingredient for a good night rest. Ready for the next.
Costa Rica
Marking the halfway point of the trip, we'll include mandatory sietsa, with an optional garden walk afterwards during which your naturalist guide will tell you all about whater ever you'll cross your path with.
Costa Rica
After tasteful lunch, a special treat awaits, literally. We will be visiting an organic farm to learn about their sustainable agriculture and conservation initiatives. With the focus on the farm’s organic cocoa crop, you will learn and taste the stages of the traditional production of delicious high percentage chocolate!
Costa Rica
Time to freshen up, and enjoy a siesta before we celebrate the end of a fabulous trip with drinks and your last gorgeous sunset dinner overlooking the Golfo Dulce!
Costa Rica
After a week of Tropical Sea Kayaking in the Golfo Dulce, you’ll have a better understanding of this place, its rainforests, marine & terrestrial wildlife, the healthy ecosystems, and the beautiful people that call it their home.
This trip concludes with a boat ride back to Puerto Jimenez, right where it all began. Instead, your TSK guide that started out as a stranger, has now turned into your lifelong friend.
Trip Map | Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica
Trip Itinerary | At A Glance
B: Breakfast | L: Lunch | D: Dinner
DAY 1 | Trip start in Puerto Jimenez or Golfito (LD)
Boat transfer & Paddling Introduction
Overnight@ Saladero Ecolodge.
DAY 2 | Optional tours at Saladero (BLD)
Snorkeling, Hiking, Swimming, Fishing, Mangrove Paddling, SUPs.
Overnight@ Saladero Ecolodge.
DAY 3 | Crossing the Golfo Dulce (BLD)
Paddling across the Gulf to Playa Blanca.
Swim & Rainforest hike.
Overnight@ Lapamar Lodge.
DAY 4 | Jungle Safari & Coastal Paddling (BLD)
River kayaking & wildlife spotting.
Coastal paddling along the Osa Peninsula to Rincon.
Overnight@ El Chontal Ecolodge.
DAY 5 | Mangrove River Estuary & Chocolate Experience (BLD)
Paddling Mangrove Estuary & Rincon River.
Tour of Organic Farm & Chocolate Plantation.
Overnight@ El Chontal Ecolodge.
DAY 6 | Mogos Islands & Open water paddling (BLD)
Paddling to Mogos Islands for R&R, lunch & swimming.
Open water paddling to Piedras Blancas National Park.
Overnight@ Saladero Ecolodge.
DAY 7 | R&R in the morning (B)
R&R in the morning.
Boat transfer to Puerto Jimenez or Golfito.
Trip concludes.
Trip Itinerary | Full Day-to-Day Description
Click each day to open/close.
Your TSK trip leader will meet you in Puerto Jimenez from where we will head over to the town’s pier to board our boat. A 25-minute ride, crossing the Golfo Dulce with great chances of spotting Dolphins will take us to the wild side of the Gulf: Piedras Blancas National Park. Located at the edge of the jungle, we welcome you to paradise at the first waterfront ecolodge of the trip. A delicious, home-made lunch is served in the so-called Beach House, offering amazing views over the Sweet Gulf.
After settling in, and some hammock time, your guide will meet you at the water for a trip briefing, safety talk, and kayak introduction. You’ll be learning the ropes of paddling in the tropics, and after fitting the kayaks & gear, we will hit the warm waters of the Golfo Dulce for a short introduction paddle along the rainforest.
At 5 o’clock some light appetizers are offered in the Beach House where you can order your drink of choice. Dinner’s served after we’ve witnessed a colorful sunset across the Gulf!
∴ Overnight stay at Saladero Ecolodge in Piedras Blancas National Park
∴ Meals included today: Lunch & Dinner
Wake up to gorgeous sea views, and the sounds of the jungle, in particular tropical bird songs and howling monkeys. Costa Rican coffee, tropical fruit juices, and freshly made breakfast awaits you in the Beach House. After this beautiful start of the 2nd day in the tropics, we’re ready for more nature & adventure. As this is our layover day at Saladero Ecolodge, we can take full advantage of its natural playground, and pick one of the following activities, or try to fit them all into this full day in paradise:
∴ River Kayaking → Explore the Esquinas River, home to the largest red mangroves in the world. Maneuver through a labyrinth of channels leading into the most amazing mangrove formations.
∴ Snorkeling → There is a coral reef only 15 minutes away by kayak with a beautiful shaded beach.
∴ Stand up paddle boarding (SUP) → We are in the most protected area of the Golfo Dulce and the waters are very calm.
∴ Swimming → The Golfo Dulce “Sweet Gulf” is salt water but with a large influence from the fresh water rivers. 83 degrees (28 Celcius), calm and crystal clear in the dry season.
∴ Birdwatching → We are surrounded by Piedras Blancas National Park, the least visited park in Costa Rica, and adjacent to the Rio Esquinas so we have the birds that normally inhabit primary rainforest, secondary rainforest, sea shore and mangrove/rivers.
∴ Jungle hiking → Straight from the ecolodge, well-maintained trails lead into the primary rainforest of the Piedras Blancas National Park. Discover all sorts of flora & wildlife including several species of monkeys, sloths, coaties, and the Mandua anteater.
Somewhere in between these marvelous nature tours we’ll have to squeeze in some time for lunch. Appetizers & tropical drinks are offered at the beach house while the sun sets right across the Gulf. We end the day with yet another amazing, waterfront dinner.
∴ Overnight stay at Saladero Ecolodge in Piedras Blancas National Park
∴ Meals included today: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Right after breakfast we’ll pack up for a 3-day trip, circumnavigating the north side of the Golfo Dulce. Packing light, using small drybags stored in the kayak’s hatches, we start paddling out of Saladero Ecolodge, crossing the Gulf until we reach the coastline of the Osa Peninsula on the other side (13 km/8 miles). During the crossing we’ll experience a total sense of solitude due to the calm, warm waters without any boat traffic or sound pollution! Spotting any type of marine life (turtles, dolphins, rays, etc) will be the icing on the cake! Once on the other side of the Gulf, we land on a beautiful beach of Playa Blanca (White Beach) which is famous for its vast colonies of Scarlet Macaws.
A stone’s throw from the waterline, we will be welcomed by the host of this classic family owned property, offering spacious wooden cabins with a private bathroom, and porch. After settling in, a delicious, home-made lunch is served at the centrally located open air rancho, where after we’ve designated some well-deserved down time for a siesta or a relaxing dip in the water. Later this afternoon, your guide will invite you to an optional nature hike into the rainforest located right behind the lodge, ending at a local pulperia (convenience store) for a typical Costa Rican ice cream. We’ll be back in time for a refreshing shower, and a drink at the bar before dinner’s served right after sunset.
∴ Overnight stay at Lapamar Lodge in Playa Blanca
∴ Meals included today: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
This morning after we’ve witnessed an amazing sunrise from across the Gulf with Scarlet Macaws flying overhead, a wonderful breakfast is served at the open air rancho. To warm up our muscles for today’s 11Km (7 mile stretch) to our next destination, we’ll first enter our secret ‘cute little river’ as we like to call it. Only known to the locals, this hidden treasure boosts an array of wildlife including coatis, white-faced monkeys, squirrel monkeys, sloths, and a variety of tropical birds including Toucans, and the Bare-Throated Tiger Heron. Once we make our way back out and into the open Golfo Dulce, we paddle up north hugging the coast and passing a massive system of Mangrove forest, and the Rincon river estuary. These shallow waters are where Olive Ridley sea turtles, and Green Sea turtles happily hunt on all the fish and shellfish that get pushed out by the river, and hide in the mangroves. While you’re keeping an eye on the water’s surface for a big turtle head to break it, peek out over the open water once in a while so as not to miss out on some schools of Dolphins passing by, or jumping Rays. Today’s final stretch will be crossing the Bay of Rincon, which is only a 25-minute paddle straight into the next ecolodge’s property.
You’ll have time to settle down in your cozy wooden jungle cabin, and a refreshing shower before we’ll invite you to the local family’s residence for a delicious home-made lunch, carefully prepared on location using the freshest ingredients grown from their own gardens. As we’re at halfway point of the trip, we have designated the afternoon for a well deserved rest. The Rancho, centrally located on the lodge’s property is by many the preferred spot to hang out, for some hammock surfing, socializing, or reading. Later this afternoon, your guide will invite you for an educational tour around the property, to show and tell you all about anything you cross your path with (e.g. Leafcutter ants, Toucans, Red Ginger flowers, the Cocaleca bird). Dinner’s served after sunset, yet again at the lodge’s family’s house.
∴ Overnight stay at El Chontal Ecolodge in Rincon de Osa
∴ Meals included today: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Another layover day, no packing, no moving! After a hearty breakfast, we’ll hop into our lightweight kayaks for a fun morning paddling the Rincon Bay, crossing over to the large Mangrove forest system visible right from the lodge’s waterfront deck. First we’ll be entering a number of inlets to learn about the Mangroves, and to spot an array of tropical bird species that call this particular habitat their home.
To add to the excitement, we’ll be entering the Rincon river to paddle up this fun, twisting and turning, narrow waterway through the Mangroves. With birds and other wildlife to spot left and right, we’ll paddle up as far as possible, and with some luck we can actually reach the larger section of the Rincon allowing us to make a loop and reach the open Gulf without having to backtrack.
After a few hours of Mangrove paddling, and bird spotting we’ll make our way back to the lodge for a shower, and tasteful lunch.
Then, sometime in the afternoon we have a special treat, literally. We will be visiting a local working organic farm where we will learn about their sustainable agriculture and conservation initiatives. The visit however will focus on the farm’s organic cocoa crop, where we will learn and taste the stages of the traditional production of delicious high percentage chocolate!
We’ll be back at the lodge for some down time & cold drinks before dinner’s served.
∴ Overnight stay at El Chontal Ecolodge in Rincon de Osa
∴ Meals included today: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
After our lovely stay with our friends on the Osa Peninsula, it’s time to pack up our vessels to start the last stretch of our circumnavigation of the Golfo Dulce’s north side. After about an hour of paddling, and crossing the Rincon Bay, we’ll be hugging the lush coastline until we reach the Mogos Islands. This stretch of calm waters is the clearest, and most turquoise of the entire trip with lots of colorful fish, turtles, and rays to be spotted. Once at the Mogos Islands, we’ll take a break for a swim, and a surprise lunch!
Early afternoon we’ll be crossing over to the Piedras Blancas National Park, heading straight for the familiar ecolodge where we started our paddling trip. Once we’ve set foot on Saladero’s property, we’ve completed the loop around the Gulf. Time to freshen up, and enjoy a siesta before we celebrate the end of a fabulous trip with drinks and your last gorgeous sunset over the Golfo Dulce!
Dinner’s served right after, and a well deserved night’s rest on the edge of the jungle awaits.
∴ Overnight stay at Saladero Ecolodge in Piedras Blancas National Park
∴ Meals included today: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Let the Toucans, and Howler monkeys wake you up to yet another gorgeous morning in paradise. Come by the Beach House for a cup of freshly made coffee, and soak up all the good memories of this trip while overlooking the calm, glass-like waters of the Sweet Gulf.
After a week of Tropical Sea Kayaking in the Golfo Dulce, you’ll have a better understanding of this place, its flowers, plants, and trees, its marine, and terrestrial wildlife, and the beautiful people that call it their home. For you, the 7-day natural adventure paddling this off-the-beaten path destination will be coming to an end.
This morning we will hop back on our motorized boat for a 30-minute ride across the waters to the town of Puerto Jimenez, right where it all began. Instead, your TSK guide that started out as a stranger, has now turned into your lifelong friend. Pura Vida!
∴ Meals included today: Breakfast
Trip’s Photo Gallery
