This tour is NOT done inside Manuel Antonio National Park.
TOUR TIME DEPENDS ON TIDE
Person $65
5+ years
Deposit $25
Plus 13% Tax
Damas Island Kayak Tours – In the mangrove, everything flows harmoniously. The most extraordinary biodiversity of plants & wildlife lives here in the Damas Island Mangroves, located just south of Manuel Antonio and Quepos. This excursion will take you through the Damas canals, where there is no shortage of wildlife and amazing plant life with its unique ability to survive in salt water. This tour can be done either by boat or kayak and is fun & educational. Includes typical homemade meal. For boat tours visit Damas Mangrove Boat Tours.
Come and see the extraordinary variety of wildlife in this natural habitat.
What we may spot, with a bit of luck:
Below you will be able to find the tides for the rest of this month:
04 April: 07:45 am
05 April: 09:00 am
06 April: 09:45 am
07 April: 10:30 am
08 April: 11:30 am
09 April: 12:15 pm
10 April: 01:00 pm
11 April: 01:15 pm
12 April: 01:30 pm
13 April: 06:00 am
14 April: 06:30 am
15 April: 07:00 am
16 April: 07:00 am
17 April: 07:15 am
18 April: 08:15 am
19 April: 09:15 am
20 April: 10:00 am
21 April: 10:30 am
22 April: 11:15 am
23 April: 11:45 am
24 April: 12:15 pm
25 April: 12:45 pm
26 April: 01:30 pm
27 April: 01:45 pm
28 April: 06:00 am
29 April: 06:30 am
30 April: 06:30 am
01 May – 06:30am
02 May – 07:30am
03 May – 08:00am
04 May – 08:30am
05 May – 09:00am
06 May – 09:45am
07 May – 10:45am
08 May – 11:15am
09 May – 12:00pm
10 May – 01:15pm
11 May – 01:30pm
12 May – 01:45pm
13 May – 06:00am
14 May – 06:30am
15 May – 07:00am
16 May – 07:30am
17 May – 08:00am
18 May – 08:30am
19 May – 09:00am
20 May – 09:45am
21 May – 10:30am
22 May – 11:00am
23 May – 11:45am
24 May – 12:30pm
25 May – 01:00pm
26 May – 01:30pm
27 May – 01:45pm
28 May – 06:00am
29 May – 06:15am
30 May – 06:30am
31 May – 06:45am
Price for a private tour of $110 per person (12 people minimum)
This is an amazing tour that you will never forget. Gustavo was our guide and he was extremely knowledgeable and personable. The tour felt like a friend showing us the mangrove forest. We learned about plants and animals special to the area, and we were greeted by a troop of monkeys at the start of the tour! We also saw iguanas and many different birds. After the kayaking, Gustavo’s mother cooked a delicious meal for us – 10/10.
After the businesses of Manuel Antonio National Park it was wonderful to escape into the quiet beauty of the Mangrove swamp in the company of William and his family.
This boat tour was great! I learned so much about mangroves and our guide was amazing! We even saw a silky anteater and many white face capuchin monkeys!
We learned many cool facts about the mangroves. The water guide was very peaceful, and the scenery was beautiful. The tour guides were great!
We learned so much about mangroves! The tour was great and we loved our guide
We had an amazing tour and even saw a silky anteater! Our guide was amazing and we learned lots!
I absolutely loved our mangrove tour! We saw a plethora of species – specifically birds and mangrove species. The highlight might have been the silky anteater that slept in a tree right near the water. It was gorgeous! Our guide was incredibly biologically literate and I was very impressed by her knowledge of ecology. She was a true naturalist!
This experience offers a journey through winding channels that unveil the very essence of the mangrove ecosystem, allowing you to witness its vibrant life firsthand.
One of the most captivating aspects of this tour is the opportunity to encounter the charismatic inhabitants of the mangrove, including titi monkeys, white-faced capuchins, a plethora of bird species, and if luck is on your side, perhaps even the elusive mangrove seraphim. The diversity of wildlife here is truly astounding, offering a glimpse into the rich biodiversity of this unique habitat.
What truly sets this tour apart is the expertise and passion of the guide. It’s evident that they are deeply dedicated to their craft and hold a genuine love for the mangrove and its conservation.
What a wonderful tour! It was a great to see such a nice family business. It was a beautiful spot and we got to see really cool flora and fauna. Our guide was knowledgeable, friendly, and helpful. His father provided transportation that was clear and on-time, and his mother made us all delicious meal. Great experience.
William and his family were great hosts. He was really passionate and knowledgeable and our tour round the mangroves was beautiful.
This was our favorite tour in Costa Rica. The owner and guide is marine geologist with a great understanding of the mangrove tidal channel. Be ready with questions. You will learn while you paddle past monkeys and mangrove trees.
This was one of my favorite activities. Our guide William taught us a lot about the flora and fauna of the mangroves. Kayaking through this magical world was relaxing and allowed us to recharge our batteries in the heart of nature. We were able to see a family of white-faced monkeys up close, which made the experience even more memorable. After the activity, William’s family treated us to a delicious meal. This tour is definitely a must! I highly recommend it.
We went on a kayak tour today with Gustavo and it was awesome. He is a really cool guy, very knowledgeable guide and a fun friendly person. We started the tour by seeing a troop of capuchin monkeys very close, feet away from us. Then iguanas, birds, and learned about the mangrove trees. The journey was easy and fun. Afterwards, lunch was provided and we are both vegan so requested vegetarian and no cheese. The meal was delicious and came with a really good ginger lemonade. I would recommend this tour to everyone if you get the chance!
Excellent tour of Damas and mangroves. Gustavo was an excellent guide – knowledgeable, great wildlife spotter and fun. A delicious lunch was an added bonus. Highly recommended
My family and I, 5 of us, did this kayaking tour with William and his sons leading the way! The tour was awesome! I felt serene yet also alert as we paddled and learned important information about the ecology of the mangroves, and the animals, birds, insects and reptiles that live within. William is very smart, a great educator, very caring and funny, and very at home in his mangrove forests. We are better off as humans now that we have gone on this adventure with William!
You should go!!
We thoroughly enjoyed this relaxing and educational tour. It felt intimate as the tour is a family run business that feels like it has an authentic commitment to respecting the environment and creating a sustainable future.
Take this tour, you’ll learn a lot, spend time with caring and kind Ticos and leave your tourist colones with locals rather than some distant corporation. You’ll be served a home cooked casado, the best Costa Rica lunch ever!
William was very passionate and knowledgeable about the mangrove ecosystem and its history. Having grown up on the property and now sharing his business with his sons, William made sure the kayaking tour was informative and fun — rain or shine. The delicious home cooked meal at the end was an added bonus! One of the best meals I’ve had here in MA.
Great tour and well organized. William is very knowledgeable, informative, and engaging. Unfortunately, we only saw iguanas and crabs – but the knowledge shared by William and the home cooked meal after the tour made it well worth it!
This tour was lovely! It felt truly relaxing. We kayaked through the mangroves and got to see capuchin monkeys very up close. One put their paw on my kayak. We saw many birds. And our tour guide was knowledgeable and kind. They also provided a home-cooked dinner after the tour. It was a delicious casado.
We very much enjoyed the tranquil paddle around the mangroves looking at wildlife. The whole team were friendly and helpful, from pickup to breakfast after the tour. However what really stood out was Gustavo’s can do attitude when my partner lost his mobile phone when he foolishly capsized his kayak. He assured us he would find the phone later in the day when the tide was out and return it to us. We got a call in the afternoon to say that he had found the phone and he very kindly brought it to our hotel. I highly recommend the tour with this company.
This is a very special tour of a unique and fascinating ecosystem, with guides who really care for and love the mangroves, and offer an unforgettable experience. The paddle is relaxing and fun, with a delicious meal at the end. On this trip, we were lucky to see many monkeys, a mangrove hawk, a sleeping boa constrictor, a baby caiman, iguanas and more. You will love this tour!
Awesome activity for anyone staying in the Manuel Antonio/Quepos area. Our guide William was great and very passionate about the mangroves and rivers. The kayaking portion is easy and relaxing. We saw monkeys, raccoons, and hawks in the mangroves. The breakfast at his place after was great too! Definitely would recommend and do again.
We had a great time with William (tour guide and owner). He did a wonderful job explaining all about the ecosystems and how they are connected, enthusiastic about all nature, great food, and most importantly got to see a family of monkeys among other wildlife. Would highly recommend.
I really loved the kayak tour with William. His love for nature really showed, which made it a wonderful experience. The Kayaking itself was not hard, kind of relaxing. The lunch we had was delicious. An experience you need to make!
Our family had a great experience. Don’t miss this tour.
The customer service of this organization is incredible and the tour itself was wonderful! William was very informative and took us on a beautiful tour!
This was one of the most memorable tours we have been on. It’s a family run experience that cannot be beat. They take you out on the river that runs from their home through the mangrove forests for a beautiful trip with lots of fun stories along the way and then finish with a delicious homecooked meal. They are all so very friendly.
We loved this tour! This was the first tour of our trip here in Costa Rica and we learned so much from our guide, William. He is very kind and has a great sense of humor too. We felt very welcomed. After the tour his family had prepared a home cooked meal, which was very sweet and also delicious. I think this tour will be a permanent memory for me that I will cherish forever! Thank you!!
We did many guided tours while visiting Costa Rica, and while they were all good, this tour stood out from the rest in the best of ways.
1) It is a family-owned and operated business. William and his son are kayak tour guides, his niece guides the boat tour, and his wife cooks you a meal to follow after the kayaking. These characteristics give a much more personal feel to the tour overall. Everyone there was friendly and hospitable… and the food was delicious!
2) William is very knowledgeable (he has a degree in biology!) and it is easy to see this is a passion for him. By giving the tour, he spreads awareness of the importance of the mangrove to wildlife, and the environment as a whole. It was the most informative tour we took! And William was very inspirational.
3) You will see wildlife if you listen to your guide. Even if you’re an experienced kayaker, you need to stay close enough to your guide/group in order to hear instructions and spot the wildlife. We were able to see birds, iguanas, crabs, monkeys, and bats!
4) You do not need to be an experienced kayaker for the tour. It is slow-paced and relaxing. Our group even had first-time children paddling their own kayaks without issue.
I would recommend this tour to anyone who is visiting the MA/Quepos area.
William and his family do a wonderful job hosting this relaxed but very informative tour that begins and ends from their home on the mangrove, just north of Quepos. After 90+ minutes of kayaking the mangrove with William, we had a delicious breakfast of gallo pinto prepared by his wife Mary. All in all, this is an outstanding, unique tour!
This tour was incredible. It’s a family owned business. The whole family are kind, funny and incredibly knowledgeable of nature and Costa Rica’s history and politics. We had a great day and saw so many animals and birds from tiger and blue herons, to monkeys, hawks, and Iguanas. The food was delicious too.
We had an unexpected and amazing experience with the kayak tour. William and his wife were wonderful hosts. We were treated as guests to their home and served a delicious home made Tico lunch after the mangrove tour. Followed by coffee and home baked cookies. William made the tour an educational activity with all his knowledge about Costa Rica mangroves and more. He answered all our question about Costa Rica culture and environment. I highly recommend this activity with William’s Mangrove Tours.
Gustavo was an excellent guide during our tour in the mangrove. He knows a lot about the place and the ecosystem there. It was a great adventure and we learn a lot with him. It was a very peacefull and enjoyable afternoon.
His father William was also very friendly and his mom made us a very delicious home made meal.
We really recommend this tour while in Manuel Antonio or around.
William was an excellent guide and provided a wealth of knowledge about the mangrove forests and Costa Rica in general. His wife was very sweet and we enjoyed her wonderful meal. We would highly recommend this tour as it was both fun and informational!
Just look at the other reviews and you can get the general idea; this is a unique tour that you don’t want to miss. It’s a peaceful tour, where you can take your time kayaking down through the mangrove. William is a knowledgeable guide, friendly, and all around great guy. On our trip we saw monkeys up close, closer than previous tours we had taken through the national park. The Damas Island Kayak tour starts and ends at William’s house; it’s a beautifully personal experience that William is sharing, and I’d reccomend anyone to take this tour.
In a one or two seat kayak we started the tour with William in the mangroves of Islas Damas.
It was our last tour in Costa Rica and we really enjoyed it. It was a relaxing, calm, peaceful and very informative tour.
William is a biologist but also a history expert, so we learned a lot about the mangroves and about Costa Rica.
The tour ended with a meal for everybody cooked by Mary, William’s wife. The “casado” which is a typical Costa Rican meal was delicious.
William was a fantastic guide. Maria, his wife made a delicious gallo pinto for us to enjoy after exploring the mangrove. We saw a green parrot snake fall from a tree and swim from the water to the land and a huge family of capuchin monkeys swinging through the trees. This was one of the coolest experiences ever, don’t miss out!
We enjoyed our kayak tour of the mangrove forest. Our guide was knowledgeable and a good conversationalist. The meal we were served as part of the trip was one of the best we had on our entire trip. Highly recommend this experience.
We are so glad we did this tour! It was a great experience to learn from a local person about mangrove ecology and the history of conservation in Costa Rica. William was very interesting to talk to and his wife cooked us an absolutely incredible meal after the tour. The only thing we would change is we would have gone out for twice as long. The kayaking was very mellow and relaxed, do not think that you have to be athletic or an experienced kayaker, it was very chill and a great way to slowly look at the mangroves and wildlife. We saw a couple monkeys, birds, and bats, but we learned so much about mangrove ecology from William as well. Highly recommend.
5 stars to William and his family for a wonderful 3+ hours in the mangroves whether you kayak (highly recommend) or boat! William is a born tour guide and so knowledgeable about the biodiversity of the mangroves and surrounding land which his family has lived on for generations. He has such passion to share this experience with you and show you all the wildlife and nature as you glide along the water, so peaceful and calm. I learned so much! A huge bonus is finishing the tour back at his house where his wife had prepared an authentic Costa Rican lunch for us! The entire experience was amazing, I may do it again!
I would highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Manuel Antonio. Will was a great guide who had interesting first hand experience to share about the unique mangroves environment. Wills family also provided a delicious authentic Costa Rican breakfast including organic rice grown by his neighbor. The water was very calm and the kayaking is suitable for beginners. We saw a lot of monkeys, birds, and crabs along the way.
The tour was great! We had a wonderful time seeing the wildlife and kayaking through the peaceful Mangrove ecosystem.
Such a fun experience! Costa Rica has such a diverse landscape and these mangroves did not disappoint! William was very knowledgeable not only about the wildlife and environmental science, but also taught us a lot of the history around the country’s move to a more environmentally friendly economy. The kayaking is not challenging and is accessible for people of all skill levels.
William shares a lot of very important and interesting informations about the ecosystems and the urge to protect it, him and his son are very patient when it comes to teach how to kayak for beginners and William’s wife prepared us a delicious Casado ! The tour was sublime !
The Tour was awesome. The Guide was very freindly and had a lot of knowlege. We did see apes, lizards and a lot of diferent mangroves.
At the end of the Tour we had an delicius hommade brakfast.
I can just recomend the Tour!
The tour with William was excellent. Pick-up was convenient, Covid-safety procedere was good. William told a lot Informations about the animals, the Nature and history of Costa Rica. Kayaking was really fun and we saw a lot of animals. The lunch at his house was delicious! Thanks a lot
William and his family were a delight to spend the morning with – the tour was beautiful and informative and William was genuinely kind; he could not have been a better guide.
It was an awesome tour. It is an icrdibe tour to take, it will show the other side of Manuel Antonio.
This is not your everyday tour, the wildlife and vegetation is something different, and you will not regret taking part of this tour.
William is by far one of the greatest guides I’ve ever had, he will give you the greatest explanation and you can recognize his love for his job.
I recommend this tour to anyone who wants to have a great time.
Looking forward to do this again.
An incredible experience. William and his wife are amazing people. Very knowledgeable in mangrove wildlife. This is not a zoo though, so seeing wildlife will be difficult, as in their natural state animals will always avoid humans. But no the less this is definitively a wonderful experience for this who wants to sail the mangroves canals in peace and commune with nature. In the end, all the chatter and discussions with them are what make the experience wonderful. Also, William’s wife makes an amazing Costa Rican breakfast! 5 stars service!
Feel free to reach out and we’re happy to answer any questions you may have.