We invite you to join us on one of our more popular tours: the Guacalillo boat excursion, a unique tourist destination in Costa Rica just two hours away from San José or one hour from Jaco.
Located on the Central Pacific Coast of Costa Rica, the Guacalillo Estuary and the Tárcoles River offer the chance to observe one of the largest colonies of crocodiles in the world, the richest Mangrove Forest on the mid Pacific Coast, and the most important conservation area for the Scarlet Macaw in the country.
Their brilliant colors - bright red orange plumage with touches of blue and yellow -, long pointed tail and wings makes the Scarlet Macaw easy to recognize as they fly over the boat from the mangrove canopy along the estuary.
The boat heads along the mangrove, an awesome ecosystem that features four different species of mangrove trees. These represent an important nesting site for birds including the beautiful Scarlet Macaw and a shelter and nutrient spot for many fish and invertebrates, which are extremely important for marine productivity.
As the boat travels along the river banks, you will have a great opportunity at an up close look of wild crocodiles up to fifteen feet in length. The crocodile was very common in mangrove swamps and coastal rivers, but in the past decades its population was severely decimated by skin hunters. Nowadays however, thanks to conservation programs, they have made a tremendous comeback and the last inventory taken along the Tárcoles River within the areas of the Carara Biological Reserve resulted in 80 to 240 individuals per mile of river.
In addition, over two hundred and fifty different kinds of birds can be found in the area, including kingfishers, rosetta spoonbills, great herons, anhingas, and much more. The Tárcoles River is one of the country's most important feeding sites for resident and migratory birds and a very important mating & refuge site for mammals and reptiles.
At the end of this magnificent naturalist journey naturalist, you will be offered a delicious snack at the facility, consisting of fresh tropical fruits, juices, water and beer. Lunch service is available upon request. |
