Sunset Bioluminescence Tour by Boat

Overview

Available languages

English

Spanish

2 hours

Mobile ticket

At sunset, this tour leaves from the little beach next to the ferry dock in Paquera. When the nights falls you will be able to see the plankton glow in the dark. For more then a full hour you will be able to see this natural phenomenon and be enchanted how fish light up their path in the water or when you take a swim or move your hands through it.

Bioluminescence is found in many parts of the world, however in most locations it is either seasonal or requires perfect conditions in order to occur. Contrastingly, the Paquera Bay is home to bioluminescence year-round but we would like to inform that the moonlight effects the visibility of the bioluminescence and also tides and streamings. therefore, we are not able to guarentee a good visibility of the bioluminescence in the last week before full moon and the evening of full moon.

Additional Info

Service animals allowed

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

What‘s Included

Soda/Pop

Bottled water

Life Jackets

Use of Snorkelling equipment

Insurance

Seasonal Fresh Fruits

What To Expect

Isla Cedros

In front of this Island we will anchor the boat to watch the magic of bioluminicence and you're be able to swim.

1 hour • Admission Not Applicable

Options

Sunset Bioluminescence Tour by Boat

Reviews

4.26

42 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

Bioluminescence experience
350jial,
Sep 19, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Very good tour! Excellent team Yilder and Alex! Too beautiful the experience of seeing the sea with bioluminescence, very concerned for the safety and well-being of us, we recommend it 100%
Seems a bit shady at...
Sanghee K,
Jun 16, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
Seems a bit shady at first glance but once the sun sets and the waters turn beautiful and sparkling, it became an unforgettable experience
Not worth your time or money
Daniel B,
Apr 29, 2025
- Review from Viator
1.00
Please don't waste your money, the bioluminescent is nothing like it appears in the pictures. You basically pay for a 2hour boat ride around the bay, which is fine but don't expect to be dazzled by the algae, they are practically not visible. I would not recommend this to anyone.
Felt violated after this tour
jenniferhB322ZU,
Mar 30, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
1.00
This was not a tour it was an ordeal that will take me a few days to recover from. One of the large male tour guides was TOUCHING HIS PENIS for a full 5 minutes over his swim shorts no more than 2 feet away from myself and my 5-year old and 10-year old boys. He would stroke his penis with one hand, then start stroking his penis with the other over his swim shorts. He was standing and we were sitting just 2 feet away, so it was right at our eye level. It was so disgusting and I felt unsafe for myself and my children. I don't know the tour guide who did this by name because neither of the two tour guides introduced themselves because they didn't speak a word of English (even though the tour was advertised as being in English). My husband, who speaks decent Spanish (luckly), thought this guy was drunk. As if this could get any worse, there were also so many biting sea lice in the water (the tour guides called them Pulgas del mar) that you could not swim in the bioluminescence waters (which were beautiful). You could not pay me to take a tour with this company again and the guy who was touching his penis in front of me and my children needs to be fired. I'm also going to be sending a description of the man who did this to the tour company directly, so hopefully, they can fire him.
Amazing...
Jason Z,
Feb 1, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
Amazing experience.....Loved it!!! So much better than expected..a lovely cruise under the stars culminating in a once in a lifetime luminescent ocean experience we were able to play in
Very nice bioluminescence, tour better organized
DoLaCiLa,
Jan 5, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00
Interesting and in my opinion unique activity: they also give the opportunity to swim in the water... It feels like swimming creating stars. Too bad: the tour was supposed to be in English, but they only knew Spanish. Not bad for us, but not so bad for others. Let's say the explanations were basically absent.
Visit to Bioluminescent area.
garycK6884PU,
Oct 8, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
My wife and I took the tour and enjoyed it . We did not get out of the boat because we could not get information from our resort where we booked the trip not the tour company. Every time we tried calling the tour company be got a recording. But we did enjoy the tour even from the boat but know we would have known that it is much more enjoyable is you wear a swim suit and are able to get in the water. The tour guide was great.
Amazing!!!
morganfF157NV,
Mar 13, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
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
keithkA6199AI,
Feb 27, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
1.00
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!!
johnbM7117YH,
Feb 9, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
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.