Costa Rica Excursions in Guanacaste for Resort Guests

4 min read · Tamarindo Estuary Tours Mi Rey

Photo: Rodtico21, CC BY-SA 4.0

All-inclusive resorts in Guanacaste make it easy to stay put: the pool, the buffet and the beach are steps from your room. Yet the guests who join us from resorts often tell us at the end of the tour that the crocodiles, the howler monkeys or the volcano were the moment of the trip. This guide is for you if you are staying at a resort and looking for Costa Rica excursions in Guanacaste: which ones are worth leaving the resort for, how transport works and how to fit them into your stay.

Short answer: the best Costa Rica excursions in Guanacaste for resort guests are one half-day nature tour, such as the Tamarindo estuary boat tour ($40 per person, 2 hours), and one full day inland, such as Rincón de la Vieja volcano ($180 per person, lunch included). Pickup in Tamarindo is included; resorts in farther areas pay an extra transportation cost directly to the driver, so ask us on WhatsApp with your hotel before booking.

Is it worth leaving the resort?

Most of what makes Guanacaste special is outside the resort gates: mangrove estuaries, tropical dry forest, volcanoes, waterfalls and turtle beaches. A good balance for a week is one half-day excursion and one full day, leaving the rest for the pool and the beach. On a short stay, a single half-day tour already gives you wildlife and a local guide who can answer your questions about the country.

The best Costa Rica excursions in Guanacaste

Half-day excursions

Tamarindo estuary tour: $40 per person, 2 hours inside Las Baulas Marine National Park, with crocodiles, herons, iguanas and a short dry-forest walk to look for howler monkeys. Minimum 2 people; children 2 and under ride free.
Shared kayak tour: $60 per person, 2 to 2.5 hours, paddling with the incoming tide.
Boat and horseback combo in Tamarindo: $80 per person, a horseback ride to ocean viewpoints and along the beach, then the boat tour. The length depends on the tide.
Horseback riding: $50 per person, 1 hour; riders 7 and up ride on their own.

Private excursions for groups

Families and friends staying at the same resort often prefer a boat of their own. The private boat tour in Tamarindo costs $800 for up to 10 people and $1,200 for up to 16, for 2 hours, with a bilingual naturalist guide, coconut water and beers if you like. Read more in private boat tours for groups.

Full-day excursions

Our full days include round-trip transportation, entrance tickets, bottled water, beers, juices for kids and a Costa Rican lunch (casado), with a minimum of 4 people. Children 3 and under do not pay.

Rincón de la Vieja combo: $180 per person, departure between 6 and 7 am, return at 6 pm.
La Leona waterfall: $160 per person, 7 am to 3:30 pm, walking in the river.
Sloths and Llanos de Cortés waterfall: $185 per person, 6:30 am to about 6 pm.

These times are from Tamarindo. From a distant resort, pickup is earlier and you return later. Compare them in Rincón de la Vieja tour from Tamarindo and day trips.

Evening excursions

The turtle nesting tour ($60 per person) picks up in Tamarindo at 5:30 pm, and from November 12 the sunset and baby turtle release ($50 per person) departs from Tamarindo at 3:30 pm. In season, the Ostional arribada tour costs $130 per person. Evening tours from distant resorts mean a late return, so check the timing with us first.

Transport from your resort: what to know

We prefer to be clear about this before you book, so there are no surprises:

Included: pickup in Tamarindo, and in Langosta on several tours.
Extra cost: resorts in farther areas, such as Hacienda Pinilla, Conchal, Flamingo or the Papagayo area, pay an extra transportation cost depending on the route. It is paid directly to the driver on the day of the tour.
How to know the amount: write to us on WhatsApp with the name of your resort and the date, and we will tell you before you book.
Travel time: the farther the resort, the earlier the pickup. For tide-timed tours, the pickup time depends on the high tide of your date.

How to fit an excursion into an all-inclusive stay

Check the tide first. Boat and kayak tours leave with the high tide, so the time changes daily; see Tamarindo tides. Ask us which days have a convenient time.
Choose a day without resort reservations, such as a spa appointment or a specialty dinner.
Plan meals around the tour. On early departures, ask your resort what it can arrange before you leave; full days include lunch.
Bring cash for the balance and for any extra transportation, in US dollars or colones.
Keep your phone on WhatsApp to receive the pickup details.

Why book direct with a local operator

Tamarindo Estuary Tours Mi Rey is a local, family-run operator on the Tamarindo estuary. When you book direct, you speak with the people who run the tours, and you get honest answers about the tide, the weather and what you are likely to see. Online you pay only the deposit, and if you cancel at least 24 hours in advance, we refund it. You can read what other guests say in our Google reviews before deciding.

What to bring from the resort

Comfortable clothes, a hat, sunglasses, sunblock and repellent.
Water shoes for the boat and kayak; long pants for horseback riding.
Water shoes and tennis shoes, plus a change of clothes, for waterfall days.
A camera and cash for the balance.

Traveling with children? See Costa Rica family tours in Guanacaste. For every place we reach, see our Guanacaste tours page.

Ready to see more of Guanacaste than the pool? Write to Tamarindo Estuary Tours Mi Rey on WhatsApp with your resort and dates to confirm pickup, then book the Tamarindo boat tour, the private boat or the Rincón de la Vieja combo online with the deposit.

Book these tours

Frequently asked questions

What are the best Costa Rica excursions in Guanacaste for resort guests?

For a half day, the Tamarindo estuary boat tour or the boat and horseback combo; for a full day, Rincón de la Vieja volcano or a waterfall trip with lunch included. In season, a turtle tour adds an evening you will not forget.

Do you pick up at all-inclusive resorts in Guanacaste?

Pickup in Tamarindo is included. For resorts in farther areas, such as Hacienda Pinilla, Conchal, Flamingo or Papagayo, there is an extra transportation cost depending on the route, paid directly to the driver. Ask us on WhatsApp with your hotel and date.

How long is the ride from my resort to the tour?

It depends on where your resort is. Areas close to Tamarindo are a short ride, while the Papagayo area is considerably farther. We tell you the expected pickup time on WhatsApp when we confirm your booking.

Is lunch included on full-day excursions?

Yes. Our full-day trips include a Costa Rican lunch (casado), round-trip transportation, entrance tickets, bottled water, beers and juices for kids.

Can our group book a private excursion?

Yes. The private boat tour costs $800 for up to 10 people or $1,200 for up to 16, with a bilingual naturalist guide, coconut water and beers if you like. It is a popular choice for families and groups staying at the same resort.

More Tamarindo guides

See all Tamarindo travel guides →