01
Find Your Pace
A few paddle strokes change the pace of the day. Find your rhythm on the water and let the kayak become a simple way to move through the environment without rushing past it.
All Thrill Experiences
Day Thrill · Costa Rica
Mangrove Kayaking - Isla Damas
Enter the mangroves at their own pace. Leave the road behind and take to the calm channels of Isla Damas, paddling through a living network of water, roots and tropical vegetation with a naturalist guide. A kayak changes how you explore this environment. You move quietly, close to the water and with enough time to notice the details along the banks, from birds and white-faced monkeys to the structures that allow mangrove forests to thrive between land and sea.
The Thrill
What this experience can mean.
Some places reveal more when you move quietly through them. From a kayak, the mangroves sit almost at eye level. Every paddle stroke carries you farther into a landscape shaped by water, roots and changing tides, while the slower rhythm leaves room to notice movement along the banks and overhead. Your guide helps turn those details into a larger story, how the forest works, what lives within it, and why these channels matter to the coast around them. This Thrill comes from attention: discovering how much becomes visible when exploring means observing as much as moving.
Check what’s included and what you need to bring.
Included
- Bilingual naturalist guide
- Kayak
- Safety equipment
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Typical Costa Rican lunch
Wear & bring
- Light, breathable clothing
- Closed, comfortable shoes
- Reef-safe sunscreen
- Insect repellent
- Water
- Camera
Important: The tour begins with a safety briefing, equipment fitting and basic paddling guidance before entering the mangrove channels. Wildlife is observed in its natural habitat, so every outing can reveal something different.
What to expect
The shape of your Thrill.
02
Move Inside the Forest
The mangroves change the idea of a forest. Here, water becomes the trail and the trees meet it from both sides, bringing you into an ecosystem that feels completely different from walking beneath a rainforest canopy.
03
Notice What Lives Around You
A slower pace creates time to look beyond the direction of travel. Birds, white-faced monkeys, crabs and other mangrove life can turn a quiet section of water into an exercise in noticing what might otherwise be easy to pass by.
04
Understand the Mangroves
The roots, channels and wildlife begin to connect into something larger when you understand why they are here. Your guide adds context to what you see, turning the paddle into an opportunity to learn how mangroves support life along Costa Rica's Pacific coast.
Gallery
See the experience.
Itinerary
How your experience unfolds.
01
Leave Manuel Antonio Behind
Meet your transportation at your accommodation and make the short transfer toward Isla Damas, where the road gives way to the mangrove estuary.
02
Learn the Paddle
Meet your guide, adjust your equipment and learn the basic paddling and safety techniques before entering the channels.
03
Paddle the Mangrove Channels
Enter the calm waterways of Isla Damas and explore the mangrove channels with your naturalist guide, watching the banks and canopy for wildlife as you move.
04
Costa Rican Lunch
Return from the water and finish the experience with a typical Costa Rican lunch before transportation back to your accommodation.
Choose your moment. We confirm the details.
Choose your date, time and number of travelers. We confirm availability and pickup details before sending your secure payment link.
- 01ChooseDate, time & travelers
- 02Add detailsPersonal & pickup information
- 03Confirm & payWe confirm, then you pay
- 04GoConfirmation & voucher ready
01 · Select your date
When would you like to go?
FAQ
Before you go.
How long does the experience last?
Approximately 3 hours.
Is this an intense kayaking experience?
The tour follows calm mangrove channels and begins with paddling and safety guidance before entering the water.
Do I need previous kayaking experience?
The experience begins with a briefing covering paddling basics, safety and equipment fitting. The supplier does not list previous kayaking experience as a requirement.
What wildlife might we see?
The mangroves are habitat for wildlife including herons, white-faced monkeys and crabs, among other species. Sightings vary because the animals are observed in their natural environment.
Is lunch included?
Yes. A typical Costa Rican lunch is included after the kayaking experience.
Is transportation included?
Yes. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included.
Continue exploring
Stay curious after this Thrill.
More in Costa Rica
Find another local moment.
Ask your Thrill Concierge about more experiences that fit naturally into your time in Costa Rica.
Popular in Costa Rica
Arenal Volcano Horseback Riding
Ride across rivers, open pasture and tropical forest on private trails beneath Arenal Volcano, where the landscape changes slowly enough for you to notice it.