Puerto Jiménez

Kayaking

Puerto Jiménez is a good base for sea-kayaking trips on the calm Golfo Dulce and for exploring the nearby mangrove rivers and estuaries.

Aventuras Tropicales Golfo Dulce. Alberto Robleto has amassed an impressive fleet of kayaks with excellent safety equipment at Aventuras Tropicales Golfo Dulce. There are snorkeling, dolphin-watching, and bird-watching tours, but the most popular is the three-hour mangrove tour ($45). A three- to five-day tour (four-person minimum) teaches survival skills in the tropical forest, including fishing, camping, and cooking with coconuts and wild herbs. Outrigger canoe trips ($20 for three hours, minimum six paddlers) are offered at sunset when dolphins are often jumping. All tours longer than three hours include a picnic lunch. Road to Playa Platanares, southeast of airport, Puerto Jiménez, 60702. 2735-5195. www.aventurastropicales.com.

La Sirena Adventure Boat Tour. If you just want to get out onto the water, this company offers 4½- to 5-hour tours on a covered boat. You can explore the gulf, look for dolphins, do some snorkeling, or try plane boarding. Lunch and snacks are included ($60 per person, minimum six people). For $25 extra, you can visit the Osa Wildlife Sanctuary, a refuge for orphaned and injured wildlife. The boat sails at 8 am. Cabinas Jiménez, on the waterfront, Puerto Jiménez. 2735-5090. www.cabinasjimenez.com.

More Sports and Outdoors

• Bird-Watching
• Fishing
• Hiking

• Horseback Riding
• Kayaking
• Tours