REAL ADVENTURE
Experiences and Excursions in Golfo Dulce
We are passionate about our surroundings and love sharing our spectacular corner of paradise with our guests. Inspired by the off-the-beaten-track adventures we seek on our own travels, we have curated a selection of rainforest and ocean excursions that showcase the very best of our wild and beautiful location and are sure to create unforgettable memories.
Our Ocean Adventures and Rainforest Expeditions are available exclusively to overnight guests at our nature Retreat. We will suggest the best time to explore, taking into account the time of day, tides and even the moon phase! All excursions are run in very small groups of no more than 5 guests. For guests booking one of our Adventure Packages, excursions are run privately, allowing you to explore at your own pace and enjoy a more intimate experience.
For longer stays and more adventurous guests, we can also organise excursions further afield to some of our favourite destinations around Golfo Dulce, including Caño Island, a Marine Biological Reserve renowned for snorkelling and diving. We take care of all the logistics, working with carefully selected professional operators, so all you need to do is relax and enjoy the adventure!
SELF-GUIDED EXPLORATION
OCEAN ADVENTURES
RAINFOREST EXPEDITIONS
FURTHER AFIELD
Self-guided Exploration
Private Rainforest Trails
Explore our network of private trails bordering Piedras Blancas National Park and extending into primary rainforest. Discover a towering centuries-old Ceiba, strangler figs, palms and vines, streams and hidden corners of the forest. Slow down and immerse yourself in the sights, sounds and scents of the rainforest. Notice colourful fungi, tropical fruits, seeds, insects and the extraordinary variety of life. Look and listen for all four species of Costa Rican monkeys, as well as peccaries, colourful birds and many other rainforest species.
Walking boots, water bottles and trail maps are provided complimentary.
Kayaking & Stand-Up Paddleboarding
Explore the wild coastline of the Golfo Dulce at your own pace with our kayaks and stand-up paddleboards. Follow our self-guided Kayak Ocean Trail past secluded beaches, pristine rainforest and hidden corners of the coast. Stop for a swim, discover a seasonal spring and keep watch for dolphins, sea turtles and abundant birdlife along the way. There’s no schedule and no guide, just the freedom to explore this extraordinary coastline at your own pace.
Use of kayaks and stand-up paddleboards is complimentary, and we provide sports life jackets.
Ocean Adventures
Mangroves Boat & Kayak Adventure
No visit to Golfo Dulce would be complete without exploring its magnificent mangroves. A beautiful boat ride across the gulf takes you to the secluded Río Esquinas estuary, part of a protected marine area, where an extensive mangrove forest shelters crocodiles, monkeys, boas and abundant birdlife. Explore its intricate network of waterways by boat and kayak, venturing deep into the protected areas of this extraordinary ecosystem. On the journey back to the Retreat, stop for a refreshing swim in one of Golfo Dulce’s emerald bays.
This 4 hour excursion costs $285 per suite for two guests and $60 for each additional guest sharing the same suite.
Golfo Dulce Explorer
(Dolphin Watching, Snorkelling and Boat Picnic)
We recommend that you spend as much time as possible exploring the magical Golfo Dulce. Its deep, sheltered waters have created a unique marine ecosystem with an extraordinary level of biodiversity. This half-day boat excursion combines some of our favourite ocean experiences: search for resident dolphins, snorkel over coral reefs alive with tropical fish, and swim in the warm turquoise waters of the gulf. Along the way, explore secluded coves and palm-fringed beaches surrounded by pristine rainforest, with time to relax on the boat and enjoy a delicious breakfast.
This 5-hour excursion costs $310 per suite for two guests, plus $50 for each additional guest sharing the same suite.
Night Bioluminescence
Once the sun sets, the bay of Golfo Dulce becomes host to an incredible natural phenomenon. Disturbance of the water, from the passage of a boat, trailing hand or jumping fish, leads to a unique biological light show: minute organisms producing their own ethereal bioluminescence (click here if you want to find out the science behind this incredible spectacle). On a clear, moonless night, the sky is spectacularly scattered with stars, mirroring the twinkling lights below. Golfo Dulce is one of a handful of places in the world where bioluminescence is always present. We aim to set off immediately after dinner and you will be able to gaze at this amazing spectacle from the boat.
This 1-hour excursion costs $120 per suite for two guests, plus $20 for each additional guest sharing the same suite.
Dolphin Watching & Whale Watching
Golfo Dulce is the permanent home of bottlenose, spinner and spotted dolphins, which can easily be spotted throughout the year as you tour the gulf in our boat. From late July to the end of September, you are also likely to encounter humpback whales, who migrate to the calm waters of the gulf to give birth. Our boatman will take you along stunning coastlines as well as deeper waters in order to observe these charismatic cetaceans. Our corner of the world remains to this day fairly unexplored so most dolphin and whale sightings happen in a very personal setting, making the experience truly magical. Join our resident naturalists aboard our boat as they use a hydrophone to listen to dolphins’ fascinating underwater sounds, including whistles, clicks, and chirps. Discover how these vocalisations help dolphins communicate, navigate, and socialise in the wild.
This excursion last 2.5 hours and cost $220 per suite for up to two guests and $45 for any additional guest sharing the same suite.
Snorkelling in Golfo Dulce
Snorkel in turquoise green waters with primary rainforest hanging over you. You will meet a myriad of different fish, including trigger, parrot, puffer, and surgeon fish which live around the underwater network of lobe corals. Stingrays, moray eels, sea stars and, occasionally, sea turtles, can also be seen. We will provide cold water, masks, fins and life vests. Please make sure to bring your own coral-safe sunscreen lotion. Please note that underwater visibility in Golfo Dulce is very weather dependent.
This excursion lasts 1.5 hours and costs $115 per suite for up to two guests and $35 for any additional guest sharing the same suite.
Scuba Diving in Golfo Dulce
Enjoy the awesome wreck diving in Golfo Dulce and its incredible marine biodiversity while surrounded by untouched tropical rainforest and remote beaches. We have partnered with one of the most professional PADI schools of the country to offer you an amazing and safe dive experience. You will be picked up directly from our beach by their professional crew in a fully equipped dive boat and do two dives with a PADI master, one of which will be on a shallow or deep wreck, depending on your certification level. This activity is available all year round but please note that the best visibility in the gulf is between the months of January and March.
This excursion includes two dives and costs $210 per certified diver (we may require a minimum of two guests for this trip but please check with us).
Artisanal Fishing
With no commercial fishing allowed within the Golfo Dulce, our surrounding waters teem with a wide variety of fish including bonitos, mackerels, barracudas and tunas. This excursion is a wonderful and relaxing opportunity to take in the spectacular views, sounds and smells of the rainforest from the sea. At Golfo Dulce Retreat, we offer an artisanal fishing experience where guests troll from our boat using traditional hand lines, with all fishing conducted on a catch-and-release basis.
This boat excursion lasts about 1.5 hours and costs $115 per suite for up to two guests and $25 for any additional guest sharing the same suite.
Boat Transfer to Golfito or Puerto Jimenez
Your stay at Golfo Dulce Retreat includes one complimentary boat pick-up on the day of arrival after lunch at around 2pm and a return journey to town on the day of departure after breakfast at around 10am. The journey from either Puerto Jimenez or Golfito takes approximately 30 minutes.
If you require any additional boat transfers while staying at the Retreat, we will be happy to take you to either town for $80 one way and $130 round trip with a two hour wait included.
Rainforest Expeditions
Waterfall Hike
Take a trek to the edge of primary rainforest with one of our experienced guides, through dense jungle all the way to our beautiful waterfall. On the way there, make sure to stop by our gigantic 500 year-old Ceiba tree. At the waterfall, you will be searching for the endemic Golfo Dulce Poison-dart Frog, with its distinctive orange markings. Finally, take a cool dip and a vigorous shoulder massage (courtesy of Mother Nature) before hiking back to the retreat.
This excursion lasts 3 hours and costs $100 per suite for up to two guests and $25 for any additional guest sharing the same suite.
Ceiba to Ceiba Hike
Journey through thick primary rainforest to meet the first two of seven gigantic secular Ceiba trees which form a 30 mile long line from our property all the way to the border with Panama. Although the significance of this perhaps mystical passage has been lost throughout the centuries, we know that these magnificent trees were planted centuries ago by local indigenous populations. Note that this is a challenging hike at 6 miles (10km) long and cumulative elevation gain of 1150ft (350m) and requires a good level of fitness.
This excursion lasts 5-7 hours and costs $130 per suite for up to two guests and $30 for any additional guest sharing the same suite. Packed snacks and entry tickets to Piedras Blancas National Park are included.
Night Walk
Join us after dinner for a walk around our gardens and wildlife ponds, led by our resident naturalists. Discover the many nocturnal inhabitants of the retreat, including one of Costa Rica’s most iconic species, the red-eyed tree frog. Be sure to shine your searchlight at eye level and watch as the darkness reveals an extraordinary spectacle!
This excursion lasts about 45 minutes and costs $30 per suite.
Further Afield
Snorkelling or Scuba Diving at the legendary Cano Island (Isla de Caño)
Caño Island is situated 20 km off the Osa Peninsula in the Pacific Ocean and is a protected national park and marine biological reserve. Its waters are home to a spectacular variety of marine flora and fauna, including sea turtles, sharks, moray eels, parrot fish and more, and are ranked as the top snorkeling destination in Costa Rica.
This excursion lasts all day (5am to 5pm approx.) and includes about 2 hours of snorkelling or scuba diving , all equipment, boat crossings and car transportation, packed breakfast and a simple lunch at a local restaurant in the quaint village of Drake on the Osa Peninsula. We will require a minimum of two guests and plenty of notice to arrange this trip.
Please enquire with us for prices.
Offshore Fishing
Join one of the most experienced fishermen in the gulf and his team for an unforgettable private fishing adventure. Your excursion will begin from our beach at sunrise, when you will board a 32-ft professional sport-fishing charter. Full-day charters venture beyond Golfo Dulce into the open Pacific, while half-day charters explore the waters within the gulf. Depending on the season and conditions, you may encounter sailfish, marlin, yellowfin tuna, mahi-mahi, roosterfish, snapper and other species found in these exceptionally rich waters.
Please enquire with us for private half-day and full-day charter prices.