After exploring the many beaches around our Airbnb, we were itching to do something more adventurous. We learned that Punta Uva, only two miles south, had a large, kayak-friendly river mouth that lead fairly deep into the rainforest! Unfortunately, the businesses with any kind of online presence only advertised packages starting at $50/person for a “wildlife tour experience” with a guide, which would put us way out of our budget. Regardless, we decided to wander over to Punta Uva with the hopes that we might be able to snag a couple of stand up paddle boards or kayaks for a cheaper price at a smaller, local-run shop. We were in luck, and upon our arrival to Punta Una’s shores, a woman quickly swooped us up, offered us a double kayak for an hour and a half for the relatively inexpensive rate of 15,000cc (~$26USD)!
HOW TO GET THERE
Take the main road south from Puerto Viejo for about four miles until you reach Punta Uva. You’ll see a ton of signs denoting it. On the beach side of the road, there will be an advertisement for “Pacho’s Place” renting kayaks, SUP’s, etc. and a road leading to the ocean. Take that road towards the ocean about 200m and you’ll arrive at the place we rented our kayak from.
WHAT TO EXPECT
After about ten minutes of paddling, we had left behind the hustle and bustle of the beachside town and were engulfed by a layer of only green. Looking down, we spotted dozens of turtles swimming around our boat. Looking up, we saw flocks of birds gazing down at us. For the majority of our 1.5 hour trip we were completely alone with the wildlife, which was a really amazing experience for the price!
COST
As previously mentioned, the kayak came out to $26USD for the both of us. However, since we had to pay with card, another 2000cc ($3USD) fee was tacked on, so overall it cost us around $29USD. So bring cash so you don’t end up paying extra like us!
