Bioluminescent Lagoon Boat Ride and Swim from Puerto Escondido
4.5
Full view
Bioluminescent Lagoon Boat Ride and Swim from Puerto Escondido
By Eco Adventures Puerto Escondido
Manialtepec Lagoon is one of the few places in the world where you can experience the natural phenomenon of bioluminescence and lies just outside of Puerto Escondido. tour, visit the lagoon at night for a thrilling boat cruise, enjoy incredible views of the glowing plankton, and have chance to swim in the illuminated waters.
from per adult
$45.00
from per adult
$45.00
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation
Ages 6-80, max of 50 per group
Duration: 3h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
English, Spanish
Features animals
Highlights
- Stunning views of the world’s only bioluminescent bays
- Discover how and why the natural phenomenon occurs
- Swim in the lagoon surrounded by glowing plankton
- Hassle-free round-trip transfers from Puerto Escondido
- Local driver/guide
- Transport by air-conditioned van
- Boat
- Life jacket
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Entry/Admission - Parque Nacional Lagunas de Chacahua
What's not included- Food and drinks
- Gratuities
- Departure details
- Traveler pickup is offered.
- Pick up will be at your place of stay within Puerto Escondido
- Hotel pickup is offered. View the hotel list on our checkout page to see if yours is included among the pickup points.
Return details- Returns to original departure point
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
- Infant seats available
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 31331P3- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Make sure to bring a bathing suit and a towel
- Infant seats only available on request
- Most travelers can participate
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 50 travelers
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- How much is Bioluminescent Lagoon Boat Ride and Swim from Puerto Escondido?
- Bioluminescent Lagoon Boat Ride and Swim from Puerto Escondido price starts from $54.00. Discover and book Bioluminescent Lagoon Boat Ride and Swim from Puerto Escondido on Tripadvisor
- What is the Bioluminescent Lagoon Boat Ride and Swim from Puerto Escondido cancellation policy?
- Bioluminescent Lagoon Boat Ride and Swim from Puerto Escondido cancellation policy: For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience. Discover and book Bioluminescent Lagoon Boat Ride and Swim from Puerto Escondido on Tripadvisor
- Which company provides Bioluminescent Lagoon Boat Ride and Swim from Puerto Escondido?
- Bioluminescent Lagoon Boat Ride and Swim from Puerto Escondido is hosted by Eco Adventures Puerto Escondido. Read reviews, discover additonal experiences or contact Eco Adventures Puerto Escondido on Tripadvisor. Discover and book Bioluminescent Lagoon Boat Ride and Swim from Puerto Escondido on Tripadvisor
- How much time do I need for Bioluminescent Lagoon Boat Ride and Swim from Puerto Escondido?
- On average, this experience will take approximately 3h. Discover and book Bioluminescent Lagoon Boat Ride and Swim from Puerto Escondido on Tripadvisor
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 31331P3
Itinerary
- You'll get picked upSee departure details
- 1Parque Nacional Lagunas de ChacahuaStop: 60 minutes - Admission includedJoin us on a 3 hour adventure into one of the most amazing natural phenomenon’s in the world! Swimming in bioluminescence is absolutely amazing and if you lift your arm out of the water it looks like glitter rolling down your arm. Amazing eco-system of millions of microorganisms ready to put up a bioluminescent show! The faster you move the brighter you get under the incredible night sky!Read more
- You'll return to the starting point
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About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator.
224christianv
00They never showed up
They didn't show up and when I contacted them they said that they didn't have any bike tour for the day, so I basic…
H8343ZSemilyd
00Highly recommend this tour
This is a fantastic tour and Juan Carlos was a great guide. We started out on the horses walking and trotting thro…
H8343ZSemilyd
00Delightful experience
This tour was so fun, and Edgar was a great guide. We were lucky enough to see three majestic whales and also came …
elinkaaven
00Didn't end up going.
Didn't get to go since there where too few people signed up. But still got a confirmation for the trip, so it was c…
DavidoBianci2018
00Highly unethical turtle release
Turtle nests are dug up and placed in a nursery so they can be sold to tourists. This is not a conservation project…
Journey581319
00Learning and appreciation
I loved our guide, our group, the educator, the ability to help and I simply wished I could have more contact with …
rosiel904
00Antonio is the best tour guide!
This tour was just amazing. I've said in a previous post that it's about who you go with, we were stuck with a coup…
manishap2017
00Bird Sanctuary
The trip was great. We saw so much wild life. The birds were amazing. Antonio made the trip very memorable and fun.…
kate-dyson
00Wholesome 💚🐢
Wholesome activity with good service - on time pick up, nice explanation about sea turtles, beautiful location + su…
elinkaaven
00Lovely sunset with turtles bringing more hope for the future.
It was a really nice experience. First we got to know why and what this turtle sanctuary and release was all about.…
sbluck
00Wonderful
Wonderful experience and memories. You will not regret your decision to do this. Watching your turtle disappear i…
nessafresaa
00BABY SEA TURTLES
AMAZING!!! Our tour guide Juan Carlos was so nice and made us feel so welcome and comfortable. They have water, bee…
841rachelles
00Happy Dolphins
This was an amazing tour. Saw not only tons of happy dolphins but sea turtles and even a humpback whale. Got great …
841rachelles
00Happy heart
This has been on my bucket list for years. It was magical. Just that short amount of time with the babies made my h…
June P
00Excellent Birding Sunset Tour of Lagoon:
I was looking for a way to experience the natural beauty of Puerto Esondido as a relatively new birdwatcher. Our dr…
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
84 reviews
Excellent
64
Very good
10
Average
3
Poor
3
Terrible
4
Angela H
Dallas, TX3 contributions
Jun 2022
My group of friends and I were really happy we booked this excursion while staying in Puerto Escondido. We were able to communicate with our guide through WhatsApp to be picked up at the door to our Airbnb and receive updates about pickup time. We learned that we had to drive farther away than anticipated due to bioluminescent activity not being as visible at the lagoon I guess they usually use, so we had about an hour-long van ride to our destination and then quite a long boat ride to the lagoon. You can only do this activity in the pitch dark so be prepared to be out quite late, including the drive back to your destination. The boat ride through the mangrove lagoon was a really peaceful and enjoyable experience in itself and our guide regularly pointed out birds and any other wildlife we came across. Once it's dark enough, you simply hop out of the boat with your life jacket on and swim in the lagoon. For some people with fears about water or swimming this might not be enjoyable, I did have one friend that stayed in the boat and observed from there. However, I had another friend who is very hesitant to swim who felt comfortable jumping in to the lake even in the dark and ended up enjoying this activity the most out of anything we did while in PE. Don't expect the bioluminescence activity to look like the bright blue you see in photos that looks like you can see it from far away, you have to be quite up close to the water but can see it clearly as you move the plankton around with your hands throughout the water. There are only a few places in the world where you can do this activity and I would suggest everyone try it once.
Written August 8, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
SE16
New York City, NY21 contributions
100% we’ll worth the trip. It was so convenient and beautiful. The guides spoke both Spanish and English, and were incredibly nice.
This tour is literally 30min outside if the city, you get picked up, and get the option of drinks en route to the springs.
Once there, the water is so warm due to the ocean already being warm + there being hot springs in the area.
And finally, the bioluminescence was amazing. They even have floating blackout tents in case the moon is too bright to see all the action. We went during a crescent moon and didn’t have any issues seeing all the action
This tour is literally 30min outside if the city, you get picked up, and get the option of drinks en route to the springs.
Once there, the water is so warm due to the ocean already being warm + there being hot springs in the area.
And finally, the bioluminescence was amazing. They even have floating blackout tents in case the moon is too bright to see all the action. We went during a crescent moon and didn’t have any issues seeing all the action
Written December 30, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
SheriOutlaw
Raleigh, NC2 contributions
Dec 2021 • Family
This tour was absolutely amazing. We were picked up from our home and taken to Chicahua lagoon, which was done out of kindness and the tour operators desire for our group to have the best possible experience. There is a closer lagoon but they said it wasn’t as bright and vibrant so they drove us an extra 30 minutes to assure an excellent time in the water. The driver was kind and communicative, telling us about the areas we were driving through and we had plenty of time to swim and enjoy the magic of the lagoon! 5 stars all the way! Do not miss this tour!
Written January 9, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
danielatellezl
Hi Sheri, thank you for sharing your time with us, amazing to hear you had a great time, we hope to see you again soon, greetings from puerto!
Written January 17, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Dasha H
2 contributions
We booked this trip with the local company and everything went well except we did not see any algae. Captain of our boat took us to 4 different tents checking inside if there was anything to see. We've been told it's the last night before the full moon and it was our last chance to go. Well, all we saw was something that looked like a bit of glitter thrown into the water. Very minimal. Definitely nothing magical or exciting like other reviews said. I don't know if there's a better time to go. I've read after the trip that summer time is actually a high season for bioluminescent trips but I've seen great reviews with photos from December so I'm not sure what happened. You get to swim in the bath temp water under the moon but that was the extent of our experience and not really worth the time or the price. And we purposely tried to keep our expectations low and it was still kind of boring. Just nothing to see. Sadly. Our entire group left unimpressed.
Written October 9, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Sarah C
New York City, NY5 contributions
Jan 2020 • Friends
This was our entire group’s first time doing a bioluminescence tour and we were so excited. The result was amazing as there was zero moonlight to obstruct the bioluminescence when we were in the water. Haciel was an excellent and extremely knowledgeable tour guide who showed us all a really great time. He even gave us recommendations for restaurants to try during the remainder of our stay in Puerto Escondido. We would definitely recommend booking tours with Eco Adventures, as we did two different tours with them and were extremely happy with both.
Written January 21, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
suzannes62
Austin, Texas28 contributions
Mar 2021
Our guide Efrin was prompt and super knowledgeable about this wonderful Lagoon and the bioluminescent waters. We were there on a perfect night and we all had such a cool experience. This was the second adventure we did with Eco Adventures Puerto Escondido and we will continue to use the in the future. VERY professional, english and spanish speaking, and truly wonderful. Highly recommended!
Written March 23, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
danielatellezl
Thank you so much! we try our best to give our tours in cultural plurality and give you the best experience. Greetings from Mexico!!
Written June 27, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Cheer
3 contributions
Jan 2020
We enjoyed our first tour with Kiko (baby sea turtle release) so much that we booked the bioluminescence tour the same day. It turned out to be one of the coolest experiences of the trip! Kiko picked us up around 7pm, and drove us a short way to the lagoon. We boarded a small boat that took us out to the middle of the lagoon. Apart from flashlights from ours and other boats for safety, it was very dark. The best days to go are when there is little to no moonlight, so there were a lot of stars visible and not much else. Just being out on the water in the darkness was great. Then the boat was stopped and we were allowed to swim. When you touch the water it activates the plankton, and the water glitters. If you cup water in your hands and then let it dribble down your arms your arms will sparkle. We went in mid-January, and the plankton was white. Many images show blue, so maybe it is a different color at other times of year. I have no photos to share because it's just too dark! Highly recommended tour! Highly recommend any tour with Kiko!
Written January 29, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
dastinch
Washington DC, DC8 contributions
Aug 2021
If you're in Puerto Escondido, do this!!!
We spent two weeks crisscrossing central and southern Mexico, and the Lagoon of Manialtepec was definitely a highlight. Pictures fail to adequately capture the beauty of the bioluminescence or the uniqueness of the experience. We were fortunate to have a dark night, which made the glow around the swimmers and the sparkling microorganisms all the more impressive.
Efraín, our guide, was the best—informative, professional, and kind. We never felt unsafe. If we're ever back in Puerto Escondido, we'll definitely do it again. So go for it. It'll probably the best $40 you've spent in a long time.
We spent two weeks crisscrossing central and southern Mexico, and the Lagoon of Manialtepec was definitely a highlight. Pictures fail to adequately capture the beauty of the bioluminescence or the uniqueness of the experience. We were fortunate to have a dark night, which made the glow around the swimmers and the sparkling microorganisms all the more impressive.
Efraín, our guide, was the best—informative, professional, and kind. We never felt unsafe. If we're ever back in Puerto Escondido, we'll definitely do it again. So go for it. It'll probably the best $40 you've spent in a long time.
Written September 1, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
danielatellezl
Hi! nice to hear you had a great time with us! we prepare everyday to fulfill your expectations, see you soon in puerto!
Written October 13, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Michael K
San Francisco, CA6 contributions
Jul 2021
We are in Puerto Escondido and its the one thing my daughter really wanted to do. So I don't think I really spent much time anticipating what it was going to be like. But I was so suprised and pleased by how organized and professional the tour was, and Efrain - our guide - made it such a great experience. He was informative, warm, thoughtful and encouraging to my daughter to jump in and swim. She is still beaming about it. I would recommend the tour to anyone who is even considering it. Its a peaceful prettty lagoon, amazing natural phenomenon and the guides are generous with the time so you never feel rushed. Just great.
Written July 5, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
danielatellezl
Hi michael! such an honor to hear our team fully covered your expectations, we are here to make you live the best experiences! regards from puerto and hope to see you soon! :)
Written October 13, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Tracy W
5 contributions
Dec 2019
Swimming in bioluminescence is absolutely amazing. The faster you move the more you light up and if you lift your arm out of the water it looks like glitter rolling down your arm. Our kids, age 6 and 8, loved it as much as we did. We brought life jackets for them, and I'm uncertain if the tour would have had small enough life jackets had we not brought them ourselves. While they can swim, you are treading water for quite a while, and there's no way they could have lasted without life jackets. We took five tours with Eco Adventures, and for four of them we had Jaciel as our tour guide. This was the only tour where we did not have him, and I would have rated it as a five had he been our guide. While our guide was nice and picked us up on time, he didn't provide the extra information that Jaciel did. For example, there was no explanation about the chemical reaction that causes the water to light up, so I had to do my best to explain it to my kids. I highly recommend this tour, but also suggest you request Jaciel as your guide as he really goes above and beyond to make your experiences spectacular.
Written January 1, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Cristy P
Monterrey, Mexico86 contributions
Hola, ¿fin de año, en su experiencia, es buena época para ver la bioluminiscencia? Saludos.
Hello,
I am planning to visit Puerto Escondido on Nov 2 to the 6 is this a good time to visit and see the bioluminescent scenery at the lake?
Julia Z
131 contributions
Hello. I am not sure. You can call Kiku at Eco Tours and ask this question. He will tell you. +52 954 111 2794
Rosalinda
Morelia, Mexico
Nosotros vamos en Enero a Puerto Escondido tenemos duda si podemos ver el espectáculo de bioluminiscencia o estamos fuera de temporada para verlo ???
Dgrecia
Morelia, Mexico1 contribution
Hola! Mi pareja y yo iremos a principios de diciembre ¿se podrá observar este fenómeno en estas fechas?
Yezbel
6 contributions
Depende de qué tanto haya llovido, entre más lluvia mejor y qué tan brillante esté la luna, si hay luna llena no es conveniente. Podrías consultar el estado del tiempo para poder decidir mejor. Ojalá se den las condiciones, suerte!
Brian C
Cochrane, Canada1 contribution
We will not be staying at a hotel in Puerto Escondido. How would we catch a ride to the lagoon?
Hola somos 3 adultos y llevo una niña de 4 años y me espodare en las brisas iran a mi hotel y mi hija pagaria?
Hola, me gustaría saber si la bioluminicencia se verá entre el 3 y el 6 de octubre? Será buena época para ir?
YeYe BK
2 contributions
Would it be OK to bring a 2 year old and do you provide life jackets?
