Wild Macaws Tours in Punta Islita from Playa Samara
5
Wild Macaws Tours in Punta Islita from Playa Samara
By Samara Adventures
What is Travelers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
About
Just south of Playa Carrillo is Punta Islita, home to the Macaw Recovery Network (previously The Ara Project), a conservation organization dedicated to the survival of Costa Rica’s native macaws. Previously extinct in this area of Guanacaste, the Scarlet Macaw is now back!
The site in Punta Islita is home to the organization’s Macaw Refuge and Breeding Center, where rescued or injured birds from both species that can not be released are kept for breeding purposes. Their young are then released into the wild.
Over 50 Scarlet Macaws have been released, creating the now famous Wild Scarlet Macaw Reserve, a must see when visiting the Nicoya Peninsula
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation
Ages 0-99, max of 8 per group
Duration: 4h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English, Spanish
More
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Bottled water
- Entry/Admission - Macaw Recovery Network
- Start:Multiple pickup locations offered.Hotel pickup offeredDuring checkout you will be able to select from the list of included hotels.End:This activity ends back at the meeting point.
- Not wheelchair accessible
- 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: 12702P33- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- 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 experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 8 travelers
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- 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: 12702P33
From
$125.00
per adult
Select date and travelers
Similar experiences
Itinerary
- 1Over 50 Scarlet Macaws have been released, creating the now famous Wild Scarlet Macaw Reserve, a must see when visiting the Nicoya Peninsula.
About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- X6528TGjustinl0 contributionsMost considerate and professional Company. Fabulous Customer Service.This company is fantastic. We had a trip scheduled, but for various reasons we could not follow through. This was do to numerous things. However this company was completely understanding and treated us with the upmost respect me on the call of duty. we look forward to scheduling a trip when we are able to take full advantage of what these amazing folks have to offer.Written September 3, 2024
- rosesforever0 contributionsGreat tourThe tour was well organized, nice guide. There were only 15 of us on the boat, which gave us plenty of space to take photos. We saw humpback whales, dolphins and sea turtles and were able to go swimming in a quiet bay later. Snorkeling was not possible due to the heavy rain beforehand, but that wasn't a problem. We would definitely do the tour again!Written August 25, 2024
- MichaelaB12420 contributionsWonderful experience in beautiful SamaraAmazing, well organised trip that allowed us to see humpback whales and lots of dolphins right in front of the boat. The crew was very friendly and fantastic in spotting the whales and dolphins. And we even got picked up from our hotel in Nosara. Highly recommended.Written August 22, 2024
- christT2326IJ0 contributionsBeautiful and educational! Would recommend!We had a great early morning hike! Our guide Luis was very knowledgeable and had a calm, reassuring energy. He found multiple species of butterflies and birds in his scope and taught us about the wildlife and trees. We also were fortunate to see families of coatis and white faced monkeys! Would recommend going early when it’s cooler and the animals are out. Great excursion!Written August 3, 2024
- NoraA2620 contributionsNice outing.Tour itself was nice. We saw a few dolphins and then stopped at reef area off Samara beach; guide checked a few places before deciding on this one. I wasn't sure about the conditions but it ended up clearer than expected; not a huge variety of fish but plenty of them. It was my kids' first time snorkeling and they really enjoyed it. Of note: was a little concerned when tour operator didn't show up on time for pick-up; turns out they were at the bottom of the hill rather than coming up to the condo (not sure why) so recommend confirming exact pick-up spot with the company.Written July 31, 2024
- aprilhV4928HU0 contributionsRough seaSo we went out today. It’s much different than we were expecting. First weather was not great. Well it was sunny but. Sea was rough. That being said we had so many sick folks on the boat sea sick. And they continued to go extremely fast making the boat even sicker. They did pull into the. Bay Area to swim a bit. Let folks snorkel but they didn’t have fins for the customers. I didn’t find anything about this when researching this tour. No one can control the conditions. But we can control how we work with those conditionsWritten July 23, 2024
- danielkJ352XF0 contributionsSo. Much. Fun.The guides were great. We saw 3 separate whales, sea turtle and more dolphins than you can imagine. My daughter had never been on a boat before and she had an absolute blast. They provide plenty of water, juice, and even beer. The snorkeling was so fun. It was rainy so the water was a little murky, but can't complain about that as no one has any control over it. The snorkeling gear was well taken care of, and to top off the fun trip we had the freshest watermelon and pineapple ever while my daughter spent some time going down the slides off the back of the boat. And the views...nothing like the views. Would definitely do this again.Written July 13, 2024
- danielkJ352XF0 contributionsJust give it a go...you won't be disappointed.HIGHLY recommended. Our guide Bryan was amazing. He took our daughter on her own horse and kept her so comfortable and safe (she's 4 1/2). The views, the knowledge of the horses, the knowledge of the land, all of this excursion was epic. Would do it again in a heartbeat and it was so reasonably priced.Written July 13, 2024
- suzanimal1080 contributionsPerfect morning on the ocean!Perfect morning adventure for me and my teen daughter! Kayaking was easy enough for beginners and snorkeling was laid back and fun. We were so excited to be on Chora Island, which we had admired from afar. Guides were professional, knowledgeable, and kind!Written July 7, 2024
- YourOwnLiz0 contributionsFantastic Guide, great for the whole family!We went on the morning tour. Our guide Alex was the best. Not only was he knowledgeable and great with the adults, but he was so wonderful with my kids. I brought my 7 year old and 3 year old. He taught them about plants and wildlife, it was a fully immersive learning experience. He's appreciation and knowledge of the plants and animals was wonderful. My girls were pointing out plants to me throughout our trip that Alex had taught them about. We saw bats, monkeys, butterflies and birds. The fruit & cold drinks at the end were great.Written June 26, 2024
- N111HZelizabethc0 contributionsGreat for adults & kidsWe went in the morning tour. Our guide Alex was the best. Not only was he knowledgeable and great with the adults, but he was so wonderful with my kids. I brought my 7 year old and 3 year old. He taught them about plants and wildlife, it was a fully immersive learning experience. We saw bats, monkeys, butterflies and birds. The fruit & cold drinks at the end were great.Written June 26, 2024
- MarelieV0 contributionsGreat morning kayakingThe Tour guides were so helpful and knowledgeable. You kayak at low tide to the island for about 20 min where you have fruit and snorkelWritten June 10, 2024
- C540JDkiml0 contributionsTimely and ComfortableDriver arrived early. Safe, comfortable shuttle experience. Timely arrival at airport. Would definitely use them again.Written June 4, 2024
- stevedY4499UM0 contributionsDolphins everywhere!What an experience! We saw a pod of 100+ Spinner dolphins, spotted dolphins, a whale, sea turtles, and tons of birds. Mo was great, captain George was spot on. The cold beers and fruit on the way back hit the spot! Highly recommend!Written June 2, 2024
- 220katarinaw0 contributionsWonderful nature tour!Wonderful experience! The guide brought us through his family’s land and taught us a lot about local plants and wildlife. We got to see so many things, including baby monkeys! The fresh mangoes were incredible and the hikes and views were awesome. I love that they have turned what used to be a farm into forest for the wildlife again. Definitely recommend this tour!Written May 30, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
5.0
4 reviews
Excellent
4
Very good
0
Average
0
Poor
0
Terrible
0
Karen R
Denver113 contributions
Dec 2021
If you are in the southern Guanacaste region of Costa Rica this is a “must do” tour. You can drive on your own but it is a long very bumpy road. We were very happy to let Trip Advisor do the driving! We saw multiple macaws in the wild and got to see them fairly close up here. They are very cautious to not let humans have interaction with them in order to keep them wild and free. This group is doing amazing work in rehab and has enabled the scarlet macaw to reestablish in this region. They very much need the support and income the tours bring in to continue their work. I highly recommend this tour
Written December 27, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Greetings from Sámara, thanks for leaving us such a wonderful review. We are thrilled that you loved your experience and service provided. The Macaw Network recovery put so much effort and charisma to make sure everyone has the right information and to protect the endemic bird, we are proud to hear that their passion exceed your expectations; the whole the crew will be happy to read what you wrote, your review reaffirms the hard work we put in every day. So, thanks for your kind words and also to be part of the project to protect such a beautiful bird; we look forward to seeing you again.
Pura Vida
Written March 1, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Ru K
2 contributions
Apr 2022
This was a great experience. The Macaws reserve is very educational and beautiful. You get a great view of the birds. Our guide, Allen, was very good as well. He took extra time to show us the nearby beach at Punta Islita and Playa Carrillo for sunset. We also saw howler monkeys on the drive home and pulled over to observe/take photos. Overall would highly recommend.
Written April 14, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Greetings from Sámara, thanks for leaving us such a wonderful review. We are thrilled that you loved your experience and service provided. The Macaw Network recovery put so much effort to make sure everyone has the right information and to protect the endemic bird, we are proud to hear that their passion exceed your expectations; the whole Crew will be happy to read what you wrote, your review reaffirms the hard work we put in every day. So, thanks for your kind words and also to be part of the project to protect such a beautiful bird; we look forward to seeing you again.
Pura Vida
Written April 19, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Rachel S
3 contributions
Dec 2023 • Family
The scarlet macaws are incredible. This was a wonderful experience and we really appreciate learning about the preservation efforts for breeding and releasing them back into the wild ! Incredible experience
Written December 31, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Karen P
Baltimore, MD13 contributions
It was so great seeing the macaws in their natural environment. They were beautiful, funny and full of personality. I was so interested to learn about them and made me much more aware of my actions on the environment.
Written August 26, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
No questions have been asked about this experience
