Choosing The Best Costa Rica Shore Excursions Part 1

Updated for the 2024-2025 Cruise Season

Most Popular Shore Excursions in Puntarenas & Caldera Cruise Ports

Are you setting sail on a Panama Canal cruise this year, or any other cruise through the Americas? Lucky you! Your cruise ship will most likely make a stop in Costa Rica. Most cruises stop at Puntarenas or Puerto Caldera on the Pacific side of Costa Rica, or Puerto Limon on the Atlantic/Caribbean side.

If you have the opportunity, visiting both Pacific & Caribbean ports will allow you to experience the natural and cultural diversity of this country for yourself. That is our goal after all! We want you to have such an amazing experience in port that you come back for a full-on Costa Rica vacation.

Crystal Symphony Panama Canal

Costa Rica Shore Excursions

If you only have one day in port in Costa Rica, you had better make the best of it! Luckily, there are so many amazing things to do in Costa Rica, that finding the perfect adventure here is all but a guarantee. But with so many different shore excursions in Costa Rica, how do you choose? (Again, we are back to the whole “just come back here for a full vacation” thing) Well, we thought we would help you out with a handy dandy guide to all the best activities and things to do on your Costa Rica cruise vacation.

Puerto Caldera & Puntarenas Shore Excursions

Costa Rica’s Pacific Port of Puntarenas

So let’s begin with Puntarenas shore excursions and other popular things to do in Costa Rica’s Pacific ports. As of this update, Puntarenas & Puerto Caldera combined will host more than 100 cruise ships this year. These are hot destinations! If you are fortunate to be on one of those ships, there is no shortage of shore excursions in Costa Rica to choose from. So lets take a look at the cruise crowd favorites.

Puntarenas City Tour, Lighthouse & Promenade

Most Popular Things to Do In Puntarenas or Puerto Caldera

Tarcoles River Crocodile Safari

Costa Rica Crocodile Tour Puntarenas

Far and away, the most popular tour from Puntarenas is the Tarcoles River Crocodile Tours in Jaco, and that’s why you’ll find it available in combination with many of our tours. A stop at the Tarcoles River should almost be a requisite when visiting Puntarenas.  Many tours just stop on the bridge and take a quick peak at the giant crocodiles sunning along the river below. But the real treat is taking a boat tour up the river.  This safari-style eco-cruise gets you up close to some of the largest crocodiles in the Americas… talk about some great photo ops! Fingers inside the boat at all times please.

Puntarenas Canopy Tours in Jaco

Costa Rica Zip Line Tour Puntarenas

For anyone even remotely adventurous, it would be tough to visit Costa Rica and not zip line through the rainforest at least once. As you probably already know, Costa Rica is famous for its signature canopy tours. The great thing about the zip line tour from Puntarenas is that it is located near the Carara National Park. This means the chances of seeing stunning scarlet macaws, monkeys & even sloths in their natural environments are pretty darn good! One of our best selling tours, the Puntarenas Eco Adventure is actually a combo of both the zip lines and a crocodile tour.

Vista Los Suenos Adventure Park

You can also choose to spend the entire day at one of Costa Rica’s most famous Adventure Parks. Check out the Vista Los Suenos Adventure Park One Day Tour where you can also visit a monkey sanctuary, see the crocs, and choose two activities: Horseback Riding, ATV, Zipline Canopy, or a Chocolate Tour.  And the whole time you will be in the jungle surrounded by wildlife.  Monkeys, sloths, macaws, toucan’s cousins aracari are all frequently spotted here. Vista Los Suenos Adventure Park is really a special place to spend the day, and the one day combo tour is really one of the best Puntarenas shore excursion deals in Costa Rica.

Hanging Bridges at Villas Lapas Sky Way

Costa Rica Hanging Bridges Puntarenas

Not a fan of dangling from a cable 100 feet high? Costa Rica has another signature activity that may be a little more your style. On the hanging bridges, you can keep your feet firmly planted while still going eye-to-eye with exotic birds and other wildlife in Costa Rica’s rainforest canopy. The hanging bridges in Costa Rica are a great option for the whole family. Of course, the most popular combo is the Costa Rica Hanging Bridges + Tarcoles River Cruise. You starting to see the pattern here? We told you a visit to the Tarcoles River crocodiles are the most popular things to do in Puntarenas.

Costa Rica Rainforest Wagon Tour Puntarenas

Speaking of family-friendly shore excursions in Costa Rica, we present the Rainforest Wagon Tour for your consideration. Instead of traversing the hanging bridges at Villas Lapas, those with limited mobility, or a fear of heights, or infants in tow, can explore the rainforest aboard a tractor-pulled trailer. If you’re a multigenerational family traveling together, this is the perfect option for you. Those who want to stretch their legs a bit can choose to do the bridges on foot while anyone who needs the space and support of a vehicle can opt to hop aboard the wagon and skip the hike.

Horseback Riding in the Rainforest

Costa Rica Rainforest & Waterfall Horseback Riding Tour Puntarenas

Ever dream of horseback riding through the rainforest in Costa Rica? (Or horseback riding anywhere tropical for that matter?) Well you are in luck! there is a horseback riding excursion in Puntarenas that is perfect for you. Just an hour south of the Puerto Caldera & Puntarenas cruise piers you will find yourself at Vista Los Suenos Adventure Park and at the stables of some of the happiest and healthiest horses in Costa Rica.  This horseback ride takes you on private trails through rainforest, rivers, & waterfalls. And of course includes the Tarcoles River crocodile safari too! Who says dreams never come true?

Puntarenas 6 in 1 Shore Excursion

Costa Rica 6 in 1 Shore Excursion Puntarenas

Can’t decide on just one thing or just not sure what to do in Puntarenas? Check out the 6-in-1 Puerto Caldera & Puntarenas Highlights Tour! This shore excursion is a fantastic all-around adventure with some of the main highlights of the region including the famous Tarcoles crocs. You’ll also trek the hanging bridges, visit a colonial village, grab some authentic Costa Rica coffee, go souvenir shopping, and get a guided Puntarenas city tour as well. For the indecisive, the Puntarenas Highlights Tour is a little taste of everything! If it is your first time visiting Puntarenas, we think this is the best way to go.

Puntarenas ATV & Buggy Off Road Adventures

Costa Rica ATV Tours Puntarenas

Ok, so are all of the Costa Rica shore excursions starting to sound like they are 100% about nature and wildlife and not so much adventure? Not to worry. For those that like to get down and dirty there are some adrenaline pumping off road adventures in Costa Rica. The Puntarenas ATV excursion takes you through the river 14 times while navigating through jungle trails and wide open beaches. Bringing the family? You can take them along for a wild ride on one of the Jungle Buggy excursions.  Both of these two tours take place in the private trails of Vista Los Suenos, but they both include the crocodile boat safari too….so still nature, just a little wilder.

Vista Los Sueños ATV River Trails

And don’t forget, the Vista Los Suenos Adventure Park has some of the best ATV trails around.  We know this based on extensive research on our Quest for the Best ATV tours in Costa Rica! And for those really looking for an adrenaline rush, the Vista Los Sueños Zip Line + ATVs is perfect for adventure seekers.  As we mentioned above, their one day tour is a killer deal in Puntarenas.

Private Shore Excursions in Costa Rica

Costa Rica Private Shore Excursions

If you are looking to catch a break from your fellow cruisers and want to go it alone while in port, now you and your family can choose your own adventure! Customizing your shore excursion is the most economic and comfortable way to travel. With vans that seat up to 6 passengers or a larger mini-bus for groups of up to 16, you can keep your whole group together and do the things that sound the most fun to you. Best of all, the Private Puntarenas Shore Excursion comes with a certified Naturalist guide so you will get the best experience possible. Top that with fully customizable Costa Rica cruise excursions itinerary, you are pretty much guaranteed to get the best experience regardless of where you decide to explore!

After years of listening to your feedback to curate the best itinerary, we offer the 6-in-1 Puerto Caldera & Puntarenas Highlights Tour  as a private excursion too. As the name aptly states, it pretty much hits all the best highlights of Puntarenas in 6 hours.  You can choose to join the public tour noted above, or get a guide and vehicle all to yourselves with the private tour option.

Private Tour Guide in Costa Rica

Of course, if you have done your homework and there is another destination on your list, we are happy to help you customize your own private shore excursion in Costa Rica. There are a lot of places you can visit in just one day. However, destinations outside of a 40-mile radius of the Puntarenas or Puerto Caldera cruise ship piers require that your ship has an extended time in port of 8 hours or more. With the roads in Costa Rica being somewhat of a challenge to navigate, there is not much wiggle room to allow you to get back to your ship in time. We work with several local guides that can customize an experience and provide you with a quote based on what you are looking for, but their local knowledge as well to be sure you have the best experience.

San Jose, The Heart of Costa Rica

For those wanting to explore the heart of Costa Rica, a private excursion to San Jose is highly recommended. The drive is beautiful and thanks to the new highway, just over an hour away from Puntarenas & Caldera cruise ship ports. Once you are there, everything can be explored on a walking tour.  The museums and markets in San Jose are really incredible to explore. This is one tour that we highly recommend booking the private guide along for the whole excursion.

Manuel Antonio National Park Costa Rica

Nature lovers can choose to head south along the coast to Manuel Antonio. Stunning beaches and abundance of wildlife is the pride and joy of Manuel Antonio. When booking a private Manuel Antonio excursion, you can choose the more economical route and skip the guide. Instead, your driver can drop you off and you can hire a guide right outside of Manuel Antonio National Park.  Of course we can find guides specialized in Manuel Antonio too that can spend the full day with you.

Monteverde Cloud Forest Hanging Bridges

The Monteverde Cloud Forest is another private tour that you can choose to book with or without a guide. Just like Manuel Antonio, you can hire a guide outside of Santa Elena or Monteverde National Parks. This is a must in any of Costa Rica’s National Parks just to help you spot wildlife. Trust us, you will regret it if you don’t. You can also visit the Aerial Tram or cloud forest zipline tours in Monteverde too.  However, the drive to the cloud forest itself can be a bit sketchy during the rainy season. So, we recommend that you allow plenty of time to get there and back. If you opt for the English-speaking guide, you will get a much better explain the region and what makes it so unique.

Arenal Volcano & Hot Springs

Of course, Costa Rica is famous for its abundance of active Volcanoes. There are 2 volcanoes you can visit within reach of the Puntarenas or Caldera cruise ship piers. The most famous volcano in Costa Rica is Arenal Volcano. Although the lava no longer flows, the backdrop of the volcano in the town of La Fortuna remains as stunning as ever. Add in the hot springs and you have one of the most quintessential days in Costa Rica. When booking the private Arenal Volcano shore excursion, we do recommend you get a guide to make it worth your while. Also, if you have the time, bring a bathing suit and stop off at one of the many hot springs.

Poas Volcano National Park & La Paz Waterfall Gardens

The other volcano that you can visit from Puerto Caldera or Puntarenas is Poas Volcano. This volcano is famous for its stunning azure blue or emerald green crater lakes. As a bonus, you can make a stop at the La Paz Waterfall Gardens. There are no words to explain what an amazing job they did landscaping and designing this incredible wildlife preserve. If you have time in port, this private Poas Volcano shore excursion in Costa Rica is among our top picks.

All of our private tours are customized quotes based on your interests and time in port.  So you just need to contact one of our Activities Specialists and they will be happy to curate your perfect shore excursion in Costa Rica.

There are so many things to do in Costa Rica in one day, that in this blog we’ve only covered the Puntarenas & Puerto Caldera on the Pacific side of the country! But you can check out our most popular shore excursions on the Puerto Limon on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica here.

With 100+ cruise ships arriving in Puntarenas & Puerto Caldera this season, it is important to book your shore excursions well in advance to ensure spaces. We hope our handy dandy guide to the best shore excursions in Costa Rica this season helped you. You may also want to check out our Costa Rica Shore Excursion FAQ’s. We are here and happy to help answer any other questions you may have.

Happy Cruising!