A Riverboat Adventure with Jose’s Crocodile River Tour

The Tárcoles River winds from the mountains of the Central Valley down the Pacific slope and eventually drains into the Gulf of Nicoya. Though spanning a long 111 kilometers (69 miles), this river is best known for one particular stretch that crosses the Pacific coastal highway. Every day hundreds of tourists en route to destinations like Jacó and Manuel Antonio make a stop along Route 34 at the Tárcoles River Bridge to see giant crocodiles sunning themselves below. We wanted to get a closer look so we recently took a boat tour up the Tárcoles with José’s Crocodile River Tour.

 

What to Expect

The Crocodiles

Our adventure began in the late afternoon. We met José Eduardo and his first mate, Jimmy, at the docks in Tárcoles, a small fishing village along the Central Pacific Coast. As everyone on the tour got on the boat and took their seats, José introduced himself and told us that we’d be seeing a lot of crocodiles today. Within minutes, he had held true to his promise and the gray-green snout of a gigantic croc rose out of the water. As the 16-foot creature awkwardly crawled up the riverbank, José told us that its name was “Shakira.” Apparently, crocodiles are very territorial so José and Jimmy have gotten to know many of them and even name them based on their characteristics. This particular female croc was said to move her hips back and forth when coming on and off the riverbank, hence the name Shakira.

 

Shakira

 

José spotted several more crocodiles as we ventured farther up the river. We saw a short, stocky one named Danny Devito, another female called Nicole Richie, and even a small three-foot long baby basking in the sun. Everyone on the tour gasped as Jimmy jumped off the boat onto the riverbank to get closer to one of these intimidating creatures. Keeping his eye on a huge croc named Miley Cyrus, Jimmy slowly approached, stepping carefully through the mud and facing the croc the whole time. José told us that if Jimmy turned his back to the massive animal and tried to run, the seemingly lazy croc could spring into action and Jimmy would be in serious trouble. Luckily that didn’t happen and soon Jimmy was safely back in the boat. For us onlookers, it was amazing to be able to see these scaly beasts so close up in the wild, with our boat pulled right up next to them. 

 

Jimmy getting a little close with Miley Cyrus

 

The Birds

The crocs were definitely a highlight of the tour, but as bird lovers, we also really enjoyed the birding. In the shrubs and trees along the riverbanks, José would point out different kinds of birds, many of which can be difficult to find in Costa Rica. He even called some of them in by whistling loudly. Crested Caracara, Black Hawks, Magnificent Frigatebirds, Anhinga, Snowy Egret, Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, Black-necked Stilts, Ringed Kingfisher, Northern Jaçana, and four types of Heron (Green, Little Blue, Great Blue, and Bare-throated Tiger) were just a few of the many we spotted. We were also fortunate to see some bright red, yellow, and blue Scarlet Macaw parrots flying overhead in pairs, which have an extremely limited range. José was very knowledgeable about the different species and even managed to turn up a Roseate Spoonbill later on in the tour, which had been on our must-see list for a long time. We learned that this rare avian is the only pink bird in Costa Rica and gets it color from eating shrimp.

 

We didn’t get a great shot of the Spoonbill but these two Black-necked Stilts were very photogenic.

 

As the sun began to sink into the Pacific, we made our way up a narrow finger of the river. Thick mangroves surrounded us and the water turned to a shade of jade green. At one point, Jimmy slowed the boat to a crawl and steered into a passage with only a few feet to spare on each side. They wanted to show us the red mangrove crab, which can be seen on Costa Rica’s colorful five mil bill alongside a white-faced monkey and mangrove flower.

 

 

Sunset

The scenery during the entire tour was amazing. Mountains covered in green formed the backdrop, locals fished from the riverbanks, and cows eyed us curiously from under an umbrella ficus tree. Birds like White Ibis gathered in the tall mangroves, getting ready for nightfall.

As we headed back to the dock, we stopped in the middle of the river outlet for sunset. As a bonus, José’s 4 p.m. tour includes sunset and we were fortunate to have a spectacular one. The sky turned from clear azure to bright orange with a few wispy clouds. As the boat bobbed in the gentle waves, everyone made sure to get some photos to remember the day.

 

Information on Booking Your Crocodile Tour

Tour Times: 5 daily departures. Advanced reservations required. Contact José’s Crocodile River Tour to book and for more information.

Duration: 2 hours

Price: $35, includes water

 

Thanks to José’s Crocodile River Tour for hosting us on the tour. As always, all opinions are our own.

Have you ever taken a crocodile tour? What did you think?

 

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