Puerto Viejo: Sloth Jungle Walk & River Kayak Adventure

4.84

(129 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

The first thing I remember is how the jungle felt—sticky air, birds going wild overhead, and our guide (her name was Daniela) grinning as she pointed out a sloth so high up I squinted for ages before spotting it. The trail was muddy in that way that makes your shoes make that sucking noise, but honestly, I liked it. There were flashes of monkeys above us and these weird blue butterflies that kept darting past my arm. Daniela knew every call and rustle—she’d just stop mid-sentence and go, “Listen!” I still think about that moment when we all stood silent, trying to hear what she heard.

We reached this little viewpoint—nothing fancy, just a break in the trees where you could see surfers way out on the waves if you looked hard enough. The breeze was salty and for a second you could almost forget you’d been sweating through your shirt for an hour. Someone tried to say “perezoso” (sloth) in Spanish and totally butchered it; Daniela laughed so hard she nearly dropped her binoculars. It felt good to be with someone who actually grew up here—she told us stories about how locals watch the weather by reading the birds. Not sure I’ll ever get that skill.

Kayaking the river was quieter than I expected. The water was brownish green, slow-moving, with roots poking out everywhere. Sometimes it felt like the whole world had gone soft around the edges—just paddle splashes and cicadas buzzing. We stopped for fruit (pineapple so sweet it made my teeth ache), sitting on rocks while Daniela pointed out tiny crabs along the bank. If conditions are right, they sometimes let you paddle towards the sea too—I kind of wish we’d gotten lucky with that part, but honestly just floating there felt enough.