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Curú Wildlife Refuge Bioluminescence Tour: An Interactive Evening Experience on Tortuga Islands
4.1
15 Ratings
Paquera
Experience the magic of bioluminescence on the Curú Wildlife Refuge Bioluminescence Tour. Enjoy a private beach, sunset views, and a chance to swim with glowing organisms at night.
Experience the magic of bioluminescence on the Curú Wildlife Refuge Bioluminescence Tour. Enjoy a private beach, sunset views, and a chance to swim with glowing organisms at night.
Duration:
2 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
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Q3QG+23 Paquera - At the Curú Wildlife Refuge (starting point of the tour) where you can observe nature such as deer, monkeys, coatis, etc., the payment for the tour already includes the right to enter the Curú Refuge, parking, bathrooms and use of the Curú trails before the tour start time.
The sunset and bioluminescence tour begins at Curu Beach…
-
Q3QG+23 Paquera - At the Curú Wildlife Refuge (starting point of the tour) where you can observe nature such as deer, monkeys, coatis, etc., the payment for the tour already includes the right to enter the Curú Refuge, parking, bathrooms and use of the Curú trails before the tour start time.
The sunset and bioluminescence tour begins at Curu Beach at 5 p.m. and goes by outboard motor boat to the Tortuga Islands in a 15-minute trip. We make a stop at the white sand beach of the Tortuga Islands to enjoy the sunset and a snack of fruit and soft drinks. When it gets dark, we move with the boat to look for the best spot to see the bioluminescence. We stopped with the boat to explain the phenomenon and the factors that produce it. Bioluminescence can be observed, either from the boat or by swimming in the sea to better see the phenomenon. You can put on the snorkeling mask (included in the tour) to better see the phenomenon. Once the phenomenon is seen, we head to Curú beach where there are showers, parking, and restrooms for clients, ending the activity at approximately 7:30 p.m.
What's Included
- Entry to Curu Wildlife Refuge
- Snacks included
- Boat transfer to and from Tortuga Island
- Snorkeling gear provided
- Free parking at Curu Shelter during activity
- Entry to Curu Wildlife Refuge
- Snacks included
- Boat transfer to and from Tortuga Island
- Snorkeling gear provided
- Free parking at Curu Shelter during activity
What's Not Included
- Alcoholic beverages
- Alcoholic beverages
Additional Information
The bioluminescence tour kicks off at 5 p.m. at Curú Beach. From there, participants embark on a motorboat for a 15-minute journey to the Tortuga Islands, where they can relish a pristine white sand beach, free from other tour groups. Guests are treated to a snack of fruits and soft drinks while taking in the sunset and the turquoise sea.
Since 2000,…
The bioluminescence tour kicks off at 5 p.m. at Curú Beach. From there, participants embark on a motorboat for a 15-minute journey to the Tortuga Islands, where they can relish a pristine white sand beach, free from other tour groups. Guests are treated to a snack of fruits and soft drinks while taking in the sunset and the turquoise sea.
Since 2000, this tour has been synonymous with quality. The operators are direct descendants of the founder of the Curú Wildlife Refuge. They are committed to a conservation and management project for the various ecosystems within Curú and the Paquera Responsible Fishing Area.
Visitors are welcome to arrive at Curú early in the afternoon to immerse themselves in nature and observe wildlife, including monkeys, deer, coatis, iguanas, and other animals. The tour offers an interactive experience, allowing guests to swim in the sea at night amidst the enchanting glow of bioluminescence.
- There are life jackets for all ages.
Location
Q3QG+23 Paquera
2.5 kilometers from the entrance of the Curú Refuge, heading east, is the vehicle parking, the Curu administration office and our offices for the meeting and departure point of the tour.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.1
(15 Ratings)
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Vince_a
Dec 24, 2025
Magic tour with bioluminescence - That was just magical. Because it was a new moon we had a magnificent starry sky and everything shone in the water. An experience I will always remember. The crew was great. Everything worked out. We can recommend this tour 100%.
Review provided by Viator
143maikp
Oct 25, 2025
Anytime again - Indescribably beautiful experience. The nice crew and delicious fruit made the trip perfect. Afterwards we could still walk in the park.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Erikgarciaconchal
Aug 24, 2025
Great tour near Westin Playa Conchal . It is 2:40 minutes away - I went on August 22 of 2025 and arrive around 3 pm . The park closes at 3:30 pm so you need to arrive around 1 pm . The park offers nicer hike and there is a restaurant. They only take cash so bring cash . There is lots of wildlife and parrots and deer . The bot tour is at 5 pm . We visited tortuga island and Quesera beach . The Bioluminescence tour is ok but I was happy about it . We will return
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Verenakk9684lu
Dec 30, 2024
Magical Trip - Just great! It was so great! We were lucky that there were only two of us on the boat and had a "private trip" so to speak. We were shown and explained a lot and the captain and tour guide were totally nice, helpful and fun. We were cut open with fruit and had drinks.
We were totally fascinated by this experience and can only recommend it.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Diana_j
Dec 3, 2024
Great tour! - Really great guides and tour. Would definitely recommend if you’re in the area . You can come early and snorkle at 12:30 for a full day too
Review provided by Viator
H6752asjeannem
Jun 28, 2024
Excellent! - Excellent captain and tour! Beautiful view of the island. Fresh fruit (pineapple and watermelon) was delicious. Nice demonstration of the bioluminescence
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Aimie
Mar 19, 2025
Bright moon didn’t ruin the experience. Wish we arrived much earlier to hike the mapped trails. - Unfortunately our trip fell over a week of bright moonlight. I knew that this wasn’t optimal and was glad that they had a “plan B” for bright nights. “Plan B” is a floating dock with a large blackout roof on top. Patrons crawl through an opening on the dock and then it is closed up so that there is complete darkness inside. It is worth the experience of seeing one of nature’s wonders. The beach sunset and boat ride to and from were surprisingly pleasant as well. I wish we would have arrived much sooner than we did to see the wildlife refuge. I wasn’t sure what to expect or how long it would take to get through. The refuge is covered with mapped walking/hiking trails of various lengths. Great way to walk through the jungle safely while seeing a few animals. You could plan lunch and hiking before the bioluminescence tour or make a day of hiking to the beach location (longer adventure) before the tour. We traveled with a large group of older kids, teens, and adults. Not strenuous hiking but definitely work. Very enjoyable for all age groups.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Cecetira
Aug 5, 2025
Poor bioluminescence output - Tower to do the bioluminescence but it was missed!!!
Exit to the isla de la Tortuga (fairly well ) and then to a platform .
We did not know that the tour was done in a platform in the dark, very small!! And I would say not recommended for chlostrophobes.....😖😖😬😬
Once dark, we return from the platform: bioluminescence not very visible , jellyfish stings for our large and scratches against the walls of the platform for the smallest.
So, we decide to stop because too complicated to manage .....
big big disappointment!!!
D especially since we learn the next day that a travel agency currently advises against going out because the water is cloudy .....
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Trek44771562161
Aug 5, 2025
Negative experience - Very disappointing exit. We were sold a fairytale experience, it was not far from the nightmare... low luminescence considering the water quality when we were there (reported by other tourist organizations), plunged under a 4m2 platform to increase the darkness but causing a locking effect that would repel any claustrophobic person and whose edges are made sharp by the shells hung on the flotation cans.
My youngest son came out with a bloody leg and my oldest was stung by a jellyfish. 5 minutes in the water in all, not at all magical. To forget
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Michaelgy8000by
Mar 3, 2026
Don't book! Scam - A total disappointment. The guys who ran the tour were very weird, seemed almost drugged. You saw almost nothing or even knew how to photograph. We also only approached a spot 5min from the beach where you could swim in a canister in the water. Then we went back again and the tour was finished. After 30min boat ride. For the price an absolute scan
Review provided by Tripadvisor
