Gandoca Lagoon Boat Tour

The Gandoca lagoon sits inside the Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge, close to the Panama border, and it is one of the richest pieces of water on this coast. Mangrove, still channels, and a density of birds and wildlife that rewards going slowly.

The boat leaves from Manzanillo and the trip runs three to four hours, most of it spent working through the lagoon itself with the engine low. Your captain grew up here, which matters more than any script. He knows which channels are worth entering on a given morning and what has been moving through them lately.

If there is time left at the end, the boat can stop at another beach on the way back so you can finish the morning in the water. Fresh pineapple, watermelon and coconut water are included. Refuge rules apply: no pets and no alcohol. Departure is from 8am onwards, coordinated with the group, and the sea and weather decide the rest.