We booked the kayak mangrove tour at the last minute, hoping for the best. Turns out it was one of the greatest activities of our trip. Our tour guide Alex was passionate yet very smooth, which gave this experience a zen feeling. He is very knowledgeable, and easily spots a lot of different species which we would have totally missed by ourselves.
The ride itself is super easy, even for first timers. The equipment is in good condition.
We recommend bringing binoculars if you want a better chance at seeing details.
We saw: turtles, crabs, alligator, boa, sloths, monkeys, iguanas, a few types of birds and some lizards.
We encountered other tours on the water (motor boats) and we could tell that it was more about the spectacle. It was louder (boat and guides) and they fed the animals to lure them closer which is forbidden.
Overall, the experience with Alex felt more in tune with nature, which is why we chose Costa Rica.