OCEAN EXPERIENCE · GULF OF PAPAGAYO
Private Catamaran Experience
A catamaran does something no other boat does: it stops moving. Two hulls instead of one means the deck stays flat when you anchor, so lunch stays on the table, nobody feels seasick, and the children can run around while you actually relax. It is the difference between a boat ride and a day on the water.
Yours is a private charter — your group, your pace, nobody else aboard. Forty-two feet of deck, shade when you want it, sun when you don't, and a crew that handles everything while you decide how the day goes.
Duration
Half / Full Day
Group
100% Private
Guide
Local Captain
Level
All Levels
What You'll Experience
- We come to you. A tender picks you up on the beach in front of where you are staying, anywhere inside the Gulf. No marina, no drive. South of Flamingo, we drive you to Flamingo Marina instead.
- Snorkelling from the swim platform. You step off the back of the boat straight into the water. Volcanic reef rather than coral, and busier than most people expect — butterflyfish, king angelfish, parrotfish, rays passing underneath. Gear aboard for everyone, including children's sizes.
- Everything that floats. Wave runners, paddle boards, wakeboard, water skis, tubing and light fishing gear are all aboard.
- Secluded beaches and coves. We anchor off stretches of coast you cannot reach by road. Swim, walk the sand, or stay aboard — the boat is yours and so is the pace.
- Room to do nothing. This is the real argument for a catamaran. There is deck to spread out on, shade to retreat to, and enough space that six people are not sitting on top of each other. Nobody has to take a turn.
- A guide aboard, not just a crew. Every Guanadreams catamaran day goes out with one of our own guides alongside the boat's crew — the same guides who lead our rainforest and birding days. This is the part you do not get booking the boat directly, and it is why the day costs what it costs.
Where This Boat Can Take You
The sea caves. Cut into the volcanic headlands by a few million years of swell, and reachable only from the water. We go in when the sea allows it — some days it does not, and we will tell you honestly before you get your hopes up.
Monkey Head Rock. A formation off the coast that earned its name the obvious way. It is also a seabird roost, which is the part most visitors miss until someone points it out.
The mangroves. Where the coast turns to mangrove, everything changes within a few hundred metres. The water goes still and green, the birdlife shifts completely, and this is where a guide earns their keep — herons, kingfishers, and howler monkeys carrying across the water from the dry forest behind. We go in when the tide allows it — it is not possible at every hour of every day, and we will tell you honestly before you get your hopes up.
Wildlife is never guaranteed. What is guaranteed is somebody aboard who knows where to look and what you are looking at.
See the Experience
Good to Know
- Half day or full day — you choose
- Morning or afternoon departures
- Prices are for up to seven guests; tell us if there are more of you and we will quote it
- Suitable for all ages — the flat deck is the reason families choose this over a monohull
- Bring swimwear, a towel, sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses and a change of clothes
- Everything included: your guide, crew, fuel, snorkel and fishing gear, and the open bar for your level
- Prices include taxes, card payment and your guide
- Free cancellation up to seventy-two hours before pickup. The clock runs from your actual pickup time, not from the calendar day — we confirm that time with you when you book. Inside seventy-two hours there is no refund
- If we cancel for safety, you get everything back. High wind, storms, or any kind of severe weather — if the captain calls it off, your refund is 100%. We would rather lose the booking than take you out on a day the sea does not allow
Two Ways to Sail
The same boat, two levels of day.
Standard is the full experience without the extras: transport both ways, snacks and fresh fruit, an open bar of beer and wine, snorkelling, paddle boards, fishing, the caves and the mangroves.
Premium adds the things that turn a good day into the one people talk about: a private chef cooking aboard, a premium open bar, fresh ceviche made on the boat, and more time on the wave runners.
Both come as half day or full day. The table below shows all four combinations, for up to seven guests.
Private Catamaran — Pricing
From $2,250 — for up to 7 guests. Private 42-foot catamaran. Price includes taxes, card payment, snorkel gear, and your guide.
| Package | Duration | From |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | Half day | $2,250 |
| Standard | Full day | $3,800 |
| Premium (private chef) | Half day | $3,700 |
| Premium (private chef) | Full day | $5,750 |
Larger groups quoted on request. Ask us which package fits your day.
Book direct with the operator
- We run these tours ourselves. No middleman, no reseller.
- Private from two people — no minimum group to fill, no strangers in your van.
- The price you see is the price you pay: taxes and door-to-door pickup included.
Before You Book
What's the difference between Standard and Premium?
Standard is open bar, snacks and the core water activities. Premium adds a private chef cooking on board, a premium bar, a full hour on two WaveRunners, and wakeboard, water ski, tubing and subwing.
Is it really private?
Yes — the whole catamaran is yours. Your group, your crew, your guide, your pace.
Is it good for kids?
Very. The deck slide, paddleboards and WaveRunners (ages 7+) keep kids busy; the water is calm and the crew is used to families.
What will we see underwater?
Reef fish, rays, and turtles are common. Your guide picks the snorkel stops for the day’s visibility.
Where do you pick us up?
Right on your beach anywhere in the Gulf of Papagayo; from Tamarindo, Playa Grande or Hacienda Pinilla we drive you to Flamingo Marina.
What if the weather turns?
We adjust the route to keep the day smooth. In genuine force majeure we reschedule or refund.
Design Your Ocean Day
Tell us what you love and we’ll craft a private day around it.
More than 300 five-star reviews on Tripadvisor. Our guides’ eBird lists are public — you can read them before you write.