Mangrove Tour by Day (Boat or Kayak)

This is the mangrove tour to do, run by the people who know the place best. Cambute is a family from Damas Island that has been taking guests into this estuary for more than 35 years, and the owner often picks you up from your hotel herself. It's a brackish channel where the forest meets the sea, and the tide reshapes it twice a day, so no two trips look quite the same.

You choose how to see it. Climb aboard the covered boat and let the guide do the work, grab a kayak and paddle the quiet side channels at your own pace, or do a bit of both. Everyone in your group can pick their own way in. Keep your eyes open for capuchin monkeys, sloths, crocodiles, and the herons and kingfishers working the banks. Nobody feeds or calls the animals here, so what you see is the real thing, and some days are busier than others.

Afterward you head back to their base for a home-cooked lunch under the tiled roof, then a short ride back to your hotel. Plan on about three and a half hours door to door. Groups stay small because the channel is narrow, and the tour runs rain or shine, so a light rain jacket never hurts.