Eddy's Bioluminescence — Local services in Paquera

We did the Biolumincence on December 22 this year and it was INCREDIBLE. I’ve done it before in other countries, but this was hands down the best bioluminescence I’ve ever seen. It was also the best tour I’ve gone on. Eddy is relaxed, professional, and most of all, FUN! I should also note he is the only Costa Rican operator for bioluminescence in the area, which was nice for us to know our tourism money was actually going back into the country.

We got there a little too early and Eddy was kind enough to send us out with the kayaks at sunset. We were accompanied by Juan Carlos who was a fantastic local guide. After dark we started to see some of the awesome bioluminescence. I’ve never been to an area where the bioluminescence can be seen so vividly and immediately. Usually you kayak forever to arrive in one location, stay there for 10 minutes, and then leave. Not in Costa Rica! And definitely not with Eddy!

One person in our group had a lot of trouble with his shoulder so Eddy gave everyone the option of kayaking or getting in a small boat. We originally wanted to stay in the kayaks, but since we’d already been kayaking with the bioluminescence for 15-20 mins, we decided to switch to the boat. In hindsight, we are SO glad we switched. I wish I took a photo of the boat, as it’s quite small, very close to the water, and everyone was given paddles for playing with the water. So it wasn’t some large operation. I had my hand in the water virtually the entire time because the bioluminescence is so cool to watch on your skin. We were splashing water around, spraying water with our paddles, and even got to go swimming in it for a bit. We ended up staying out on the boat for 2 full hours, going all around the bay where we could see the most Magnificent bioluminescence ever. Really, I’ve seen it a lot and nothing compares to this.

There were a couple of advantages to going in the small boat, first we didn’t become exhausted from paddling which often happens on long kayak tours (especially after a long day in the sun) and most importantly, we were able to go to a lot more “hubs” of bioluminescence than we would have gone had we only been on kayaks. We also got to play with the water and not worry about navigating anywhere which was awesome. It’s also a good option for older folks, those less mobile and younger kids.

I also see some people on here saying they didn’t see the bioluminescence. This is precisely why the boat is so useful. You can get to every spot you need.

Loved loved loved this tour and wish we could do it every night....

We picked Eddy as his reviews here on google were outstanding. He didn't deliver on these high expectations. Once you arrive you have the option to choose between a motor boat and a kayak (there is no info given what to expect with each of these options, even after asking). We picked the kayak to have a more active experience. What happened then was very confusing. Without any further notice, Eddy drove around with the motorboat (trying to find spots of bioluminescence as we later realized), yelling that the kayak group should stay beside the boat, which even for an olympic paddler would have been impossible. So we were constantly struggling to keep pace. Eddys voice out of the dark night sounded like a divine command: "Splash". That's what we were supposed to do. Splash the water with our paddles to produce bioluminescence soaking our clothes completely wet (thankfully I had my swimming trunks on, but others didn't and were really cold, no word before the start of the tour about this fact). Also many other things were unprofessional like first forgetting a kayak in his shed (which I had to carry with him), then forgetting the paddles in this shed (which I had to get myself from the dark locked shed). But in the end what really stuck was the complete lack of any instructions or communication. The phenomenon of bioluminescence is spectacular indeed and well worth experiencing and I really appreciate Eddy's efforts to find the best spots of bioluminescence during full moon conditions (which clearly are not the best conditions), but you may also want consider another agency offering this experience. What I think is also very unfortunate is, that after constructively giving my feedback after the tour, he seemed to have no interest in understand what I was...

I'm giving this three stars. One because the kayaks didn't sink, and one because Eddy is very friendly, and one because the tour actually has potential under the right conditions. It could be amazing if we saw a lot of bioluminescence, but we didn't due to the full moon, even though Eddy assured everyone that you can see the bioluminescence just fine on a full moon. However, a simple google search will tell you otherwise. At one point he had the people in the boat put a tarp over the boat to see the bioluminescence, like children hiding under a blanket.

The tour itself entails a small boat that sits 8 people, and then kayaks that follow the boat. When you arrive Eddy tells you it's an extra $5 to be in the boat. It also took him an hour to get everyone ready and in the water, which was its own entertaining circus.

The rest of the tour is an entertaining circus of Eddy attempting to guide the kayaks by constantly scolding them, like herding cats, and yelling at them non stop to "splash, splash, splash" in order to bring out the bioluminescence and entertain the guests in the boat, as he aimlessly meanders in circles around the little bay. Much of the time you're not sure which way Eddy wants to go.

We thought there was a destination, but in fact you just go around in circles not far from the shore and to the other side of the bay.

All this being said, if the conditions are right (calm water and no moon), it would be a very memorable experience. As it was, we did see it a little bit, and were thoroughly entertained by the mayhem and disarray of the entire ordeal. Just be your own judge about whether or not the skies are dark enough to see this amazing...