After I booked this trip, I started reading a lot of negative reviews. But I still stayed with them and never regretted it. They picked us up at our hotel as promised in a large air conditioned bus. Half hour into trip we picked up another group from a smaller van. But, no issues since lots of room on our bus. Roy our guide thoroughly explained all details of trip. Everyone got a bag breakfast, ham sandwich, cookies, apple and juice as advertised. It was a long drive, therefore no time to stop. The catamaran was at dock when we got there. After we started our 2 hour boat ride, they started serving watermelon and pineapple along with ceviche, soft drinks and alcohol who wanted to buy it. Once on the island we relaxed for a bit had a good swim and then had a nice lunch at noon, they served sangria and Iced Tea. After lunch we paid for the optional nature walk. Word of warning, the path is very steep and uneven. Wear good shoes. No beach sandals or flip flops. At 3:30 pm we reboarded the boat and starred our 2,hour ride. Again they served fresh fruit, banana bread, coffee, soft drinks and alcohol who wanted. Once we hit the dock, we started our 3 hour ride back to our hotel. Traffic was very busy for a Sunday night. It is what it is. In conclusion we got was promised. I would recommend this trip, but expect a long day if you are being picked up in Sam Jose.

Tortuga Island was a wonderful experience and the perfect day getaway. You get the best of both worlds—fun activities plus free time to do as you please, whether that’s playing volleyball, sunbathing, or just relaxing. The real highlight of the trip, though, was our guide, Roy. He was simply the best—always checking in on us, answering any and all questions with patience, and showing true dedication to his job. His commitment and enthusiasm made the experience even better. Overall, I’d highly recommend visiting, and if you get Roy as your guide, you’re in great hands!

Worst tour of my life. Breakfast was a sack lunch consisting of bologna and cheese on a hot dog roll, apple, cookies, and juice box. Too long of boat ride coming and going. Felt like they were going slow to drive up alcohol sales. Alcohol water down and they didn’t have much of the stuff to make the drinks on their menu. Lounge chairs too close together to get on without having to climb up the end of the chair. Staff rude and unprofessional.

The bus was ok, not terribly comfortable, at it's a 530am start. The boat doesn't have enough seating for everyone and although the music is nice, it's very loud when sitting next to it. The boat also smells heavily of gasoline, which gives you a headache. When you arrive on the beach, you have a section you can sit in, and you can see all of the other tour companies. You have 1 set of toilets you can use, and the Bay island toilets were below par of the other companies. The chairs didn't belong to the either. They just put a plastic wrap on the chairs. Maybe if you couldn't see the other companies, it would be harder to compare. The meal wasn't great, boiled veggies, and my family found hair cooked into the fish. When you're swimming you get a small portion of the beach which is surrounded by boats, therefore just swimming in boat fumes. It was ok, but I wouldn't book again. The staff was very nice, though.

This tour would be fine if we better understood what it was - in which case we would not have chosen it. We thought we were going dolphin/whale watching. Instead this is more of an island party with locals. Our trip included two bridal shower/bachelorette parties. I was very surprised they did not supply towels at the beach. It was very much bring-your-own everything that is not specifically described. Maybe I would have felt better about it if it didn’t pour rain all day. I wanted to hike the rainforest but it was an extra $5 to even be allowed there and with all the rain I decided it was unlikely I would see much. I did see the wild pigs that inhabit the island. They came through the tourist areas presumably looking for food. On the plus side - the food was very good (for this type of trip) and plentiful. The fresh fruit was wonderful as was the ceviche and banana bread. They give you 3 tickets for soda drinks. There was sangria and iced tea served with lunch. Otherwise you pay extra for drinks. There is beach volleyball to play and water activities such as banana rafts and kayaks to rent for an extra charge. Basically anything not listed in the description is extra. The music and entertainment director were so loud on the way back that it hurt my ears - so I had to sit outside in the rain. Most of the staff and a few passengers spoke some English, but overall, this is more of an activity for locals.

A long 2 hour bus ride from Jaco stopping once to pick up other guests then a long slow 2 hour boat ride to a small beach. The highlight was an ok snorkeling experience that you have to pay extra for. Everything is just ok, nothing stands out. I have been to many beautiful islands and beaches around the world, this one is a 3 out of 10. The food is 4 out of 10 because of the vegetarian option. The crew are not super friendly, I tried to get a band aid for a cut, the crew member told me he had a first aid kit but I never received a band aid. Unless you want a long mediocre day with not much going on I would avoid this one

First, I have no idea why they say closed toe shoes are required— there’s no need for them, this is not enforced, and most people didn’t wear them. The time on the boat and Isla Tortuga was exactly as advertised. Pay extra for a beach chair with an umbrella; the others are crammed together (literally rows of touching chairs) in order to fit into the few shaded areas. Also, as a light drinker even I would say you need to use two drink tickets per drink because the ratio of soda/ice to alcohol results in a very weak drink. I also would not count on the breakfast they provide: the sandwich looked like it had some unexplained pink liquid in it so I didn’t eat it. Other than that it’s an apple and some off-brand Oreos. Just bring your own. On the plus side, the crew were exceptionally attentive and friendly. I cannot say enough positive things about them. The boat ride was lovely and my favorite part of the trip, but took 2+ hours each way rather than the 90 minutes advertised. Based on just the boat ride and beach, I would have given this experience 4 stars. However, the cons are what ultimately would make me only recommend this experience with caution if at all: Poor communication throughout, starting with the driver not arriving on time and an ability to connect with the main office in a timely manner, lack of clarity about when we should get on/off the bus to make connections (people near the front of the busy could hear the guide but she made no effort to ensure those of us further back could hear or knew what to do— I only figured out when to get off the bus based on knowing who I got on with; I got up when they did), I was under the impression when I booked that this would be a 13 hour experience but it was 15. There was no acknowledgement of this. They use connection drivers to pick up small groups and bring them to the main bus, which then takes everyone to the marina. I had an unprofessional driver and dangerous experience on these small connection legs of the trip: he was late, the car was not very clean, he blared his music, when it was only me and one other single woman left in the ride on the way home in the dark, he pulled over to talk to a friend he spotted for a minute, and I think the tour company should seriously consider not dropping off single women last (I was second to last and I was scared for her after seeing him stop to talk to his friend with no regard for us being way behind schedule or thinking about her and my position). For this reason I would not probably recommend it to women traveling alone, as I was. Also, the transition between the van and the bus is dangerous: they just both pull over on the side of a busy road and have you move from one to the other. At least on the way home in the dark, they pulled into a lighted hotel parking lot for this instead. These experiences, because they were about safety, clarity, and customer service, really detracted from the experience and on their own would make it a zero/one star experience. I almost bailed on my tour with another company the following day based on how much the negative parts of this one stressed me out, but I’m so glad I didn’t, as my experience with the other company was much better. Despite the lovely crew for the boat and island portion, I will not book with Bay Island in the future and can only recommend them if you aren’t a woman traveling alone and if you are okay with a very rough around the edges tour experience.

We drove an hour and half from Jacó to Puntarenas to get on the tour. My wife and I had used a different tour out of Jaco a couple years ago and had a fantastic time but that tour company was sold out for the day we wanted to go so I was willing to drive an hour and half to go again so our son would get to experience the everything too. When I looked at the map I figured it would be a quick boat ride from puntarenas. I was mistaken, it was a 2 hour ride which was longer then it took to boat from Jaco which is much farther on the water. So you will waste 4 hrs of the day boating back and forth. The main reason we went was to snorkel since there isn’t much available for snorkeling around Jaco and we wanted our son to try snorkeling the first time. He was super excited to go. We got about 20 minutes from the island and was told the waves are too big and current is too strong for snorkeling but we would get a couple drink tickets instead since we already paid for it. So instead of snorkeling we got more flat soda that we didn’t want and we don’t drink alcohol so we ended up just having cups of water after we found the soda completely flat. The bigger problem came when we got on the island finally and we see boat after boat going out with other tours to go snorkeling. I asked the staff what’s going on and in her rude way she just repeated the same story and walked away. We paid for the banana boat to and the same staffer told us we could go anytime so we said ok let’s go right now we have nothing else for my son to do since snorkeling was canceled. She said ok she would get it set up and come back. An hour later we were still sitting there waiting. We ended up paying more money for the “eco tour” to kill time. We finally came back and asked the girl again about the banana boat and was told we could do it in another hour after they have lunch. So 3 hours after she told us we could go we finally got to go on the banana boat for 15 minutes. That was it for $125 per person. Also we were told we were leaving at 3pm so at 2pm we started walking over to the corner of the island to take some pictures. As soon as we got up and started walking the same rude staffer came over and started telling everyone they needed to get on the boat immediately because we were leaving. I said to my wife what the hell would have happened if we walked away one min before to take pictures we would miss the boat?? We had such a great time with all the tours all week in Costa Rica except for this one. As I told my son, they can’t all be winners and this is one that falls into that category.

Excellent experience! My daughter and I loved the day. The staff were incredibly kind and helpful. The lunch served on the island was delicious. They also served fresh fruit and banana bread. We enjoyed the snorkeling and banana boat ride too. The water was like swimming in bath water. I could go on and on….Marvelous day and 100 percent Costa Rican!

The staff/crew are the reason to take THIS tour! Cheerful, helpful, relaxed, kind, organized and fun! They ensure you will not miss any activity offered - all without feeling herded or that they are just going through the motions. You will positively know that they want you to have a great day and know how to safely deliver. Extra perks that need to be mentioned - this tour boat has changing rooms, fresh water rinse off showers for the ride back to port and plenty room to move around, both outside and inside the air conditioned main cabin.

My friend and I booked a tour from San José to Isla tortuga. We paid for a pick up from San José and the operator Edison Solis refuses to pick us up from our hotel at 5am. Instead he wants us to go to a different hostel which is 3 minutes away because our hotel is OUT OF THE WAY?! We are paying over $200USD for this tour and they simply can’t pick us up? Poor start of the trip.

Oh, where do I even begin? If there were an option to give Bay Island Cruises a ten-star rating, I wouldn't hesitate for a second! My recent experience with them was not just fantastic, it was transcendental! A once-in-a-lifetime experience that redefined what cruising should be all about! From the very first moment, I was struck by their impeccable professionalism. The pick-up? Bang on time, without a second's delay! They knew exactly what they were doing and were organized to the tee. Every plan was executed with such precision that it left me in complete awe. Their guides were not only fluent in English and Spanish but were articulate, engaging, and filled with a wealth of information. They explained every little detail with such enthusiasm that it felt like we were being guided by encyclopedias who had come to life! The time at the beach? Oh, it was magical! Not too rushed, not too sluggish, just the perfect amount to soak in the sun, the sand, and the sublime beauty of nature. Everything was planned to perfection, ensuring that we never felt rushed or wanted for more. The part that won my heart was that everything promised was delivered. Yes, EVERYTHING! Not one thing was exaggerated or misrepresented. In a world where companies often embellish their offerings, Bay Island Cruises stood tall, epitomizing integrity and excellence. The cruise itself was a blend of luxury, adventure, and pure bliss. The staff's attention to detail, coupled with their genuine care for our experience, created an ambiance that was both exclusive and inviting. I've been on tours before, but this wasn't just a tour; it was an odyssey, a journey that touched my soul and filled my heart with joy. Bay Island Cruises is not just a company; they are artists, crafting experiences that you'll cherish for a lifetime. If you're reading this and contemplating a cruise, STOP THINKING! Book with Bay Island Cruises! You will not feel cheated, you will feel blessed to have discovered the pinnacle of cruise excellence. This is not merely a recommendation; it's an insistence! GO WITH THEM! Bay Island Cruises, thank you for the memories, the laughter, the luxury, and for showing me the world through your eyes. I am forever indebted to you for this phenomenal experience. My next vacation? It's already planned with Bay Island Cruises. See you soon!

Bay Island Tours Isla Tortuga crew was amazing! Our guide Josue was awesome! The entire crew was so kind, attentive and made sure everyone had an excellent day- which we sure did! They provided snacks, a wonderful lunch with wine & entertainment! Loved it!

The beach itself was nice A lot of people at the same time The boat ride took two hours The staff was nice The food at Tortuga Island was okay The snorkeling was okay

The tour was poor value for money. $150 each & only 3 soft drinks, activities extra. Not recommended