San Juan Bioluminescent Kayak: Unforgettable Night Glow

I’m not great at water sports, but this was excellent. The night sky was filled with stars and the water was glowing with every touch.

The tour stated it started @ 6:15pm but when the tour operator called the day before I was told our p/u time was 4:30pm!!! That was not disclosed in anything I read about in their post. This put us in a major rush with our arrival time in San Juan and p/u time. With that aside, the van used for transportation to the kayak location needs repair. The suspension leaves ALOT to be desired! Also the driver needed to tell us how long we were going to be in the van so we could go to the restroom before we started the 1.5+ drive! The kayak tour was good. The smell at the bay was very unpleasant!! They seemed a bit unorganized when we arrived but seemed to get going after a bit. Even though we did not see very much of the luminescence the experience was unique and something we would not experience anywhere else. For the price it was ok.

We started our experience off by being picked up on an air conditioned bus. The driver was nice and right on time. It was an hour plus bumpy drive to and from the place where we kayaked from. When we got there we left everything we didn’t want to get wet on the bus. We got a life jacket and an orientation about how to kayak and then we waded out to the kayaks. The kayaking to the bay was really pretty and enjoyable. We got to the bay in time to see a beautiful sunset. The bioluminescence was there if you completely covered the kayak with a tarp and then moved your hand thru the water but it was a bit disappointing. Definitely not the tours fault - They said the Sargassum is killing the aquatic life that causes the bioluminescence. This would have been nice to know before we went. The kayaking back to our starting point was a challenge in the dark, but overall a fun experience. Also just FYI- there was a little store there to buy snacks, get a clear plastic phone holder lanyard before you go to keep your phone safe, bring your own toilet paper, and be warned the store front area for the kayak company has a sulfur smell.

Incredible adventure! We paddled through a maze of trees—some hosting termite colonies 🐜—as the evening deepened and moonlight became our only guide. You start the tour paddling downstream on the way back is a little harder because you are rowing against the current. The tour guides are knowledgeable are personable and ready to assist. The depth of the water in the lagoon is only 4-5' and you will be given a safety vest. I didn't find the tour 'dangerous' or 'scary'. The tour guides came up with clever workarounds to help us catch a glimpse of the bioluminescence, despite the brightness of the moon. Beautiful. There is a massive number of mosquitos we used repellent, and we got bitten anyway but the adventure is worth it. As you walk towards the kayaks you will immediately notice the hydrogen sulfide smell is bad right on the shore but as you kayak away the smell stays behind. The reason for the smell is the decaying seaweed. We recommend this tour.

Is the bioluminescence in the room with us?? Lol the bio bay’s luminescence left much to be desired, but the guides, Manolo & EJ (DJ? Sorry if I misspelled your names gentlemen!) were e x c e l l e n t. So professional, kind, patient, and helpful! I went with my 14 yr old daughter, and it was her first time kayaking, and boyyy did we struggle 😅 She isn’t athletically inclined and had a hard time, so EJ was kind enough to be our Uber lol, he hitched us gave us a tow.. Overall, I’ve done it, but it wasn’t much of a spectacle to go again. And to our guides’ credit, they were very honest in voicing the mixture of sargassum (seaweed) and our moon phase (literally almost a full moon 🤦🏽‍♀️) as adding to the difficulty in clarity of the bioluminescence. Despite that, they came prepared with tarps to help increase visualization, which certainly helped. Transportation picked us up and dropped us off directly at our hotel, and our driver, Jason, was also very kind and made the process seamless. Truly it’s the bio bay’s fault and none of

Really cool experience. Didn’t know what I was getting myself into. Our tour guides made everything fun and comfortable.

It’s a neat experience and we’re glad to have shared it with our kids. But we kayaked to the bay 10 years ago and it was much more magical then. Today, it is heavily commercialized. There were many tours going on at the same time, including 2 motorized boats that passed us. Some of the guides lit bright lights, too, and between that and the heavy traffic, it really wasn’t so magical. The guides were energetic, but didn’t take much time to teach newbies how to properly paddle. It felt rushed, but I was glad the guides at least had tarps to help make the bay darker around us to better see the plankton. It’s worth seeing, but definitely expect a long drive to it and a lot of people!

We really enjoyed the experience. The bus driver and the tour guides were friendly and full of energy and enthusiasm. Definitely got my exercise in...it was a great way to do it.

I am glad I went, but I was not expecting a 5 hour experience. Lack of communication before the outing made me worry that nobody would show up to pick us up. Be prepared to not see any bioluminescence unless you’re under a tarp and be prepared for boats coming down a narrow pathway when you are trying to maneuver a kayak for the first time if you are not familiar with kayaks. You will also be in the pitch black and have no idea if you’re going the right way. If you are an adventurer and you’d like surprises then this is the trip for you.

It’s just a night kayaking but not bioluminescence kayaking. They should mention as night kayaking while reserving tickets.