Kayak touring the Osa Peninsula, paddling the magical Golfo Dulce, in one word, Magical!
Golfo Dulce is always calm.
I was a USCG boat captain for 45 years, and I have sailed all over the world running vessels. The Golfo Dulce is the most amazing water I have ever seen.
The Golfo Dulce, or in English, the sweet gulf, is always calm. In the morning, it looks like a lake, flat, calm, not even a ripple. For myself, this is my favorite time to go kayaking. Getting up before sunrise, getting on the water, and watching the sun come up over the Golfo Dulce.
Kayak touring Osa Peninsula Golfo Dulce
My kayaks are sea-going kayaks. They have little surface space on the water. Also, I put on a wax coat on the bottom of the Kayaks. The hardest part for me is getting into them and getting out of them. Still learning but getting better at it. Once I have mastered getting into them, they glide through the water with hardly any effort. I paddle slowly as my kayak glides its way of the waters of Golfo Dulce.
Breath taking view.
To this day, after 5000 plus days on The Osa Peninsula, the view is still amazing to me as I sit in the kayak and take it all in. The Sun is coming up over the Mountains, and I can hear the howler monkeys greeting another day. I look at the jungle backdrop, all in different shades of green. I stop paddling and drift with the current, watching the sky change colors. Breath-taking.
The Reef
I kayak in Sandola Beach. My kayaks are chained up on the beach. just makes it easier for me. I live in Sandalo, so it is only a 3 min drive to the beach. In front of Sandalo beach is a very long reef that goes for hundreds of meters. On a good day, you can look down into the water at another world.
As you look into the water, you can see a kaleidoscope of different colors. You have the coral, the fish, the sun reflecting off a fish swimming by, and it shines its colors of neon. Then a sea turtle sticks its head out of the water. Good morning, I say, the turtle knows me. When I fish, I give it fish to eat. The Sea turtle turns its head looking for a treat. Sorry, I say no treats today. The sea turtle’s head slips back into its world of water.
In the distance, I see some dolphins gliding through the water, taking a breath, and slipping back into the water.
Kayak touring the Osa Peninsula. Paddling the magical Golfo Dulce is just that magical.
A whale of a story.
Once I was kayak fishing. I was anchored up in one of my honey holes, trying to catch some snapper. Just minding my business, enjoying the serenity of it all. Behind me, I heard a blow; I know it came from a whale. I turned around and saw a humpback whale, 100 feet from me. It had just surfaced, exhaled, and inhaled some air. It put its head into the water and did a slow dive. I watched the tail disappear below the water. 5 min went by, and the whale came up for air. We were eye to eye. Yes, kayaking on the Golfo Dulce does has its moments.
Best time to Kayak.
High water.
Kayak touring the Osa Peninsula. Paddling the magical Golfo Dulce. The best time depends on what you want to do. High water is great for exploring the mangroves and going up the small lagoons. You will see monkeys, water birds, and the massive mangrove roots. Plus, if you’re lucky, you might see some critters in the branches that are curled up, such as snakes, raccoons, or the elusive sloths.
Low water.
Low water kayaking is good for exploring the beaches, plus less water over the reefs makes it easier to view the movie show happening below your Kayak. Kayak to a deserted beach, pull up the kayaks, and take in the magic of the sweet gulf, Golfo Dulce. Enjoy the snacks you brought along, take a swim, and for just a minute forget your troubles and the world.
Picking the right tides.
YouTube of kayaking from Sandalo beach to the Mogos Islands
Picking the right tides will make your kayaking adventure much more enjoyable. Low water, the tides are going out of Golfo Dulce; high tide, the water is going back into Golfo Dulce. That being said, pick the tide 2 hours before a tide change, go with the tide and current, then the tide will change, and once again you will go with the current.
I had a buddy come down, and he wanted to kayak across the Golfo Dulce, then camp out on an island. All the logistics got done, but one thing we forgot was the tide. We loaded everything on the beach. We hired a chase boat, a friend’s panga, and he was the guide for the trip. Everything got loaded on the panga. My buddy jumped in the kayak, and off he went across the Golfo Dulce.
The Tide changed.
As my buddy explained it to me later. I was two-thirds of the way across, and I thought I had a hole in the kayak, and I was taking on water. It got harder to paddle. We forgot about the tide. All good plans have hiccups. My buddy is coming down in 12 days, and yes, we will be using the kayaks, but now we will check the tides. It seems that when we start out, it is easy, then when we head back, it seems harder. Will have a lot of YouTube videos in the following weeks to share with everyone.
My Buddy made all the way across the Golfo Dulce, it started raining, and it turned out to be a wet adventure.
Tide chart
Use the above tide chart to pick the best time to go kayaking on the Golfo Dulce .
Kayak rentals.
YouTube our kayak rentals
You can rent my kayaks; the flat fee is $20.00 for up to 12 hours. I will meet you at Sandaol beach, unlock the kayaks, and give you the keys to lock them back up. What is included: local knowledge, paddles, life jackets, ice cooler with ice.
Aventuras Tropical has a fleet of kayaks to choose from. They also have several tours that you can explore.
Ficus Tours has guided tours available.
Osa Great Adventures offers guided tours.
Enjoy your kayaking .
Enjoy your kayaking adventure. We are all here to help you make your stay enjoyable and memories that will last you a lifetime.
Please remember, take only photos, leave only footprints!