The Ruta del Manglar project was inaugurated on Isla Cañas, near Cañas. It was part of efforts to position the island as a conservation-focused destination. Two distinct nature themes come together in the surrounding area: the Mangrove Route, with kayaking on Isla Cañas, and important sea turtle beaches in the Distrito de Tonosí. These destinations are not all in the same place and appeal to different travel interests. Access to the island is also tide-dependent, so the specific route there is an important planning consideration.
Sea Turtles and Arribadas
In the Distrito de Tonosí, the Refugio de Vida Silvestre Isla de Cañas is one of two important beaches where sea turtles lay their eggs and arribada events take place. The other is the Refugio de Vida Silvestre Playa La Marinera. The two names refer to separate beach destinations within the same district. Arribadas are natural events; their occurrence is not guaranteed, so they should not be planned as a fixed part of an itinerary. This is an important distinction when deciding where to travel, compared with kayaking: at the beaches, the focus is on the natural egg-laying process, not on a scheduled activity with a set time.
The Ruta del Manglar and Kayaking
On the Ruta del Manglar on Isla Cañas, visitors can kayak with local guides. This is a specific activity in a mangrove setting and has a different focus from egg-laying at the turtle beaches. Local guides are part of the described kayaking experience; operator information may change. If kayaking is important to your travel plans, check the latest information about guides and arrangements before your visit. This lets you experience the mangroves through a guided activity.
Tide-Dependent Access
A spit of land connects Isla Cañas to the mainland. Depending on the tides, it can be crossed in different ways: at low tide, you can walk through a river mouth; at high tide, the crossing is by boat through the mangrove forest. When planning, take into account the tide relevant to your visit and check in advance which crossing method is suitable for your date. This differs from the directions via Puerto Cañas, which give an approximate boat journey time. The two details answer different questions: how to cross the spit and approximately how long the boat leg from Puerto Cañas takes.
Getting to Isla Cañas
To reach Isla Cañas from Pedasí or Tonosí, travel to Puerto Cañas. From there, the boat journey through a mangrove landscape takes about ten minutes. This estimate applies to the boat leg from Puerto Cañas and is approximate; it does not describe the entire journey from Pedasí or Tonosí. For navigation, it helps to think of the trip to Puerto Cañas and the subsequent boat ride as two separate legs.
Discover more destinations: San José, Mariabé, Isla de Cañas, Cambutal, Agua Buena, Tonosí
Go to the main travel overview: Los Santos.
