Reviews

Had a blast! Great tour with three teenagers. Some of the reviews had given me concerns about the trip, but we had a great time and enjoyed seeing the genuine, non-manufactured, natural phenomenon. Main takeaways: 1. The bioluminescent effect (seeing a glow... read moreGreat tour with three teenagers. Some of the reviews had given me concerns about the trip, but we had a great time and enjoyed seeing the genuine, non-manufactured, natural phenomenon. Main takeaways: 1. The bioluminescent effect (seeing a glow around your paddle or hands in the water) is very cool. 2. We went with a waxing, half moon. While the effect might have been more brilliant with less moon, when we stopped in the bay, they had a solution for that--so if your chance to do the tour is at a time with moonlight, don't hesitate. 3. You'll be paddling about 90 or so total minutes at night across a shallow bay and through a winding mangrove lined channel that will have other tour groups heading the other way. There will be about 15 kayaks in a line in your group. You may bump a tree here or there--it's not a big deal. No one tipped and the water is shallow. 4. Main guide and shore staff were great. I thought asst guides could have helped folks into and out of their kayaks more--but that was a small point. 5. Wear something you don't mind getting wet and don't take cameras, wallets, etc. 6. I recommend the tour. read less

Magical The bay exceeded my expectations and the float through the mangroves was magical. It was challenging paddling against the current on the return trip but the guides made us feel safe.

If you go to Puerto Rico, you can't miss this experience I went to bio bay and was an excellent experience, we have a lit of fun on the kayak the tour guys was so patient with all the people, explain every detail of how to use the paddles in the... read moreI went to bio bay and was an excellent experience, we have a lit of fun on the kayak the tour guys was so patient with all the people, explain every detail of how to use the paddles in the kayak, the water is awesome you can see how glow when you shake your hand inside, don't miss it very recommendable. read less

Great experience! The Biobay at Fajardo was a great experience even though it is not the brightest bioluminescence experience in PR. The staff were extremely helpful and attentive. As soon as we arrived (Uber from San Juan) the owner made a great... read moreThe Biobay at Fajardo was a great experience even though it is not the brightest bioluminescence experience in PR. The staff were extremely helpful and attentive. As soon as we arrived (Uber from San Juan) the owner made a great effort to help us secure transport back to San Juan for after the tour, with a local taxi driver (it is hard to get Ubers out of Fajardo) even though it was not part of the tour's offering. They provided bug spray (highly recommend using it or coming prepared).
The kayak tour itself was great, however I would recommend having some prior experience with kayaking (we were in a double kayak, and my friend had no prior experience so it was a struggle). One of the guides, Danny, was especially kind and helpful in hooking his kayak onto ours to tow us because we kept getting stuck in the mangroves and sand banks. The bioluminescence was very cool, but having visited other sites in past trips, I would recommend planning ahead and visiting one of the brighter and farther out bioluminescence sites in PR if you can. read less

Once in a lifetime experience! We loved our entire experience! Daniel, Christian, Kenneth & Bellen were so fun! Can’t wait to return!

Great trip! We did the 8:30 PM tour. The guides were great and very knowledgeable. Kayaking through the forest was cool and then when entering the bay the guides had us go under a tarp to eliminate light pollution so that we... read moreWe did the 8:30 PM tour. The guides were great and very knowledgeable. Kayaking through the forest was cool and then when entering the bay the guides had us go under a tarp to eliminate light pollution so that we could see the glowing water. It was very cool. The provided snacks at the end of the trip which was nice. Parking lot was very crowded so get there a little early. read less

Great company and unique experience Everyone that helped us check in and take us on the tour was helpful and accommodating. The bioluminescence was pretty good when we went. It was a very unique experience and I’m glad we did it.

Kayaking en Bio bay Son puntuales un gran servicio y atención. El recorrido es maravilloso. Tienen el cuidado de hacer sentir atendido a todos por igual. El equipo de trabajo es muy bueno y los Kayaks están en muy buen estado. Ofrecen meriendas y... read moreSon puntuales un gran servicio y atención. El recorrido es maravilloso. Tienen el cuidado de hacer sentir atendido a todos por igual. El equipo de trabajo es muy bueno y los Kayaks están en muy buen estado. Ofrecen meriendas y agua al terminar el recorrido. read less

Grandioso! Fue mi primera experiencia en kayak y fue excelente, nos encantó. El equipo fue grandioso, especialmente Diego que nos remolco en el camino y nos contestó preguntas.

La laguna y el paseo por los mangles fue increíble. Pudimos ver el... read moreFue mi primera experiencia en kayak y fue excelente, nos encantó. El equipo fue grandioso, especialmente Diego que nos remolco en el camino y nos contestó preguntas.

La laguna y el paseo por los mangles fue increíble. Pudimos ver el efecto bioluminicente, aunque entiendo que antes era más impactante. Aún así fue grandioso.

Me encantaría volver a hacer la excursión a una hora más temprana, y poder apreciar el recorrido más. read less

Great experience, but highly commercialized I’ve seen a lot of highly critical reviews of the tour with relevant points, so I wanted to provide a review based on what I had seen before. The kayaking experience was lovely and my partner listed it as his... read moreI’ve seen a lot of highly critical reviews of the tour with relevant points, so I wanted to provide a review based on what I had seen before. The kayaking experience was lovely and my partner listed it as his favorite part of our time in Puerto Rico. I really enjoyed the experience, but there were some things that I wish I knew going into the experience as far as managing expectations (These comments likely hold for any of the tours in Fajardo/ Laguna Grande, I just took the Island Kayaking Adventure tour.)

(1) First and foremost, the bioluminescence is pretty weak relative to past experiences I’ve had. Is it still magical? Absolutely. That said, it’s unlikely that you’ll see animals glowing under your kayak and you have to look pretty carefully to see the glow of the water as you paddle.

(2) Perhaps a little more frustrating for me, it felt as though our time actually in laguna grande was short and rushed relative to the length of the whole experience. It’s over a km kayak through the mangroves in the dark to get to laguna grande. If nighttime kayaking is your thing (as it was for my partner and I) then it was still a really enjoyable experience. However, if you are expecting 30 minutes or more with bioluminescence you are going to be disappointed. In our tour, it even seemed based on what I overheard the tour guides were saying to one another about the timing that they cut our experience in laguna grande short for timing purposes because it took our group too long to kayak to the bay.

(3) Relatedly, the entire experience was VERY commercialized. Large groups, many tour companies, and different tour groups running into one another. It created log jams as we kayaked into the bay that weren’t helped by countless folks with zero clue how to kayak.

(4) They had bug spray (the nice Off Clean Feel Kind 😊) so don’t worry about picking up your own prior to the tour (that said, there are enterprising local shops that do sell it for an upcharge if this turns out to be incorrect for your particular tour).

I mention all of these to help manage expectations. I genuinely still enjoyed my experience, and the tour group certainly did a great job and provided nice directions on where to park/go for the tour, but if you do have the time and ability I may try going to Vieques or somewhere just a tad less touristy. read less

Great experience We had a great experience with island kayaking. The guides were great and very knowledgeable. The experience was fantastic. we booked late and they were able to accommodate us perfectly. I would recommend island kayaking.

Unique Experience Our life jackets securely on, we waded into the water to get into our two person kayak. The guide held the kayak for us.

Hint: wear water shoes and swim suit or clothes you don't mind getting wet. Use mosquito... read moreOur life jackets securely on, we waded into the water to get into our two person kayak. The guide held the kayak for us.

Hint: wear water shoes and swim suit or clothes you don't mind getting wet. Use mosquito spray.

As the group of about twenty (two person kayaks) got together in the bay, our guide gave us instructions about the path and lights again. Same instructions he gave on land. He gave a quick practice for how to stop, back up, and call what he yells back to others. He told us to watch for outgoing traffic in the narrow mangrove canal that would take us to the open biosphere bay.

We all lined up. Immediately, some had difficulty and we by-passed them. Into the canal we paddled. It grew darker as we progressed. Commands were called. Some were passed back, others we found out about when we sensed or saw the red light of the kayak in front of us stop. We never actually hit.

Finally after about 45 minutes, we were in the open bay. There we regrouped and waited for our guide's instruction.

It was kind of dark in the bay but not as dark as the canal had been. We had seen some glow worms while in the canal. Now, the guide told us we would create our darkness by using a tarp. A tarp was shared over the kayaks as we drew our hands in the waters to see the sparkles--beautiful.

When all had a turn and our second free photo was taken, we lined up again to re-enter the canal.

As we entered, we could barely see. It was pitch black now. And, there was incoming traffic--lots of traffic--including a motorized tour boat. Keeping to the right was essential. It was challenging as we were going against the tide into the large bay where we entered. It felt quite spooky--a little scary--but exciting. At least we knew the length of the canal now.

Upon exiting the canal, our kayak began to rock a bit but we maintained control. The large bay had been calm when we had entered. Now, the bay was choppy and flowing briskly.

We paddled as fast as we could in the darkness across anchor lines to the boat slip--our exit point. We felt exhausted but pleased to have experienced this unique adventure. read less

Outstanding experience Outstanding experience. All 5 of the guides were very attentive and very funny. Seeing the bioluminescence in the lake was a very fun time. I definitely recommend this company because of their guides.

Asombroso !! Experiencia súper, 100% recomendado, los guías son muy expertos y se ve que tienen conocimiento de lo que hacen y dicen, definitivamente volvería otra vez

Pretty neat experience The photos may seem magnificent and blue, but those photos are photoshopped. Anyway it was a peaceful journey through the lucious mangroves that encompass the path. I recommend to go early in the night because it is a timely trip.... read moreThe photos may seem magnificent and blue, but those photos are photoshopped. Anyway it was a peaceful journey through the lucious mangroves that encompass the path. I recommend to go early in the night because it is a timely trip. Please go, it’s very enjoyable! read less

Awesome & Fun!!! Thalia & Kenny - March 17th 2022 @ 6:45pm. My family was so glad that we chose island kayaking adventure. Actually Natalie @ Brasas y Cultura gave us your info to schedule this trip. The guides were all excellent &... read moreThalia & Kenny - March 17th 2022 @ 6:45pm. My family was so glad that we chose island kayaking adventure. Actually Natalie @ Brasas y Cultura gave us your info to schedule this trip. The guides were all excellent & remained professional & kind, especially to the inexperienced paddlers. It was a pretty bright moon, the guides did everything to make sure we all saw the glow. The guide Thalia was very personable. She was so nice to my 2 daughters and me & my husband. Wish we had met Kenny the guide that night. Kayaking through the mangroves to the lagoon was an amazing & a beautiful experience. You must book this trip! read less

Very professional! We had been very excited to go on the glowing bay adventure excursion and then had a problem and couldn't get there. Island kayaking adventures treated us very fairly and professionally. We will definitely book with them the next time... read moreWe had been very excited to go on the glowing bay adventure excursion and then had a problem and couldn't get there. Island kayaking adventures treated us very fairly and professionally. We will definitely book with them the next time we are in Puerto Rico! read less

Amazing choices This was an amazing experience it was beautiful at night time and a fun time kayaking i love it and will be coming back if i go to puerto rico again gary helped us a lot thank youu

Amamos Passeio imperdivel para quem visita Puerto Rico. Muito lindo e mágico.
O passeio é muito bem organizado e o guia explica tudo sobre esse espetaculo da natureza.

An adventure like none other This was a great activity in Puerto Rico. We went out around 6:30pm and I recommend this time over the later time as there is still daylight when you head out in the kayaks through the mangroves. The... read moreThis was a great activity in Puerto Rico. We went out around 6:30pm and I recommend this time over the later time as there is still daylight when you head out in the kayaks through the mangroves. The guides provided an excellent, thorough instruction on how to kayak and the evenings plan, but it was very helpful to get the feel for the kayak and mangrove before you are in the pitch black of night. Be sure to bring your patience as several other kayakers in the group seemed to forget the instruction on how to stop their kayaks - so much so that it felt like bumper kayaks at times. Once through the mangroves and into the lagoon, the guides provided a tarp to put over the kayaks so you could see the bioluminescence better when you waved your hands through the water. This was really helpful, because as even though it was a dark night with minimal moonlight, the bioluminescence is not as bright as the pictures online (they are photoshopped) and making it extra dark made a huge difference in seeing the glow. Even with the bioluminescence not being as bright as it is online it was still really exciting to see what looked like little blue fireflies in the water. The guides took pictures of each kayak before heading back, and posted them on Facebook for free. Kayaking through the mangroves in the dark is a great adventure on its own that I definitely recommend, so the bioluminescence is just the magical cherry on the cake at that point. They provided bug spray and a small snack afterwards. Both were nice touches (and definitely use the bug spray!) read less

Kayaking en Bio bay Son puntuales un gran servicio y atención. El recorrido es maravilloso. Tienen el cuidado de hacer sentir atendido a todos por igual. El equipo de trabajo es muy bueno y los Kayaks están en muy buen estado. Ofrecen meriendas y... read moreSon puntuales un gran servicio y atención. El recorrido es maravilloso. Tienen el cuidado de hacer sentir atendido a todos por igual. El equipo de trabajo es muy bueno y los Kayaks están en muy buen estado. Ofrecen meriendas y agua al terminar el recorrido. read less

Very Interesting Kayak Trip at Night! We headed out to Las Croabas to meet up with Island Kayaking Adventures about 8:30 pm. We were told it would be a good night for this bio-bay kayak trip because the moon was new and not bright at all... read moreWe headed out to Las Croabas to meet up with Island Kayaking Adventures about 8:30 pm. We were told it would be a good night for this bio-bay kayak trip because the moon was new and not bright at all (you don't want a full or bright moon). After a quick talk from our guides, we were in our tandem kayaks (2 man) and out on the water. The group of us headed for a narrow channel of water covered by mangrove trees. It's quite dark out and in the channel it's pretty much complete darkness. My husband and I are experienced kayakers and good communicators with each other so we found it easier to work together, kayaking in the channel. Many in our group are not and this made it tricky when they don't stay in line or crash into you. You need to have a little patience and you finally make it into the bay where the water does illuminate with small micro organisms. Very cool! The guides take pictures of you, which is a nice keepsake ( go to their Facebook page and down load your pic). You then head back into the dark channel and back to shore. My husband and I loved it. The prices are great too. Take the adventure. read less

Very bright and visible bioluminescence! I definitely recommend this tour! My friends and I saw a ton of bioluminescence, with and without using the tarp that they provide to block out light; Thankfully we went on a night that was very dark and cloudy. It... read moreI definitely recommend this tour! My friends and I saw a ton of bioluminescence, with and without using the tarp that they provide to block out light; Thankfully we went on a night that was very dark and cloudy. It was AMAZING and so beautiful to see! Our tour guide Danny was very helpful and answered questions that we had about the hurricanes and the phytoplankton; he was very kind and calm with our group. The other tour guide Kenny led the group and kept us together. I appreciate that both guides are bilingual because our group spoke English and Spanish, so we needed both.
The only thing is that it’s a bit chaotic and you don’t get much guidance from the guides; thankfully I have a lot of kayaking experience so paddling in complete darkness was ok, but there are a lot of branches and things to look out for (which could have been communicated more clearly as we approached them). I wore bug spray and had no problems with bugs. You either need to wear water shoes or take your shoes off when they tell you to at the beginning, and a bathing suit/waterproof bottoms are good. Overall this was a beautiful, fun, and impressive experience. Thank you Danny and Kenny! read less

Fun, beautiful Experience was great overall, loved everything about it.. only complaint i have is the other people in the group weren’t paying attention to instructions with paddling & were very rude with words. Other than that I’ll rate 5 out of... read moreExperience was great overall, loved everything about it.. only complaint i have is the other people in the group weren’t paying attention to instructions with paddling & were very rude with words. Other than that I’ll rate 5 out of 5 experience !! Will attend again in future !! read less

So cool! Myself and my kids (18 & 21) really enjoyed this adventure! Well organized and Gary and his crew did a great job keeping everyone together. The bay was mesmerising!

Inspired Today we went to this tour in where Gary, Daniel, Diego and Nestor were the guides. They show us how to kayaking, constellations , satellites and bioluminescent bay. They took us pictures and gave some snacks. Puerto Rico is... read moreToday we went to this tour in where Gary, Daniel, Diego and Nestor were the guides. They show us how to kayaking, constellations , satellites and bioluminescent bay. They took us pictures and gave some snacks. Puerto Rico is beautiful in the bay too. We recommend Island kayaking for everyone. read less

Good guide, respectful Kenny was a great guide and we had a nice time - everyone was honest about the fact that conditions were low-visibility but they were still able to make it so we could see some bioluminescence - of the many... read moreKenny was a great guide and we had a nice time - everyone was honest about the fact that conditions were low-visibility but they were still able to make it so we could see some bioluminescence - of the many similar tours in this area, I’m happy with our choice of this one! read less

Family adventure We booked this adventure and was my first time in this place and kayaking a ton night, we had so much fun and we learned about it too. My brother also joined us in this adventure and he loved the... read moreWe booked this adventure and was my first time in this place and kayaking a ton night, we had so much fun and we learned about it too. My brother also joined us in this adventure and he loved the movie out. The tour guides keep us safe during the process and also they give us a little history about the so rounded areas. I recommend. read less

Fabulous Experience!! We booked a tour with Island Kayaking Adventure. It was smooth checking in, very organized and on point. They even had plenty of bug spray for us to use and they store your stuff for free. They were on... read moreWe booked a tour with Island Kayaking Adventure. It was smooth checking in, very organized and on point. They even had plenty of bug spray for us to use and they store your stuff for free. They were on time, funny, very knowledgeable and safe. We never felt pressured to keep up and they were always nearby to help if we got stuck, which my son and I often did. Lol At the end of the trip they had snacks and we had full use of the facilities bathrooms and showers. This was mine and my sons first experience and we had soo much fun!! I was very thankful for the guides Daniel and Diego! My son and I kept getting stuck in the sand and the trees and they were great about towing us along and then encouraging us to try again on our own! They always stayed nearby and were helpful in telling us which way to paddle. The hardest part for me was remembering that if I wanted to go right, I needed to paddle left and vise versa. They Gave us plenty of time to enjoy the bioluminescent organisms in the water!! I had never seen the water glow like that! We would definitely do this again with them and would recommend them to everybody. read less

Fantastic!! Don't miss this opportunity when you are in Puerto Rico. Beautiful, and fun. Guides are knowledgeable and funny. A true lifetime memory!!!