Sunset boat tours reachable from Santa Teresa in 2026: the $70 and $85 sunset boat from the tour desk, Zuma Tours' Tambor Bay sunset, Tropical Tour Shuttles at $105, private charters from $360, and where the nearest true catamaran sails.
There is no catamaran based in Santa Teresa or Mal Pais. The sunset boats you can book here are motor boats that leave from the Tambor Bay side of the peninsula and combine a sunset with a bioluminescence swim, at $70 to $105 per person or $360 for a private boat. The nearest true sailing catamarans are on the Guanacaste coast to the north, from about $189.
The short version
For a sunset on the water from Santa Teresa, book the three hour sunset boat through the santateresacostarica.com tour desk at $85 per person with transport, or $70 if you drive yourself. Zuma Tours runs a Sunset and Bioluminescence Tour with the sunset watched from Playa Vivos in Tambor Bay. Tropical Tour Shuttles sells a longer version at $105 per person. If you want a boat to yourselves, the desk lists a private boat with transport at $360 per group, and Raccoon Travels' private rates from Tambor at $650 for five give you the upper end of what a private charter costs.
If you picture a sailing catamaran with an open bar, this coast does not have one. Plan for a motor boat in a quiet bay and a night swim in glowing water, and you will not be disappointed. If you only want the sunset, our sunset spots guide has the free versions.
What sunset boats exist here
Every boat sunset sold from Santa Teresa is a bundle with bioluminescence. The boats work from Tambor Bay on the gulf side, and the bioluminescence starts as the light fades. Zuma's own page describes it that way, with the sunset at Playa Vivos before the bioluminescence. So the sunset is part of a longer evening, back after dark, and not a short golden hour cruise.
No catamaran, sailing yacht or dedicated sunset cruise boat with a published price is based in Santa Teresa, Mal Pais or Montezuma. A resident asking in a local Facebook group for "a company who has a catamaran in the Santa Teresa area" got no named answer. Treat anyone selling a "sunset catamaran from Santa Teresa" online with suspicion, and ask where the boat is based and where you board.
The tour desk's sunset boat
The Bioluminescence Tour from Santa Teresa listing is the booking page for the santateresacostarica.com tour desk. Its 2026 menu lists a three hour sunset boat from Santa Teresa at $70 per person, the same tour with transport at $85 per person, and a private boat with transport at $360 per group. Two hour tours from the Paquera side are cheaper ($35 kayak, $40 boat) but you pay for your own transport and they run after dark, not at sunset. The desk does not name the captain or boat, so ask. Our bioluminescence guide covers moon phases and the price ladder in detail.
Who it suits: couples and small groups who want a straight price and a private option, not a party boat. The caveat: the page does not list group size or boat type, so ask the desk how many people share the boat and what the vessel is.
Zuma Tours
Zuma Tours has offices in Santa Teresa and in Montezuma and has run boats on this coast for decades. Its site lists a Sunset and Bioluminescence Tour, with the sunset at Playa Vivos, and also lists Private Boat Tours and Private Charter Boat Tours from Santa Teresa with a "Just For Fun" catamaran reference in the menu. None of those pages shows a price, a capacity or the sailing details, so I cannot call it a verified catamaran charter. Message Zuma on WhatsApp at (506) 8840-4389, or call (506) 2642-0024, and ask three things: what the boat is, how many people it carries, and where you board. A marketplace listing for the Sunset and Bioluminescence trip shows the meeting point at the Zuma office in Santa Teresa around 12:45pm, which implies a long day, so confirm the real timetable.
Who it suits: groups that want the biggest local operator with the most departures. Zuma's boats also run the Tortuga day, so ask whether the evening trip is a shared boat.
Tropical Tour Shuttles
Tropical Tour Shuttles lists a Bioluminescence Tour at $105 per person, 6.5 hours, leaving Santa Teresa at 1:00pm and returning at 7:00pm. That is the most expensive of the shared options here, and the 1pm departure shows that the sunset is built into the day. It is the one I would pick if you want a full afternoon with a company that also runs transport, because the shuttle and the boat come from one booking. Its website does not say the boat type or group size.
Private charters
A private boat is the nearest thing to a sunset cruise on your own terms. The desk's private boat is $360 per group, including transport. For a sense of private charter pricing from Tambor, Raccoon Travels charges $650 for up to five guests on a four hour whale watching charter, with transport from Santa Teresa as an extra, and it has not published a sunset tour. Tiko Tours runs private Tortuga boats from the Tambor pier at $480 plus tax for up to four, but those return by mid afternoon, so they are not sunset trips. Ask any of them for a late afternoon departure and a quote; sunset falls between roughly 5:15 and 6:15pm depending on the month.
A private boat makes sense at five or more people. For two, $360 is $180 each, double the shared price.
Snorkel boats and Tortuga Island
The Isla Tortuga day boats leave Montezuma at 9am and are back by mid afternoon, so they do not catch sunset. Zuma's Tortuga trip is about seven hours; the Isla Tortuga guide has the prices ($85 to $140) and the private options. For snorkelling closer to home, our snorkelling and diving guide covers Cabo Blanco and the dive operators. None of these is a sunset trip, but if you are comparing "a day on a boat" options, they are the daytime versions of the same boats.
The nearest real catamaran
The closest true sailing catamarans are on the Guanacaste coast, several hours north of Santa Teresa. CATours, out of Coco or Tamarindo, lists a snorkel and sail that returns at sunset from about $189 per person for four to six hours. Others in that area (Lazy Lizard from Flamingo Marina, and various Tamarindo operators) sell private four hour sunset sails, though their current prices are not published, so ask. A separate claim in our Isla Tortuga guide is that large catamarans such as Costa Cat and Calypso operate from Puntarenas and Jaco at $140 to $174 with a buffet and a hike; and those are day tours to Tortuga Island, not sunset sails. If a sailing sunset is the point of your trip, do it where the boats are, and do not expect it as a half day trip from Santa Teresa.
Comparison
| Option | Boat | Price | Duration | Pickup |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tour desk, sunset boat | Motor boat, ask | $70 per person, $85 with transport | 3 hours on the water | Yes with the $85 option |
| Tour desk, private | Motor boat, ask | $360 per group with transport | 3 hours | Yes |
| Zuma Tours | Boat from Tambor Bay, ask for details | Not published | Long afternoon and evening | Santa Teresa and Montezuma |
| Tropical Tour Shuttles | Boat, not specified | $105 per person | 6.5 hours, 1pm to 7pm | Santa Teresa |
| Raccoon Travels (private, whale route) | Private vessel | $650 for up to 5 | About 4 hours | Extra cost |
| CATours, Guanacaste | Sailing catamaran | From $189 per person | 4 to 6 hours | Not from here |
Practical notes
Bring a light layer for the ride back after dark. Eat before you go. Swimwear under clothes, a towel and a change of dry clothes suit the bioluminescence swim, and reef-safe sunscreen is better for the bay. Avoid the days around the full moon, when the glow is faint. Tours cancel for lightning or a rough sea and rebook. Book two or three days ahead in green season and about a week ahead in the dry months.
Browse every tour and outdoor operator in one place at the /directory/activities hub.
FAQ
Is there a catamaran sunset cruise in Santa Teresa?
No. The sunset boats from Santa Teresa are motor boats that combine a Tambor Bay sunset with a bioluminescence swim. The nearest sailing catamarans run from Coco and Tamarindo on the Guanacaste coast.
How much is a sunset boat tour from Santa Teresa?
The tour desk lists $70 per person for the three hour sunset boat and $85 with transport, and $360 for a private boat. Tropical Tour Shuttles charges $105 per person. Zuma Tours does not publish its price, so ask by WhatsApp.
Where do the sunset boats leave from?
From the Tambor Bay side of the peninsula, with sunset watched at Playa Vivos in Zuma's description. Transport options pick you up in Santa Teresa and take you over the hill, and some offer a self-drive price to the bay.
Can I charter a private boat?
Yes. The tour desk lists a private boat with transport at $360 per group. Raccoon Travels charges $650 for a private four hour whale charter for up to five people, which shows what a longer private boat costs from Tambor. Ask for a late afternoon departure.
Can I see the sunset and bioluminescence on the same night?
Yes, that is how every sunset boat here works. The sunset comes first and the glow after dark. The best nights are near the new moon.
Is a sunset boat tour worth it compared with a beach sunset?
If you can watch from Playa Carmen with a drink for free, the boat is about the glowing water, not the sunset. For $70 to $105 it is worth it on a dark night with calm water. Otherwise save the money.
