Is a Manuel Antonio Catamaran Tour Safe?

In normal weather, yes. A Manuel Antonio catamaran trip is a few hours along the national park’s coast with a swim in a sheltered cove in the middle: you board at Marina Pez Vela in Quepos, anchor in Biesanz Bay, eat, and come back. The sinking that turns up when people search was a different boat on a different coast. On any boat, what matters most is the weather call and the crew, and this page covers what to look for in both.

What happened to the catamaran that sank in Costa Rica?

The catamaran sinking people still ask about happened on 8 January 2015, when the Pura Vida Princess capsized in sudden high winds off Punta Leona, north of Jacó, on a day cruise to Tortuga Island. Three passengers died and 106 people were rescued. It wasn’t a Manuel Antonio boat, and none of the operators we list was involved.

The boat had left Herradura Bay that morning with 99 passengers and 10 crew, and the sea was calm when it sailed. About half an hour out it met waves of up to two metres and winds of up to 45 knots, took on water, went over and sank. The National Meteorological Institute had issued a strong-wind warning, but the port captain had authorised the departure, according to reports at the time. A statement from the president’s office said the life jackets on board were not handed out until the boat began to sink, and that no safety instructions had been given before it left.

Costa Rica’s judicial police later found no negligence and put the sinking down to natural causes. Tortuga Island cruises cross the Gulf of Nicoya, far to the north of Quepos. The lesson travels anyway: on any boat, listen to the safety briefing and know where the life jackets are before you sail.

Are catamarans safer in rough seas?

Catamarans are very steady in normal seas because the two hulls sit far apart, so they lean much less than a sailboat. They can still capsize in extreme weather, which is why the crew’s call on whether to sail matters more than the shape of the boat.

The stability comes from the spacing of the hulls rather than from ballast. The trade-off is that a catamaran that does go over will not right itself the way a ballasted sailboat can, though it generally stays afloat. The 2015 boat shows the limit: two-metre waves and 45-knot winds.

So the weather is the real variable. Local guides describe the sea here as calmer in the dry season, December to April, and rougher in the green season. Trips do get called off. Planet Dolphin’s listing, for one, offers another date when weather cancels a sailing, and a full refund if the company cancels. You have a way out too: all six trips we list can be cancelled free of charge up to 24 hours before.

Seasickness

Two hulls help, but a catamaran still moves. The pinned catamaran’s own listing says it isn’t suitable for people prone to seasickness, so take that at face value if you know you suffer. If you get seasick, take your usual remedy before boarding and pick a dry-season date if you can. The catamaran or sailboat guide explains how the wooden sailing ship differs.

Non-swimmers and children

You don’t need to be a strong swimmer. The swim stop is optional, snorkel gear is provided, and some boats hand out pool noodles; none of the six listings asks for swimming ability. Planet Dolphin’s own site says it carries life jackets in all sizes and that its crew helps first-timers with their snorkel gear.

Several listings say children must be with an adult. Planet Dolphin’s trip is stroller accessible, and Tui Destination Experiences offers infant seats if you ask in advance. One reviewer on the pinned catamaran found most of the other guests were families.

The listings do rule some people out. The pinned catamaran and the Tui Destination Experiences trip exclude pregnant travellers and people with back problems, and the Tui trip also excludes people with heart problems or other pre-existing conditions. The Tui trip and Brisa Elegante, the wooden sailing ship, are listed as unsuitable for wheelchair users. Read the listing before you book.

What a good operator shows you

You can’t inspect a hull, but you can watch for these:

• a safety briefing at the start. Brisa Elegante’s itinerary opens with one, and the pinned catamaran’s lists one too;
• life jackets you can see, in sizes that fit your children;
• a crew that will cancel or move the date for weather rather than sail into it;
• a cancellation policy that lets you do the same, which all six trips here have up to 24 hours ahead.

With those in place, this is a family outing: a few hours on the water, a swim in a sheltered bay and a meal. The trip we pin is the Costa Rica Groups catamaran, the most-reviewed of the six we compare at 4.6 from 187 reviews, with a naturalist guide, lunch or dinner and pickup in Quepos, from about $95 on the booking platform.

Choosing between the morning and the sunset sailing? Morning or sunset explains how the season changes it. Is the catamaran tour worth it compares all six trips on price and inclusions, and the homepage has them side by side.

2015 facts from AP, the BBC, the Tico Times, La Nación and El Periódico as reported at the time; catamaran stability from boating-safety sources; trip details from the operators’ listings and sites. Checked October 2026.