barefoot travelers kayak tour to monkey island

With my wife and two teenage children we stayed at Keishya and Bob's guesthouse and took the Monkey Island Tour. It was a rough day, but since we had experience kayaking, Keishya allowed us to take the challenge. The monkeys were entertaining, but it was much more than that: sunshine, beautiful scenery, snorkeling, and examining sea life among the coral around the island. A couple of days later, winds were high and we had already done Monkey Island, so Bob took us on a custom tour of winding inland waters that was even cooler than monkey island. By the end of the day, the iguanas we had seen in overhead branches were too numerous to count, we had also seen a plethora of local fishes and waterfowl, soaked up a lot of sun, and gotten a satisfying workout. Both excursions were rare experiences we will remember for a long time.

We enjoyed the kayak tour to Monkey Island and snorkeling around the ship wreck. Keishya was an excellent guide. We loved every second of it . . .

What a wonderful way to spend our last day out our 8th day trip in Puerto Rico. Barefoot Kayak is one of the best activities we has ever experienced. Keisha & Bob are very nice and friendly, Keisha makes you feel safe, she is very diligent with her instructions even if it your first time kayaking you will feel confident once inside the water, this was the 2nd time my boyfriend and I has ever kayaked and we did great thanks to their proper instructions. They even went out of their way to offer us drinking bottles of waters once we got close to the Monkey island, and most important she took great memory pictures of us with her own cell phone & emailed them to us on the spot.

We really enjoyed the kayak tour to Monkey Island. Keishya was an exceptional guide and everything was very well planned from start to finish (including perfect directions to get there, guidance along the way and recommendations for places to eat afterwards). We are still talking about what a fun and fascinating adventure it was and looking at pictures that we took of the monkeys (and that Keishya took of us, a few with starfish that she helped us spot). Our family of 3 (2 adults and one teenager) were joined by 2 others. Despite varying degrees of experience and a range of ages within our group, Keishya managed to provide everyone with just what they needed and made sure that we all had a wonderful experience. She is knowledgeable, enthusiastic, flexible and competent. She managed to satisfy the most adventurous and timid among us - no small feat! Would definitely recommend it.

We totally agree with many other reviewers - this is a wonderful experience that is well worth the price ($58 per person). A beautiful ocean setting, fascinating wildlife story (monkeys originally brought in over 75 years ago for medical research purposes, now over 1000 of them living in a nature preserve), quality equipment (1 & 2 person kayaks), great snorkeling opportunity for beginners, and the most friendly and knowledgeable guides you could ever desire. A few details that others might not have covered: 1) call at least a week ahead for reservations, they only do two trips a day (2+ hours) with space for 6-8 each trip; 2) bring water shoes for wading in the shallows; 3) take/use plenty of sun block; and 4) Keishya and Bob will tailor the paddling, exploring, monkey watching, and snorkeling options for your group so you get most from your experience - don't be bashful. Our group of five adults (Doug, Sandy, Kate, Eric and Jessica) wholeheartedly give Bob and Keishya 5 stars for our trip on Feb. 20th!!

Our family of 4 went with Bob on a trip to Monkey Island, and we had an experience of a lifetime! Our guide was excellent, helpful, encouraging, and knowledgeable. The trip out to the island is not TOO long, and we were treated to a monster rain storm on the way. When we reached the island we anchored the kayaks in the cove and were greeted by tons of curious monkeys. On top of that we were visited by fishing pelicans, and we also got the opportunity to snorkel in the cove.In all the experience was absolutely worth our time, and I'd encourage anyone to try it!

Keishya was a wonderful host making sure we were comfortable with the equipment and day's plan offering options throughout the day depending on our interests and the movement of the monkeys. We saw tons of monkeys it was a blast watching them interact and swing from the trees. We stopped for snorkeling at a sunken sugar barge and saw an octopus, starfish, and countless interesting fish. This was one of the best days we had in Puerto Rico I highly recommend this adventure- don't forget your sunscreen!

Our trip to Monkey Island was the highlight of my vacation in Puerto Rico. The kayaking was fun, we saw hundreds of monkeys, and the snorkeling was surprisingly good as well. Keisha did everything she could to make it a memorable experience for us. I would highly recommend this trip to anyone who is debating whether or not to go. GO! You'll be glad you did.

We kayaked to monkey island with Keishya and Bob the end of Jan. It was a beautiful day! We hit monkey day, we saw hundreds of monkeys on 2 sides of the island. We also went snorkeling and saw lots of fish, an octopus hiding and starfish!! Keishya and Bob were wonderful guides pointing out all the monkeys and different fish. My son said it must be great to enjoy your job so much as you can tell they do!

This is a precious gem from Puerto that few people know. This trip was amazing and unique.More than you can expect, if you like kayaking this is the trip! You can leave from an area that is not so touristic and feel the freedom in the ocean with your team, after ~30 minutes you spend time observing how the monkeys have stablished a community and life along with birds in an Island. You then can kayak around the Island with the different views; you can see the mountains, the islands, or just the ocean! There are some areas where you can snorkel and this was a treat for me, as I was not expecting to see those fishes and reefs :).This is how it is structured but what I learned and appreciate is that Keisha has a customer service passion and in reality if you want to do more of one thing or another you just tells her. The trips are max 6 people, so it is extremely easy to accommodate your needs. Enjoy it!

Fantastic tour! It was the highlight of our trip to Puerto Rico. Keishya was very knowledgeable and friendly. We never felt rushed. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone looking for an exciting 1/2 day trip.

We did the morning trip. They keep the group very small (about 6 kayakers). I was able to get a single kayak, but that is dependent on the size of the group and of the kayakers as they need to keep everyone safe. The water was crystal smooth in the morning and we were able to paddle out and snorkel right away. Visibility was great. Then we paddled around the island taking time to stop and watch the monkeys play. We never felt rushed in any way. Bob was a great guide and was constantly point things out in the water and on the island. The water was rougher by the time we finished, so the paddle back was more strenuous, but certainly not overly difficult. Be sure to use plenty of bug spray, especially if the wind is calm. I had many bites from the time on the beach before we got in the water.

Hubby and I kayaked with a group of 6 others and the guide. It's about a 25-30 minute kayak to the island. You spend some time watching the monkeys as well and then snorkeling (if desired). You also have the choice to kayak around the island to get some different views, which were worth it I think. If you only have one guide, there has to be a group census for going around the island. So, if you feel strongly one way or the other, let them know ahead of time so you aren't disappointed or the one killing it for the whole group. Guide was great with great info about the island. You do not go onto the island, but you get within about 25 yds of it, which is plenty to view the monkeys. Only scientists are allowed on the island. Overall, fun and unique trip. I handled the kayaking just fine being 4 months pregnant. So, if you are in average shape, I think you would enjoy it.

Thanks Keiysha! The tour to Cayo Santiago was great. The water was calm, beautiful and a breeze to kayak in. We saw so many monkeys. Baby monkeys, momma monkeys, junior monkeys, older monkeys and even a swimming monkey. Definately a must do.

We had such a spectacular trip with Barefoot Traveler's. Keishya had everything we needed to ensure a great experience. She even arranged for particularly calm waters! We snorkeled the ship wreck and surrounding island and saw a ton of bright, tropical fish, lounged in the water, and saw hundreds of monkeys. Keishya loves her job and is very knowledgable about the marine and wildlife we were observing. This would be a great trip for girlfriends, or even a family outing.