Wildlife adventure! - Even though the river is a bit too dry to kayak, we had a great tour on the lake on our kayak and then walked along the river bed for awhile. We saw an amazing amount of animals including caimans and many different birds you won't see elsewhere on the island. Hector was friendly, spoke great english, and very knowledgeable about all of the birds and had a great eye for spotting things - including owls and a bat. Recommend this tour for everyone! Great value

Kayaking Ometepe island - My partner and I had an incredible kayaking trip guided by Hector. His expertise and enthusiasm made our journey unforgettable. The scenery was breathtaking, with crystal-clear waters and lush greenery at every turn. Hector's keen eye for wildlife added to the experience. His knowledge of the area and its history made the trip even more enriching. Hector's friendly demeanor and passion for nature ensured we had a fantastic time. We highly recommend this kayaking adventure to anyone looking for a unique and memorable way to connect with nature.

Wonderful kayak tour of Rio Istiam on Ometepe!! - If you go to Ometepe, you must kayak Rio Istiam with The Sanctuary. The river and the whole area are remarkably scenic. We were so surprised at how close you can get to the birds and wildlife, and they are so plentiful: tiger herons, stilts, caracara falcons, caiman, iguanas, lizards, fruit bats, and so much more. You’ll definitely want the guide service as you will want the expert eye to spot the wildlife and point it out to you. Our guide spotted so much that we would have paddled right by. And, our guide spoke good English. The kayaks were in really good shape, and they have a lot of them. We were also given great overall guidance. We had thought to use a double kayak but were told the water was low so individual kayaks were recommended. Touring in early morning was also recommended as the best time to see wildlife. We were glad we went early. Definitely do a kayak tour of Rio Istiam with The Sanctuary. It will be a great memory for you. You’ll be really glad you did.

Great Rio Istian paddle! - We wanted to kayak Rio Istian while on Ometepe, and we checked out a few places for a guide and kayaks. Hector greeted us with enthusiasm, and his kayaks and support equipment were far superior to other options on the island. The location, the guides, equipment, and Hector’s enthusiasm were excellent, and made for a truly wonderful excursion. Many thanks, Hector, and Henderson! The trip is highly recommended, and Hector’s outfit is the place to go :-)

Awesome! Lots of crocodiles - The kayaking was amazing. So peaceful. We had a great ecplaining by Hector. We got to see many caiman and a lot of birds. It is the perfect distance to the River. Other kayak companies are further away, so this was good for our condition Level.

Really nice experience - Our experience was so nice! The kayaks are in perfect shape and the nature of Rio Istian is so beautiful. The host, Hector, was really kind and gave us a really nice explanation of how to spot the wildlife there. Would really recommend!

The best time ever! Highly recommend this jungle water safari kayak ride! - Hi had such a magical time on this trip! I am a solo traveler and safety is always the most important to me. From the start to the finish, the guys went above and beyond to make it an outstanding trip!!! Hector picked me up on his motorcycle around 8am in the morning. We went to The Sanctuary to meet my guide, Enderson, who was the BEST!! Both guys spoke great English and it was refreshing to learn from them. I decided to do a double kayak with Enderson so that I could just relax and enjoy the view and take pics. I’m so glad that I did! We started the tour in the lake and then came upon the river area. We saw so many animals! It was like being on a water safari. Enderson was able to see all sorts of things that I couldn’t see. We also saw lots of caiman, some monkeys, a cow in labor, birds and many other things. I went during the dry season, so although the water was low, the river was teeming with life. I felt like I was on some Disney movie with birds singing and chirping. After the kayaking, I stayed and ate at the restaurant and it has amazing food and a fantastic view!!! I just wanted to recommend this company to anyone who comes to Ometepe and wants a great trip! Thank you to the entire team for everything!

Wonderful sunset - We had a wonderful time, 8 of us kayaking in the mangroove with the guide, and saw the sunset. Thanks to the guide we got to see many things including monkeys, that we wouldnt have without him. All super friendly people offering this experience, I highly recommend it

Amazing trip - I found contact of Hector from Tripadvisor and sent him whatsapp asking for more details. He was very responsive giving me information of what he can offer. I was picked up at 8am by motorbike from Balgue. I think doing the kayak early in the morning is a good idea as it won't be too hot. I was in the same kayak with the guide as I just wanted to enjoy the view and take photo. It was such a wonderful morning being in a real nature seeing lots of animals. The place is also a good spot for sunset. I came back the day after for sunset view.

Cancelled last minute. Disappointing - I can see others had a great experience with hector however sadly it tainted our trip to Ometepe. My girlfriend and I booked this a day in advance, Hector was very friendly and communicative the whole time. Sadly out of the blue he rang me 15 minutes before we were supposed to meet him and he cancelled the trip and refunded us. By the time we realised we had already arrived. He offered us the trip if we had cash, but it was 3pm and we had driven 45 mins from our hostel so was too late to return. We were looking forward to this experience and were completely let down, not professional to cancel 15 minutes before the agreed meeting time. If he had simply asked for cash in the first place it would not have been an issue. Annoying!