Tubing Down the Palomino River

The cost was about $12, and we were able to leave right away. A couple guys came to pick us up on scooters and drove us for about 20 minutes to the beginning of a jungle trail, where we met our guide, a boy of about 14 named Juan. We picked up our tubes at the start of the trail and hiked through the jungle for another 30 minutes to an isolated part of the river where we could launch the tube.

The ride down the river was interesting. Juan provided an essential function of corralling Sev and I if we floated too far apart or into the trees or shallows. The jungle looked really cool from the water and reminded me of Jurassic Park. The water was warm and nice.

During the floating session we stopped by a beach in the river where we could buy drinks. There was also a rope over the river where we could jump in. This was a pleasant break to move around after an hour of lying in a tube, and we could hang out basically as long as we wanted. We didn’t stay too long though, maybe 15-20 minutes.

When we made it to the mouth of the river we had a long walk back to the Selina along the beach, about 20 minutes. It was a rough-hewn trail back but the beach was quite pretty.

Some thoughts on this excursion:

It was annoying that we had to wear life jackets while in tubes, which got uncomfortable after a while.

Use sunscreen. You’re out there for about two hours and in direct sunlight almost the entire time.

Two hours is a long time to tube and it did get a little boring.

Bring cash so you can take advantage of the snacks and drinks for sale at the river beach and at the mouth of the river.

We had fun but weren't exactly amazed by the experience. But like I said, there's only so much to do in Palomino so if you're there for a few days you might as well give it a go.