I highly recommend this tour! It starts somewhere past Las Palmas in a pristine river that wends its way through the countryside. There was no one else on the water except a family fishing, a man searching for gold, and a bunch of cows having a drink. It is absolutely beautiful and peaceful and a great way to experience a part of the Osa Peninsula.
Nature being what it is, you can expect a lot of surprises. Areas where the water is very shallow, rapid spots that will push you into the banks (with pokey branches), and downed trees that require navigation. It's an exciting trip without being too arduous, but you do need to have a basic command of steering and paddling out of spots. Because you need to pay attention to what is going on around you, this is less of a bird-watching experience than it is a kayaking one, although you will see plenty of birds around the water. Given that I went on a birdwatching tour prior to this one, I didn't mind this very much.
The river gradually becomes mangroves, which eventually lead to open water. Before getting to the mangroves, you are given the option to stop if you are tired. I wanted to do the entire trip, so we went for it. The toughest part physically is the end, on the open water. The sun is at its hottest of the trip and you are working against a perpendicular current. I'm not a particularly fit person but I was able to get to shore without needing a tow.
Definitely bring sunscreen and bugspray to reapply. You will be getting into the water repeatedly! Also, this is nature so there are no facilities for when nature calls.
Giulio, the owner, is very careful to explain what is going to happen and makes sure you have the option to get in touch with him through WhatsApp (although there are spots where there just isn't cell service, which is beyond anyone's control for the time being). He also follows your trip in his truck in case something should happen and provides water, food, fruit, towels, a helmet, life jackets, drybags, etc. He also dropped my at my hotel at the end, which was much appreciated. It's a well-considered, safe and very enjoyable outing.
