Raft down raging whitewater rivers like the Pacuare, Sarapiqui & Savegre while surrounded by pristine rainforest on your Costa Rica adventure. Costa Rica has warm tropical, crystal-clear waters featuring a plethora of Class III and IV rapids with exciting waves and holes that are perfect for beginners and experienced rafters alike. Come experience why Costa Rica is considered one of the world's top destinations for whitewater rafting. Contact one of our Costa Rica travel experts for help finding the pefect combination of rivers and adventures for your dream trip to Costa Rica.
Where to go Rafting There are three main rafting locations on our multisport adventure tours: Pacuare River
Features Class III-IV rapids
Access from: San Jose, Arenal
Travels through mountains & rainforest
Expect to see: howler monkeys, toucans, sloths, ocelots, and more
Sarapiqui River
Features Class II-III rapids
Access from Tortuguero, Arenal
Travels through La Virgen community
Expect opportunities to swim in calm waters along the way
Savegre River
Features Class II-III rapids
Access from: Manuel Antonio, San Jose
Travels through jungle gorges & waterfalls
Expect to see: egrets, osprey, kingfishers, cormorants, parrots and more
Whitewater Rafting Do's & Don'ts
DO:
Wear a life jacket at all times and keep it buckled
Listen carefully to your guide
Wear shoes, water shoes, or sandals with ankle straps, rather than flip flops
Advise your guide of any medical conditions
Help others back into the raft if they fall out
DON'T:
Stand up in a moving current
Splash people with your paddle or use it as a toy or weapon
Bring glass bottles or alcohol onto the raft
Go rafting alone
IF YOU FALL OUT OF THE RAFT, it's okay, just float on your back with your toes pointed up, facing downstream.
River Lodges for Whitewater Rafting Trips Many of the whitewater excursions are already built into the itineraries of our multisport and adventure tours, meaning that there's no need to decide which hotels to stay at. If you are planning to do a whitewater excursion as an extension, then consider these lodges:
We keep coming back to Adventure-Life for custom tailored, out of the ordinary, non-touristy trips and they deliver the best every time. The trip planners know how to put together just what we are looking for.
Judith P. NYC
1 month ago
We have been working with Adventure Life for 5 years now and it is very easy to plan out our trips. Our holidays include customization of activities and side trips along with the standard packages available on the Adventure Life website. Kevin, Jess, Mary Rose and their teams have many recommendations that have enhanced our travel.
Joe
1 month ago
We had a great experience- they were very helpful in trip planning and making sure we got to do all the activities and see the places we wanted. There were some things we couldn't do/see due to the time of year being the rainy/low season and they steered us away from those. We had never been to Costa Rica before and it gave us a good overview of this lovely country.
Jody Dice
3 months ago
Jess was terrific and patiently guided us to make what we feel will be a wonderful family adventure.
David Herr
3 months ago
Jessica was extremely helpful and generous with her time. She was very responsive to our questions and comments and in a very timely fashion. She worked with us in partnership to plan a trip specifically for us and our wants and needs.
