White Water Rafting

With an annual rainfall averaging 100 inches across the country, Costa Rica is extremely popular for whitewater rafting. Along with the heavy rainfall, the steep hills and scenic rainforest composing the terrain make the country a great place to take advantage of the sport. Rafters are often able to view exotic birds and other wildlife native to Costa Rica.

No matter your rafting abilities, Costa Rica has an appropriate river for you to travel on. For your first trip on the waters, it is recommended to hire a guide from a licensed outfitter. The guide’s experience will be valuable as they will know the local rivers, provide equipment, and sometimes even a shuttle and food. Before setting out on any whitewater rafting trip, make sure you are honest with your tour guide about your skill level. Doing so will only be in your best interest, and help to ensure you have a fun and safe time.

Rafting tours are usually categorized by skill level or class. Classes range from 1 to 5, with 1 being the lowest skill required and 5 being the highest skill. All ages are typically able to participate in class 1-2 trips, which are slow floating and great for relaxing and bird watching. Higher classes (such as 3) require an age of at least 12 years, and also for the rafter to be in good physical condition. The 4th and 5th classes have the roughest water routes, so much more skill is required for these trips.

Whitewater rafting guides can be obtained from companies in the following locations:

     La Fortuna and Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui: Located in the country’s Northern Plains, these cities offer rafting on the Toro,  Balsa, and San Carlos rivers

    Quepos: The Savegre and Naranjo rivers can be accessed from this Central Pacific city.

    San Jose: Offers both shorter and overnight river excursions. Rivers for shorter trips include the Pacuare and Reventazon Rivers, while El General and Corobici are good for longer trips.

There are thousands of rafting outfitters in Costa Rica, so which one you will chose will depend not only on your location, but on the type of rafting experience you will want. Some outfitters in the country include: Desafio Adventure Tours, Rios Tropicales, Adventure Costa Rica, and King Tours. Rates and river excursions vary by each outfitter.