Loved it, but we don't think it was class III, and it was a bit shorter than we expected.
Costa Rica · Your next adventure
Whitewater Rafting Rio Sarapiqui Class II and III
Your experience
Good to Know
Embark on an exhilarating whitewater rafting adventure on Costa Rica's Rio Sarapiqui, featuring thrilling Class II and III rapids. Departing from La Fortuna, this full-day excursion immerses you in lush rainforest scenery, offering opportunities to spot diverse wildlife like toucans and monkeys. Led by experienced guides, the 7-hour tour includes transportation, top-notch equipment, refreshing fruits, juice, and a delicious Costa Rican lunch, ensuring both excitement and safety. It's a highly-rated journey where adrenaline perfectly harmonizes with nature's splendor.
About the tour
Experience the thrill of whitewater rafting on the Rio Sarapiqui, departing from the vibrant town of La Fortuna. This adrenaline-pumping adventure promises the perfect blend of excitement and immersion in Costa Rica's pristine natural beauty. The Sarapiqui River is renowned for its challenging rapids, rated class II and III, making it a top destination for rafting enthusiasts seeking an exhilarating ride through rugged terrain.
As you navigate the rushing waters, surrounded by towering trees and vibrant foliage, be prepared to encounter the diverse wildlife that calls this rainforest home. Keep your eyes peeled for the flash of colorful toucans, the playful antics of monkeys swinging through the branches, and the stealthy presence of iguanas basking in the sun along the riverbanks. Each twist and turn of the river unveils a new panorama of breathtaking scenery, creating a truly immersive experience in the heart of nature.
Led by experienced guides, safety is paramount throughout the journey. Equipped with top-of-the-line gear and extensive knowledge of the river, our guides ensure a fun and secure adventure for all participants. With their expert guidance, you can focus on the thrill of the rapids and the beauty of your surroundings without worry.
This full-day excursion offers ample opportunities to immerse yourself in the rich biodiversity of the Sarapiqui region. Take breaks from the excitement to enjoy moments of tranquility, savoring refreshing fruit and juices while soaking in the serenity of the rainforest. With transportation, life jackets, water refills (don't forget to bring your own bottle), and a delicious Costa Rican lunch included, all you need to bring is your sense of adventure.
Join us on this unforgettable journey into the heart of Costa Rica's wilderness, where every twist of the river brings new wonders to discover. Whether you're a seasoned rafter or a first-time adventurer, the Rio Sarapiqui promises an experience that will leave you exhilarated and inspired by the raw beauty of nature.
What to Bring
Bottle of water, insect repellent, water shoes, comfortable clothes, sunblock, extra clothes.
Includes
Transportation, guide, life jacket, water refill (please bring your own bottle to refill), fruits, juice, and typical Costa Rican lunch.
Location and Availability
Available in: Arenal, Arenal Zone 2, Arenal Zone 3, Nuevo Arenal, Chachagua Rainforest Hotel
Tour space is generally available when requested more than two days in advance and remains subject to confirmation.
Tour Times
08:30
Tour Type
- Adventure
- Rafting
Explore the location on the map
Location
Latitude: N 10° 26' 46.27" (10.446187)
Longitude: W 84° 6' 14.08" (-84.103912)
Recent Reviews
Overall
98%
Expectations
98%
Experience
97%
Guides
98%
Logistics
98%
Value
98%
Michele T.
Great guide!
Mark L.
Incredibly professional, friendly, and you can tell they love their jobs. I thought this was the best part of the trip and would do it again in a heartbeat.
Stacey L.
Our guide, Gato, was tremendous. Knowledgeable, fun and took the time to make everything feel personal. I immediately felt at ease with him at the helm. This was our families first time rafting and we fell in love.
Sonia P.
Our guides were awesome. Very friendly.
Amanda M.
This was our favorite activity of the trip!!!!!
Jodi Q.
This excursion was awesome. My son was very hesitant due to not being a good swimmer. But, our guide and boat mates made it a memorable trip down the rapids.
Justin F.
This was our favorite activity and our guide was amazing.
Nasja W.
Tour exceeded expectations, guides were wonderful, lunch was great, drivers were great, whole thing was truly wonderful (even though we fell in!)
Andrea W.
Our family really enjoyed the experience! Our tour guide Steven was amazing!
Kathleen Q.
I didn't go on this tour, but the rest of my family said it was their favorite of the whole trip!
Mike P.
Best rafting trip yet, great experience
James O.
Neither of us had ever been white water rafting before, so to do so in Costa Rica was a bit of a risk, for us. But Kevin, our guide, was excellent. He was informative, he was funny, he kept us safe, even when we fell in. The lunch at the soda he took us to afterward was fabulous. It's a bit of a ride from La Fortuna, but well worth it.
Kristen O.
Loved this experience! Our guide Kevin was very patient with us old fogies. He was knowledgeable and personable and very skilled on the river. Lunch was delicious. Our only complaints were the distance (over an hour away) and the expensive photos
Zoe B.
Best tour of the whole holidsy, loved it.
Erik T.
Everything about this was amazing. Loved the guides the rafting...all of it. Would do this trip 100 more times!
Sarah E.
So fun!
Gregory S.
fantastic tour Staff were great and best experience we signed up for on the trip
John C.
Great adventure
Marilyn C.
So much fun!
Allan C.
Wow
JJ was the best
Rem W.
We were a little under the weather this day so we did not end up going on this experience.
Kriste H.
Overall good experience and friendly guide.
Patrick G.
One of the highlights of or trip. Great fun!
Terri B.
This was an amazing experience. The guides were fantastic, the rafting was challenging but super fun. Tiny word of caution- there is a spot where you can jump from the rocks and swim, but the current is very strong and you really have to swim hard to make it to the other side. A few people in our group had to be helped by the guides in kayaks. The rafting is physically taxing but exactly what we we looking for.
Blanca O.
Best excursion ever! The guides were knowledgeable and the full day was worth the $
Douglas G.
This was a blast! Loved it
Christopher W.
Will definitely do this again!!
Michelle W.
Absolutely fantastic!! Want to do this again!!
Nicholas A.
This was also really fun and the rapids were good! The only issue was it felt for tourist and a little less authentic. The guide was really knowledgeable though!
Yash A.
The best guides I've had on any vacation. Food spot was also extremely delicious.
Jann B.
The experience was a lot of fun! Great guides!
Melissa D.
LOVED this one!
Terrence O.
The guides and the entire trip was great
Definitely the BEST thing we did on our trip! Francisco was such a great guide. He made everything so much fun! The whitewater rafting is definitely something we will be doing over and over again!
Gilda G.
For this tour a person really needs to be in excellent health because the hike up to begin the 12 zip lines is very challenging and some difficult for those who don’t have a exercise routine in their lives. With that said, I did in fact make it, I’m 61 years old and in very good health. Yet it was a challenge, I do my limits. I didn’t try to race for push myself more than what I can do.
Alyson T.
Amazing experience!
Nancy T.
Super fun experience for all! Rapids were exciting, guides made the trip fun, and we got great views of animals, birds and flora of the area.
Guides were very helpful with my autistic son and parents who were older. Trip was just the right amount of excitement and fun. The food after was also delicious
Elizabeth B.
Amazing, wonderful activity! Our guide was incredible (Jorge).
Renae L.
We had a blast! MoMo our guide was spectacular! I was a little hesitant and he made sure to make me fell safe. He was great and the lunch was surprisingly good too!
Yvonne D.
I was worried that it would not be fast or exciting enough - but it was good and fun.
Tammy H.
The guides were great! We appreciated them stopping on way to use bathroom, for bringing fruit and stopping along the tour to swim and keeping us safe while facilitating a fun time! Great tour!
Stephanie T.
Awesome!
Caroline P.
Our guides were absolutely amazing, pointing out the wildlife in between rapids, the food for lunch was fresh and delicious.
Mark F.
This was a very enjoyable and exciting tour. From the pickup to drop we were so well looked after. On our way out we had a very informative guide who explained all about the local fruit growing economy. Our river guide was great and took excellent care of us on the river. The fresh fruit pit stop on the river was so good (the best pineapple of our holiday) and we saw so much wildlife including an Osprey with a fish.
The trip was rounded off with a great lunch.
Mike P.
This is a must for anybody visiting CR
Sandra J.
So fun!!
Alison R.
Exhilarating yet safe!
Experienced, safe and informative guides
Jennifer D.
Fauricio was an amazing guide. This was by far our favourite tour! They took care of all the little details and made our adventures amazing!
Cyril N.
Keep this company for the rafting activity, everything was perfect :-)
Stacey W.
The best part of the whole vacation!! So exhilarating and thrilling! Really top notch experience! Our rafting guide was wonderful, lunch was great! LOVED
Michael I.
These guides were the BEST I have ever experienced. Even though we had no one with any white water experience in our group, the guides were patient and very helpful. I cant wait to go back again
Gianna R.
This was the highlight of our trip- we were a little nervous at first, but the guides explained everything thoroughly and we enjoyed ourselves without any mishaps. We were the only 2 passengers on the raft and although it was good for us, we felt bad for the guides as we know they rely on tips. They were excellent and we also enjoyed our fruit snack on the River as well as the lunch
Aruba R.
Amazing experience.
Donna T.
Excellent. Unexpected pre-tour of some gardens was a nice surprise. Fruit snack was very welcome, place to change afterwards was great. Drinks afterwards was great. Guides were fun and safe and knew what they were doing for sure.
Call us if you want to see more reviews.
Before you go
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difficulty level of the Rio Sarapiqui whitewater rafting?
The Rio Sarapiqui offers an exhilarating whitewater rafting experience with Class II and III rapids, suitable for those seeking a thrilling adventure.
What is included in the Rio Sarapiqui whitewater rafting tour?
The tour is all-inclusive, featuring transportation, experienced guides, life jackets, water refills (bring your own bottle), refreshing fruits, juice, and a delicious typical Costa Rican lunch.
What should participants bring for the Rio Sarapiqui rafting trip?
Participants should bring a bottle of water, insect repellent, water shoes, comfortable clothes, sunblock, and extra clothes for after the rafting.
How long is the Rio Sarapiqui whitewater rafting excursion?
The whitewater rafting excursion on the Rio Sarapiqui is a full-day adventure, lasting approximately 7 hours, which includes transportation to and from La Fortuna.
The people behind your vacation
Personal service from Pacific Trade Winds
- Highly trained Costa Rica vacation specialists
- Personal customer service and concierge services at the highest level
- TripAdvisor Hall of Fame recognition for service
- Ranked #1 in its TripAdvisor category
Make this tour part of your Costa Rica vacation
Request a vacation package including Whitewater Rafting Rio Sarapiqui Class II and III.
Related Costa Rica Travel Planning
- Explore Arenal ToursBrowse the established tour guide for Arenal.
- Explore Arenal HotelsBrowse the established hotel guide for Arenal.
- Explore Nuevo Arenal ToursBrowse the established tour guide for Nuevo Arenal.
- Explore Nuevo Arenal HotelsBrowse the established hotel guide for Nuevo Arenal.
- Explore La Fortuna and Arenal VolcanoRead the destination guide for La Fortuna and Arenal Volcano.
- Explore Costa Rica vacation packagesExplore vacation styles and itineraries for your Costa Rica trip.
- Plan a custom Costa Rica vacationTell Pacific Trade Winds what you would like to include in your vacation.