Whitewater rafting is the ultimate combination of beauty and thrill- an
ideal way to savor Costa Rica’s natural splendor,
diverse ecosystems, and exotic wildlife, which have made
river running here only slightly less popular than in
the United States. A rafting trip is simply pure joy : a
sort of bucking-bronco ride with soft pillows instead of
a saddle.
There are a great number of white water programs to
chose from, with ground transportation from San Jose,
and professional bilingual tour operators and guides.
Comfort is met with quality meals, and roomy tents and
thick pads for sleeping on overnights trips. And unlike
most of the other places you can visit, Costa Rica
regulates its tourism industry making it very trustful
because of it is held to strict standards.
On the different places you can visit is always the
same, there the sense of isolation is complete.
Everything is as silent as a graveyard, except for the
chattering monkeys and birds. With luck you may see
small caiman in pools and shallows at lower elevations.
Generally, May-June and September-October are the best
times for high water. Trips on the Reventazon, Pacuare,
and Corobici are offered year-round, although in dry
season the latter two rivers can be barely runable.
Rivers are rated from class I through VI in degree of
difficulty, with the class V considered for pure experts
only. These are the most popular rivers you can find :
Rio Reventazon (Class II-V) : This river tumbles out of
Lake Cachi and cascades to the Caribbean lowlands in an
exciting series of rapids. Begginers can take a trip in
the middle-section (Class II-III) which is the most
popular section for one-day trips. The Guayabo section
offers extremely difficult class V runs : one rapid, El
Horrendo ( The Awfull ), drops an awesome seven meters
in one hundred meters.
Rio Pacuare (Class III-IV) : This is the best choice for
an in-depth immersion in nature, here you can find real
beauties through the virgin rainforest, plunging through
mountain gorges to spill onto the Caribbean plains near
Siquirres. Here the best months for rafting are June and
October.
Rio Sarapiqui (Class III) runs along the eastern flank
along the Cordillera Central and drops to the Caribean
lowlands. It is noted for its cristal-clear water,
variable terrain and exciting rapids. Trips are offered
from May to December
