White Water Rafting (Class III) with lunch - Arenal Area

Experience thrilling Class III white water rafting on the Balsa River in the stunning Arenal Area of Costa Rica. Lunch included. Book now!

Duration: 5 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Bajo Rodriguez - You will have an expert guide as your captain who will control the direction of the boat and give the team the necessary paddling commands in order to follow the best river currents. Be prepared to ride the waves that will break in front of the boat slashing everyone inside. There will be an additional guide in a kayak ahead of the raft inspecting each rapid and informing the raft guide of any changes in the river’s route. He will also be ready to help rescue any swimmers.

After riding the waves for a while, we will stop for to swim, cliff-jump, and enjoy some fresh tropical fruit along the riverbank. As we descend the river the waves will decrease in intensity which will then allow us time to observe and enjoy some of the wildlife that inhabits the area. Be on the lookout for aquatic birds, sloths, monkeys, toucans, and tropical frogs. After our rafting adventure, we will stop at our restaurant, “La Finquita” to enjoy a delicious Costa Rican lunch.

What's Included
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • Bottled water
  • National Park fees
  • Snacks
  • Lunch
What's Not Included
  • Souvenir photos (available to purchase)
  • Gratuities
Additional Information

In the northern region of Costa Rica, stunning landscapes and fantastic river rafting await.

Balsa River, known for consistently good water levels all year, is fantastic for those new to rafting. Experts will also find pleasure riding its lovely rapids and sizeable waves, which may occasionally demand skilled maneuvering.

The best part: It’s a mere half hour from your accommodation in La Fortuna.

  • Child rate applies only when sharing with 2 paying adults
  • Children must be accompanied by an adult
  • Water shoes, or any type of shoe that protects feet and don’t come out easy, are required for this experience.
Location
Jacamar Naturalist Tours
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(86 Ratings)
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Jacob
Jul 25, 2024
Carlos was a brilliant guide - passionate, knowledgeable, and responsible. Highly recommmend the rafting! - This was an amazing experience, and Carlos was the best guide! The rafting itself was honestly the best I’ve done in my life as well. Highly recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lynzloo
Jul 20, 2024
Amazing team, great fun rafting experience - This rafting was absolutely amazing. We are a family of four with two teenagers and we ALL loved it. Fantastic team who put as at ease and made it really fun and enjoyable. Big up to Pablo, an absolute legend and very funny. Thank you so much, so far the highlight of our trip!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Darshan
Jul 6, 2024
Exciting adventure - We really enjoyed our first river rafting experience ever. Our guides Carlos and Jeffery were very knowledgeable and fun. Jeffery was our guide and instructor in a 4 person raft. He helped us navigate class 2 and 3 rapids with ease. There were lots of laughs and everyone was thoroughly soaked by the end. The photographer that accompanied us, took some wonderful photos to capture the moments. Well done guys! 👍👍
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Thomas_g
Jun 21, 2024
Must do when in Costa Rica - Expertise of James our raft guide. He made the river fun with spinning our boat and giving us the opportunity to jump off the banks and float down river. Plenty of wildlife to see and laughs to be had!
Review provided by Viator
Go23012125486
May 14, 2024
Amazing rafting experience! - We had an amazing day white water rafting. The highlight of our tour was the amazing team at Jacamar--Pablo Ezeta, Alvaro V and Romel. They stopped along the route to and from the river many times so that we could see sloths, toucans and monkeys. The rafting along the river was very fun and beautiful. Pablo taught us alot about the wildlife along the river. The lunch was also great with many options to choose from (chicken, pork chop, fish or vegetarian casados). The entire experience was very safe, fun and well organized.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
N0madsc0t
Apr 19, 2024
Senior Citizens Rafting the Sarapiqui River Rapids - Four members of our Collette tour group rafted the Sarapiqui River Rapids. The adventure was thrilling, but we never felt unsafe. Our guide Abel was the best. Gave the paddling commands in English and following his guidance we were able to navigate the river successfully. Fresh fruit and lunch at the end of the trip was a bonus. You will get wet so dress accordingly and bring a dry set of clothes that you can leave in the transport vehicle. Photos turned out great and I was able to capture some great gopro video.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jennifer
Mar 23, 2024
Definitely recommend the small boats in this relatively small river corridor. - James and his crew created a fun day for us on the Sarapiqui River in small rafts! The water was warmer than I thought and the class 2/3 rapids were very fun for all. There was a pineapple snack break and there were howler monkeys in the trees above. The lunch at the end of the float was delicious and the photographer caught some great shots of our family having fun!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jeffrey_r
Dec 23, 2023
Great Trip Led by Pros! - We had an outstanding time on our white water rafting trip in Arenal. The team of pros who lead our journey were so professional as well as amusing. We split up and had four adults in one raft and put our four teenage kids in another raft. We had a great day, stopped along the way for some fruit, and had a delicious lunch at the end. I feel like we found a gem with this one and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a memorable white water rafting trip.
Review provided by Viator
Hp_p
Dec 19, 2023
Perfect 1st Time Whitewater Rafting - From start to finish the Jacamar Naturalist company did an excellent job. They were all upbeat, friendly, focusing on safety & ensuring everyone was okay &.enjoying themselves. Loved the break to relax & eat fresh fruit cut up upon arrival to the stop area. The photographer did an awesome job capturing memorable moments. Needless to say we purchased the option to have link sent to our email with over 70 shots taken specifically for our canoe. Each group got their own set of photos & a very reasonable price. We received the link for the shared photos about 48hrs later & so happy we purchased. You get a chance to view the group’s photos while having lunch. Lunch was plentiful and so delicious. You get the option of casado plate with either chicken, pork, vegetarian, etc. We had chicken & entire dish was perfect. We had pick up at the resort & shuttle bus in tip top shape & so clean including windows inside & out so they must clean them each night :)! Was the best excursion out of 5 we did in La Fortuna area. Will never forget the day & staff for their hard work, enthusiasm, and attention to all detail. Miguel was our canoe guide & he was fantastic!
Review provided by Viator
Linda
Aug 16, 2023
Great time with family - We had a wonderful time on this raft trip. There were 5 of us and we were able to ride in a raft with just us and our great guide Miguel! Highly recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Select Date and Tickets
up to 15 guests
1 Adult
September 2024
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