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FOR YOU, FOR FREE: 17 years' worth of firsthand Costa Rica trip planning and travel advice compiled into hundreds of articles, plus exclusive discounts. Created by a Costa Rican and a four-time published Costa Rica guidebook author. Welcome, amigos, and as we say in Costa Rica, pura vida!

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Your Costa Rica Rafting Tour Questions Answered!

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  • #194523
    Nikki Solano
    Keymaster

    The comment section of this article has moved! If you have a question or comment about our article above or Costa Rica travel in general, please post it in our Questions and Answers Forum on DIY Costa Rica, our sister website, where you can also access our private Costa Rica recommendations, our Costa Rica Destination Tool, and our Costa Rica Recommendations Map. See you there, amigos! 🙂

  • #194525
    Todd
    Guest

    Thank you for writing this article. I found the charts very useful

    • #194526
      Nikki Solano
      Keymaster

      Hey Todd!

      Thanks so much for your comment! We’re glad to know that our answers to some of the most popular Costa Rica rafting tour questions helped you out, especially the charts. 🙂 If you have any other questions regarding your trip, don’t hesitate to leave us another comment to let us know how we can help.

      Pura vida!

  • #194527
    Mike
    Guest

    You catered all the questions. Thank you for sharing. I will plan a trip soon and loved the photo gallery.

  • #194528
    Stefani Graff
    Guest

    How can we book two tours as the cart will not allow us to checkout?

    • #196527
      Nikki Solano
      Keymaster

      Hi Stefani Graff!

      Sorry for the confusion! Our sister site that processes discount requests for Costa Rica day tours (Pura Vida! eh? Inc.) was closed temporarily for part of the pandemic. It’s up and running again, and the checkout page is now active so you shouldn’t experience the issue again. 🙂

      Pura vida!

  • #194529
    Mary
    Guest

    What Rio Paquare outfitters can accommodate self drivers?
    Thanks!
    Mary

  • #194530
    Guillermo
    Guest

    Thanks so much for this info. So much good info to take in.
    What should I expect on a rafting trip during the dry session in the Arenal region?

    • #196528
      Nikki Solano
      Keymaster

      Hey Guillermo!

      I’m happy to answer your question but I don’t quite understand what you mean. Are you asking about the river trip itself, meaning what you should expect from a rafting trip taken during the dry season? Or are you more interested in learning about rafting trips that are available to/from the Arenal region?

      Until soon! 🙂

  • #194531
    Marcus
    Guest

    Hi Nikki- My wife and I are headed to NW CR later this month for our 15th anniversary. We are planning to spend a day rafting with a tour company, and are considering which trip to do between the SARAPIQUI RIVER and Upper TENORIO. We are looking for a Class III/IV experience at minimum. We both have quite a bit of whitewater experience growing up, and I guided for a few summers in my early 20s. We’re ready to book the day trip. Given the current season and how rainfall has been this year, which river would you recommend we run, and why? Thank you in advance.

    • #194532
      Nikki Solano
      Keymaster

      Hey Marcus!

      It’s always great to connect with fellow members of the international rafting community. Whereabouts did you used to guide?

      Quick question before I get to which river I’d recommend you visit… whereabouts in the northwest are you planning to visit? I ask only because some people mean the true northwest and plan to stay up near Nicaragua, some people call the Guanacaste province (the northern Pacific coast) the northwest, and others consider La Fortuna to be the northwest since it sits northwest of the capital city of San Jose.

      If you’re planning to stay at a beach town along the northern Pacific coast, or anywhere in the Guanacaste province including the Rincon de la Vieja area, I’d recommend going with the Tenorio River option simply because of convenience. Though we love the Sarapiqui River, it will require an additional 3-hour drive (roughly) beyond where you’d meet for the Tenorio River option, which would require an additional 6 hours of driving in total. Unless there was something specific you wanted to experience the Sarapiqui River for, I’d recommend sticking with Tenorio.

      If you plan to stay in La Fortuna (or someplace in the northern inland region), from a distance standpoint, you could go with either river. It takes a little over an hour to get to the Sarapiqui River from La Fortuna, and about 2 hours to get to the Tenorio River from La Fortuna, so either is doable.

      From a scenery perspective, both rivers are beautiful, but if we had to go with one over the other, we’d select the Sarapiqui River. This river is set in rainforest that nears the Braulio Carrillo National Park and it tends to be lusher than the Tenorio River’s setting, which is part rainforest and part dry forest. The dry forest does tend to be lush and green during the rainy season, though, which is when you plan to visit, so this point may not factor much in your particular case.

      From a rapid perspective, both rivers are class III/IV. You’ll get about 40 rapids on the Sarapiqui River versus about 20 rapids on the Tenorio River. To help make up for its fewer rapids, the Tenorio River provides an opportunity to raft over a fun 12-foot drop.

      From a logistics/value standpoint, you’ll get similar inclusions either way, including transportation to/from the river, equipment, a snack, and lunch.

      With respect to your specific question about the rain, this is a tough one to answer as one night’s rainfall can impact (and potentially cancel) the next day’s tour. In general, the Guanacaste province receives less rain overall than any other province, so in theory, you’d be less likely to run into a tour cancelation if you went with Tenorio. The tour operators of the white-water rafting tours run on class III/IV sections of the Sarapiqui River and the Tenorio River also run safari float tours on class II/III sections of the Sarapiqui River and the Tenorio River, so it may be an option to experience either one of those tours as a fallback option if your white-water rafting tour happens to be canceled due to rain (assuming the safari float section is still safe to run).

      In proceeding from here, I fear I may have only confused you more since there is no obvious/easy answer here. 🙁 To sum up, if you plan to stay along the northern Pacific coast, we’d go with Tenorio. If you plan to stay in La Fortuna, and rain isn’t a concern, we’d go with Sarapiqui. Since there’s no way to know if rain will or will not cause a rafting tour cancelation on the day of your tour, you can either take your chances with a tour on Sarapiqui and hope for the best or else go with a tour on Tenorio which, statistically, would be less likely to be canceled due to rain.

      Pura vida! 🙂

  • #194533
    Marcus
    Guest

    Very helpful response, actually. Since we have multiple night stays in both regions, I think given the setting in the rainforest, lush/scenic location near National Park, and the 20 more rapids on the Sarapiqui, that your recommendation is the right one 🙂 I’m from Oregon, and guided on the Deschutes River…but have quite a bit of experience running the Rogue, White Salmon, North Santiam and McKenzie Rivers as well.

    • #194534
      Nikki Solano
      Keymaster

      Hey Marcus!

      We’re jealous! Perhaps one day we will make it to Oregon and will call on you for your expertise. 🙂

      Re: Sarapiqui vs. Tenorio. Sounds good! Glad we could help make your decision a little clearer.

      Pura vida!

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