How To Raft The Pacuare River To/From Manuel Antonio Or Between Manuel Antonio And Choose A Location?

Nikki Solano

15 years ago

Last updated on May 2nd, 2020 at 11:15 am

Written by Nikki Solano

Nikki is the CEO of Pura Vida! eh? Inc. (Costa Rica Discounts), and the author of the guidebooks Moon Costa Rica (2019, 2021, 2023, and 2025 editions) and Moon Best of Costa Rica (2022 edition) from Moon Travel Guides. Together with her Costa Rican husband, Ricky, she operates the Costa Rica Travel Blog, created the online community DIY Costa Rica, built the Costa Rica Destination Tool, oversees the brand-new (summer 2023) Costa Rica Travel Shop, and designed the Costa Rica Trip Planning 101 E-Course. Also, Nikki wrote the Costa Rica cover feature for Wanderlust Magazine's sustainability-focused Travel Green List issue, showcased Costa Rica destinations and experiences on Rick Steves' Monday Night Travel show and podcast/radio show, and served as the Costa Rica Destination Editor for Essentialist, a luxury travel brand. Want to show your appreciation for her free article below? Thank Nikki here. ❤️️

You asked…

How can I raft the Pacuare River to/from Manuel Antonio? How can I raft the Pacuare River between Manuel Antonio and another location, such as La Fortuna/Arenal or Puerto Viejo? How can I raft the Pacuare River between La Fortuna/Arenal or Puerto Viejo and Manuel Antonio?

We answered…

The Pacuare River rafting tour is run to/from the Siquirres area of the country and offers pick-ups/drop-offs in the San Jose, La Fortuna/Arenal, and Puerto Viejo areas (as well as the less popular Turrialba, Siquirres, Guapiles, Cahuita, and Sarapiqui areas). If you plan to take the tour from Manuel Antonio, we would recommend planning to spend at least 1 (if not 2) nights in San Jose. Depending on the location of the San Jose/Alajuela hotel you choose to stay at, the tour will depart from the region anywhere between 6:00am-6:30am. Given that Manuel Antonio is an approximate 3-3.5 hour drive from San Jose, if you opt to take the tour without spending the previous night in San Jose you would need to leave the Manuel Antonio area around 2:00am in order to make it to San Jose in time to catch the tour. Spending 1 night in the San Jose region before planning to raft the next day will allow you to make the drive between Manuel Antonio during the afternoon/evening the day before your tour reservation, raft the Pacuare River starting early the next day, and then return to San Jose that evening (ideally, spending a 2nd night there). If/when travellers do not want to spend a 2nd night in the San Jose/Alajuela region they can make the drive back to Manuel Antonio following the rafting trip, however we do not recommend doing so as most travellers tire from the day’s events and do not enjoy the approximate 3-3.5 hour drive to Manuel Antonio after arriving into San Jose upon completion of the rafting tour (typically around 6:00pm, although the exact time is dependent on highway traffic, the size of the rafting group, and river conditions that determine the speed at which the river is run).

For those who wish to raft the Pacuare River between Manuel Antonio and another location, such as La Fortuna/Arenal or Puerto Viejo, we would recommend planning to spend at least 1 night in San Jose. Depending on the location of the San Jose/Alajuela hotel you choose to stay at, the tour will depart from the region anywhere between 6:00am-6:30am. Given that Manuel Antonio is an approximate 3-3.5 hour drive from San Jose, if you opt to take the tour without spending the previous night in San Jose you would need to leave the Manuel Antonio area around 2:00am in order to make it to San Jose in time to catch the tour. Spending 1 night in the San Jose region before planning to raft the next day will allow you to make the drive between Manuel Antonio during the afternoon/evening the day before your tour reservation, raft the Pacuare River starting early the next day, and then continue on from there to either the La Fortuna/Arenal or Puerto Viejo region (taking advantage of the tour operator’s complimentary transportation to these areas). Alternatively, if you wish to raft the Pacuare River between la Fortuna/Arenal or Puerto Viejo and Manuel Antonio, we would recommend planning for a reverse itinerary: reserving the Pacuare River rafting tour with a pick-up in La Fortuna/Arenal or Puerto Viejo, participating in the rafting tour during the day, and opting for a drop-off in the San Jose/Alajuela region after tour completion. After spending 1 night in the San Jose area, you can depart from there bright and early the next day on to Manuel Antonio.

Read our related blog post: The Pacuare River Family

Read our related blog post: Go Big or Go Home: Raft Costa Rica

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