Pacuare River Whitewater Rafting: Full-Day Adventure from San Jose

Embark on an exhilarating full-day whitewater rafting adventure on the Pacuare River. Experience the thrill of navigating class 3 and 4 rapids, surrounded by stunning rainforest scenery. Suitable for beginners and experienced paddlers, this action-packed day trip is not to be missed!

Duration: 10 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Pacuare River - During this trajectory you will enjoy a combination of enthusiasm and extreme adventure. The Pacuare River is recognized worldwide for its beauty flanked by its green canyons bathed on both sides by its lush waterfalls. Within its abundant flora and fauna in sight: sloth bears, toucans, parakeets, coatis, a colorful fan of butterflies and frogs, is not out of its exciting crystalline waters that make it an unforgettable adventure trip.
What's Included
  • Rafting equipment
  • Transportation from hotels in San Jos
  • Breakfast
  • Tour guide
  • Lunch
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
  • Food and drinks, unless specified
  • Alcoholic drinks (available to purchase)
  • Souvenir photos (available to purchase)
Additional Information

Embark on an exciting one-day journey filled with thrilling whitewater rafting, remarkable waterfalls, and magnificent rainforest views. The Pacuare’s class 3 and 4 rapids cater to both novice and seasoned rafters aged 12 and above who are keen on adventure and stay physically engaged throughout the day. Your day begins with an early morning pick-up from your hotel in San Jose area, followed by a drive to Cartago, the historic heart of Costa Rica, on to small towns and scenic countryside before reaching the rafting center of Turrialba. Here, we will halt for an included breakfast before proceeding to the Pacuare River for embarkation. Upon reaching, our guides will equip you with the necessary rafting gear and brief you on paddling instructions and safety measures. The adrenaline rush kicks off immediately as we paddle 18 miles downstream through class 3 and 4 rapids, navigating through “Huacas,” “Rodeo,” “Pinball,” “Cimarrones,” and “Dos Montañas.” We’ll take a break for a picnic lunch by the river. Post rafting, you can change into a dry outfit before returning to San Jose.

  • What to bring: Come with rafting clothes on (light shoes that will stay on, swimsuit, shorts, nylon shirt), sunscreen,water bottle, change of clothes, towel, insect repellent, some money for personal expenses.
  • Tour operate with a minimum of 2 people
  • Not persons under 12 years old
Location
Pacuare River
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.8
(160 Ratings)
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Andreavw1509jz
Sep 2, 2024
Simply Amazing! - What an amazing time! I was a little nervous because I had never been water rafting before, but the guides made the whole process smooth and made me feel super comfortable. The views are amazing! I would definitely do this trip again! They do take professional pictures of you and the boat you’re on which is also pretty cool.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jessica_r
Aug 23, 2024
Super fun rafting trip with great views! - This was a great trip, especially as a solo female traveler. The staff were super friendly, fun, yet professional, and the fellow rafters were great. Highly recommend!
Review provided by Viator
Becky_c
Aug 18, 2024
Do It!!! - This was a really fun rafting trip. The first I had ever been on. Beautiful country to raft through. Our guide was awesome and we didn't lose anyone out of the raft until our last bout with the rapids - one of the lesser ones, but we got her back in the boat almost as soon as she slipped out. Lunch was good, we joined up with another raft about half way through our run that had been on a 2 day trip. Breakfast was good, Lunch was decent. It was a long drive from San Jose, but I am glad I didn't have to drive it as there was a truck blocking the road and we had to take a 40 min detour through the mountains to get to the river.
Review provided by Viator
81hadassahg
Aug 7, 2024
Great day at the river!!! - Was amazing!! We went super fast and had a great time! I would 100% recommend going on this trip! We met a lot of new people and we all enjoyed each other. We felt super safe the whole time with our amazing guide. People on the trip did fall out of the boat but they were quickly brought back in and laughed about it after. You should definitely do this!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Victor_d
Jul 28, 2024
Pura Vida - Our guide Kay was great. The experience was worth the time and money. Beautiful scenery on the drive there. The view in the river was amazing.
Review provided by Viator
Inspire12899112239
Jul 16, 2024
BOOK IT - This was an absolutely amazing experience, the pick up went very smoothly and off to get breakfast after the 2 hour drive and the food was very delicious, drove another 40 minutes to the river and the adventure begins, I can’t even tell you how much fun I had on this trip , everyone is very professional , friendly and very safe while in the water. Absolutely beautiful views with wildlife everywhere. If you have time you need to do this ASAP
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Felicia_m
Jul 15, 2024
Great guides and lunch - What a great day. I really enjoyed the lunch and setup. Our guides were great. It was a longer run on the river than I have had with other places and I really appreciated it.
Review provided by Viator
Ciragh_l
Jul 12, 2024
Best action in Costa Rica! - Probably one of the best trips I've ever taken! Our guide Sassy was amazing, so knowledgeable and he made the experience so much fun!
Review provided by Viator
Henry_n
Jul 8, 2024
Amazing - Awesome. So much fun. Really cool experience for the entire family. The guides where cool and my teens had a blast.
Review provided by Viator
Farhaan_m
Jul 23, 2024
BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL - AVOID IF POSSIBLE - I decided to do this despite no prior experience and ended up with a dislocated shoulder due to an unfortunate accident. I fell into the water in Level 4 rapids and held on the raft for my dear life. While this did not happen due to any safety lapses, I do want to warn people to assume the worst and avoid being the “leaders” of the raft as you’ll be most vulnerable in that position. Luckily my guide was extremely professional and stayed with me the whole time as I was in the ER and also dropped me off back to the hotel room. If you decide to do this, pay attention to the commands of the guide, do not pursue this casually as if things go wrong, you won’t get immediate help as you’ll be in the middle of nowhere. If you do escape unhurt, this will be one of the best experiences you’ll ever have!
Review provided by Viator
Select Date and Tickets
up to 15 guests
1
Adult
September 2024
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