Class 2-3 Balsa River Rafting: Swift Rapids Amid Costa Rica Rainforest from La Fortuna

Experience the thrill of Class II and III rapids as you paddle through the Costa Rican rainforest on a 2-3 Balsa River rafting tour. Look out for monkeys, sloths, and birds along the way, and enjoy a delicious lunch at Hunters and Gatherers restaurant. Hotel transport included.

Duration: 4 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Unnamed Road - Experience an unforgettable day rafting on one of Costa Rica’s top family-friendly rivers! Just 45 minutes from La Fortuna, the Río Balsa offers exhilarating class 2-3 rapids, perfect for adventure seekers, with the added thrill of spotting diverse wildlife along the way. This is more than just a rafting trip—it’s a true Costa Rican…
What's Included
  • Local guide
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • Use of safety equipment
  • Lunch
  • Photographer (photos available for purchase)
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
Additional Information

Paddle through Class II and III rapids on this fun white water rafting tour down the Balsa River in Costa Rica. On this 2-hour trip downriver, your guide will lead you through the easy and exciting rapids that flow through Costa Rica rainforest. Keep an eye on the land and sky for monkeys, sloths, and birds. After rafting, reward your efforts with a…

Location
Desafio Adventure Company
We are happy to pick you up at your hotel or rental home, but you can also easily fin dour office in the center of La Fortuna, 100 meters West of the Central Park.
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.9
(293 Ratings)
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Sarah_r
Oct 7, 2025
Highly recommend this... - Highly recommend this adventure! We had a blast and our tour guide, Jorge, was very energetic and knowledgeable. He kept us safe at all times, but the vibe was always high. True pura vida!
Review provided by Viator
263tannerm
Sep 6, 2025
Rafting the Balsa River with Alonso - Our group of 6 rafted the Balso River with Alonso as our guide. Our trip with Alonso was one of our favorites from our stay in Costa Rica. I would highly recommend rafting with Desafio.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Casslbak
Aug 11, 2025
Fantastic Experience!! - Ten members of my G-Adventures group went whitewater rafting with this company. My experience was excellent! I was part of a smaller group that went canyoning with the same company in the morning and our group ranged in age from 14-early 50s. We were picked up after canyoning and were given a tasty breakfast burrito, plantain chips, and juice to eat while being driven to the rafting location. Our guide, Alonso, was amazing!! He clearly explained all directions, had a great sense of humour, a quick smile and ensured that we had a safe and fun time on the river. When one of the people at the front of our boat slipped out in a larger rapid (his fault, not Alonso’s), Alonso quickly and efficiently rescued him like it was easy. Alonso also pointed out a sloth, some lizards and various birds along the river, while also giving us a couple opportunities to float beside the raft in quieter parts of the river. We stopped for some fresh watermelon and pineapple to recharge our energy before finishing the trip and then went for lunch near town before being dropped off at our hotel. These guys were pros! I’d highly recommend drafting with them if in La Fortuna.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Q6573iuamandas
Aug 3, 2025
So fun! - My family and I did the class 2/3 rafting on the Balsa River with this group on 7/23. It was a great experience! My 9 and 11 year old's second time white water rafting and they loved it! Our guide (Auralio) was great. They took pics/videos that you can purchase for a very reasonable price as well. Pick up/drop off from our hotel and lunch was also good. Highly recommend this experience!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
V8189bepauls
Jul 22, 2025
World class whitewater - Wow. We thought we had world-class white water here in New Mexico, but this was non-stop roller-coaster for 90 minutes. Elvis is the best.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Road41363865396
Jul 15, 2025
Awesome white water rafting experience! - We had an awesome time white water rafting. The guides were all super friendly and made the experience fun for everyone involved. Rollo was amazing, friendly, funny, and super knowledgeable. Would 100% recommend this company for your experience!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Cphfl65
Jul 1, 2025
Great time whitewater rafting. - We had a great experience whitewater rafting with our family of 6. The young adults really enjoyed the rafting, but their parents did as well. We were picked up in La Fortuna near our Airbnb and driven to the Sarapiqui River starting point. Midway through we pulled off the river to enjoy fresh fruit and we even spotted a sloth along the way. We enjoyed a delicious meal after rafting and then driven back to La Fortuna. Highly recommend this experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
C4902tfchristopherh
Jun 26, 2025
Fun and exciting rafting adventure - Highly recommend the Desafio rafting trip out of Fortuna. A great group of simultaneously fun and highly qualified guides took us down the river. Our guide Emanuel (aka Fluffy, aka Pelusa) was friendly, funny and skilled. The transportation was smooth, the rapids were the perfect size for family, great mix of adventure moments and chill moments, and the lunch afterward was a tasty Costa Rican meal. A must do.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Katrina_r
Jun 25, 2025
So much fun! - So much fun! Our guide, Gian Carlo made sure we were safe while having a blast. The Balsa River had enough excitement for our group. I highly recommend this company, entire crew was very professional and it was nice seeing all the guides work together. The included lunch was very good too. The photographer took great pictures, it's an extra cost but well worth it.
Review provided by Viator
Matthew_t
May 27, 2025
Great family experience - It was a great experience. We were new to rafting and felt very safe with class 2/3 rafting. Our guide Alonzo was fantastic. He was professional and made our experience very enjoyable. My kids (ages 26,,22&19) all had a fun time. It is so nice to create such fun memories as a family. I also appreciate that this excursion was able to provide us with a round transportation to and from our resort since we did not have a car. There was also an extra perk of having an authentic Costa Rican lunch at the end of our rafting experience. We were also able to buy some family photo and video from our experience, which was a great value totally worth it. 100% I recommend them!
Review provided by Viator
From $80
up to 9 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).