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White Water Rafting with Lunch
4.9
108 Ratings
La Fortuna
Experience thrilling Class III white water rafting on the Balsa River in the stunning Arenal Area of Costa Rica. Lunch included. Book now!
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:
24 hours
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…
- 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
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Bottled water
- National Park fees
- Snacks
- Lunch
What's Not Included
- Souvenir photos (available to purchase)
- Gratuities
- 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…
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.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.9
(108 Ratings)
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Nancygy7863uw
Mar 4, 2026
What a great first experience!! - We had never done this prior to our visit. Adrian our guide was amazing he was so patient and made us feel safe . We were 4 sisters ranging in age from 62-68 and treated us like we were his mom. Wouldn’t go anywhere else for a rafting trip in Costa Rica.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mnegrin12
Mar 3, 2026
Fun and Safe White Water Rafting - I cannot say enough good things about this tour. Starting with Jefrey our guide who made it fun and kept us safe. My son told him he really wanted to see a sloth. In the middle of the river, Jefrey spotted one high in a tree. He jumped out of the raft, held the boat and pointed at a sloth high in a tree. I have no idea how he saw it while paddling through a gentler part of the river (but definitely not a still part!). He went the extra mile at every turn (puns intended). The river is pretty strong and there are scary moments (in a good way- at least according to my husband and son!). This is no lazy river. But in the other boat on our tour was a bunch of retired ladies and they liked it, too (which surprised me!). This is my 4th white water rafting trip (Tahoe, Montreal, Argentina) and the best. It was exciting and adventurous but I always felt safe.
Maybe the coolest part of this tour is that there is a guy in a kayak who accompanies you the whole way. He goes ahead, gets out and takes action shots at the best rapids, then gets back in his kayak and goes ahead of you again for the next rapid. At the end you can buy (for only $35) 100 digital pictures that are so cool!
This company is also very honest because I forgot I paid for the pics when I signed up for it and paid again after the trip. They reached out to me to tell me I paid 2x and immediately reimbursed me.
The lunch at La Finca was delicious- the restaurant is covered, but outside so you can see so much wildlife while you eat- tucans, parrots, pheasants were all just wandering around the property.
You should definitely book this trip. It was the highlight of our whole 8 days in Costa Rica. I did 3 trips with Jacamar and every driver and guide was amazing.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kathryn
Mar 2, 2026
Awesome team with great knowledge and experience - We had a really good experience with Jacamar. We did a three separate adventures with them:
White water rafting with Adrian who not o Lu was a great fun guy but also gave a very solid safety briefing, steered the raft like a champ and gave us a thrilling ride! Thanks Adrian
We also hiked the volcano and La Fortuna waterfall with Melanie who did a wonderful job - despite the low cloud and rain ;)
Finally we spent two really fulfilling and educational hours with Gilbert finding Sloths and many other mammals, reptiles and birds. He was wonderfully generous with his knowledge and experience.
Thanks all.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Bshelmuth
Feb 23, 2026
Incredible - Our guide, James was incredibly friendly and helpful. He was able to navigate us in front of a large crowd of Whitewater rafters so our family of four could have a very special solo experience. Jeffrey was able to take some amazing shots, which are some of our favorite from our entire vacation. The meal at the end was probably the best we had in Costa Rica. All in all the whole experience was incredible.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Q6280vsnicoleb
Feb 2, 2026
Fun trip with a great guide! - We went on the white water rafting tour with Adrian as our guide. We had a fantastic trip! The rafting was adventurous but we felt safe the whole time as Adrian guided the boat perfectly. He was very charming, knew a lot about the area, the volcano, local birds and had a killer howler monkey impersonation.
We really enjoyed our meal after at the farm to table restaurant too!
10/10 recommend. Definitely remember a change of clothes and closed toed shoes - you are going to be soaking wet.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Road31175214098
Jan 30, 2026
Excellent Rafting - Excellent experience on the river that fills half of your day with great great customer service and lunch with homemade hot sauces.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Shane_k
Dec 29, 2025
Pure fun and the right amount of adrenaline. - Pure fun and right amount of adrenaline. Class 3 (more like 2.5) and our raft captain Roberto was an encyclopedia of rainforest knowledge and helped us have a great time on the water. The food that Jacamar Naturalisr Tours offered was arguably the best food we ate all week. Sincerely.
Review provided by Viator
Flyer41517715793
Oct 19, 2025
Incredible experience! - Incredible experience! From start to finish the entire team involved (driver, raft guide, etc.) were professional, engaging, and very knowledgeable! We had very limited experience with rafting going into it, but we had so much fun and we felt safe the entire time. The lunch was also very delicious! Would 100% recommend to anyone who wants to add some fun to their Costa Rica trip!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Culture22169016530
Sep 26, 2025
Thrilling outdoor experience - Exciting rafting in beautiful environment and sunny weather conditions. Delicious fruit snack offered by our amazing guide.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Whitneyn871
Sep 18, 2025
Rafting experience 10/10 - Perfect trip! My husband was new to rafting and it gave just enough excitement without scaring him away from rafting completely. :) Then, lunch afterwards is probably the best Costa Rican meal we have had. The classic Casado meal is what is served. It was great. Highly recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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