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Sarapiqui River Kayak: Wildlife and Scenery
4.8
30 Ratings
La Virgen
Embark on a thrilling white water kayak tour on Costa Rica’s Sarapiqui River. Explore the jungle, spot wildlife, and paddle through class I and II rapids. Perfect for beginners and experienced kayakers alike!
Embark on a thrilling white water kayak tour on Costa Rica’s Sarapiqui River. Explore the jungle, spot wildlife, and paddle through class I and II rapids. Perfect for beginners and experienced kayakers alike!
Duration:
3 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
-
Sarapiqui River - The adventure kicks off at either 8:30 AM or 11:30 AM from our base in La Virgen de Sarapiquí. Once equipped, participants will take a brief drive to the tranquil part of the Sarapiquí River.
The experience begins with a safety briefing and basic paddling practice, followed by an enjoyable and picturesque 12 km journey on Class…
- Sarapiqui River - The adventure kicks off at either 8:30 AM or 11:30 AM from our base in La Virgen de Sarapiquí. Once equipped, participants will take a brief drive to the tranquil part of the Sarapiquí River.
The experience begins with a safety briefing and basic paddling practice, followed by an enjoyable and picturesque 12 km journey on Class I–II rapids — ideal for beginners.
The guide will lead the group, assist in refining techniques, and highlight wildlife and jungle flora.
After approximately 2 hours on the river, the group returns to the base to receive a towel, change clothes, and savor a fresh tropical snack.
What's Included
- Round-trip river transport
- Insurance coverage
- Private parking
- Lunch included
- Certified guides
- Safety equipment provided
- WiFi access
- Pre-river safety instructions
- Tropical fruits and cassava snack
- Safety box
- Dressing rooms
- Lockers available
- Round-trip river transport
- Insurance coverage
- Private parking
- Lunch included
- Certified guides
- Safety equipment provided
- WiFi access
- Pre-river safety instructions
- Tropical fruits and cassava snack
- Safety box
- Dressing rooms
- Lockers available
What's Not Included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Photos and videos
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Photos and videos
Additional Information
Discover the picturesque landscape of the Sarapiqui area via the Sarapiqui River. This journey offers a glimpse into the multitude of fauna and flora unique to riverside sceneries.
Open to both novices and experts, this whitewater kayak ride (class I and II) brings a chance to explore unfamiliar waters and elevate your proficiency. While not a…
Discover the picturesque landscape of the Sarapiqui area via the Sarapiqui River. This journey offers a glimpse into the multitude of fauna and flora unique to riverside sceneries.
Open to both novices and experts, this whitewater kayak ride (class I and II) brings a chance to explore unfamiliar waters and elevate your proficiency. While not a professional tutorial, it provides a splendid platform to refine your paddling skills under the supervision of a certified guide along a tranquil portion of the river.
Approximately 4 hours in duration, this trip is ideal for participants ready to paddle and adhere to the guide’s directions.
- Minimum age is 7 years
- May be operated by a multi-lingual guide
- You will be required to sign a waiver upon tour check-in
- Recommend you bring: Sunscreen, string or strap to secure your glasses, clothes to change into after the tour
- Recommend you wear: Swimsuit, Shorts or long pants (for sun protection only - no jeans), tennis shoes or water shoes, sandals with ankle straps (no flip flops), light rain jacket and/or polypropylene, wool shirts for cool or rainy days. Cotton T-shirts for sunny days only (they make you colder when wet)
- A minimum of 2 adults per booking is required
Location
Sarapiqui Outdoor Center - Costa Rica
It is important to take into account that we are approximately ***2 hours*** away from San José, therefore routes must be verified and considered in advance to prevent any delays.
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
4.8
(30 Ratings)
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Charles_anne
Mar 11, 2026
Peaceful (but wet) tour down the river - So Anne and I in a two seater kayak with Steve accompanying us in his solo kayak, and following some good instructions we were promptly upside down and underwater within 20m 😳🤪🥲🤣
Steve miraculously rescued us both and our kayak after which we had an amazing tour. Steve was brilliant and spotting the wildlife and telling us about it
Afterwards we went back to base and had an amazing vegan meal. We are meat eaters but thought it was stunning
Finally we were instructed on using an old machine to crush the sugar cane and drink the juice.
Overall, a must do
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Z116fpsheilam
Mar 11, 2026
Lovely kayak ride down the Sarapiqui River with guide Carlos - Me two adult daughters and I had a lovely time on this kayak journey along the Sarapiqui River. Our guide Carlos was excellent at pointing out all of the birds and animals we saw along the way and helping us to navigate the river safely. We had an excellent fruit snack afterwards in the wonderful restaurant next to the tour company and had the unexpected delight to be able to juice some sugarcane.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ellenb71
Jan 17, 2026
Excellent trip with Stephen - We had such a great time with Stephen! To be honest, he did all of the paddling work so my husband could take photos. Where we stopped for a swim we saw spider monkeys! He was excellent at pointing out animals, especially birds. The lunch was fantastic too and everyone who works there is so friendly.
Review provided by Viator
David_f
Jan 16, 2026
Pura vida on the sarapiqui river - David, the monitor is a pure Costa Rican product "pura vida"
Professional at the beginning of the experiment , he knows how to get the one who understands the beauty of his country to share all its beauties through his smile and joie de vivre. We had the chance to walk the green river under the sun and we even had a wink of Monsieur tapir in addition to the other birds, iguanas and monkeys.
Exceptional experience both sporting and human. And what about a typical Costa Rican meal made with cassava, various vegetables and other fruits of the country.
The finishing touches, "the jungle viagra" as David so aptly put it.
One word go for it is a unique experience on sarapiqui.
Review provided by Viator
Ryanz432
Mar 24, 2025
Best Kayaking Experience! - Most amazing experience of my life! Such a beautiful view and the kayaking was run by such amazing people! 100% recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
688lonnekes
Mar 8, 2025
Great kayakyour through beautiful nature area - Kayaking through a super beautiful area: Selva NP. Besides turtles, a monkey, iguanas, also really many different birds spotted, thanks to guide David. Great experience, nice company with friendly and knowledgeable people.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
D8844bxkatrinas
Aug 8, 2024
A fantastic, unique way to experience the jungle! - The office staff (Tatiana) and guides (Miguel and Jordy) were all very friendly and helpful. The trip was well organized, and they did a great job helping to explain everything. Our guides helped us to feel safe on the river, and they also pointed out wildlife (especially birds) as we kayaked. They also took pictures that were available for us to see at the end. After the kayak tour, we also enjoyed the snack (fruit, cassava, and coffee) and got to participate in crushing sugar cane! This was a very fun experience for us.
One tip: Be sure to wear clothes that can get completely wet. They will have you practice escaping from a flipped kayak, just in case it happens to you. Don't worry too much- there were a few small rapids but we never felt unsafe nor did we tip.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lynndtar
Apr 13, 2026
Pleasant Day on the River - We enjoyed our day on the River, as well as the lunch and snacks. Our plan was to have a day of kayaking, but instead were convinced to just do a flat-water raft float. (I think that when our guide saw 2 “seniors” arrive for kayaking, he got a bit concerned, and told us how easily the kayaks could flip.) Nevertheless we had a delightful experience with Steven pointing out lots of wildlife as he paddled our raft down the river. If I had it to do again, I wouldn’t have allowed myself to be talked out kayaking. However, in spite of that, I would recommend Steven & Sarapiqui Outdoor Center.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ricarda
Apr 9, 2025
Excursion with ups and downs - We booked the kayak tour a day before by trip padviser. When we arrived, none of us knew and we had to wait a bit until our guide came, who had to be called and the equipment was gathered.
Unfortunately, they did not choose the boats well or let us proown them at the site. So we were driven 20 minutes to the boarding point and then we realized that we are too big for the kayaks (we are normal size). But no other boats had been taken. So we had to squeeze in, which was quite uncomfortable especially in the long run. We both had bruises on our legs afterwards...Otherwise it was a nice exit. Unfortunately, the guide did not speak very good English, although booked as an English tour. So there was a bit of information about the surroundings, but it was rather difficult to communicate. The snacks at the end were delicious again 😋 Overall a mixed experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sunshine19402028625
Feb 2, 2026
Last minute fees and wrong accommodation - It all went wrong with this company. First, we booked an Airbnb service with them where they offered a camping tent (with photos). A day earlier, we are told that this service no longer exists. We had to cancel in time to get a refund.
Then we booked the Kayak tour, because of a bad weather alert we asked to move it 1 day later, to which they accepted 100%. We moved our plans to go to Sapariqui and pay for a hotel night. However, the night before 9pm we were sent to warn that we had to pay $100 extra! Which was ridiculous almost as expensive as the total cost of the tour. It was not professional so we do not accept and prefer to look for other more ethical options with the tourist.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
