Costa Rica offers some of the best white water rafting in the world. Whether you’re looking for an easy going ride or thrilling rapids, there are rivers to fulfill every adventurer’s needs. There is one in particular that has made headlines around the world and that is Pacuare River.
If you want for the ultimate Costa Rica white water rafting trip, we have an awesome deal for you. And if you’re looking to add more splash to your vacation, we also have deals for a 2, 3 and 4 day rafting trip. Save $10-60 off your Pacuare River white water rafting trip!
Rio Pacuare, Costa Rica White Water Rafting Discount
Our partner, Rios Tropicales is offering a special Pacuare River white water rafting discount for Mytanfeet readers. This is an incredible tour that allows you to experience a unique part of Costa Rica and embark on an exciting outdoor adventure. Want to see what the rafting is like? Read our 1 day white water rafting post and our 2 day white water rafting post to learn more! Please also read our FAQ below.
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Pacuare River White Water Rafting Discount FAQ
Where does Rio Tropicales pick up and drop off?
They offer complimentary pick ups and drop offs in and around San Jose downtown, near the SJO airport (the San Jose side, not in Alajuela), Arenal and Puerto Viejo. You can also use the white water rafting tour as a transfer between San Jose, Arenal and Puerto Viejo! Why sit on a bus or a shuttle for 5 hours when you can raft down one of the most beautiful rivers in the world?
There are some additional costs if the hotel you are staying at is outside the zone such as Finca Rosa Blanca, Xandari, Vista del Valle and Martino Resort (some examples) in San Jose. If you are staying outside the free transportation zones, please enter your hotel information for us to check the logistics of transportation and how much is the extra fee (or you will go to the closest hotel to pick up).
For Arenal, they pick up in hotels from Fortuna center to Tabacon. For Puerto Viejo, they pick up in Cahuita, Puerto Viejo and Manzanillo.
They cannot pick up at Airbnbs or vacation rentals, only hotels and hostels.
I have a car and don’t need transportation. Can I meet them somewhere?
If you have a car, you can meet at the Siquirres operation center and the tour is $122 per person originally, a little cheaper without transportation. We are still able to give the $10 discount so it will be $112 per person.
How does the interconnection work?
Rios Tropicales can pick up and drop off these three locations: San Jose, La Fortuna and Puerto Viejo.
For different pick up and drop off locations (for example, your pick up is in Puerto Viejo and you want to be dropped off in Arenal, there must be at least 2 people minimum). If there isn’t, there is an extra charge of pick up and drop off.
During the tour, Rios Tropicales stores your luggage for you and transports it when you get dropped off.
We will check with Rios Tropicales to see if there are other passengers going if you are a solo traveler.
What if I’ve never rafted before? Do I need rafting experience to go on this trip?
No worries! You don’t need to have professional rafting experience to do the Rio Pacuare trips. I never white water rafted in anything higher than Class 2 rapids and I did both 1 and 2 day trips and loved it. It was the first time rafting ever for many of the people we met on our tours and they had a blast!
The instructors are highly knowledgeable and experienced in rafting. They are all Costa Ricans, in fact most of them are Pacuare River locals and have been rafting this river for a number of years. Many are professional rafters who participate in world competitions. So trust me, you’re in good hands!
You will get a thorough safety lesson and paddling instructions before the tour. It’s important to follow your guide’s instructions and more importantly, have fun!
I’m a bit nervous, how big do the rapids get?
The Costa Rica white water rafting Rio Pacuare tour starts off with only Class 1-2 rapids (small waves, straightforward moving water) and you will run into a few Class 3 and 4 rapids near the end. And by that time, you’ll be a pro! Class 3 and 4 rapids are considered intermediate to advanced and are a ton of fun to raft through. Your guide will keep a careful eye the entire time as safety is the most important thing, they know how to maneuver through the rapids and keep everyone safe and happy.
You can watch our video to see what the 1 day white water rafting trip is like.
Can I do this tour with my kids? Is there an age limit?
Absolutely! I would say this is one of the best things to do in Costa Rica for families in fact! Teenagers would have an absolute blast.
There is an age limit for the tours, you must be at least 12 years of age when going in December – May and at least 14 June – November.
How long is the 1 day rafting trip?
The 1 day trip takes around 3.5 – 5 hours and you raft 26 fun kilometers (16 miles) down the river. The day starts bright and early, getting picked up around 5 AM and coming back in the late afternoon.
What do I do with my luggage for the multi-day trips?
Rios Tropicales has a secure locker room at the operations headquarters to store any luggage you don’t want to bring to the river lodge. They pack everything in waterproof bags and bring it to the lodge so you don’t have to worry about a thing for your luggage.
What is the river lodge like? What kind of other activities are there to do?
The lodge is gorgeous. It overlooks the river with a fantastic view and the property is huge! They have a canopy tour, waterfall rappel, horseback riding, bird watching and hiking trails. They have private rooms of different sizes and all of them have a view of the river. With the multi-day white water rafting trips, meals are included in the price.
Jayne says
Hi. We are staying in Manuel Antonio until January 6 and then heading to San Jose. Our flight home is January 7 at 11:20 pm. If we booked a tour from San Jose on January 7, would we be back in time to the hotel to get to the airport by 9:00 pm? Also, my husband is not a strong swimmer so he would not go on the tour, but myself and 3 adult kids would go. Is he able to go and walk on trails along the river or is that not possible
Sammi says
Hi Jayne, the Pacuare 1 day tour usually returns around 5 PM or so to San Jose but it does depend on traffic. In case anything happens during the tour or there’s any long delays, you could be cutting it super close.
I would recommend your husband to stay at the hotel because he won’t have anything to do all day as there aren’t any trails along the river he can go to. The only thing he can do is wait for you at the operation center and that will be pretty boring and an extra unnecessary cost.
Van Deun Stefan says
Hi there,
We ( family of 5 persons) are staying in Puerto and moving to Guapiles by car.
Is there a possibility to combine the rafting and traveling on one day.
How late do we have to be in the operation center?How late will we be back in the operation center?
Sammi says
You need to be at the operation center by 8 AM and you’ll return around 1-2 PM for lunch.
Nicole Forster says
How far is it from Guacimo, Limon to the Siquirres Operation Center? Would it make sense to stay in a hotel there if driving there ourselves? This seems to be the closest place to Siquirres with hotels. Thanks.
Sammi says
Guacimo to the Siquirres operation center is about 20 minutes, you can see it on the map here: https://goo.gl/maps/ELJfNfgMDWvcpWJW6. You could stay there the night before the tour but I wouldn’t stay there the night of the tour unless you really don’t want to drive somewhere else because there’s nothing really in Guacimo. Most people head to La Fortuna, Puerto Viejo, Sarapiqui or back to San Jose after this tour.
Rachel says
Hi when picked up from La Fortuna do they then go to San Jose or directly to Siquirres, I am trying to figure out if it is better for us to drive directly to Siquirres and meet the group there to save time on travel. Thanks!
Sammi says
They’ll go from La Fortuna to Siquirres (they don’t go back to San Jose).
Nicole says
Hi,
Where is the Siquirres Operation Center located? What are the closest hotels? Thanks.
Sammi says
Their lodge is here: (GPS COordinates) DMS: 10°6’12”N 83°32’53”W. There aren’t really any hotels in the area since it’s kind of a more rural town, but you can try to find some in Siquirres.
Karen Haymond says
We are coming in June with our 5 kids 14 years-23 years, we plan to do the 1 day river raft trip, but we get in late at night to San Jose and don’t think we could do the river that first day. What are some other things to do with the family around Rio Pacaure ? Is there anything to see and do close by, or we better off doing things in San Jose?
Sammi says
Hi Karen, there isn’t much around the Pacuare river because it’s a very pristine river in a remote area. It’s better to stay in San Jose and you can check out downtown, go to the museums, or go to the artisan/central market to do some shopping.
Charlie says
Hey we’re doing a guys trip in June with 6 of us. I wanted to keep it as cost effective as possible while also making sure we get to see the most of Costa Rica. We love to eat drink and do high energy activities such as rafting. Can you help us put something together? We are there from June 6th and fly out on the 11th morning.
Sammi says
Hi Charlie, we don’t put together itineraries but I would recommend to check out Playa Jaco, Costa Rica. It’s a popular beach town for bachelor parties and guys trips, they have a lot of bars, clubs and good nightlife. You could do the rafting trip from San Jose and then head to Jaco for the rest of your time. Its also only 1.5 hours from San Jose which is nice.
Yolanda says
Hi Sammi,
Regarding the river rafting pick up and drop off…. we (3 of us) will be going from North to South – leaving Bijagua and heading to whatever town we can get picked up in for the rafting tour the next morning. Just need to know what town we should book. Is La Fortuna our best option? If not, what town is best? We want to be dropped off in San Jose at the end of the day. We will not have a car. Date for rafting would be April 22. Thank you!!
Sammi says
La Fortuna is the best option as the pick up and drop off interconnection points Rios offers are La Fortuna, San Jose and Puerto Viejo so La Fortuna is your only option from Bijagua.
Marianne Rotert says
My husband and I are flying into San Jose the evening of March 26, staying at the Adventure Inn that night, and then going to the Arenal History Inn the next day. I was thinking of using a shared shuttle, but would love to raft up there instead! Is this possible, or do you not transfer the luggage? Thanks for the info.
Sammi says
Hi Marianne, that is totally possible, Rios Tropicales stores your luggage at their operation center and will transport it with you when they take you to La Fortuna 🙂
Talya Digirolamo says
Hi,
We’re thinking about the 2-day/1-night rafting trip on possibly Feb. 18 or 19. We have our own car so we would drive to Siquirres Operation Center. I have two questions, (1) what time would we need to be at the operation center the first day? (2) would we get a ride back to our car parked at the operation center after we’ve completed the trip?
Thank you,
Talya
Sammi says
Hi Talya! You will need to be at the Siquirres operation centr by 8 AM the first day and they can take you back to the operation center to get your car after the trip. Let me know if you have other questions!
Shannon Potter says
We will be traveling by car from Puerto Viejo on a Thursday (Feb 14, 2019), hoping to stay the afternoon and night at the lodge and then do the Pacuare 1 day trip on Friday. Does that make sense to leave the car there for the day and then drive to San Jose Friday night for a Saturday morning flight? Is this something we can book with you or do we need to contact them directly?
Sammi says
Hi Shannon, sorry I’m not sure if I understood what you meant. I understand that you want to drive from Puerto Viejo to the Rios Tropicales operation center in Siquirres, do the 1 night overnight on Thursday, return Friday to Siquirres and then drive to San Jose on Saturday. Is that correct?
If so, you can do that but I would actually recommend returning your car rental in Puerto Viejo because Rios Tropicales can pick you up in Puerto Viejo on Thursday, take you to do the overnight rafting and then drop you off in San Jose on Friday so you don’t need to worry about the car or drive. They have a storage center in their operation center so you can leave any luggage you don’t need for the lodge there and they’ll bring it on the bus when they drop you off in San Jose.
You can definitely book this with us, on this page you can book the 1 night pacuare rafting trip and we have a discount for it.
Celena Bertone says
Hi,
I’m trying to submit my information but for some reason no matter how many times I type it out it’s not submitting the form. I’d like to book the one day trip December 4th being picked up in San Jose and being dropped off in La Fortuna. If you send me an email I’ll provide the exact hotel information.
Thank you in advance!
Celena
Sammi says
Hi Celena! I just sent you an email.
Andrew says
Any idea what time the two day tour would pick up at the San Jose airport? My flight touches down at 7:10am. Was thinking this would be a good way to get from San Jose to la Fortuna. Date would be October 25th. Thanks.
Sammi says
Hi Andrew, the pick up time from San Jose is around 5 AM so you won’t be able to make it in time. You can take a shared shuttle or public bus though instead. There are direct buses from San Jose to La Fortuna.
Andrew Yaworski says
Okay. Next question. Can I do the one day trip and be picked up in San Jose and be dropped off in La Fortuna (with my luggage)? Or is that for two day trips only? Is there an extra charge for that?
Sammi says
They do offer this service for 1 day tours, however it requires a minimum of 2 passengers and is included in the price as an extra benefit for Mytanfeet readers. If there aren’t any other travelers, they will charge an extra fee (which we will let you know depending on your locations).
Sammi says
Hi Annette, I also need to know your locations. It will actually be faster if you can fill out the form so I can have all the information straight away including your hotels, dates, locations and the type of tour you want to do. Thank you.
Anette says
I’ve filled out the form four times. I haven’t received any confirmation email. Can you email me directly? I don’t think it’s going through.
Sammi says
Hi Anette, I sent you an email yesterday 🙂
Anette says
Also, it might only be me but would like to get dropped off in a different location. It said it was subject to availability. Can you let me know beforehand? Otherwise I’d need to make arrangements. Thank yoU!
Sammi says
Hi Anette, when you send in this form, we’ll check to see if there is availability and let you know but we’ll need the dates and tour information to check 🙂
Anette says
Saturday November 24th. 🙂
Anette says
Is PayPal the only way to book the tour? My PayPal is not working.
Sammi says
Hi Anette, we’ll also send you a Venmo and Zelle option.
Anette says
If we are getting picked up in Cahuita (3 of us), what time would we get picked up?
Sammi says
Hi Anette! Pick up time is around 6 AM. Let me know if you have other questions!
Charlie says
Hi, guys, lots of great info here for this first time visitor to Costa Rica.
We want to book through you for the Rios Tropicales Pacuare 1 day trip, but I just want to ensure we can drive to San Jose Rios Tropicales office on calle 38, to get on their bus, and park our rental SUV there as well? I saw this mentioned in a post below in May, 2017, just want to be certain before booking.
Or even a San Jose hotel with parking for day as mentioned in November, 2017?
We are also looking to book Diamante through you, but are unsure of dates yet.
Thanks for all the lowdown on Costa Rica!
Sammi says
Hi Charlie! You can park your car at the Rios Tropicales San Jose office and go on the tour from there. You will need to be there by 5:20 AM and you’ll depart from there on the shuttle. Let me know if you have other questions and glad you like the blog!
Sammi says
Hi Luke! Rios Tropicales will take your belongings to their operation in Siquirres (where you will have breakfast and lunch) and keep them there while you are on the tour. They have a locked storage and lockers for all your belongings and there are always staff at the operation center so it is safe. You can’t bring anything on the river so you will need to leave all your belongings in their storage.
Depending on traffic, you’ll be in San Jose around 5 or 6 PM. Please let me know if you have any other questions.
Luke Reynolds says
I am apart of a group of 4 guys hoping to do the one day trip the first week of June. I see that it is possible to be picked up in Puerto Viejo and be dropped off in San Jose but I was wondering what happened with our bags while we are on the river. Is it safe to keep our valuables in the bags (passports, computers, etc.)? Also, what time could we expect to arrive in downtown San Jose after the rafting? I
emma says
We have the same question, what about our valuable things?
Sammi says
Rios Tropicales will take your belongings to their operation in Siquirres (where you will have breakfast and lunch) and keep them there while you are on the tour. They have a locked storage and lockers for all your belongings and there are always staff at the operation center so it is safe. You can’t bring anything on the river so you will need to leave all your belongings in their storage.
John Naugle says
If we want to do a day tour…but we are staying at the Arenal Hostel Resort….will we be able to get back in time to stay the night at our hostel?
Sammi says
Hi John, yes for the day tour you will. The drive from Arenal is a little bit long but you will get back early evening.
Shannon says
Hi. Se are arriving Sunday January 21 to royal corin. We would like up do river rafting for 4 people including 2 kids ages 11 and 12 on the 22. Do you have a tour that includes rafting safe but not to slow for us?
Sammi says
Hi Shannon! From La Fortuna, I highly recommend the Rio Balsa white water rafting. It has Class 2 and 3 rapids, perfect for kids and families, plus the travel time from La Fortuna is not too long which is nice. We offer 10% discounts on this tour from La Fortuna which you can check out here: https://mytanfeet.com/special-deals/la-fortuna-arenal-tours-discount/
Anj says
Hi
My 2 friends are coming from Arenal and I am coming from San Jose – can we be in the same group?
Thanks
Anj
yeison says
Hello Anj!
Yes no problem all the group will meet at teh base where breakfast is served and then to the river.
Elaine Kasteler says
Hello – My family and I will be in La Fortuna in January of 2018 and looking for a nice river to run.
How far away is Rio Pacuare from La Fortuna and what is the closest hotel that will pick us up?
Sammi says
Hi Elaine! The Rios Tropicales operation center from La Fortuna is around a 2.5 hour drive. They can pick up at any hotel in La Fortuna town or the ones on the main road until Tabacon Resort. If you are staying at Arenal Observatory Lodge or ones around Nuevo Arenal, you will need to go to the closest hotel for pick up as they don’t pick up there or you can pay an extra fee for pick up. Rio Pacuare is our favorite river for white water rafting and definitely worth it!
Maxine says
Hello! My friend and I are interested in the 1-day rafting trip for May 2018. I noticed on the Rios Tropicales website that their rates will be increasing next year. Will that affect your discount and can we still book through your website? I’ve appreciated all the help you’ve offered and have planned much of our trip based on your tips and recommendations – thank you!
Sammi says
Hi Maxine, the promotion will still be the same, $10 off the one day tour. You can definitely still book through our website! If you want to do the multi-day tours, just let us know and we ill get you the rates.
Jennifer says
Hello,
I have been finding your website/blog very helpful! We are a family of 5 coming to the La Fortuna area the first week of January. We’ll be staying at an Air BnB 10 minute drive from down off of Highway 702. Could you tell me how much “extra” it costs for them to pick us up at our door? We will have a rental car and we are able to come into town to avoid a large extra fee if its too costly. I just need an idea how much it is to determine what to do.
Thanks,
Jen 🙂
Sammi says
Hi Jennifer, Rios Tropicales can only pick up at hotels so they can’t pick up at AIrbnbs even for an extra cost. If you guys can find out what is the closest hotel to your Airbnb, we can check with them to see if it’s within their range of pick up locations. If so, they can pick you up there and if not, then we can let you know which hotels they do pick up at.
Jenn says
Duh! I now see that you mentioned in your write up that they don’t pick up from Airbnbs. I don’t have the exact address right now but the description said a 10 minute drive on highway 702. I don’t see any nearby hotels when I go on Google Maps. I do see a Super Alex up Hwy 702. I don’t know if that would be ok to leave our rental in their parking lot that whole time. We can come to a hotel to meet there if that would be better.
Thanks, Jen
Sammi says
Hi Jen, I would definitely drive to a hotel to meet for pick up since they can’t pick up at Airbnbs and it would be better to leave your rental in a hotel parking lot. You can ask the front desk and usually they are fine with it, especially if you tell them you’re just going for a day tour. If your Airbnb is on 702 (locals don’t really use highway numbers here so they know it, but it’s not normal to use) which is on the way to Chachagua, then you shouldn’t be too far from La Fortuna town and the Rios Tropicales office is in town.
Sammi says
Hi Katya, Rios Tropicales runs the Rio Pacuare white water rafting tour every day so there is availability. I would book beforehand at least a few days to reserve your spots and so the company can prepare. The Rio Pacuare is a great river even for 1st timers, we met a lot of people who never rafted before when we did it and they loved it. It is really exciting and the guides are excellent so they make you feel comfortable and they know exactly how to steer through the rapids.
We aren’t rafters or have any knowledge about the river so I recommend asking the company how the rapids have been recently but that is a great time for the river since it’s a lot fuller and more fun. They only do tours on that spot on the river because the rest of the river is like Class 5 rapids and that is only for professionals. The river starts off easy with Class 1 and 2 rapids and then towards the end, you hit a few 3 and 4. Rios Tropicales actually doesn’t pick up at Costa Verde Inn, the closest hotel in Escazu they pick up is the Wyndham Garden Escazu so if you can go to the Wyndham, they can pick you up there.
Katya says
Hi. We are staying in San Jose between September29th and October 2nd. Since it is a weekend, is there a limited availability for the white water rafting? When is the latest we should book? Also my husband and I have never rafted before and a little bit concerned about safety. Is there another tour on the same river with the similar scenery but slower ? Can you predict now the river level and the rapids level for those dates?
Also, we are staying in Costa Verde Inn. Do you pick up from there? Or should we drive to some spot to be picked up? Is there a parking to leave a car at that spot? Thank you .
Katya
Jen says
Hi there,
Do you think the Rio Picuare is safe to do in the rainy season with the higher water levels? We are planning a trip in late September. Thank you!
yeison says
Hello Jen,
Rios Tropicales and most of the companies that run the Pacuare river are super careful when it comes to the level of the river when the river is too high they will let their clients know. In the other hand we prefer to go in the rainy season because the river is faster and the rapids are more fun, all their guides are professionals and they will never put you on risk.
Please let us know if you have any questions and thank you for reading our blog.
Lindsey says
Hi! I submitted a request for reservation but am not sure it went through. Do we get a confirmation email or message saying it has been submitted?
Thanks, so excited!
yeison says
Hello Lindsey!
Yes, we got it 🙂 Rios Tropicales will be contacting you shortly
Dominique Di Marzio says
We were looking to book through your form above, however, wanted to verify that going from SJ to PV was possible in 1-day tour and that the tour would take us along with our carry-on sized luggage to PV.
Sammi says
Hi Dominique! Yes you can get picked up in San Jose and dropped off at a hotel in Puerto Viejo as long as there are 2 passengers minimum. They will hold your luggage at the operations center and bring it with you on the transfer as you will go back to the operations center for lunch. Please let us know if you have any other questions.
Kevin says
Hi we are in San Jose and then going to Arenal. Is it better to do the river rafting while we are in San Jose or arenal. I thought the river is near arenal?
yeison says
Hello Kevin,
You can do it from San José or from Arenal, usually travelers take advantage of Rios Tropicales transportation requesting to be pick up in San Jose and drop off in La Fortuna (Arenal volcano area) by doing this they will be saving money for the San Jose – Fortuna transfer. The price is same from La Fortuna or San jose.
The Rio Pacuare is the best river we have in Costa Rica, but once you are in Arenal there are other rivers from class 2 to 4. Please let us know if you have any questions and than you for reading Mytanfeet.
George Pendleton says
What would be the best opportunity for class III or IV river rafting out of Playa Coco?
I have 5 of us that really want that adventure!!
Sammi says
Hi George, I think the Tenorio River rafting is Class 3 and 4 and that’s about a 1.5 hour drive from Coco which is the closest, Rio Pacuare is pretty far and you’d have to go to San Jose to get picked up. Let me know if you need tour company recommendations for the Tenorio river rafting or if you guys can go to San Jose for 2 days, you can do the 1 day Rio Pacuare rafting from there.
Julia says
We have our own car and we would like to drive to the rapids rafting center. Is there parking near the white water raft 1 day trip beginning? and is there transportation to take us back to our parked car?
Sammi says
Hi Julia, you can drive to the Rios Tropicales operations center and they have a parking lot there. They also have lockers where you can keep your things so you don’t have to leave it back in the car and the shuttle that picks you up at the end of the rafting will take you back to the center.
Cathryn says
Hi
I’m coming to Costa Rica in August with my 12 and 15 year old kids. We’d love to go white water rafting, but from what you say the minimum age for this trip in August is 14 🙁 Can you recommend another trip? We were hoping to be picked up from Tortuguero, go rafting and be dropped off in La Fortuna as we won’t have a car. PS I love your blog, it is a fantastic resource for planning our trip
Sammi says
Hi Cathryn, the Rio Pacuare white water rafting doesn’t pick up in Tortuguero, they only pick up in Puerto Viejo on the Caribbean side. They do have the age limit due to the river levels which are higher in rainy season. There are other rivers that are smaller like Rio Balsa out of Fortuna that also has good rafting.
Cathryn Clark says
Hi Sam
Thanks so much for the info. Can you recommend a raft company that does trips (ok for age 12 in August) on the smaller rivers out of Fortuna? Many thanks in advance.
Cathryn
Sammi says
Hi Cathryn, the one out of Fortuna with smaller rapids is Rio Balsa. All the tour companies out of Fortuna operate it, Desafio is a really good one.
Cathryn Clark says
Fab, thank you
Andrew Pulido says
My wife and I are staying in Atenas and are interested in a one day white water trip. We’ll be arriving in Marchfor 8 days. What days do they schedule the 1 day trips? Thanks!
Sammi says
Hi Andrew, they do the 1 day tour every day but they don’t pick up in Atenas, only San Jose. Is it possible you guys can stay in San Jose and they will pick you up and drop you off at a hotel in San Jose.