Itinerary

Day 1 ~ Arrival
Arriving in Paradise
Your Costa Rica Rios guide will greet you at the Juan Santamaria International airport in San Jose, Costa
Rica (SJO), upon your arrival. After leaving the airport, we begin the journey to our headquarters in Turrialba,
about a two hour drive through orchards, small towns and beautiful coffee fields.
Welcome to Your Home Away From Home
Upon arrival in Turrialba you will settle into your home away from home: comfortable accommodations with
tropical courtyard, Volcano view balcony and relaxing hammock area. This evening you will enjoy a delicious
and authentic Costa Rican meal prepared by our Chef, Flor. This will be a great opportunity to practice your
high school Spanish, as you enjoy Tico company with dinner. The remainder of the evening is spent getting
to know your fellow paddlers for the week while playing Bola Negra, the Costa Rican version of pool around
our locally handmade table.

Day 2 ~ Pejibaye
Settling In
After breakfast, we outfit you with your reserved paddling gear from our wide selection. We start out at the
Rio Pejibaye, a calm jungle river with clear water and spectacular scenery. This river is an excellent introduction
to Costa Rican whitewater with two distinct sections. The Lower Pejibaye is class II/III with fun surf
waves and deep pools for practice. The Upper Pejibaye or Taos section is class III/IV with creek like features
and steeper rapids. Both are equally scenic and allow plenty of time to get warmed up for the upcoming
week. When we return to our Bed & Breakfast we kick-off the week with dinner and discuss all the activities
planned for the upcoming week.

Day 3 ~ Sarapiquí
All Warmed Up
We will hit the road just after an early breakfast and travel to
the Sarapiquí River, located on the north side of the Caribbean
slope. The Sarapiquí is often referred to as the “Jewel of
Costa Rica” with clear water, deep pools and excellent whitewater.
There are 3 distinct sections on this river that we paddle,
generally the more difficult whitewater is located upstream
while the lower sections provide fantastic opportunities
to practice and improve in the warm tropical water and
sunshine. Paddlers sometimes have a difficult time with this
section of river because they are so distracted by the beautiful
scenery. Tonight we will lodge in the town of Puerto Viejo
Sarapiquí, close to the river, enjoying a jungle settng and the
use of a swimming pool.

Day 4 ~ Rio Sarapiqui
Rio Sarapiqui
The second day on the Sarapiqui, we put in upstream at La
Virgen or San Miguel section. These sections have much to
offer paddlers of all ability levels. There are some exciting
class III+ rapids and class IV rapids on the San Miguel section,
and some fun play waves to practice your moves.
Make sure you have had your morning coffee before getting
on the river. This section will very much depend on water levels!!!

Day 5 ~ Top Pacuare
Remote Jungle Settings
Today we travel to the remote and absolutely beautiful mountains
of the Pacuare headwaters. This rarely paddled section
of river starts with class II and III rapids and progresses in
difficulty as we continue downstream. Not a problem for class
II paddlers as there is a small road following the river during
the first several kilometers – a quick shuttle gives plenty of
opportunities for surfing the friendly waves again and again.
Experienced paddlers will love the steep rapids and super-fun
playspots of the Upper-Upper Pacuare.

Day 6 ~ Lower Pacuare (Day 1)
Our Jungle Hide Out
This 24 kilometer (17 miles) class III/IV section is your paddling gem today. This is the most popular run on
the Pacuare, often said to be one of the top five river sections in the world. We will put-in a bit higher than
other groups and enjoy an additional 4 kilometers of whitewater and rapids as we paddle to our riverside Jungle
Lodge. To spend a night along the shores of the Pacuare river is an experience every person should enjoy
at least once in their lives. We light the camp with candles and prepare delicious tropical cuisine in our
kitchen with all amenities. The camp is complete with flush toilets, showers, raised platform cabinas with
real beds and fully landscaped grounds. The whitewater on the first day is class II and III, fun surf waves and
rolling rapids are abound.

Day 7 ~ Lower Pacuare (Day 2)
World Class Experience
After our delicious breakfast we launch and begin preparing for the action downstream. There are about 3
kilometers of warm-up rapids before we enter Huacas canyon and the first of several class IV rapids. The
river then opens up as we play and paddle mostly class III whitewater until Cimarrones, a steep and technical
class IV drop. There are still 5 more kilometers of whitewater action before we arrive in the Caribbean
flatland town of Siquirres where we take out. Class II/III paddlers will experience all these thrilling class III
and IV rapids in a guided raft or shredder. We then return to Turrialba for an evening goodbye fiesta at our
headquarters.

Day 8 ~ Departure
Saying Goodbye
We enjoy a great breakfast sharing our experiences. We say our good-byes at the airport and we start making
plans for your return to Costa Rica!
** Costa Rica Rios does its very best to adhere to the specific itinerary listed above, but activities and locations
may be subject to change due to a number of reasons beyond our control (i.e. weather, water levels,
road and safety conditions).

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