Class II-III Rafting and ATV Tour from La Fortuna
Description
White-water Rafting Class II-III and ATV Tour –Rio Balsa. Family fun, excitement, and high flying thrills. A 2.5-hour tour going on fun trails at a private farm right below the Arenal Volcano. Heading for a more fluid ride towards La Guaria and stopping at Arenal river for great pictures; paddle down roaring rapids in the afternoon.
Tour Options
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Hotels outside of the normal route may have an extra transportation charge. o Arenal Lodge o Lost Iguana o Luna Nueva o Bosque de Chachagua o Chachagua Rainforest o Tilajari o Leaves and Lizards o Observatory Lodge o La Mansion o El Castillo o Rancho Margot. o Nuevo Arenal Hotels o Termales el Bosque o El Tucano o Lands in Love o La Garza
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Minimum Age 16 for SGL Rider/Own ATV -- must show valid driver's license
- Minimum Age 8 for DBL Rider/Shared ATV
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- May be operated by a multi-lingual guide
- Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required
- Weather dependent. There is a possibility of cancellation after confirmation if there is flooding or other government river closure. In the event of this occurring, you will be offered an alternative or full refund
- The duration of transfers are approximate, the exact duration will depend on the time of day and traffic conditions
- Participants will get wet, please dress ready to raft in bathing suit and shoes that will stay on feet.
- Not responsible for items lost or damaged on river, please do not take anything on the river that you are not willing to lose
- Not responsible for items left on transfer bus or on tour, please check carefully before getting off bus and at end of tours
- Pack a backpack with change of clothing and toiletry articles.
Reviews(48)
One of the best family activities we’ve ever enjoyed together with our four teens! The whole staff were amazing and we felt safe the whole time. Our guide, Congo, was fun and we had a lot of laughs and he also pointed out lots of animals and plants native to Costa Rica. It didn’t even matter it rained most of the trip!
So much fun! This was a fantastic experience fun, safe and what a rush!
We did combo atv and rafting tour with Wave rafting. The atv is not done by wave but was done by outback atv tours. Outback is 3rd party to wave. No problem with that at all. Cons The thing you need to know for sure is this atv tour is not for first timers especially those who think they have a driver's license can pick this up. The terrain is filled with rocks and slurry of clay and to make it worse there are long stretches that slopes down 45 degrees. If you have done atv before you wil enjoy this. If you are first timer and you may find it difficult where the guide will give you couple of chances before pulling you out to ride as a passenger based on availability or they may cancel the tour for you. This is something you should be aware of before you take this tour. Take some atv lessons either watching YouTube videos or driving one. One best tip i got from someone who came to our rescue was dont hold the handle too tight and relax your shoulder. That made a huge difference in how I drove after. Pros White water rafting we did as a family of 4 (2 adults and 2 kids [10,15]). We had a blast and the guide we got was Justin who was god sent. He made sure we had maximum fun rafting and also learning to raft. Justin is local costa rican and has done this all his life. He made us sit in different postures to keep the excitement throughout the tour. Eventhough it says level 2-3 , it had mostly 3 but depends on the season and weather. Since we did late December which is right after the rain season. There were lots of birds, sloths, monkeys we spotted but you need binoculars to see them clearly. The birds we saw mostly the ones that were waiting for the fishes. Towards the end they allow you to jump into the river and they made sure you are not swept away by the current. Overall rafting is exceptional but atv not so much but I will still give 5 stars for how it all ended.
Thank you for taking the time to share such a detailed review of your ATV + rafting combo. We appreciate you clarifying that the ATV portion is operated by our trusted partner, Outback ATV Tours, and we’re glad the coordination worked smoothly. We also appreciate the specific feedback you shared about the ATV terrain and overall experience. Comments like yours help set clear expectations for future travelers and help our team continue improving how we communicate tour details. We’re very happy the rafting side was a highlight for your family. Justin will be thrilled to hear how much you enjoyed the trip—especially the coaching, the variety he brought to the ride, and the fun, safe atmosphere throughout. It’s great that you also had strong wildlife sightings during your float. Thank you again for choosing Wave Expeditions in La Fortuna and for the five-star rating. We’d love to have you back on the river on your next visit to Costa Rica.
Great for the family with kids. My 7 year old was scared first but he enjoyed it after he got used to it. Highly recommend. Javier and Giorgio(deff punk) were awesome
So glad to hear your little one found his confidence and had a great time on the river! Big shoutout to Javier and Giorgio for making it fun and safe—those two always bring the good vibes. Thanks for trusting us with your family adventure. Hope to see you again soon!
The trip was incredible! We had such a good time. Jairo our guide was super , explained everything well was fun and safe and looked after us in the water. I would highly recommend going with Wave Expeditions.
Thank you so much for your kind words! We're thrilled to hear you had an incredible time and that Jairo made your adventure both fun and safe—he truly is a gem on the water! Your recommendation means a lot to us, and we hope to welcome you back for more unforgettable moments in Costa Rica. The Wave Rafting Team
Absolutely the experiemce of a lifetime. Thank you Kevin highly recommended. Do not miss this great fun and felt safe with the back up crew
Thank you for sharing such kind words! We’re so happy to hear it was the experience of a lifetime. Kevin and our support crew will be thrilled to know you felt safe and had a blast. Your recommendation means everything to us—hope to see you again for more Costa Rica adventures! The Wave Rafting Team
The trip was amazing, the ATV tour gave us some beautiful views of the Arenal volcano and we saw a bunch of wildlife along the way. Our guides were very knowledgeable and made the experience a blast! The white water rafting down the balsa river was incredible! The rapids were class 2-3 but were amazingly fun. Our guide Kervin spent time between rapids teaching us about Costa Rica! We finished up with lunch and a drink spending time with our amazing guides! 10/10 would do again in a heartbeat! Can’t wait to come back
Thank you for sharing your experience! We're thrilled to hear that you had such an amazing adventure with the ATV & Rafting Combo! Exploring the stunning views of Arenal on ATVs and spotting wildlife along the way is always a highlight. And we couldn’t agree more—the Balsa River rapids (Class 2-3) are the perfect mix of excitement and fun! We’re glad Kervin made the trip even more special with his knowledge of Costa Rica. Ending the day with lunch and great company is the best way to wrap up an adventure. 10/10 we’d love to have you back anytime! Looking forward to your next visit. Pura Vida!
It was sensational the company and the guide that accompanied us and with all the friends that I vineyard to the activity and especially the food
¡Muchas gracias por tu comentario! Nos alegra mucho saber que disfrutaste de la actividad, la compañía, y la comida. Es un placer ofrecer experiencias memorables para nuestros visitantes. ¡Esperamos verte pronto para más aventuras! Pura Vida.
My wife and I have never white water rafted before and we went out on a day that the rapids were quite big. The experience was more challenging than we expected but we had a fantastic raft guide, Miguel, who did an amazing job helping us and we ended up having a really great time!
Excellent review, thank you! We’re so glad to hear that Miguel made your first whitewater rafting adventure a fantastic experience. Taking on big rapids can be challenging, but it sounds like you handled it like pros! We hope to see you again for even more adventures. Pura Vida, Wave Expeditions 🌊
We did the 3-4 white water radting tour. Awesome experience!! Jorge ala Momo made me feel brave and in control. Got to celebrate Momos 14th year anniversary with the company. Congratulations ❤️❤️ Brandon was awesome as well, from pick up to drop off, great joker and makes you feel at ease, thank uou all
Thanks for sharing your River Story with us. We are glad to hear that you enjoyed our Rafting Trip, I´ll make sure that Jorge hear from your side. We hope to see you again next time!. Pura Vida, Wave Staff
