Whitewater Rafting Class 2-3 Balsa River from La Fortuna
Description
Paddle through Class II and III rapids on this fun white water rafting tour down the Balsa River in Costa Rica. On this 2-hour trip downriver, your guide will lead you through the easy and exciting rapids that flow through Costa Rica rainforest. Keep an eye on the land and sky for monkeys, sloths, and birds. After rafting, reward your efforts with a scrumptious lunch at the famous Hunters and Gatherers restaurant next to the El Salto Swimming Hole and waterfall. Bonus: If you want to hang out later at the swimming hole, no worries. Hotel transport to and from La Fortuna area hotels and lodging is included.
Tour Options
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
If you are staying at an AirBnB or rental home, please be sure to send us the exact location and GPS. We have an extra transport charge for hotels outside of our normal pick-up zone.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Not recommended for people over 65
Reviews(315)
Amazing experience and a great way to see wildlife!! I would highly recommend it!!
Words cannot express how amazing this experience was for me and my family. We were picked up from our Zip lining excursion and from there it was approximately a 30-45 minute drive to the beginning of our adventure. We were provided all the safety equipment and instructions we needed. The whole staff was very friendly, but our tour guide Emmanuel was amazing. He made the rapids fun but always with safety being the top priority. We were provided a delicious snack of pineapple and watermelon freshly cut up by our guides and served on a raft 😂. Our guide provided us with a lot of fun and important information about the local culture and wildlife. After the rafting was over we were provided showers, bathrooms, towels, water and transportation to lunch. The lunch was a 10 out of 10, set in a beautiful location. We were transported back to our hotel and up to the last second the staff at Desafio made us feel like family. There are tons of choices in Arenal/Fortuna for adventuring, but nothing tops Desafio Adventure Company.
Thank you so much for your incredible review! We are truly honored to hear that your family had such an amazing experience with us. Providing safe, fun, and memorable adventures is what we strive for every day, and we're delighted that Emmanuel and the rest of our team helped make your rafting trip so special. It’s wonderful to know that you enjoyed every part of the experience, from the rafting adventure and fresh fruit snack to the facilities, transportation, and delicious lunch. We love sharing Costa Rica’s natural beauty, culture, and wildlife with our guests, and we're thrilled that those details made a lasting impression. Thank you for choosing Desafio Adventure Company and for your kind words. We hope to welcome you and your family back for many more adventures in La Fortuna! Pura Vida! The Desafio Adventure Company Team
Exhilarating white water rafting experience, experienced guide, saw animals, yummy fruit, and swam in the river. Compared to the other groups that were flipping boats and hammed back; our tour company felt the safest by far.
Thank you for your wonderful review! 🌊🚣 We're delighted to hear you had such an exhilarating rafting experience and felt safe with our team. It's great that you enjoyed the wildlife, the fresh fruit break, and even a swim in the river! Thank you for choosing Desafío Adventure Company, and we hope to see you again for another unforgettable adventure in Costa Rica! 🇨🇷😊🍍
Booked this experience because we had to fill one of our last days, and went into it with no expectations. Although I was a little nervous at first, it ended up being so fun! Our guide Aurelio was super nice and informative, and had an amazing vibe! We also felt super safe as there are many other rafts and individual guides in the river that go and help out when people get pulled in the water (although this is rare). Overall amazing experience, and even though this seems like more of an adrenaline excursion, at times it felt like a nature one as well because of the AMAZING views and huge amount of wild life (especially birds) that we got to see. Overall a 10/10 and I would highly recommend this if you’re looking for something fun and different for your trip!!
Hi, Thank you for your kind review! 😊 We're so happy to hear you had such a fun experience and that Aurelio helped make your adventure memorable. It’s great to know you enjoyed both the excitement of the river and the incredible wildlife and scenery along the way. We truly appreciate your recommendation and hope to see you again on your next Costa Rica adventure! Thanks for choosing Desafío Adventure Company, La Fortuna, Costa Rica.
Amazing experience! The guides were very intentional about the safety guidelines and made sure we were prepared. They even helped us spot animals throughout the ride. 10/10 highly recommend.
Hi, Thank you for your wonderful review! 😊 We're thrilled to hear you had such a great experience. Safety is always our top priority, and we're glad our guides helped you feel prepared and comfortable throughout the adventure. It's also great to know you enjoyed spotting wildlife along the way! Thank you for your recommendation, and we hope to welcome you back for another unforgettable Costa Rican adventure. Thanks for choosing Desafío Adventure Company, La Fortuna, Costa Rica.
I was a bit nervous but Emmanuel our raft guide made me feel comfortable and safe. I am incredibly happy I took this rafting experience with them. From pick up to a comfortable bus and delicious food. I am super satisfied
Hi, Thank you for your review! 😊 We're delighted to hear that Emmanuel helped you feel comfortable and safe throughout the adventure. It's wonderful to know you enjoyed everything from the transportation and rafting experience to the delicious meal afterward. We truly appreciate your kind words and hope to welcome you back for another adventure soon! Thanks for choosing Desafío Adventure Company, La Fortuna, Costa Rica.
This was an amazing experience, I had never done this before so I was a little hesitant. But I felt totally safe, they formed groups of ~4 peolple in each raft plus a tour guide in each. It was super fun, the scenery was beautiful. There is an additional person taking pictures and videos of the whole experience which are sold at $40 and emailed to you the next day, great price. Thank you Aurelio and Rolo for making me feel so safe and making it so much fun. Pura vida!!
Hi, Thank you for sharing your experience! 😊 We're so happy to hear that your first rafting adventure exceeded your expectations and that you felt safe and comfortable throughout the trip. Aurelio and Rolo will be thrilled to hear your kind words! We're glad you enjoyed the beautiful scenery and captured some great memories along the way. Thank you for choosing to adventure with us, and we hope to welcome you back for another unforgettable experience. Pura Vida! 🌿🚣 Thanks for choosing Desafío Adventure Company, La Fortuna, Costa Rica.
We had an incredible time rafting! The guides were fun and knowledgable. They even stopped the raft twice when monkeys and sloths were spotted. It was a great adventure but we felt safe the entire time. They captured some amazing photographs for an extra fee which was well worth it. The tour was followed with clean showers and restrooms and capped off with a delicious lunch. I definitely reccomend this tour!!!
It brings us so much joy to read your review! We are passionate about creating unforgettable experiences, and it means a lot to know our efforts made your adventure special. We’re so happy you enjoyed the wildlife, felt safe throughout the experience, and loved the lunch as well. Thanks for choosing Desafío Adventure Company, and we hope to welcome you back for another unforgettable adventure in Costa Rica!
Our guides were so warm and kind! They were also very funny! The shuttle was right on time and the lunch at the end was 10/10
Hi, Thank you for your review! 😊 We're so happy to hear you enjoyed your rafting adventure with us. It's wonderful to know our guides made the experience fun and memorable, and that everything from the transportation to the lunch exceeded your expectations. We truly appreciate your kind words and hope to welcome you back for another adventure soon! Thanks for choosing Desafío Adventure Company, La Fortuna, Costa Rica.
Manuel was a great guide, safest person but most fun, showed us a lot of animals, very knowledgeable. Kids had a blast
Hi, Thank you for your review! 😊 We're thrilled to hear that you and your kids had such a great time on the river. We'll be sure to share your kind words with Manuel—he'll be happy to know his knowledge, enthusiasm, and focus on safety helped make your adventure so memorable. We hope to welcome you back for another fun Costa Rican adventure soon! Thanks for choosing Desafío Adventure Company, La Fortuna, Costa Rica.
