🌊 Whitewater Rafting in Río Sarapiquía: My Honest Review & Tips

Regardless if you’re a beginner or an experienced rafter, Río Sarapiquí is one of the top rivers to whitewater raft in Costa Rica. Using a clear rating system, I share my honest review of the experience, along with firsthand tips.

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🍀 Lukiih’s Verdict

I highly recommend whitewater rafting in River Sarapiquí when you’re visiting La Fortuna in Costa Rica. It was one of my trip’s highlights.

• River Sarapiquí offers class II-III rapids and wildlife along the riverbanks (I saw owls, iguanas, sloths, and howler monkeys). This was the most thrilling quintessential Costa Rican activity I did and I had a blast for the entire two hours I was on the river (I have no prior experience).
• I booked my whitewater rafting tour with the well-rated WAVE, which is moderately priced. Their tour package includes transportation, lunch, snacks, guides, and a zipline.
• Minimal preparation is required. Book the tour a few days in advance and dress accordingly. Wear a swimsuit, quick-dry top and bottom (to prevent chafing), sunscreen, and shoes you don’t mind getting wet. The tour operator takes care of the hour-long transportation from La Fortuna to Río Sarapiquía.

🇨🇷 Planning a Trip to Costa Rica: 12 Practical Things To Know

🏆 Where Does It Rank?

Whitewater rafting in Sarapiquía River ranks as the #2 experience I had in Costa Rica. Here’s how it compares to other things I did on my trip:

	Experience	Location	Overall Rating
1	🌋 Arenal Volcano Horseback	La Fortuna	7.3
2	🌊 Whitewater Rafting in Río Sarapiquía	La Fortuna	7.0
3	♨️ La Fortuna Hot Spring	La Fortuna	6.7
4	🌳 Místico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park	La Fortuna	6.6
5	🍫 Chocolate & Coffee Tour 🎟️	La Fortuna	6.6
6	🌳 Monteverde Cloud Forest Zipline 🎟️	Monteverde	6.5
7	💧 La Fortuna Waterfall 🎟️	La Fortuna	6.5
8	🌴 Manuel Antonio National Park 🎟️	Manuel Antonio	6.5
9	🍲 La Fortuna Town	La Fortuna	6.5
10	💆‍♀️ Nosara Outdoor Massage	Nosara	6.4
11	🌳 Monteverde Cloud Forest 🎟️	Monteverde	6.3
12	🦉 Monteverde Wildlife Refuge Night Walk 🎟️	Monteverde	6.3
13	🦥 Sloth Sanctuary 🎟️	Monteverde	6.2
14	🦋 Monteverde Butterfly Garden 🎟️	Monteverde	6.2
15	🧘‍♂️ Nosara Yoga Class	Nosara	5.8
16	🏖️ Playa Espadilla	Manuel Antonio	5.8
17	🤿 Playa Biesanz	Manuel Antonio	5.8
18	🚙 Nosara ATV Ride	Nosara	5.7
19	🚡 Arenal Volcano Sky Tram 🎟️	La Fortuna	5.6

🌋 10 Days in Costa Rica: A Unique & Active Itinerary

For more detailed tips on my experience, check out my trip planner below.

Costa Rica Trip Planner 2025

Make planning easier with my flexible, research-backed travel planner—shaped by real experience. It has:

• Up-to-date travel info
• A well-curated itinerary
• Practical, firsthand insights & tips
• A simple budget tracker
• A starter packing list
• Fully customizable sections

Built in Notion, this is the tool I personally use to plan every trip. I genuinely love it and creating a Notion account is free.

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