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.

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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

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• Up-to-date travel info
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• 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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