Costa Rica Jungles, Rivers and Beaches
“Another great trip with Bio Bio Expeditions – thanks for showing us the most beautful parts of Costa Rica – I dont know how you keep finding the best guides in the world but your Costa Rican guide Jorge made us feel right at home – thanks so much!” – Jan Morrisson
COSTA RICA: JUNGLES. RIVERS AND BEACHES - 10 Days
Watch jungle wildlife while paddling by raft and sea kayak through the lush jungles of Costa Rica! Relax on the black and white sand beaches of Costa Rica and visit Tortuguero National Park. Manuel Antonio. Braulio Carrillo and Chirripo National Park. Find adventure in the rapids of the Division, Savegre, Tortuguero and Pacuare Rivers! Experience the warmth of Costa Rica in a way most tourists never will...
Costa Rica Adventure Vacation Itinerary
We arrive in San Jose. Costa Rica, and begin our rafting adventure the next day following transfer to San Isidro del General, located on the southern slope of Chirripo National Park. We drive east to “El Llano” in the mountains and put in on the Division River, the main tributary of the Savegre River. Running continuous Class III and IV rapids we continue through one of the most remote canyons on the Savegre, passing rapids like “Cinderella” and “Malibu” and arrive at the Rafiki Safari Lodge. This is a wilderness luxury resort where we are hosted by a South African family in safari tents with private baths, fire heated hot water showers and a swimming pool in the heart of the jungle.
After a good night’s rest we will begin our second river day running “La boca del Diablo” a Class III rapid that will wake us up! We continue our descent of the Savegre River running Class II and III rapids all the way down to our take out at the bridge on the Pacific Coast Highway. Our bus meets us here for the drive north to Manuel Antonio National Park. We spend the next 2 days hiking through the park, exploring the seaside town of Quepos, and relaxing at the beautiful black sand beach of Manuel Antonio. Snorkeling and surfing and two ways to explore the beautiful Pacific waters.
We then travel east, driving through Braulio Carrillo National Park and enjoying breakfast at the Río Danta. We pass through banana plantations towards the Atlantic lowlands until we reach our starting point in the Tortuguero National Park Station on the Tortuguero River. Tortuguero National Park is a lush tropical paradise with a series of navigable waterways for exploration. There are no roads through the park making it a true wilderness experience. This tropical sanctuary is home to over 300 species of birds and many animals. While most visitors to the park travel by motorized launch, we will explore the waterways by sea kayak - a much more active, fun experience and a way to really get up close to the flora and fauna. We overnight at Mawamba Lodge for 2 nights, enjoying its pristine location on a Caribbean beach and relaxing in the lodge's swimming pool, restaurant, bar, hammocks, and jacuzzi.
The following day, we motor by boat about 25 miles towards the Colorado River, passing through Penitencia Canal until we arrive at Samay Laguna. We launch our kayaks for a three to four hour exploration of this area and the magical entrance into Laguna Nueve. A morning paddle the next day allows for a visit to Caño Palma Biological Station, or you can paddle to the Tortuguero hills for a morning hike.
In the afternoon, we drive to the Pacuare River and put in on the well known Pacuare River, famous for its fun whitewater and amazing jungle scenery! We paddle a few hours through some very fun Class III-IV rapids to the spectacular Rios Tropicales Jungle Lodge. This is a true jungle paradise of fun with zip lines for whizzing over the river, jungle walks, rainforest canopy tours, hiking to waterfalls and plenty of time for relaxing in the amazing river canyon. The next day we raft through the waterfall filled lower Pacuare River and end our Costa Rican adventure with a final farewell dinner in San Jose.