Balsa River White Water Rafting class 2/3 in Costa Rica
5
Balsa River White Water Rafting class 2/3 in Costa Rica
By Arenal Rafting
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About
This white-water rafting trip takes you through the middle of the Costa Rican rainforest while providing unbeatable adventure. Spike your adrenaline paddling down class II and III rapids, stopping to swim in secluded waters, and admire tropical scenery along the way. The tour includes all equipment, safety training, and lunch.
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation
Ages 5-65, max of 100 per group
Duration: 5h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
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Highlights
- Power down the Balsa River for a look at Costa Rica’s wild side
- Chances to see sloths, monkeys, and more
- Guided white-water rafting trip balances adventure and safety
- Costa Rican-style lunch is included
Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best
2024
- Professional guide
- Transportation from hotels located less than 6 km away from our main office
- Bottled water
- Towel
- Lunch
What's not included- Souvenir photos (available to purchase) at the end of the tour.
- Pick up service at hotels located over 6 km away from our main office
- After a handy hotel transfer from La Fortuna, head to the Balsa River. Practice a few key safety maneuvers before getting the raft on the water. This rafting trip takes you down 6 miles (10 kilometers) of class II to III white-water rapids that keep your adrenaline pumping. Work together with your group to paddle hard and navigate the water while your guide steers the raft and keeps you safe. Stop along the way to rest, swim, snack, and admire views of the surrounding rainforest, with opportunities to see animals like sloths, howler monkeys, aquatic birds, and more. The tour concludes with a traditional Costa Rican lunch at a local restaurant.
- Start:Multiple pickup locations offered.
- Arenal Rafting, Av 333 y Calle 460, Provincia de Alajuela, La Fortuna, 21007, Costa RicaIf you do not need to pick up, you can get to our office at 9:15 am. We are located 100 meters north from the police station, avenue 333 street 460. You can find us On Waze or google maps as ARENAL RAFTING COMPANY.
Pickup details- -Bring comfortable clothes to get wet and paddle, secure shoes for rafting (closed toed shoes are safer, flip flops or crocs are NOT RECOMMENDED), bring also changing clothes. -Make sure you show up at the reception of your hotel or pick up place at the right time. Guides and drivers only wait a maximun of 5 minutes after the pick up time. If you are not sure about your PICK UP TIME call or send a whatsapp message to +506 89342626. Please Note: "Pick up time" refers to the time we pick you up at the hotel, "Start Time" refers the time when the tour starts. Pick up service is included ONLY for hotels located 5 km around La Fortuna Central Park. We DO NOT offer pick service on Airbnb, however you can drive or take a taxi to our main office in La Fortuna, where we offer safe parking and more facilities.
Hotel pickup offeredDuring checkout you will be able to select from the list of included hotels.End:This activity ends back at the meeting point. - Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 36775P1- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- A minimum of 2 people per booking is required
- Minimum age 5 years old
- Maximum weights 220 pounds
- Please bring changing clothes, water shoes, clothes to get wet
- Not recommended for travellers with back problems
- Not recommended for pregnant travellers
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Travellers should have a strong physical fitness level
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s cancelled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 100 travellers
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 36775P1
From
AU$111.72
per adult
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About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- zaidk5410 contributionsWorth every pennyJulio and imanol were amazing. Both were very knowledgeable about the rivier, wildlife, and Costa Rican culture. The rafting was fun and not too challenging. The fruit stop halfway through the rafting had the best fruit I’ve ever had. 10/10 would do this again. Worth every penny. Don’t think too hard. Just do it.Written 18 January 2025
- Melanie N0 contributions10/10 would recommend!10/10 would recommend this excursion! The company was very communicative and our tour guide was awesome. He was very knowledgeable and funny, which made the trip fun. I was a solo female traveler and I felt safe. Hotel pick up and drop off was super helpful and on time! It’s definitely worth the money.Written 17 January 2025
- Daydream628416161200 contributionsGreat fun!Julio was a great guide who made our rafting really fun. Got everyone involved and we all loved the rapids. There were some calmer parts of the river where we spotted wildlife and ate the delicious fresh fruit provided. You get a lovely casado lunch afterwards too! Would definitely recommend.Written 17 January 2025
- Jennifer H0 contributionsExcellent companyHad a blast rafting on the class 3/4 rapids with Arenal rafting. Edwin (our guide) made the experience extra fun with his humor and kindness. Would definitely recommend this company.Written 15 January 2025
- adamdep980 contributionsRiver rafting in TamarindoSo much fun! Julio and Braulio were great took the time to show us how to raft correctly and made the trip fun throughout the way. 10/10 recommend!Written 14 January 2025
- Passenger378582381770 contributionsWorth the money!Erick was an awesome guide! We had an absolute blast on our trip. I even fell in twice and between the staff and the awesome crew members I got back in the tacit no problem. It was boyfriend’s first time rafting and he had a blast too. If you like good rapids this trip is definitely worth it. And, the photos at the end are a good deal.Written 13 January 2025
- hollysC261IT0 contributionsAmazing Family Adventure!Carlos R was an awesome guide - knowledgeable and fun. You can tell he goes all out to make sure that you have the best time possible. My kids and I had never rafted before, but we felt safe and capable with Carlos! My husband had rafted class 3/4 before and said this trip was really great. Pura vida!Written 13 January 2025
- Amily A0 contributionsBest Rafting!White water rafting in Upper Balsa river with Arenal Rafting was an amazing experience. The service was great, our instructor JuanMiguel knew the river like the back of his hand, he took care of us the whole experience. The company stopped half way through rafting so we can eat fruits, and at the end of the trip we were provided a full meal! The photos they take during are great, my party bought them right away for a fair price.Written 10 January 2025
- fredrikelev0 contributionsGreat dayGreat fun and a fantastic guide! A perfect mix between an adrenaline filled adventure and nature experience. We saw many birds and howler monkeys (unfortunately no sloth).Written 6 January 2025
- 768abbys0 contributionsSo glad I went!I’ll start with I was terrified to do this but my family really wanted to and I’m glad I went. Our guide Junior was fantastic and made the rafting so fun I forgot to be scared the whole time. Great rapids- stop along the way for fresh fruit and lunch included at the end. Great for anyone to enjoy!Written 5 January 2025
- Matthias P0 contributionsAmazing experienceIncredible day with Arenal Rafting, our guide Joseph was brilliant and full of energy. Would thoroughly recommend. The lunch at the end is plentiful.Written 3 January 2025
- 315sumitm0 contributionsAwesome experience on the waterIt was really fun to get out on the water, and these guys (Johnny as our tour guide and Melvin as the river guide) made it awesome! Lots of fun for our kids too (10 and 15) who were nervous to begin with and then as soon as we ended wanted to go again.Written 2 January 2025
- S9680NPelisec0 contributionsGreat experience all the way around!This was a great experience! Everyone who works here was friendly and helpful .They have their business working like a well oil machine. We had a great time and would recommend!Written 2 January 2025
- davesG72KS0 contributionsA blast on the riverAn absolutely amazing and exhilarating activity. So much fun. Great guide and a good way to meet new people. Would 100% recommendWritten 1 January 2025
- FarAway7958730 contributionsSafe Fun and I would book againThe whole experience was really great. My kids who were worried about rafting we asking to do the trip again as soon as it was finished. We had a great time and they even spoiled by daughter by getting her a cake for her birthday. I would highly recommend them.Written 31 December 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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5.0
1,298 reviews
Excellent
1,261
Very good
29
Average
4
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4
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AKG
7 contributions
Jan 2020
Trying to book activities in Costa Rica was a very overwhelming process due to the number of tour companies in the area. I spent hours researching all the options and I have to say that my friend and I were more than pleased with Arenal Rafting. They were easy to communicate with, even calling to confirm our reservation. They were very timely the day of, and since we had a large group of 20+ people, they very efficiently had multiple buses and tour guides to accommodate us all. This was our first time doing anything like this before, and we were naturally very nervous once we got to the river and heard all the instructions! However, all the river guides (each raft had their own guide) were absolutely amazing. They were all knowledgeable about rafting (making us feel very safe), the area (even stopping to point out trees/animals), and absolutely hilarious. We had about an hour or so of rafting, followed up a break to enjoy some fresh fruits river side, and then continuing down the river. We experienced many different types of "waves" which were definitely all doable for first timers of any age. We ended the day with a delicious traditional lunch. This was probably one of the best tours we did during our entire trip and definitely a great value for the money.
Written 6 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi, we hope you are doing well.
It is an honor and a pleasure for us to know that you had a good time in our activity and we are more than happy to know that you really enjoyed it.
For our company, the safety, well-being, and satisfaction of our customers is very important and each comment helps us grow and improve in order to provide customers with the best of the best.
On behalf of the Arenal Rafting staff, we appreciate such an incredible comment and we are very glad to have been able to provide you with the best service. !! Thank you for sharing your experience and we hopefully will see you back in Costa Rica.
Written 6 February 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
COSteph
Denver14 contributions
Dec 2020
We had a great time rafting the Balsa through Arenal Rafting in La Fortuna. Dani was super communicative ahead of the trip and answered all of our questions regarding logistics. The river guides were professional and skilled, and we felt well taken care of the entire day. The rapids were exciting but not scary, and a fun time was had by all. They take a ton of pictures, but note that you must purchase using cash ($40 USD) for all the pictures taken of your raft (quite a few), so make sure you taken some extra $$. Lunch afterward was good!
Written 28 December 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello CObeth, Thank you so much for taking the ride with us! We are so happy to hear that you had a great time and felt safe on the river with us. We really appreciate you taking the time to post a great review for us.
Best regards.
Written 11 June 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Christina and Daniel
3 contributions
Our family of 5, 3 girls ages 10, 12, and 21 had a wonderful time reading the Balsa River, it was one of the finest activities over our 9 day trip. Our boat guide, Allan was great, checking in to make sure the younger girls were having fun, and ensuring that the rafting trip was exciting but not too dangerous or scary. Oso was the guide who gave safety talks and other information during the bus ride, he was sooo funny and engaging, he really added a lot to our experience. Overall we had a wonderful experience and recommend it to other families and even groups of young adults since other boats enjoyed more chaos and adventure, our guide gave us the perfect balance likely because he didn’t want to see two little girls screaming as they floated away lol
Written 13 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello, thank you so much for your review, we appreciate alot you have taking time to post this for our staff, we work hard everyday to hit every customer expectations even tho it requires alot of effort, we are a staff fully organized and qualified, we are proud of been the best Rafting Company and truly greatful for your preference !
¡Pura Vida!
Written 23 November 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Michelle M
Charlotte, NC37 contributions
My husband & I thoroughly enjoyed this experience. I’ve never been white water rafting before so I was a little nervous at first, but that quickly went away once we got into the water. The guide was super experienced & kept us safe while letting us have a ton of fun zipping through the waves. He even stopped a couple times to show us Tuscan birds that he would spot. We stopped halfway through and enjoyed some fresh fruit which was a also treat! At the end, they served us a delicious Costa Rican lunch while we watched a slide of professional photos that they took of us. You had an option of purchasing them but in no way did they pressure to do so. We usually wouldn’t purchase those types of photos but these were SO GOOD (& funny), we just had to! I would give them A+++ for their professionalism, expertise, and overall experience. We saw some other tours out there and honestly, I thought the others were overly crowded and rushed compared to ours. Highly recommend this company! Don’t hesitate to book. PS: COVID protocols were in place too so we left safe in that aspect as well.
Written 16 February 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Michell thank you so much for taking the time to share this 5-star review with our team! We love hearing how much you enjoyed our Rafting trip. It’s wonderful to know we did a great job. We know you have choices when it comes to your travel adventures, and it means the world to us that you’ve chosen to book an experience with our team. Thank you again for supporting our local business and we hope you’ll visit us in the future!Our priority is is that our customer have the best adventure with our team and we are ecstatic that we met that mark!
Best regards.
Written 17 December 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
McKenna M
2 contributions
June 2021 • Family
This was amazing! Our guide Roberto made everything so fun and I was amazed at his knowledge of the river. He made everyone in our group feel comfortable, even I, who was a little bit nervous. We had so much fun with him and we’re sad to leave. All of the other guides were super helpful as well. We had said we wanted to go a little crazy and ended up tipping a few times. All of the other rafts were quick to help up anyone who had fallen and even helped us find 3/4 shoes that got ripped off. The lunch provided was delicious and was the cherry on top of a fun ride. Highly recommend this company
Written 24 June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello,
We are very happy to hear
that you had a great time and felt safe in the river with us. We really appreciate and appreciate that you took the time to post an excellent review about us, here on TripAdvisor.
Written 17 December 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
C.
Milan, Italy41 contributions
As we were looking for adrenaline as much as safety,we were totally fulfilled by the experience. The guides are extremely professional and it was a great first time doing rafting. The whole journey was exciting but not scary, falling in the water was safe and (as it turns out) expected ! Loved it !
Written 14 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hola
Thanks for having booked with Arenal Rafting Company!
We are very glad and proud of your feedback, also in the future, we appreciate any recommendations and amazing commentary.
Best regards,
Written 24 March 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Emilia S
Fort Worth, TX3 contributions
June 2021
We did the White Water Rafting with Arenal Rafting during our trip and it was a highlight for sure!! We were on a raft with Roberto, and he was an amazing guide!! Our boat had so much fun together. He pointed out all the animal siting's, made us laugh and had a great spirit. We HIGHLY recommend him as a guide and Arenal Rafting as a whole.
Written 10 June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Emilias,
Thank you so much for taking the time to share this 5-star review with our team! We love hearing how much you enjoyed our Rafting trip. It’s wonderful to know we did a great job. We know you have choices when it comes to your travel adventures, and it means the world to us that you’ve chosen to book an experience with our team. Thank you again for supporting our local business and we hope you’ll visit us in the future!
Written 17 December 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Judith K
14 contributions
What an amazing day!!!!
Juan R. Was the perfect host and even introduced to new fruits at the fruit stand you stop at just prior to the rapids.
His brother Carlos R. was our on river guide. He was experienced, funny, and talented. We felt very safe and he was so kind to our son and let him ride “ cowboy” and float downstream for a bit.
This company is beyond well organized and safe. The lunch was good and the photos they take of you on the rapids are well worth the purchase!
I already have friends coming this week!
Run don’t walk to Arenal Rafting!
*****
Juan R. Was the perfect host and even introduced to new fruits at the fruit stand you stop at just prior to the rapids.
His brother Carlos R. was our on river guide. He was experienced, funny, and talented. We felt very safe and he was so kind to our son and let him ride “ cowboy” and float downstream for a bit.
This company is beyond well organized and safe. The lunch was good and the photos they take of you on the rapids are well worth the purchase!
I already have friends coming this week!
Run don’t walk to Arenal Rafting!
*****
Written 4 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mandy Z
Denver, CO11 contributions
Dec 2021 • Solo
This tour was a highlight of my entire trip. You will have a blast. The entire crew is full of energy and loads of fun. This class/level of rapids is a good introductory experience, too. You will be very lucky if you get Kevin as your guide! You can tell he loves what he does, and he's a very skilled rafting guide. Thanks, Arenal Rafting Co!
Written 26 December 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi,
Thank you so much for taking the time to share this 5-star review with our team our guides love to be fun and they really enjoy giving our customers the best experience possible! We love hearing how much you enjoyed our Rafting trip. It’s wonderful to know we did a great job on our Class 3/4 trip. We know you have choices when it comes to your travel adventures, and it means the world to us that you’ve chosen to book an experience with our team. Thank you again for supporting our local business and we hope you’ll visit us in the future!
Written 30 December 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Peter S
Sheffield, UK25 contributions
Apr 2022
My wife and I did the rafting in April 2022. It was our first time. Although my wife had some trepidation at the outset her concerns were assuaged by the professional nature of the operation. After booking we were picked up from our hotel. On arrival we were divided into groups for each boat and assigned a member of staff who was the coxon. Before starting we were measured for safety helmet, life jacket and paddle and received comprehensive health & safety briefing and instruction before entering the river. We a great fun experience and we both felt totally safe. Our coxon (Coco) had great energy and enthusiasm which added to ur enjoyment. At the half way point there is a stop to eat fresh melon, pineapple and papaya which was welcome before continuing. At the end end of the 12 KM trip you are transported back to the rafting base where there are facilities to change before eating a hearty lunch and reviewing the photos (available to purchase) taken by the staff during the trip. I would certainly recommend not just rafting but rafting the Arenal rafting.
Written 16 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi, We will be arriving at the cruise ship docks at 8 am. How far are we from your office and what time would we need to be there? What time would we return to your office?
Thank you 😊
Written 8 July 2022
Hi, any type of shoe works fine as soon as it has attachment around the ankle, and it does not come off easy, however, closed-toed will provide superior protection.
Written 27 March 2022
Our resort is dreams las mareas- does it pick up from there?
Written 10 June 2021
Does this tour pick up in the Monteverde area and return?
Written 24 January 2020
I just booked 5 tickets but did not see anywhere to tell them where I need to be picked up. Can you help me?
Written 12 July 2019
When I arranged it, they picked us up from our hotel. I would email them and tell them where you are staying. They were pick you up.
Written 13 July 2019
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