La Fortuna

Balsa River White Water Rafting class 2/3 in Costa Rica

Badge of ExcellenceLa Fortuna, Costa Rica
Balsa River Class 2 and 3 White Water Rafting from La Fortuna

From USD 68.00

Select Date and Travellers

Free cancellation
Up to 24 hours in advance.
  • 5 hours
  • Pickup offered
  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English

Overview

Connect with the waters of Costa Rica by paddling down class II and III white waters of the Balsa River. This half-day, guided, white-water rafting tour includes equipment, instruction, safety briefing and ends with a delicious lunch served in a local restaurant. Feel the thrill and excitement as you glide six miles (10 kilometers) down the river flanked by lush the jungle filled with monkeys, tropical birds, and sloths.
  • Guided white-water rafting adventure in the jungle
  • See tropical wildlife in their natural setting
  • Paddle over top of class II and III white waters
  • Enjoy a traditional Costa Rican lunch

Sample Menu

Main

Costa Rican Casado Lunch

What's Included

  • Professional guide
  • Transportation from hotels located less than 6 km away from our main office
  • Bottled water
  • Towel
  • Lunch
  • 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

Meeting And Pickup

You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup

Meeting point

  • Arenal Rafting
    Av 333 y Calle 460, Provincia de Alajuela, La Fortuna, 21007, Costa Rica

    If 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 points

Select a pickup point

Start time

09:10 am

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

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.

What To Expect

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • A minimum of 2 people per booking is required
  • Minimum age 5 years old
  • Maximum weights 220 pounds
  • Near public transportation
  • 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 tour/activity will have a maximum of 100 travellers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

  • For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
  • If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
  • Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
  • Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
  • This experience requires good weather. If it’s cancelled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.

Traveller Photos

See more
Featured review
Ivonne_R
Imanol was excellent. He made me feel safe at all times and demonstrate excellent skills while rafting. Imanol was also very funny and provide a trustworthy and professional experience. He demonstrated knowledge in the flora and fauna and ensure that we have a great experience. I have an awesome experience thanks to Imanol.

Reviews

5.0
627 reviews
Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
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0
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Reviews by Viator travellers.
Showing 1-10 of 627 reviews
Do it!!
laplanlp, Sept 2023
The rapids were great and lots of them. Also nice lunch and fresh fruit. Guides are outstanding. Good communication with the company as I added a person after my initial reservation.
Fun and safe tour
Ivonne_R, Aug 2023
Imanol was excellent. He made me feel safe at all times and demonstrate excellent skills while rafting. Imanol was also very funny and provide a trustworthy and professional experience. He demonstrated knowledge in the flora and fauna and ensure that we have a great experience. I have an awesome experience thanks to Imanol.
Thrilling! Guaranteed fun!
Chandani_P, Aug 2023
You will get wet. You will see animals that you don't see on nature walks. Most importantly, you will have the time of your life! This is a must do activity for anyone visiting La Fortuna seeking adventure. If we stayed for another day, we would have done it again. You can't beat the value.
Fun Day for First Timers
Anonymous, July 2023
Carlos our guide was informative and fun and went out of his way to make sure we got the most from the experience.
Awesome tour guide Andres
Patricia_S, July 2023
Our guide Andres was awesome right from the start. He was so friendly and patient as he explained the rules of rafting to my family and I. . I was so worried for my kiddos as we had no desire to flip over so Andres made sure our safety was his priority, but also assured we had a blast. If your looking for safety and adventure, Andres is your guy.
An absolutely must when in La Fortuna
Christine_H, July 2023
The entire experience was incredible We went with our 4 sons and mother Marcos was our captain We had such a blast The rafting was so fun. All of the staff were so funny and helpful but most importantly focused on safety. The food was absolutely incredible and the pictures they took of us are amazing
Response from Host, July 2023
That sounds like an amazing family adventure! With Marcos as your captain you surely had a blast, and I'm glad our staff took good care of you. And hey, we are also glad that you enjoyed from the casado and the fruits Thanks for choosing us for your rafting experience; we can't wait to have you all back for more unforgettable moments! 🌊🚣‍♂️🌟😄
Awesome day!
Danielle_B, July 2023
Johnny guide was our guide and he was amazing. So friendly to our group especially our kids who were white water rafting for the first time. Gave us several spots to jump in the water and hang out along with some really fun rapids. The lunch and fruit after were a nice touch as well. We loved this trip!
Worth the wait
amanda_f, July 2023
This was a last minute addition to our itinerary and was so worth it. Johnny was amazing from start to finish. Gave an excellent outing to our group. Was a highlight of our trip.
So Much Fun That You Feel Like a Kid Again
Nicole_K, July 2023
Did this with some friends and all of us described as one of (if not THE) best things we did on our trip to Costa Rica. It was so much fun, we all felt like little kids in the best possible way. We had a few people in our group that were a little afraid, including one person who can't swim, but we were so well taken care of by our guide (shout out to Chizo! The absolute best!) that the fear quickly melted away into pure fun and joy. I would do this over and over, highly highly highly recommend. An absolute blast and this company has created such an amazing experience. Also, I got the pick up time mixed up and they were so cool about it and came back for us 10 minutes later when we weren't ready. We were on the bus with Oso who was great about stopping for pictures of sloths which we didn't expect and was an added bonus to our already great experience. You will not regret doing this!
Beautiful Balsa river...
Sowjanya_A, July 2023
Beautiful Balsa river rafting experience! Level 2/3 is perfect for beginners! Alejandro Fox, our guide, was knowledgeable and careful while handling young kids in the rafting! Highly recommended!
Response from Host, July 2023
Hey there! We're really happy to hear that you had an amazing experience on the beautiful Balsa River. Our Level 2/3 rafting tour is perfect for beginners, and it's awesome that Alejandro Fox took great care of you, especially with the young kids. Thanks for recommending us! We look forward to seeing you again soon for another unforgettable river adventure.
Amazing trip! Great guide...
Lauren_M, July 2023
Amazing trip! Great guide who was very knowledgeable about Costa Rica. Whole family loved it; perfect amount of adventure
My first rafting trip but definitely not my last!
Craig_B, June 2023
Truly an incredible trip with professional and fun guides. From the first push off, we were excited, scared, laughing, amazed and almost always wet. When the water slowed, our guide pointed out iguanas, sloths, colorful frogs and other wildlife.
Lovely intro experience for family
Chris_M, June 2023
Christofer was our guide and he was excellent for a family of 5 including a little one. Other guides were “crazier” but he really made our rafting an awesome experience. Oso was a great person to get us briefed as well. Only complaint is lack of ability to get photos without paying extra money. Would still highly recommend for those looking for this kind of experience.
Oscar was amazing with us...
Nilima_B, May 2023
Oscar was amazing with us in the raft. He had a great sense of humor and made the journey so enjoyable. We felt completely safe rafting down the difficult waters as he guided us the entire time. Would highly recommend to anyone looking to white water raft!
A fun filled rafting experience!!
Prasad_K, May 2023
Great crew and a beautiful experience. Plus taking a break to enjoy some local fruits and then lunch at the end.
We had the BEST time...
Joanne_I, May 2023
We had the BEST time rafting with Arenal Rafting Co. Imanol, our raft guide, was so much fun! We learned a lot about the area, laughed a lot, and had quite the adventure on the water. The delicious meal at the end was a great way to end the day.
Response from Host, June 2023
Hello Joanne what an amazing review, thank you very much for taking time to post this review for our team, we are truly happy to know you had a good experience with our company, thank you for choosing Arenal Rafting for your white water adventure. Pura Vida.
Great excursion, great tour guide
Arabella_B, May 2023
WOW!!! What a great experience with my family. I was a little hesitant to take my 6 and 8 years old to this but they did great thanks to our GREAT tour guide, Juan Rosales. He was AMAZING!! He kept my kids safe and free from falling in the water. I have to say he was one of the best and memorable tour guide I have ever had, and I have had a lot, THANK YOU… This excursion gave us just enough excitement, fun, fear and joy. PURA VIDA HAKUNA MATATA
Response from Host, May 2023
Oh wow, sounds like you and your family had an incredible time on the excursion! It's awesome to hear that they did great, thanks to the guidance of our amazing guide, Juan Rosales. Safety is top priority especially with the little ones. It's such an honor to be considered one of the best and most memorable tour guides you've ever had! We strive to provide exceptional experiences, and Juan certainly delivered. Your kind words are greatly appreciated, PURA VIDA! 🙌🚣‍♂️
The best thing to do in La Fortuna
Emma_M, May 2023
This was hands down our favorite thing we did while in La Fortuna. It is great value for your money and you will feel giddy like a little kid the whole time you are on the river. It is the perfect balance between feeling safe but getting a serious adrenaline rush! Alex was our river guide and he was phenomenal!
It’s a must
Charlotte_P, May 2023
This was an amazing experience! The staff were incredible and the service was excellent. The value for money was really great, we had some exotic fruit half way through rafting that they provided which was amazing and the amount of nature we saw while rafting was crazy. The lunch was also really tasty! I would definitely recommend.
I have rafted almost all...
Joseph_R, Apr 2023
I have rafted almost all the whitewater rivers in the USA, and this trip on the Balsa River was about the best of them all. There were constant rapids for the first two-thirds of the trip, and just the right wildness of the rapids. Extremely exhilarating but not dangerous. Then we saw wildlife. Our guide was very competent. And best of all, we grabbed some branches at the river's edge, held the raft there while our guide got fresh pineapple, watermelons, cantaloupe, and mangoes from a local farmer. Very Costa Rican for my grandkids to see. Then our fruit lunch on a sandbar with a turned-over raft for a table with Brahma cows looking on was sublime!
...

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