I love white water rafting. It really is a great way to spend an afternoon or even a few days. The very first time I went rafting was in Costa Rica several years ago on the Pacuare River. The Pacuare River is known to be one of the top five rafting rivers in the world for its scenery and rapids. This quintessential tropical river is a trip of pure magic, unsurpassed beauty, wildlife and exhilarating rapids. Located on Costa Rica’s Atlantic slope, the Pacuare River borders the Talamanca mountain range, home to native Cabecar Indians, jaguars, ocelots, monkeys, sloths, and an incredible variety of birds, butterflies and reptiles. It really is a great trip.


If you choose to do the long full day trip as I did, it will include an authentic Costa Rican lunch on the banks of the river along with tons of Level 5 rapids. You will bond with your group and certainly your boat leader. I took many spills into the warm waters of the Pacuare but thats half the fun of it. The Pacuare can be intense and exciting at times but at others it is very calm and serene and it really gives you the chance to check out the scenery and take in the wildlife.

The best part of the rafting in Costa Rica and down the Pacuare River is that it just smells nice. It smells like the air is supposed to smell. Fragrant and natural are the descriptive terms that come to mind and the natural beauty and ecotourism is what has made Costa Rica such a popular tourist destination.

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