Costa Rica Descents Adventure Company — Attraction in La Fortuna

I give this company 5 stars because I believe that is what they deserve. They were very professional and did a great job and are very conscientious of safety. I personally didn't end up loving the white water rafting experience. But I did absolutely love the meal included at the end, it was so yummy. And I did enjoy watching how the sugar cane juice was made and trying it and trying the sugar cane as well. In hindsight we should have chosen more of a class II-III and not the III-IV. OR even better in hindsight I would have just enjoyed their jungle float or whatever they call it because I actually really loved the slow float and taking in the calm and the scenery. It felt like the jungle cruise at Disneyland in a way but in real life. My husband enjoyed this tour quite a bit though. I've only been white water rafting once and it was so long ago I didn't really remember it so I guess I just thought it'd be fun. It was a little much for my anxiety though and a TON of work!!!!!!!!! I think there was maybe 5 minutes total during our time on the river that it was calm and we could look up and out and enjoy the scenery. We paid money to work hard! Ha, kind of crazy but that's what you're doing. I just didn't realize that ahead of time. Also they had to take us to a different river that took long to get to. The river was so rocky and had huge boulders and we got stuck on rocks a number of times but the guides would get out and push us off. The other issue we had was that our raft flipped and that added to me not enjoying this much at all. I was already nervous about that possibility and then it happened! I was so glad I listened on the bus as we were instructed as to what to do under many different circumstances because even in my nervous and somewhat panicked state of mind I was able to remember what I was told to do and then do it and I think that is what kept me from getting very hurt. Another raft was there to grab me out of the water very quickly but it was still pretty scary for me. My husband didn't seem too bothered by it but his falling out of the boat didn't seem as dramatic as mine. Luckily I only got one really large bruise on my thigh. The company is very professional and the guides know what they are doing and it was a challenging river that day. I will say I had some big issues with the raft that I was in that could have been prevented with regular raft maintenance. I won't go into detail but it caused me to not be able to "get down" as needed which to me is a big problem and it squished my leg A LOT and was a constant problem. The guide knew it was a problem too and tried to fix it but it just didn't work while we were out on the river. After the relief of getting out of the river they served us up the most delicious pineapple and watermelon and then you could change your clothes if you wanted to (you have to basically change behind a towel or a bush or tree) and then we got back on the bus for the hour or so drive back (normally the river they use is a bit closer). So would I recommend this, YES, IF you know what you are getting into and you're ready for hard work and adventure! I do recommend this company and hope you can find the right...

Foremost, in evaluation of the intensity of rivers of rafting in Costa Rica - July - August are the most extreme and provide the most fierce conditions. So, for adrenaline seekers you read it, above. For family, couples, school groups - from September into December, expect the river to be a rough ride, but ask the guide, and the expressions on their face say no worries.

You may flip over, but the seasonal intensity of heavier waters has taken ease. The rafting has plenty of white water excitement and anybody who jumps off raft?, or goes in for a swim. Well, prepare for cooler waters, maybe by packing skin tight long sleeve and fitness pants will keep one warmer. Otherwise, keep your composure and tread water to keep above water line and in direction toward the raft!

A Tiko and myself drove ourselves from San Jose, off Avenida Central. After passing welcome sign into river-town, we chose to stop for a coffee to rebound our energy levels from the long drive. We spoke to locals and found office location - for meeting up with guides and rafting groups and bus pickup service to riverside - easy to locate. Thank God! Plus, the friendly community of La Fortuna. After the river-ride, the guides provide directions to a location to access and relax in a hot springs river.

Best of all, tip the guides by raft group or by what each customer agrees is fair, these guys fulfill their duties and one’s return to land is justification! Last, a tip to a hot springs location can be free. Otherwise, based on speed of rivers flow, it may cost $10, or about that.

The day we set out for La Fortuna and rafting the Balsa River, the date was 1st December 2024, all guides were calm and confident about a smooth ride down the river. Occasionally, raft was stuck up on boulders close below and protruding above waters surface.

When scheduling - even if one must directly call business after buying tickets from 3rd party - email or call to confirm acknowledgment of what language(s) you speak and in order of preference. This way Costa Rica Descents can arrange to have all persons speaking the same foreign language all together on one raft to make it easier for guide to communicate directions

The guides work at more than rafting, they also provide two stops along river to eat. 1) quick, stop on river to enjoy fresh locally grown fruit. 2) End of river tour, time to change to dry clothes and enjoy traditional Costa Rican lunch plate.

The excitement of many tourists choosing the rafting tour were family, students studying and traveling abroad in school-groups, outgoing couples seeking fun and the scenic sights, or Costa Ricans making the best of Costa Rica.

First off, dealing directly with a company, not thru a third party, entitles the company and all the guides to receive full payment without a commission to online marketing house that hires computer marketing agents (now AI algorithms and data pattern analysis) to push ‘any’ hiring service to top of...

Excellent experience! We recently completed a full day tubing excursion with Costa Rican Descents with our guide Romel. We were a group of 4 (my husband, myself, our friend and our 6 year old.) We originally booked the tubing option to accommodate our child, but since the water levels were high the guides immediately explained that for safety reasons we would complete the first portion of the river rafting instead (which was awesome because this way we were able to do a little of each!) Romel was wonderful, especially if you have kids and are unsure about doing this adventure sport, safety was their number one priority and Romel in fact has a 7 year old, and reassured us he would treat Nico as if he was his own-and indeed he did! At one moment, passing under a low hanging tree i saw him dive on top of our son to avoid any branches getting close to him, and he maintained this level of caution and awareness the entire day.

Rafting was so much fun, slightly challenging rapids, time to swim (he picked up our son and dipped him in on command), allowed him to row in the calm areas and lots of laughs and "pura vida" cheers when we accomplished the rapids. We did a short stop to eat fresh fruit and then swapped out our raft for the tubes.

Wow! Tubing was anything but boring! Still the rapids were strong so Romel strapped our son (in his tube) behind him in a kayak and was with him the whole time, controlling his speed and making sure mom and dad could enjoy their experience while he took care of him. I hit some crazy strong rapids and flipped off my tube twice and Orlando was there both times to save me! The whole crew is so hands on and personal and their level of professionalism and expertise is top notch.

After a memorable day on the Balsa the crew treated us to a homemade Costa Rican meal, a neat little tour of their local farm with a sugar cane demonstration and shots of moonshine.

Highly recommend!

Nos ha encantado! Una experiencia única con gente muy maja y divertida. Viven de la pasión y lo sientes al fondo. Gracias Romel, Orlando, André, Sil y equipo! Besos y abrazo nuestros de...