Onca Tours — Hotel in Katira

If you are going to do one thing in Costa Rica, it needs to be this! Odir and his team are absolutely amazing. We went with our three children, ages 4/6/8, and Odir and the guides made it SO much fun for all of us, and kept the children 100% safe throughout. I have never seen the children smile so much for so long. Their laughs of delight are still echoing in our ears! The beautiful blue of the Rio Celeste, the jungle all around you, the peace and tranquility of the smoother parts of the river contrasted with the adrenaline of the rapids… it was all totally wonderful. Odir and his team were so friendly throughout, especially Odir’s enthusiasm and warm and friendly approach with the children. It was our middle son’s birthday and he said it was the best adventure of his life! We even saw sloths hanging from the trees as we floated down the river. It was honestly the best time ever, all because of the brilliant Onca team. Do not miss out on this tour, it’s the highlight of our trip to Costa Rica. Also- we are staying the the Onca tours treehouses which are AMAZING. I will do a separate review on this but if you’re looking for somewhere to stay in this area, their treehouses are paradise. Odir and Dailin and their extended family are the kindest and loveliest...

Wow!!! That pretty much sums up our experience with this family owned business. 2 families, kids ages 10-12 all had an INCREDIBLE experience. We came up from la fortuna for a day trip. Was a bit skeptical but the owner was super responsive over text and we decided to make the trip. The drive was super easy and beautiful and totally worth it. The tubing is amazing. Water was great temperature, not cold at all (and we have some sensitive people in our party :-)) and the color is so blue it’s mind blowing. I was a little scared but the river path is really not wild, just enough to feel the thrill but not too much for it to feel dangerous. The company was super professional- we had 4 guides with us for 8 people and they were with us all the way. The tubing included lunch which was great (rice, beans, great chicken, salad- Costa Rica food). But the best part is the owner. He was so nice. If you are nice and have time- he will take you to the farm next door- we saw monkeys, sloths, woodpeckers- it was so great! The owner is part of a mission in the area to encourage tourists to visit wildlife in natural habitats (vs. zoos) and is trying to help farmers maintain the land for the animals - we were happy to contribute...

I booked the Rio Celeste tubing tour for my family of 4 (ages 45, 45, 14, 17) thinking it would be a nice little float down the river where we could take in the sights and hopefully see some native animals. That is NOT what this is! These are rapids, y'all! I had no idea, which is my fault for not researching better. Pretty early on, I completely flipped over in my tube, went under the water and had a hard time standing back up. I was thankful I didn't plant my face into a rock. It was terrifying. Even more terrifying was watching my kids float down the river, knowing that if anything were to happen to them, there's no way I could get to them to help. It was not a great experience for me. BUT... Anthony and Daniel were on top of it! That is what earns this review 5 stars. They are pros at what they do and I truly appreciate the effort it took for them to stay on top of things. They were super diligent in helping us and keeping us safe the remainder of the tour. The rest of the family was able to enjoy the experience. I would recommend this tour for those who have a moderate level of fitness and who are able to quickly think and react should it be required. As a worrying mom, I would not recommend this tour...