The COVID-19 pandemic has affected Costa Rica, but we have an advanced and modern health care system and universal health care for our citizens with a well-organized and centralized government, so as a country, we have been taking considerable precautions for travelers and citizens.
Here at Desafio Adventure Company, we provide our Reservation Policy:
✅ Super Flexible rebooking policies
✅ No hassle cancellation policies
✅ Special payment plans
We are open to modifying travel dates or cancelling if necessary, just let us know in advance as soon possible so we can accommodate you.
By taking the necessary precautions while you travel,
We are here to help you!
Just remember to Be SAFE! And Have Serious FUN (at home... for now!)
Yes. We are one of the few tour operators and transport providers in Costa Rica who provides door to door service for just about anywhere in Costa Rica. Just be sure to clearly provide us the GPS coordinates from Google Maps or Waze and even the host contact information as finding locations can be very challenging in Costa Rica because we do not use proper addresses in most places. We appreciate your understanding.
However, we have offices in several parts of the country, so meeting at one of our offices for departure sometimes works out even better for clients.
Many clients frequently ask why it's important to work with a Desafio Adventure Specialist to design the best vacation in Costa Rica. Here we have the answers to your Frequently Asked Questions!
A: Our legendary motto says it all: Be SAFE & Have Serious FUN!!
We only have two rules at Desafio: Safety and Serious Fun! Desafio prides itself in running safe tours and transfers with the best logistics and safety procedures in the industry.
A: Reliability! We are the pioneers of adventure and started our company way back in 1992 - experience makes the difference - You can count on us! We are consistently rated at the top in TripAdvisor and have had thousands of repeat customers over the years!
A: We're there for you all the way: before, during and after the tour.
A: Exclusivity! Not only do we have the best tours in Costa Rica, many of them are only operated by Desafio Adventure Company... and while you are in La Fortuna, we invite you to try our Exclusive Hunters & Gatherers restaurant next to the El Salto swimming hole and waterfall on Rio Fortuna!
A: We're avid travelers ourselves. We enjoy personally visiting the hotels, tours and destinations we offer.
A: We have an easy and secure online booking and payment system.
A: We are all about creating fully customizable trips. We've got a lot of great itineraries to choose from, but if you want a customized trip, we'll be glad to put together an itinerary just for you.
A: We make it easy. Planning your vacation can seem like a daunting task. Not to worry! We'll help you put together a great vacation without all the hassle.
A: Time! We take the time to get to know you – your interests and your expectations! Then we'll use this information to design the perfect vacation for you.
A: We are local!
We are a family-owned and operated Costa Rican company and have offices and centers of operation all over Costa Rica (Arenal, Monteverde, Samara, Tenorio, Sarapiqui, San José, Manuel Antonio) - we know the country, we know the destinations, we know the tours!
A: Sustainability. We believe we can only be a profitable company when we contribute to the environment, our employees and our local community. We call this our People + Planet = Prosperity philosophy. We are accredited by the Costa Rican tourism board and have our Certificate of Sustainability.
: For tipping, most people will give their guide anywhere from $10-$30 (for your entire group, not per person) and on the tours where there are more than one guide (rafting and canyoneering, for example) the guides share their tips (along with the drivers) so you don't need to tip them individually unless you want to. For private transfers, most people give around $10-20 (maybe a little more if you feel like they really went out of their way to make your transfer more enjoyable). Most restaurants here will add a 10% service charge to your bill and this is split amongst the staff so you don't need to leave a tip at your table unless you really want to.
: Is internet WiFi readily available in Costa Rica?
: Desafio offers free WiFi in all of its private transfers and most hotels offer it in their common areas (front desk, pool area, restaurant) while many (but not all) also offer in-room WiFi. While the speed of the connection may not be suitable for streaming or other activities that require a high connection speed, your connection will be fast enough for you to check your e-mail and browse the web.
: How can I use my cell phone in Costa Rica?
: First, check with your service provider to see what options they offer. If they don't offer service in Costa Rica, or if it is expensive, you may also want to consider buying a sim card once you arrive. There are three main companies (Kolbi-ICE, Moviestar, and Claro) and you can find their offices all over the country (Kolbi-ICE even has a kiosk inside the San Jose Airport). In order to use a Costa Rican sim card (known in Costa Rica as a "chip"), you will need to have a phone that is unlocked.
Normally the employees at these companies office will install the chip for you and test it and we recommend this in order to avoid problems later on. Also, most larger supermarkets are now selling sim cards at the check-out stand and if you feel that you are tech-savvy enough to install it this may be a good option for you, especially if it is after hours and the cell phone company offices are closed for the day.
A third option is to not get coverage for your phone and instead use WiFi (at your hotel, for instance) and use a VOIP service such as Skype to make calls.
: What are the toilets in Costa Rica like?
: Toilets in Costa Rica are very similar to those found in North America; however, many sewage systems here are not capable of handling toilet paper so in many bathrooms you will find a small trash basket (often with a lid) and a sign asking you put your used toilet paper in the trash basket and not flush it down the toilet (even if there isn't a sign, if there is a trash basket next to the toilet, that is what it is for).
: How much do things cost in Costa Rica? How much is a beer? A meal? A bottle of water?
: In a bar or restaurant you should expect to pay $2-3 for a domestic beer.
The cost of a meal depends a lot on what type of place you are eating at. A "Soda" is a simpler restaurant and typically where the Costa Ricans eat unless it is a special occasion. At most sodas you can get a casado -- which is about as typical of dish as you will find and it normally includes rice, black beans, fried plantains, salad (usually cabbage) and your choice of meat (they usually have chicken, beef, fish or a pork chop to choose from) -- and a natural drink for about $5-6. Most sodas also have fast food which is a little more expensive. There are also nicer restaurants available and there it depends quite a bit what you order but in most cases you are looking at $10 to $20 per person. There are, of course, also restaurants that are more expensive than that (especially at the luxury hotels) so we recommend having a look at the menu before deciding on a restaurant.
Bottled water can be found at most supermarkets and restaurants and the cost depends somewhat on the size of the bottle. In most cases it is between $1 and $2.
: Most tap water in Costa Rica is spring water and water related health problems are not common in Costa Rica. However, since most visitors to Costa Rica are here for a short time and bottled water is so readily available, they often prefer to drink bottled water while they are here.
: Can I use US dollars in Costa Rica or do I need to use colones (the local currency)?
: Most places here in Costa Rica will take $US (though most establishments will not take $50 or $100 bills) however it is a good idea to get some colones once you are here (don't try to get them before you get here or from people who you may meet at the San Jose Airport offering to change money because you will not get a good exchange rate). Most places here will give you your change in colones when you pay in dollars, so that is one way to get colones, and if need be, you can also go to an ATM (most ATMs will let you choose colones or dollars). Please keep in mind, however, that your bank may charge you extra for ATM withdrawals in Costa Rica so check with them first to see how much it costs. You can also bring traveler's checks but usually banks are the only place you can cash them. In most cases, this means standing in line for a long time so they are probably not your best choice (you can also change dollars to colones at banks but again this usually involves a long wait in line).
:Yes, most places will take Visa and MasterCard, but it can be more difficult to find places that will take American Express or Discover (especially in Monteverde). Please note, however, that your bank may apply a service charge every time you use the card in Costa Rica.
: Should I buy travel insurance if traveling to Costa Rica?
:Yes it is a good idea to buy travel insurance for your trip to Costa Rica and one of the best options available is World Nomads (www.worldnomads.com). Contact this socially conscious company to see what the level of coverage best suits you.
: January 1: New Years Day
April 11: Juan Santamaria (national hero) Day
Easter Week (from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday)
May 1: Labor Day
July 25: Annexation of Guanacaste Day (Guanacaste is Costa Rica's 7th province)
August 2: Virgin of Los Angeles (Costa Rica's patron saint) Day
August 15: Mother's Day
September 15: Independence Day
October 12: Day of the Cultures (formerly Day of the Races)
December 25: Christmas Day
: Costa Rica has two international airports: San Jose(SJO) and Liberia (LIR) and which one is best for you will depend on which parts of Costa Rica you will be visiting while you are here. The San Jose Airport is closer to the Caribbean Coast, the Osa Peninsula and the Central and Southern Pacific Coasts. The Liberia Airport is closer to the Northern Pacific Coast (Arenal and Monteverde are about the same distance from both airports). However, there are far more flights into San Jose, so you may be able to find a better deal using this airport.
: How is the weather in Costa Rica?
: Predicting the weather here in Costa Rica is pretty difficult as we receive weather fronts from both oceans (Costa Rica is a narrow country) and the weather can go from one extreme to the other in a couple of minutes. Also, keep in mind that when it does rain here, if it rains hard it usually doesn't last more than 10 minutes and the air temperature doesn't really change much when it rains.
: Do tours run when the weather is bad?
: If weather conditions make it dangerous to run a tour we will postpone or, if necessary, cancel the tour. If we cancel the tour, we will offer you your choice of either a different tour or a full refund. We do not, however, cancel any tours simply to keep you from getting wet (this is the rainforest after all). If you need to cancel a tour yourself and do so (and receive written confirmation of your cancellation from a Desafio employee) at least 48 hours before the tour we will give you a full refund. No refunds for no-shows.
: What type of electricity do they have in Costa Rica?
: The electricity in Costa Rica is 110V, the same as in North America. However, you will sometimes come across two pronged electrical outlets so if you are bringing anything with a three pronged plug we suggest that you bring a cheater plug (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheater_plug) with you, just in case.
Canyoneering, also known as canyoning, is a multi-sport activity which often includes rappelling, bouldering, jumping, hiking, river tracing, etc. in canyon, ravines or river beds. Canyoning is recommended for adults in good physical condition because all canyons and canyoning activities have some inherent risk.
No, you don't have to know how to swim if you want to do our Lost Canyon Adventures canyoning tour. The Lost Canyon is a really unique attraction because it has some of the tallest waterfalls in Costa Rica that you do guided rappels off of. It is a multi-sport activity with a lot of fun water features, but there is no swimming. There are other sections of this pristine rainforest canyon where you will down climb and do river tracing and hiking.
Gravity Falls Waterfall Jumping is a new tour we just launched and is considered Costa Rica's Most Extreme Tour. Gravity Falls is a very different kind of experience where you jump from the sides of waterfalls into deep pools. There are no fast currents or rapids in the floating sections, and you will be wearing life jackets and helmets. Knowing how to swim is important for this tour.
Gravity Falls is a very different canyoning experience than the Lost Canyon.
We hope you have an awesome and adventurous time in Costa Rica!
The Lost Canyon is a unique canyon near the Arenal Volcano where the waterfalls get gradually bigger and more challenging as you go along -- our largest and final waterfall is a guided-rappel over 50 meters high! The Lost Canyon requires that you use your hands and feet to down climb and river trace as you make your way down a thrilling and isolated, rainforest canyon. It's important to remember that canyoning is recommended for adults in good physical condition because all canyons and canyoning activities have some inherent risk.
Canyoning in Costa Rica is done in areas with some degree of difficulty for access for emergency services and there is also risk of falling rocks, branches and trees, flash floods, insects, snakes and other encounters with Costa Rican nature. Our safety manuals -- approved by the Costa Rican Tourism Board and Health Ministry -- do not recommend canyoning for small children or people with health concerns. Our recommended age limit is 13 to 65 years of age and we may allow children as young as 10 years of age to do the tour if accompanied by an additional guide in the Lost Canyon. Our recommended age limit for Gravity Falls is 15 to 55 years of age.
Gravity Falls Waterfall Jumping is definitely Costa Rica's MOST Extreme Tour and one of the coolest things you'll ever do in your life, but since it is a high-energy adventure tour, it also has it's inherent risks. Gravity Falls also requires you use your hands and feet to down climb large boulders and wall faces, jump from cliffs and from the top of waterfalls and river trace along some areas where there may be slippery rocks. Gravity Falls is recommended for adults ages 15 to 55 in good physical condition because this canyon is located in an isolated areas with some degree of difficulty for access for emergency services. There is also a risk of falling rocks, branches and trees, flash floods, insects, snakes and other encounters with Costa Rican nature. Our safety manuals -- approved by the Costa Rican Tourism Board and Health Ministry -- do not recommend canyoning for small children or people with health concerns.
Are any of Desafío's tours like rafting, canyoning, hiking & waterfall visits restricted due to weather conditions?
September and October tend to be the rainiest months in most of the country and also the less traveled. Most of the rainy season means there are occasional afternoon tropical showers, but since many of the activities you can enjoy in Costa Rica involve getting wet - like whitewater rafting, canyoneering, mountain biking and relaxing in hot springs - it's even more fun doing these activities in the warm tropical rain!! Of course, hiking can be a bit muddier during these months, but with the right gear, you should be fine (let us know if you need help with what to bring - check out our online store Expedition Gear Outfitters EGO.)
Overall, it's difficult to rely on weather forecasts in Costa Rica. Climate change is a reality in Costa Rica. We used to have much more rain in previous years during our defined wet season, but now it is more unpredictable and our dry seasons are more severe.
Our company philosophy is based on making sure our clients are not missing out on a fun and safe day in Costa Rica, so if the weather conditions are unsuitable for a certain tour, it is easy for us to rearrange your itinerary to better accommodate.
This is the information from our
Waiver Form: Costa Rica's natural environment is filled with insects, snakes, crocodiles & other wildlife. In addition, landslides, falling rocks & sudden flash floods are possible. Desafio Adventure Company reserves the right to cancel any trip due to unsafe conditions and will only run a tour according to established company policies. Full refund is given if (on rare occasion) no tour is run. For reasons beyond our control (climate, river levels, etc.), we may change to a more-suitable tour with an equal or similar difficulty rating and adventure-appeal or offer other tour options so you don't miss out on a fun day in Costa Rica. Our Head Guide helps make the final decision.
Do you need to know how to swim on the Gravity Falls tour?
Gravity Falls Waterfall Jumping is considered Costa Rica's Most Extreme Tour. Gravity Falls is a very different kind of experience - you'll rappel down a 110ft tropical waterfall and plunge into a big, deep pool of water. You will always have a lifejacket on so if you're not a strong swimmer, you will float and your guides will be near you to help you out of the water after each jump. There are no fast currents or rapids in the floating sections, and you will be wearing life jackets and helmets the whole time. Knowing how to swim isn't mandatory, but you should feel comfortable in the water. Gravity Falls is a different canyoning experience than our Lost Canyon. There is less swimming or floating in the Lost Canyon. We hope you have an awesome and adventurous time in Costa Rica!
What is the minimum weight, height, and waist size?
Minimum: 65 cm, 45 kg, 1.4m Maximum: 120 cm largest size
Lifejacket sizes (For Gravity Falls)
Adult Small/Medium: Minimum 90 lbs (41kg) / Chest: 32-38 inches (81-97 cm)
Adult Large / Extra Large: Minimum 90 lbs (41kg) / Chest: 39-45 inches (99-144 cm).
FAQs for Stand Up Paddling
We have our fun Desafío Explorer Adventure boat on Lake Arenal with all of the equipment ready to go. Depending on wind conditions and paddling abilities, we either start with the Stand Up Paddling lesson on the shores of the beautiful, pristine Lake Arenal or travel to a small bay on the boat and do the lesson there. Either way, you will always have the Desafío Explorer Adventure boat at your disposal if you get tired and want to take a break or for those who just want to come along for the ride.
Most of our tours require a 2-person minimum. If you are a solo-traveler, that's okay because we might have other clients already signed up and you can meet new friends in Costa Rica!
September and October tend to be the rainiest months in most of the country and also the less traveled. Most of the rainy season means there are occasional afternoon tropical showers, but since many of the activities you can enjoy in Costa Rica involve getting wet - like whitewater rafting, canyoneering, surfing and relaxing in hot springs - it's even more fun doing these activities in the warm tropical rain!! Of course, hiking can be a bit muddier during these months, but with the right gear, you should be fine (let us know if you need help with what to bring - check out our online store Expedition Gear Outfitters EGO.)
Overall, it's difficult to rely on weather forecasts in Costa Rica. Climate change is a reality in Costa Rica. We used to have much more rain in previous years during our defined wet season, but now it is much more unpredictable and our dry seasons are more severe.
Our company philosophy is based on making sure our clients are not missing out on a fun and safe day in Costa Rica, so if the weather conditions are unsuitable for a certain tour, it is easy for us to rearrange your itinerary to better accommodate.
This is the information from our Waiver Form: Costa Rica's natural environment is filled with insects, snakes, crocodiles & other wildlife. In addition, landslides, falling rocks & sudden flash floods are possible. Desafio Adventure Company reserves the right to cancel any trip due to unsafe conditions and will only run a tour according to established company policies. Full refund is given if (on rare occasion) no tour is run. For reasons beyond our control (climate, river levels, etc.), we may change to a more-suitable tour with an equal or similar difficulty rating and adventure-appeal or offer other tour options so you don't miss out on a fun day in Costa Rica. Our Head Guide helps make the final decision.
Our rafting season runs year long. We receive the highest rainfall in Costa Rica here in the northern zone and it is not uncommon to get hot sun and rain in the same day. Our rivers are fed by volcanic mountain ranges and pristine watersheds and are dam-controlled, so we do not have low-water problems like other areas of Costa Rica during the dry season.
The dams release the water to produce electricity for San Jose and the release times work out perfectly for our raft trips.
We only cancel in extremely adverse conditions, but can easily offer to exchange rafting for another adventure option, such as our lost canyon adventures canyoneering tour. Rain or shine, we'll be running our adventure trips. Plus we have the most-flexible and client-friendly cancellation policy in the industry.
Overall, Costa Rica has excellent safety standards for the rafting industry. Our Desafio guides are certified by the Costa Rican government in swiftwater rescue, first aid and CPR techniques. Our trips have a senior head guide and safety kayaker. Most importantly, rafting in Costa Rica is year-round and our adventure guides are permanent full-time employees of Desafio Adventure Company. We are opposed to companies who pay their guides on a per trip basis, which often causes guides to make unwise decisions to run a river in high water or dangerous conditions because they know they will only get paid if they run the river that day.
Many of our guides have graduated from the government-certified Desafio Adventure Academy, where they learned to the importance of leadership and provide our clients with comprehensive information on nature, culture and history of Costa Rica and the rivers we run.
We are proud of our staff and we know you will enjoy your rafting excursion with this fine group of people.
We only have 2 rules at Desafio: 1) Be Safe! 2) Have Serious Fun! We have emergency plans, safety procedures and established helicopter landing areas for every river we run. We carry communication for use in select areas of the river.
Wildlife is abundant in Costa Rica. We do our rafting in deep canyon gorges with waterfalls and lush jungle where we often see sloths, monkeys and tropical birds, such as toucans and the Montezuma Oropendula. Your guide will do his best to spot some wild creatures for you along the way.
Our main office for rafting is located in downtown La Fortuna, at the base ofthe Arenal Volcano, right behind the central church in a three-story building with a big sign outside that says "Desafio Adventure Company." We provide free pick-ups from your hotel in the La Fortuna hotel zone (please ask for our pick-up times) or you can jump on our adventure connection to do rafting from San Jose on your way to the Arenal Volcano and many other places around the country. We also have a center of operation on the Tenorio River located on the Pan American highway near Cañas in the province of Guanacaste.
Bring comfortable, sports-style clothes to get wet in, secure shoes, waterproof suntan lotion and a change of clothes. We provide all of your rafting gear, professional, bilingual guides, safety kayaker, round-trip transport, delicious lunch and towel.
No previous rafting experience is required. even though knowing how to swim is recommended, it's not necessary as all of our guests are outfitted with extrasport Class-IV life jackets at all times on the water. Before anyone gets on the river our guides check everyone's personal flotation devices (PFDs) to make sure that they fit properly, are appropriate for their body weight, and are adjusted correctly.
We are an industry leader and carry a $1-million liability insurance policy. We are equipped to handle emergency first aid in case of illness or accident. We will provide aid and arrange evacuation when the Head Guide deems necessary or desirable. Costs of specialized means of evacuation, such as helicopters, and medical care beyond immediate first aid are the financial responsibility of the ill or injured person.
Your trip begins when you meet the trip leader at your designated rendezvous place and time. He or she will collect your receipts or vouchers. en route to the river, your guide will brief you about your trip and have you sign our Waiver Forms. Once we reach the "put in," you will receive your safety briefing - a vital 15 minute discussion about how to be safe on the water.
We will then carry our rafts to the river. You'll be assigned a boat and a boat captain and jump in! Our sturdy Star or
13-ft self-bailing rafts typically seat up to six people and a guide (depending upon theweight of the boat and paddling abilities. For safety concerns, please note we cannot guarantee that all members of your party will be on the same boat.)
Your boat captain will give you further instructions on how to paddle once you are afloat and give you time to practice following the commands. Then you'll head on down the river for about 2 hours, for your best day in Costa Rica!
We'll cut up some tropical fruit at the end at our private take out where you can change into your dry clothes and then head to our River House for an all-you-can-eat, delicious lunch with many vegetarian options. You will also be asked to fill out our Client Comment forms to provide valuable and important feedback to Desafio management.
Believe it or not, some people love falling out of the boat. It's exciting. But sometimes it can be disorienting and a little overwhelming. Many people have taken multiple trips and never fall out. It's all a part of rafting. We have a safety kayaker that goes down to help out, just in case! If you follow your guide's instructions, your "swim" could be the most exciting part of your trip and a great story to tell your friends afterwards!
We don't recommend bringing cameras on trips. We hire professional photographers to follow you on your rafting trip to get very personalized shots so that you can purchase a your photos after your trip.
We use top-of-the-line Star and Rocky Mountain Rafts 13-ft self-bailing rafts equipped with grab lines and foot stirrups for your safety, NRS helmets, extra sport life jackets and Carlisle paddles.
We have the advantage over most rafting companies because we have private entrances and exits for our river operations equipped with restrooms or changing rooms. Facilities are not available on the river. In this case, you will commune with nature in the purest form.
All of our employees are paid for their services, but if you feel your raft guide, cook, or driver has made your trip especially enjoyable, tipping is a nice way of expressing thanks and is certainly appreciated!
Rafting is thrilling, exciting, wet, wild and unbelievably fun! However, as with all adventure sports, there is inherent risk involved.That risk con- tributes to the excitement, and is one of the reasons people enjoy rafting so much. Our guides are trained to minimize and manage risks, and, statistically, you're safer in a raft than in a car in Costa Rica. The most common injury on most rafting trips is sun burn.
First-time rafters and families with younger children love our beautiful class 2-3 Rio Balsa. Rafters who are confident in the water, healthy, and feel adventurous, jump right into our Class 3-4 river without previous experience. Guides will make sure you are trained in safety and paddling instructions.
We have special family trips available, especially on the Rio Balsa recommended for ages 10-65. We can also offer the lower section of the Rio Balsa that has fewer rapids for a less-challenging class-2 rafting experience. In addition, we run a safari float class-1 trip on the Rio Penas Blancas for children as young as six years of age which offers great wildlife viewing and a slow easy-going pace for youngsters.
Yes, one of our friendly, professional, bilingual Desafío adventure guides goes on each raft to provide paddling instructions and point out wildlife on the river along the way!
In the Arenal Volcano area, we use high-quality 13ft, Star or Rocky Mountain rafts that fit up to 6 passengers. And in Guanacaste, we use 11" Aire Puma rafts that fit 5 passengers. However, due to varying river conditions, weight of the boat and safety considerations, we may need to fill the boat with fewer people and cannot always guarantee that all members of your party can be in the same boat together.
Costa Rican rivers have nice, warm, tropical water. You will not need a wet suit. It's important to come prepared with sunscreen and a change of clothes for after the tour.
The duration of our rafting trips often depends on the quantity of clients on each trip and include the pick-ups at various hotels in the area, travel time to the river, safety speech, generally 2.5 hours on the river, fruit break, lunch and return time to your hotel. We call our class 3-4 rafting trips full-day tours (about 8 hours in total) an dclass 2-3 about 6 hours because it is a shorter distance to the river, but you still get about 2.5 hours on the river.
We do offer
and in case you would like to have more express transport service to and from your hotel.,
Nowadays we recognize that more people are physically-fit well into their older ages. As a result, we have even convinced our national insurance carrier INS to extend our recommended ages for some of our adventure tours. However, the terrain and logistics in Costa Rica is very challenging and although many of our older clients are fit and very capable of doing our more intense tours, should an accident occur, our biggest concern is a timely and effective extraction.
There are limited access points to our class 3-4 rivers in deep isolated canyons and although we pride ourselves on excellent safety protocols and well-trained guides, we cannot guarantee you will not fall out of the raft.
Our class 2-3 river can also be a pretty wild ride, especially in the first few rapids because we now have a new hydroelectric dam that releases it's flow near our private entrance for an excellent flow of water all year round. We are confident that the main reason clients go rafting with us in Costa Rica is that they want to go home and talk about their fun, exciting and SAFE time in Costa Rica, but do keep in mind accidents can happen.
Suresh and Christine Krishnan have been working in the outdoors most of their adult lives. In 1992, Suresh was invited to become a raft guide in the Pacuare River and later moved to the Arenal Volcano area where he pioneered rafting by exploring rivers with his own kayak. We call the legendary Suresh the "Gangsta Kayaker." You'll still see him out there exploring new canyons and rivers and enjoying his surf kayak in the ocean waves from time to time. Christine met Suresh in 2001 when she was leading a group of tourists all the way through Central America from Mexico down to Costa Rica. Upon arriving to La Fortuna the group wanted to go rafting with Desafio and a year later, Suresh and Christine were married .
A: September and October tend to be the rainiest months in most of the country and also the less traveled. Most of the rainy season means there are occasional afternoon tropical showers, but since many of the activities you can enjoy in Costa Rica involve getting wet - like whitewater rafting, canyoneering, surfing and relaxing in hot springs - it's even more fun doing these activities in the warm tropical rain!! Of course, hiking can be a bit muddier during these months, but with the right gear, you should be fine (let us know if you need help with what to bring - check out our online store Expedition Gear Outfitters EGO.)
Overall, it's difficult to rely on weather forecasts in Costa Rica. Climate change is a reality in Costa Rica. We used to have much more rain in previous years during our defined wet season, but now it is much more unpredictable and our dry seasons are more severe.
Our company philosophy is based on making sure our clients are not missing out on a fun and safe day in Costa Rica, so if the weather conditions are unsuitable for a certain tour, it is easy for us to rearrange your itinerary to better accommodate.
This is the information from our Waiver Form: Costa Rica's natural environment is filled with insects, snakes, crocodiles & other wildlife. In addition, landslides, falling rocks & sudden flash floods are possible. Desafio Adventure Company reserves the right to cancel any trip due to unsafe conditions and will only run a tour according to established company policies. Full refund is given if (on rare occasion) no tour is run. For reasons beyond our control (climate, river levels, etc.), we may change to a more-suitable tour with an equal or similar difficulty rating and adventure-appeal or offer other tour options so you don't miss out on a fun day in Costa Rica. Our Head Guide helps make the final decision.
Minimum Weight: 45 kg
Minimum Height: 1.40 m (4.59 feet)
Child/Youth weight: 50 a 90 lbs (23-41KG) -- 10 years of age in class 2-3 rafting and minimum age 13 years in class 3-4
Adult Small/Medium: Minimum 90 lbs (41kg) / Chest: 32-38 inches (81-97 cm)
Adult Large/Extra Large: Minimum 90 lbs (41kg) / Chest: 39-45 inches (99-144 cm).
No significant waves. No obstacles.
Easy. Rapids with regular waves, clear passages and wide channels.
Moderately difficult. Irregular waves, often narrow channels.
Difficult. Complex channels with many significant obstacles to be avoided. Precise maneuvering is required.
Extremely difficult. Long violent rapids, often following each other almost without interruption. Not advisable to operate commercially.
A: Logistically it is difficult to coordinate driving your own car to the river for rafting because we start and end at different parts of the river and would likely have to back-track to go pick up your car.
In addition, we have to transport our guides and gear, so our transport is going anyway and the guides provide safety instructions along the way to the river. We have modern, comfortable vehicles with a/c. The idea is to sit back and enjoy the ride.
