Activity/Tour
Lost Canyon Adventures Canyoneering… Are you ready to go BIG!?!
Canyoneering is a brand new sport that’s becoming very popular the world over! Near the Arenal Volcano, our rugged, mountainous terrain is ideal for incredible canyoneering options & huge, breathtaking waterfalls!
This unique, multi-sport adventure combines rappelling, down-climbing and river tracing in a deep, tropical canyon. Our Lost Canyon Adventure is an experience of a lifetime �" go where very few have had the privilege to roam! Imagine yourself in the midst of thick rainforest at the top of a magical canyon full of tropical waterfalls with surprises each step of the way.
Rafting on the Beautiful Río
Balsa Class 2-3
Half-day river trip with a great blend of nature & adventure �" Perfect for first-timers & families.
This half-day rafting adventure gives you amazing wildlife and plenty of whitewater fun right near the base of the Arenal Volcano! Perfect for families, first-timers and familes! Challenge yourself as you
paddle through fun & safe rolling rapids with names like "Congo Loco" & "Rock around the Croc" and the very technical and challenging “Las Dragas” section.
Then play around in tranquil river pools in an isolated rainforest river canyon! Only 30 minutes from La Fortuna!
Your professional, experienced bilingual guides will give you a safety
talk and paddling instruction, lifejackets, helmets & then you're off…
Hopefully you'll get to see lots of wildlife like monkeys, sloths and
tropical birds such as ospreys, Oropendolas and toucans. This unique river
trip is the best way to combine adventure and nature.
We call this our “Whitewater & Wildlife” tour �" kids love this… so will you!
After nearly 30, fun, easy-rolling rapids, you’ll have some delicious fresh fruit and end at our private take out to change into your dry clothes. We then take you to our private river house for a d elicious, home-cooked, natural all-you-can-eat meal.
You can also combine the Río Balsa rafting experience with Lost Canyon Adventures canyoneering to do our famous MAMBO COMBO Rappel & Raft tour ALL in one day!
The Río Sarapiquí Jungle RunMighty Class 3-4 Whitewater Rafting!!
This is a classic, exciting class 3-4 river �"You’re going to love this intense, rafting adventure -- Deep in the heart of the Costa Rican jungle!
The Sarapiquí River is one of Costa Rica’s most-exuberant The Sarapiquí River is one of Costa Rica’s most- exuberant rivers and the perfect rafting trip for adventurous paddlers.
You’ll get about 2 hours of rafting with more than 20 continuous, class-3-4 rapids along more than 10kms of lush, vibrant rainforest.
Bring on the adrenaline!!! Experienced and first-time rafters love the Río Sarapiqui for full-day, class 3-4 rafting.
We'll pick you up at your hotel and travel through small, Costa Rican villages to the small, quaint town of San Miguel de Sarapiquí.
Once at the river, our experienced guides will give you a thorough safety talk, get you set up with top-quality gear such as your Pro-Tec helmet, NRS life jacket and paddle and then you're off �" you'll be paddling for more than 2.5 hours �" Make your way through exciting rapids like “The Pipeline,” “The
Terminator,” and “Dos Locos” -- We'll stop along the way for a refreshing, tropical fruit break and afterward we take you out for a typical Costa Rican “casado” lunch. You'll return to La Fortuna and the Arenal Area around 3:30-4:00pm
Tour Logistics
Duration: Full-day (approximately 8 hours)
Includes: Transport to/from your hotel, fun & professional guides who love their job, tropical fruit break, delicious home-cooked meal (beer & other beverages extra), warm towel and lots of adventure!
What to bring: Clothes to get wet in, change of clothes, secure shoes and a big smile
This tour also departs from San José on our Adventure Connection &
meets up with the rafters from the Arenal Volcano area.
Arenal Volcano & Rainforest Natural History Guided Walk
This is the quintessential Arenal Volcano tour to do when you’re in La Fortuna!
The Arenal Volcano Rainforest & Natural History tour takes you through lush
rainforest along the base of Costa Rica's most-famous, active volcano. Our
experienced, bilingual naturalist guide will point out interesting plants and
wildlife in the vibrant primary and secondary rainforest of the El Silencio nature reserve that skirts the Arenal Volcano National Park.
You’ll then arrive to the observation point of the Arenal Volcano -- this is the closest you can get to the base of the Arenal Volcano -- and the perfect vantage point to take remarkable photos as the sun sets behind the Arenal Volcano. If you're lucky, you’ll also be able to hear or see gas and asheruptions come out of the top of our behemoth Arenal Volcano!
For those who wish to finish off the night relaxing in natural hot springs in
a local resort to recover from the day’s adventures like rafting, mountain biking, horseback and canyoning, there are several hot springs options to choose from:
Los Lagos: More than 10 different pools, swim-up bars, free lockers,
restaurant and access to their butterfly garden and crocodile pond, with
friendly, personalized service at this Arenal hot springs location.
Paradise Hot Springs: Locally-owned hot springs in a beautiful setting with lush gardens and waterfalls. There are several, different-temperature pools, a bar, free lockers, restaurant with local charm.
Baldí Hot Springs: Over 20 different pools, waterfalls, swim-up bars, locker
rooms, restaurant & lively atmosphere.
Eco-Termales Hot Springs: 2 hot springs pool areas with a bar, locker rooms,
restaurant & family-style, easy-going atmosphere.
The Springs Resort & Spa: variety of hot springs pool in a luxurious 5-star resort with various restaurants, bars, locker-rooms and on-site wild cat reserve.
MAMBO COMBO #1 Rappel & Raft!
Make the most of your limited vacation time! Combine the exciting Lost Canyon Adventures Canyoneering and Rafting on the Beautiful Río Balsa �" For a full-day of pure adrenaline… you’ll get to rappel, down-climb amazing waterfalls and river trace along a pristine, rainforest canyon and then go rafting on the beautiful class 2-3 Río Balsa. This is the perfect blend of whitewater and wildlife, fun, rolling rapids and vibrant jungle.
We guarantee more wildlife than any other rafting trip in Costa Rica! You’ll finish off this fun-filled day with a delicious lunch.
This unique tour includes the Lost Canyon Adventures Canyoneering, rafting on the Río Balsa and a delicious, homecooked lunch.
Canyoneering is a brand new sport that’s becoming very popular the world over! Near the Arenal Volcano, our rugged, mountainous terrain is ideal for incredible canyoneering options & huge, breathtaking waterfalls!
This unique, multi-sport adventure combines rappelling, down-climbing and river tracing in a deep, tropical canyon. Our Lost Canyon Adventure is an experience of a lifetime �" go where very few have had the privilege to roam! Imagine yourself in the midst of thick rainforest at the top of a magical canyon full of tropical waterfalls with surprises each step of the way.
Rafting on the Beautiful Río
Balsa Class 2-3
Half-day river trip with a great blend of nature & adventure �" Perfect for first-timers & families.
This half-day rafting adventure gives you amazing wildlife and plenty of whitewater fun right near the base of the Arenal Volcano! Perfect for families, first-timers and familes! Challenge yourself as you
paddle through fun & safe rolling rapids with names like "Congo Loco" & "Rock around the Croc" and the very technical and challenging “Las Dragas” section.
Then play around in tranquil river pools in an isolated rainforest river canyon! Only 30 minutes from La Fortuna!
Your professional, experienced bilingual guides will give you a safety
talk and paddling instruction, lifejackets, helmets & then you're off…
Hopefully you'll get to see lots of wildlife like monkeys, sloths and
tropical birds such as ospreys, Oropendolas and toucans. This unique river
trip is the best way to combine adventure and nature.
We call this our “Whitewater & Wildlife” tour �" kids love this… so will you!
After nearly 30, fun, easy-rolling rapids, you’ll have some delicious fresh fruit and end at our private take out to change into your dry clothes. We then take you to our private river house for a d elicious, home-cooked, natural all-you-can-eat meal.
You can also combine the Río Balsa rafting experience with Lost Canyon Adventures canyoneering to do our famous MAMBO COMBO Rappel & Raft tour ALL in one day!
The Río Sarapiquí Jungle RunMighty Class 3-4 Whitewater Rafting!!
This is a classic, exciting class 3-4 river �"You’re going to love this intense, rafting adventure -- Deep in the heart of the Costa Rican jungle!
The Sarapiquí River is one of Costa Rica’s most-exuberant The Sarapiquí River is one of Costa Rica’s most- exuberant rivers and the perfect rafting trip for adventurous paddlers.
You’ll get about 2 hours of rafting with more than 20 continuous, class-3-4 rapids along more than 10kms of lush, vibrant rainforest.
Bring on the adrenaline!!! Experienced and first-time rafters love the Río Sarapiqui for full-day, class 3-4 rafting.
We'll pick you up at your hotel and travel through small, Costa Rican villages to the small, quaint town of San Miguel de Sarapiquí.
Once at the river, our experienced guides will give you a thorough safety talk, get you set up with top-quality gear such as your Pro-Tec helmet, NRS life jacket and paddle and then you're off �" you'll be paddling for more than 2.5 hours �" Make your way through exciting rapids like “The Pipeline,” “The
Terminator,” and “Dos Locos” -- We'll stop along the way for a refreshing, tropical fruit break and afterward we take you out for a typical Costa Rican “casado” lunch. You'll return to La Fortuna and the Arenal Area around 3:30-4:00pm
Tour Logistics
Duration: Full-day (approximately 8 hours)
Includes: Transport to/from your hotel, fun & professional guides who love their job, tropical fruit break, delicious home-cooked meal (beer & other beverages extra), warm towel and lots of adventure!
What to bring: Clothes to get wet in, change of clothes, secure shoes and a big smile
This tour also departs from San José on our Adventure Connection &
meets up with the rafters from the Arenal Volcano area.
Arenal Volcano & Rainforest Natural History Guided Walk
This is the quintessential Arenal Volcano tour to do when you’re in La Fortuna!
The Arenal Volcano Rainforest & Natural History tour takes you through lush
rainforest along the base of Costa Rica's most-famous, active volcano. Our
experienced, bilingual naturalist guide will point out interesting plants and
wildlife in the vibrant primary and secondary rainforest of the El Silencio nature reserve that skirts the Arenal Volcano National Park.
You’ll then arrive to the observation point of the Arenal Volcano -- this is the closest you can get to the base of the Arenal Volcano -- and the perfect vantage point to take remarkable photos as the sun sets behind the Arenal Volcano. If you're lucky, you’ll also be able to hear or see gas and asheruptions come out of the top of our behemoth Arenal Volcano!
For those who wish to finish off the night relaxing in natural hot springs in
a local resort to recover from the day’s adventures like rafting, mountain biking, horseback and canyoning, there are several hot springs options to choose from:
Los Lagos: More than 10 different pools, swim-up bars, free lockers,
restaurant and access to their butterfly garden and crocodile pond, with
friendly, personalized service at this Arenal hot springs location.
Paradise Hot Springs: Locally-owned hot springs in a beautiful setting with lush gardens and waterfalls. There are several, different-temperature pools, a bar, free lockers, restaurant with local charm.
Baldí Hot Springs: Over 20 different pools, waterfalls, swim-up bars, locker
rooms, restaurant & lively atmosphere.
Eco-Termales Hot Springs: 2 hot springs pool areas with a bar, locker rooms,
restaurant & family-style, easy-going atmosphere.
The Springs Resort & Spa: variety of hot springs pool in a luxurious 5-star resort with various restaurants, bars, locker-rooms and on-site wild cat reserve.
MAMBO COMBO #1 Rappel & Raft!
Make the most of your limited vacation time! Combine the exciting Lost Canyon Adventures Canyoneering and Rafting on the Beautiful Río Balsa �" For a full-day of pure adrenaline… you’ll get to rappel, down-climb amazing waterfalls and river trace along a pristine, rainforest canyon and then go rafting on the beautiful class 2-3 Río Balsa. This is the perfect blend of whitewater and wildlife, fun, rolling rapids and vibrant jungle.
We guarantee more wildlife than any other rafting trip in Costa Rica! You’ll finish off this fun-filled day with a delicious lunch.
This unique tour includes the Lost Canyon Adventures Canyoneering, rafting on the Río Balsa and a delicious, homecooked lunch.
Typical Day
Arenal Volcano
Monteverde
Samara Beach
Monteverde
Samara Beach
Age range, type of group
Desafío Adventure Company is Costa Rica's leading adventure company specializing in unique, high-quality adventure and nature activities throughout Costa Rica. Legendary "Adventure Pioneer" Suresh Krishnan started Desafío (which means "challenge" in Spanish) way back in 1992 by doing first descents on local rivers & canyons and igniting adventure tourism in the wet and wild Northern Zone.
Policies & Restrictions
DESAFIO ADVENTURE CONNECTION… TRANSPORT + RAFTING = Save $$$ & Save Time!
Adventure Connections -- Get your Transport included when you go:
RAFTING from San Jose to the Arenal Volcano
HORSEBACK RIDING or MOUNTAIN BIKING from Arenal Volcano to Monteverde
STAND UP PADDLING Monteverde to Playa Samara or Playa Carrillo
Need to get from San José to the Arenal Volcano? Go rafting on the way and get your transport included!
* San José + Río Toro + Arenal Volcano = $95
* San José + Río Balsa + Arenal Volcano = $75
We pick you up in San José, take you rafting & you’re checking into your hotel in Arenal before 4pm �" what a great travel day!!
For either of our rafting tours, you’ll be on the water for exactly the same amount of time as our normal rafting excursions that leave out of La Fortuna/Arenal Volcano. In fact, you’ll meet up with the rest of the rafters from La Fortuna at our private put-in for each tour.
You’ll receive a safety talk, get your gear all set (helmet, life-jacket and paddle) and you’ll have the time of your life paddling down Costa Rica’s best rivers! You’ll be on the water for about 2 to 2.5 hours.
You’ll finish up with a delicious spread of fresh, tropical fruit and then we take you to our river house for an exclusive, home-made, natural, buffet lunch.
You’ll get to your Arenal Volcano hotel by 4pm.
Includes: transport from San José (please indicate hotel o we can confirm pick-up time); rafting tour (choice of Río Toro class 3-4 or Río Balsa class 2-3); excellent raft guides; fruit break; delicious lunch; transfer to La Fortuna hotel.
Adventure Connections -- Get your Transport included when you go:
RAFTING from San Jose to the Arenal Volcano
HORSEBACK RIDING or MOUNTAIN BIKING from Arenal Volcano to Monteverde
STAND UP PADDLING Monteverde to Playa Samara or Playa Carrillo
Need to get from San José to the Arenal Volcano? Go rafting on the way and get your transport included!
* San José + Río Toro + Arenal Volcano = $95
* San José + Río Balsa + Arenal Volcano = $75
We pick you up in San José, take you rafting & you’re checking into your hotel in Arenal before 4pm �" what a great travel day!!
For either of our rafting tours, you’ll be on the water for exactly the same amount of time as our normal rafting excursions that leave out of La Fortuna/Arenal Volcano. In fact, you’ll meet up with the rest of the rafters from La Fortuna at our private put-in for each tour.
You’ll receive a safety talk, get your gear all set (helmet, life-jacket and paddle) and you’ll have the time of your life paddling down Costa Rica’s best rivers! You’ll be on the water for about 2 to 2.5 hours.
You’ll finish up with a delicious spread of fresh, tropical fruit and then we take you to our river house for an exclusive, home-made, natural, buffet lunch.
You’ll get to your Arenal Volcano hotel by 4pm.
Includes: transport from San José (please indicate hotel o we can confirm pick-up time); rafting tour (choice of Río Toro class 3-4 or Río Balsa class 2-3); excellent raft guides; fruit break; delicious lunch; transfer to La Fortuna hotel.
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