La Fortuna Whitewater Rafting and Tubing Combo: rafting and tubing in one tour

One river, two ways to ride it

Whitewater rafting and tubing combo in La Fortuna pairs an hour of class 3/4 rapids in a raft with an hour of class 2/3 tubing on the same river, with hotel pickup, lunch, and a walk through the operator's organic farm and sugarcane demonstration included. The full day runs 6.5 hours from pickup to drop-off. Minimum age is 12; moderate fitness required.

The Experience

What makes this different from a straight rafting trip is the switch halfway down. You start in a raft with a paddle and helmet, working through the faster class 3/4 rapids for about an hour. The guide leads a safety briefing and practice at the river bank before you push off, and halfway through the run you pull over for fresh fruit and a break. Then you trade the raft for a tube and float the second half of the river on class 2/3 water—gentler but still moving, and the splash factor jumps when you're sitting lower in the current.

The day brackets the river time with logistics that matter. A 40-minute drive gets you from your La Fortuna hotel to the put-in, and the operator provides the lifejacket, helmet and paddle. Once you're back at the take-out, the bus returns you to the office and restaurant in La Fortuna, where lunch—rice, beans, vegetables and chicken—is already waiting. After you eat, there's a short walk up to the organic farm behind the restaurant, where the guide shows how they grow the vegetables you just ate and runs a sugarcane demonstration. Then you're dropped back at your hotel.

Groups stay small, and the whole experience is built around people who want to try both disciplines in one morning and afternoon without a second trip. The 6.5-hour window includes the drive, the water time, the meal and the farm walk, so nothing spills into the evening.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off in La Fortuna.
• lifejacket, helmet and paddle.
• lunch with rice, beans, vegetables and chicken plus coffee.
• fruit snack during the river break.
• organic farm tour and sugarcane demonstration.
• air-conditioned transport to and from the river.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Costa Rica Descents

Is this one for you?Small-group rafting and tubing works best for travelers who want to try both in one outing without booking two separate trips, and who have the fitness and time for a full morning and afternoon on and off the water.

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Top questions

What's the difference between the rafting and tubing parts of this combo?

The rafting section covers class 3/4 rapids where you paddle actively in a raft for about an hour. The tubing section is class 2/3 water where you float in a tube for about an hour—calmer but still fast enough to get wet, and you're sitting lower in the current so the splash is bigger.

How long is the actual time on the river?

You spend roughly two hours on the water total: about an hour rafting the class 3/4 section, then about an hour tubing the class 2/3 section. The 6.5-hour total includes the 40-minute drive to the river, the safety briefing, the mid-river fruit break, lunch at the restaurant, and the farm walk.

Is lunch included, and what do I get?

Yes, lunch is included at the restaurant in La Fortuna after you come off the river. You get rice, beans, vegetables and chicken, plus coffee. A fruit snack is also provided during the break halfway through the rafting section.

What happens at the organic farm, and how long does it take?

After lunch, there's a short walk up to the farm behind the restaurant where the guide shows you how they grow the vegetables that were in your meal and demonstrates how sugarcane is processed. It's a brief stop, not a separate excursion.

Do I need to be fit to do this, and are there age limits?

You need at least a moderate level of physical fitness. The minimum age is 12. The activity is not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries, pregnant travelers, those with poor cardiovascular health, or plus-size travelers.

What's included in the price, and what do I need to bring?

The package includes hotel pickup and drop-off in La Fortuna, the lifejacket, helmet and paddle, lunch, the fruit snack, the farm tour and sugarcane demonstration, and the air-conditioned vehicle. Bring a change of clothes and a towel; water shoes, bottled water, gratuities and photos are not included.