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Manuel Antonio: Savegre River Rafting & Local Lunch Pickup

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.96 (281 reviews) 98% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellation

1/6

Duration8h

GroupUp to 22

LanguagesEN · ES

PickupAt your hotel

Savegre River rapids laughter local guides fresh lunch

You’ll paddle down the lively Savegre River with local guides from Manuel Antonio, feel the thrill of rapids and calm stretches alike, snack on fresh fruit by a waterfall, then share a hearty Costa Rican lunch with your crew. Expect laughter, teamwork, and small surprises that stick with you long after you dry off.

Step-by-step itinerary

Get picked up by tour crew
Receive safety briefing and instructions
Raft on Savegre River with guides
Work as a team navigating rapids
Enjoy provided food during trip
Complete rafting experience feeling satisfied

The Experience

The first thing I noticed was the sound—kind of like distant applause, but sharper. That was the Savegre River just ahead of us, all white froth and green shadows. Luis, our guide, grinned as we clambered out of the van (air conditioning still clinging to my skin). He handed me a helmet and said something about “pura vida” I half-understood. I could smell wet earth and sunscreen. The river looked both inviting and a little wild—honestly, my stomach did a small flip.

I’d never done white water rafting in Manuel Antonio before, so I was nervous at first. But Josue cracked a joke about how he’d only fallen in “twice this week,” which made everyone laugh and loosen up. They showed us how to paddle as a team—Luis kept saying “adelante!” and somehow it worked. The Savegre River has these moments where everything goes quiet except for the slap of water against the raft. Then suddenly you’re spinning through rapids and getting soaked (I got a mouthful of river at one point—tasted like adventure and maybe sunscreen). At one bend we stopped by a waterfall for fruit snacks—pineapple so sweet it almost made my teeth ache.

Lunch after rafting was this big plate of casado—rice, beans, chicken, plantains—the kind of meal that feels earned when you’re still dripping river water onto your seat. The crew chatted with us about life in Quepos; I tried to say “gracias” properly but probably butchered it (Luis just laughed). The whole day felt less like a tour and more like hanging out with friends who know all the river’s secrets. And yeah, I still think about that view downstream, sunlight catching on every drop.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel pickup in an air-conditioned vehicle from Manuel Antonio or Quepos, all necessary rafting gear (life jacket, helmet, paddle), expert bilingual guides leading you down the Savegre River rapids with stops for fresh fruit snacks at a riverside waterfall—and ends with a hearty Costa Rican lunch before heading back in comfort.

Good to know

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

Operated by Iguana Tours