La Fortuna: Sarapiqui Rafting & Organic Farm Tour

Two hours on the Sarapiqui, then lunch where your food came from

You paddle Class II and III rapids on the Sarapiqui for two hours, stop for fresh fruit mid-run, then return to La Fortuna for an organic buffet lunch with a farm walk and sugarcane tasting. Hotel pickup and drop-off, professional guide, and safety gear are included. Photos are available for purchase from the guide.

Step-by-step itinerary

Rafting and organic farm visit

• Use bathroom and change at office
• Drive through La Fortuna town
• Raft Sarapiqui river with fruit snack break
• Drive back to La Fortuna
• Enjoy organic buffet lunch
• Walk and tour organic farm
• Sugarcane juice and alcohol tasting

The experience

The river is already moving when you arrive. You're standing at the water's edge in La Fortuna, Costa Rica, with a paddle in your hands and a guide checking your life jacket. The Sarapiqui River cuts through rainforest thick enough that the canopy blocks out half the sky, and the current here is real: Class II and III rapids, which means you're paddling, not just floating. Your guide calls out the rhythm. The water is cold and loud. Around the first bend, the forest closes in even tighter, and you stop thinking about anything except the next stroke.

About halfway down the two-hour run, the guide pulls the raft onto a sandbar and hands out fresh fruit. Something local, something that tastes like it was picked this morning. Your arms are tired. The rainforest smells like wet earth and green things you don't have names for. Then you're back on the water, through the last set of rapids, and the river opens up. The takeout comes faster than you expected.

From the river, you drive back into La Fortuna town (you'll pass the church and the park on the way), and pull up to a two-story restaurant with a view of Arenal Volcano across the valley. Lunch is buffet style, all organic, all grown on the farm behind the building. Your guide walks you through the rows afterward, pointing out what you just ate: the vegetables, the fruit, the coffee they're about to brew for you. It's a small thing, but it lands different when you know where it came from. Then comes the sugarcane demonstration. They cut it fresh, press the juice, and if you want to try the alcohol version, they pour that too. By the time you're back at your hotel, the day has folded into something you'll actually remember.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel pickup and drop-off in La Fortuna, a professional guide, all safety equipment, a two-hour rafting trip on the Sarapiqui River with a fruit snack break, an organic buffet lunch at the restaurant, a walk through the organic farm, homemade coffee, and a sugarcane demonstration with juice and alcohol tasting. A photographer travels with the group and photos are available for purchase.

Options for this experience

3 options

Sarapiqui rafting, class 2/3Guide in English, Spanish or Danish · 09:30Enjoy the top white-water rafting experience! Paddle through Class II and III rapids on the Sarapiqui River, then have an organic lunch at our farm. The tour includes transport, rafting and lunch.

Sarapiqui rafting, class 3/4Guide in English, Spanish or Danish · 09:00Enjoy the top white-water rafting experience! Paddle through Class III and IV rapids on the Sarapiqui River, then have an organic lunch at our farm. The tour includes transport, rafting and lunch.

Sarapiqui rafting, class 5Guide in English, Spanish or Danish · 08:30Are you a lover of adrenaline? Then this tour is just right for you! Paddle through Class V rapids on the Sarapiqui River and enjoy an organic lunch at our farm back in La Fortuna.

You pick the guide language when booking.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 08:30, 09:00 and 09:30

Book up to2h before

AgesAdult (7 to 70 years) · Under 7: can't be booked

GroupUp to 15

Live guideEnglish, Spanish and Danish

Audio guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Moderate physical effortNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Costa Rica Descents

Is this one for you?Pick this if you want a half-day that combines real rapids with a real meal: the rafting and the farm lunch are both substantial enough to fill a morning or afternoon, and the pickup from your hotel means you don't have to navigate La Fortuna or figure out timing yourself.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish and Danish.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

How long is the rafting part?

About two hours on the water, with a fruit break halfway through.

Is this beginner-friendly?

Yes, the rapids are Class II and III, and no prior experience is needed. You do need moderate fitness and a minimum age of 7.

What's included in the lunch?

An organic buffet meal at the restaurant, plus coffee, a farm walk, and a sugarcane juice and alcohol tasting.

Do I need to arrange my own transport?

No, hotel pickup and drop-off in La Fortuna are included.

Can I buy the photos?

Yes, a photographer is with the group and photos are available for purchase.

What should I bring?

Swimwear, a towel, and water shoes or sandals that can get wet. Changing rooms are available at the office before you head to the river.