Rafting on the Pacuare River

My favorite experience so far has been white water rafting on the Pacuare River with Serendipity Adventures.  This trip was a day filled with adventure, and lots of fun.  

 I was picked up early in the morning by one of the guides and taken to the river, where we helped set up everything the group would need for the day.  I was very impressed with how organized Serendipity was with every aspect of the trip, from preparing lunch, getting the rafts ready, making sure all safety equipment was working properly, and getting the group to the river with no problems.

 I didn’t realize how many people it took to make this an adventure of a lifetime.  Serendipity staffed the event with 4 river guides, 2 in rafts, and 2 in kayaks, a safety raft that also had food and supplies, drivers that got everyone to the destination, and had cars waiting for the group when we got to the end.  Not to mention everyone in the office who helped plan the trip, assemble the lunch, and get all of the equipment ready.  The whole process was very impressive to watch unfold. 

The Pacuare River, a gorgeous Costa Rican river for rafting.

Once the guides went over our safety instructions we were able to get into our rafts and start our adventure.  We started on a calm part of the river, which was a good way to get used to rafting.  The river has a variety ranging from class 1 to class 4 rapids in the section we were on.  This was a beautiful way to experience Costa Rica’s biodiversity and really take in all that is around you. 

The guides at Serendipity were very knowledgeable of the history of the land, the wildlife in the rainforest, trees and plants that grew along the river, and any questions the group had about rafting.  The guides made sure everyone was comfortable and felt safe at all times, which showed how much Serendipity cares about their clients.  They made the trip that much better and were able to provide a lot of laughs for everyone in the group.

On one part of the river we were able to pull up our rafts to a rocky area where the guides led us to a beautiful waterfall.  There was a swimming hole here where we were all able to jump in, swim and enjoy another adventure in Costa Rica.  When we were finished swimming we headed back to our rafts and continued down the river.

 About halfway through the trip the guides brought us to a small beach where they set up a delicious lunch.  The spread was quite impressive including salads, burritos, fresh fruit, chips and salsa, and fresh juice.  Everyone enjoyed lunch while listening to the birds singing and watching the river pass by.  When lunch was over the guides packed everything back up into the rafts and we were on our way again.  We had some more exciting rapids and some calm water where we could really appreciate our surroundings. 

           The last section of river we rafted was one of my favorite parts because on each side there were rocks so high up it felt like we were in a cave.  The water was also very calm here so we were able to get out of the rafts and swim for a bit to end our adventure in Costa Rica.  Serendipity exceeded all of my expectations by taking me on this adventure, and it is one I will never forget.  Now I see why so many families trust Serendipity with planning and guiding them on their Costa Rica family vacations.