www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Need ideas for a sporty & fit guy. Have not done this yet in CR and would like to. New to the rafting however.

Thanks.

Here are just 10 active things you can do in CR, to get you started:

1) white-water rafting, as you already mentioned.
2) canopy tour, fly through the tree tops suspended on zip-lines.
3) surfing, can be done as a day trip to Playa Hermosa near Jaco or on longer trips to Guanacaste, Pavones etc.
4) bungee jumping, I'm not quite that loco yet, but if you are they have a bridge near San Ramon.
5) mountain biking, one of my favorites, imagine flying down a volcano at 65km/hr. Just be sure your brakes work.
6) mountain-climbing/hiking up Mt. Chirripo (on my to-do list).
7) sea/surf kayaking around Manuel Antonio.
8 ) "canyoning", also near Quepos, the newest adventure travel sport.
9) horseback riding.
10) windsurfing on Lake Arenal, one of the premier spots for this in the world (not a place for beginners like me though).

I've tried most of these and will provide more details on request. I could list more but this should get you started. One sport I didn't mention is scuba, which is available but which CR is not really known for (except for a long trip out to Isla de Coco)

OH yeah, I forgot to include mongering, although looking around here I'm not so sure how fit one has to be to do it

Last week I did the white water rafting with Adventures Naturales. I booked it at the Blue Marlin tour desk next to the sports book. We were supposed to do the Pacuare (Class III/IV, $95) but due to high water we ended up at the Pimavalle (Class II/III). It was fun but not what we expected, wanted or paid for. The guide, Mario, is a Tica who speaks English and is a really great guy. He's been a guide for 25 years.

I also did a canopy tour just south of JACO with Chiclets Canopy Tour.
The lady who ran the front desk at my hotel set it all up for me.
It was just me and another guy from my hotel and 4 Tico guides, all guys in their late 20s and really a lot of fun. $60 for 13 lines ranging from about 30 meters to 300 meters. Afterwards we had a bottle of water and fresh fruit. A real rush.
http://centralamerica.com/cr/tours/chiclets.htm

White Water Rafting...
Back in June My two friends were adamant about going white water rafting, me being the total degenerate that I am literally bitched and moaned as they try to drag me to Paqoia river or something to that effect Class 3 & 4 Rapids.
My only condition was since we were heading out for the day I wanted to bring 3 ticas with us for the day. Perfect our own boat and our Guide, who I believe if I am not mistaken was Mario.

So Off we go, Me Mr. I don’t rough it.... Roughing it is a hotel with out Room Service heading to the rain forest to go white water rafting. With 3 TICAS who don’t swim. Bus ride up the mountain stop about 90 mins in and have a nice breakfast at a pre planned roadside stop. Then the next 1hour 15 up to the top of the Mountain. Then a very delicate 20-25 minute hike down the mountain to the mouth of the river.... Long hike because the Road was washed out due to rain and the bus could not make it down. .. Our instructions by our guide and off we go....

The 1st 2 hours on the river were tough. Over 24 Class 4 Rapids with the girls screaming every time we hit one instead of paddling.... Quite taxing to say the least... Stop on the riverbank for lunch. Which was cool then the 90 balance of the trip where the rapids were not as tough. After the 1st 2 hours and lunch most of us were spent. Highlight of the 2nd part was swimming down the river through the rain forest with our Ticas who didn't swim... All said it done to the changing station and back on the bus where we collapsed from exhaustion for a 2-hour drive back. Returned back to the hotel by 5PM....

I fought it all the way till I got there, but I must say it was one of the incredible things I had ever done, Gorgeous views, and Here are 3 TICAS who have lived in CR all their lives, ranging from 20-35 who have never been out of San Jose... The looks on their faces from the ride up, through the entire experience was like 5 year old at Disney World seeing Mickey mouse for the 1st time. The gratitude an appreciation was shown to us many times over later that evening. Sometimes we take so often things for granted while these ladies in such a diverse beautiful country have never done the things we are able to do.

Still One of the highlights of all my ventures to Costa Rica... The picture of all of us on the River Bank is one that went right on the Mantle....

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"Success isn't having $$ it is knowing how to Spend It"

Thanks for the info. This is what I needed to hear. I did not think about taking a chica but sounds fun. I have done other day and half day excursions from downtown San Jose but not rafting. I have a GFE. Sounds like a plan.

13 November here I come.

For w/w rafting Aventuras Naturaleshttp://www.adventurecostarica.com/ is a major operater but so is Rios Tropicaleshttp://www.riostropicales.com. AN offers a Pacuare trip (class III-IV 18 miles) for $95 and two other raft trips on the Corobici (class II) and Sarapiqui (class III) rivers for $75 as well as various multiday trips. RT offers a $95 Pacuare day trip, and two Rio Reventazon day trips - the Florida section (class III-IV 10 miles) for $75 and, if you have prior rafting experience and are reasonably fit, the Pascua section (class IV+ 16 miles) for $85 (this last one was a real rush). Keep in mind that river conditions vary considerably depending on recent rains, etc so don't necessarily write off the other rivers. Personally I have done a lot of w/w rafting canoeing and kayaking so class III seems pretty tame to me, but it could be all the thrill a beginner needs. Also, consider the scenery you will see along the river banks. You should have a great time no matter which trip you choose. The basic program is the same for all the trips. Early morning pickup at your hotel typically between 6-7AM (keep this in mind if going with chicas who are notoriously late), a stop for breakfast along the way, embark on the river mid to late morning, picnic lunch on the river banks, mid-afternoon return to to SJ with arrival at your hotel in the late afternoon between 4-6PM depending on which trip your took and how many hotel stops you have to make.

I have been on the Chiclets Tour and it is pretty good. I especially liked the view of the Pacific I got from the tree-tops as I zipped along the cables. I imagine another canopy tour in MA is similar in that regard. Another major operator of canopy tours (the biggest one actually) is The Original Canopy Tour http://www.canopytour.com/. They have locations all over CR including Monteverde and Tabacon. The Monteverde one is unique in that you climb up to the canopy through the inside of a hollow strangler fig tree. The Tabacon one ends with a zip line descent to the Tabacon Hot Springs (that is the one I am trying on my next trip). The other one I have been on is at Iguana Park. Nothing special about it except perhaps that is probably the closest one to SJ (1 hr vs. 1.5-2hrs for Chiclets). If you rent a car and stop at these places on your travels (e.g. on your way to Jaco or Manuel Antonio) they should run you about $45 ($60 for Chiclets). If you go as a day trip out of SJ and use their van transport you can add another $30. Keep in mind the typical tour runs about 2 hours, most of the day is spent getting there and back. The tour length also depends on how many other people are on it that you have to wait for at each platform. Also realize that these tours are not really the way to study the canopy ecosystem. They are meant primarily as adrenaline rushes pure and simple with some scenery thrown in. If you want to really learn about the forest canopy take the more sedate Aerial Tram ride at Braulio Carillo. Yet another alternative is something they call a Sky Walk, which are a series of rope suspension bridges through the forest canopy. The advantage of these is that you still get the thrill of the height and the bouncing of the cables but you can do it at your own pace and really enjoy the scenery along the way and they are a little cheaper too at about $30 pp

If I were choosing 1 day trip from SJ, I would go for the raft trip over the canopy tour. I recommend the canopy tour more if you can fit it into your itinerary if you are traveling outside of SJ anyway (to Arenal, Monteverde, Jaco or Manuel Antonio).

Finally, no one commented on the mountain biking. This was a real gas. You need to be fit for this (as much because of the thin high altitude air as due to the strenuousness). The back road trails can be tough but the final downhill run (over smoothly paved but switchbacking road) beat the rush of w/w or canopy hands down in my book. I'm sorry I don't remember the name of the outfitter but I signed up for it at the DR tour desk. I seriously recommend this for those mongers who are in better shape and who enjoy extreme sports.

CR thanks for more info. I am going to work this in mid November.

MiAmor,
White water rafting is a excellant choice here, I went in May to Pacuare River. I 've done it in states several times,N.C./ CO. and The Pacuare was great. My only regret was that I didn't bring one of those disposable underwater cameras, they are only about 10 bucks but well worth it on trips like these. The views are incredible, and there are plenty of chances to get great pics going down the river.I left my camera at the camp cause it wasn't waterproof. ALso they are great if you are doing one of the zip line treetop tours. You will be in a rainforest so rain is possible as it was on my tour in ManualAntonio. It rainned off and on the whole way ,but that didn't stop the tour. I mean it even started to thunder and lightning and we were 200ft. up in the treetops on STEEL CABLES still zipping around. These guys never heard of old Ben FRANKLIN with his fricking kite. Not to scare anyone but do some research and go with a known tour,
There was a big guy zipping across on one the lines and he never got his legs up in time before hitting the platform across his shins, ouch. No first aid kit and about an hour to the nearest small town.To say the least they played hell getting him down to the ground and back to base camp through a rain forest.No u.s medic copters out there. I think at least one of his legs were broken, so just be carefull. Oh yeah on one of the trails we just walk through the guide grabbed a stick and started hitting the ground, it turned out to be some poisionous viper snake , that also could have been devastating.But all and all it was a great experience enjoy it.
Like some of the other posters write, Get Out of the Gulch when you can.


Pura Vida
BamaJeff

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"I rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy"

I arrived and am planning this for next Monday with an amigo and chicas. Should be an expeoience.

check out

http://www.exploradoresoutdoors.com

for a genuine Tico owned (brother and sister outfit)

CG

CaribbeanGringo:
That is the company that we used on our Trip. It was set up by the Tour Test at the Presidente and it was a as you can see from my recap a great, day... I would not heistate to do it again!

_________________
"Success isn't having $$ it is knowing how to Spend It"

White water rafting is one of the highlights of a true C.R. experience.

I have used Adventures Naturales several times & they are excellent.
All my trips were on the Pacuare river as it was rated by "Paddler Magazine" in the top 10 in the world. I am an avid kayak surfer.

I usually arrange for the trip in Turrialba. This saves several hrs. of riding around S.J. picking people up at hotels and wasting valuable down time.
So rather than get up 6:30 am I wake at 8:45 am. & the river is not too far away. I never took a chica cause I don't want the responsibility when she gets dumped into the river. No I don't mean rescuing her. I would never do that. They have paid kayak guides that fish people out. I mean
having to buy her whatever got lost, damaged or wet from the river!

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Una mas cerveza por favor!

Thought I might bump up this thread due to recent inquiries.

http://www.ctocadventures.com/

Coast to Coast Adventures is a top notch group that I have used for years. Miguel used to work there several years ago.

These folks know what they are doing, and you will never do much better than them.

Dman

For a first timer... It's a GREAT day trip w/ a Chica... The best time of year for thrills is the last month of the rainy season... VERY SAFE.

In January the water is lower, trip an hour longer... but still a BEAUTIFUL ride. Enjoy.

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One more day. two more beers.. three more times...