Volcán Turrialba & Whitewater Rafting
★★ Volcán Turrialba
The Turrialba (3,340 m) is currently Costa Rica's most active volcano — since 2014, it has repeatedly spewed ash, temporarily shutting down San José airport. The national park is closed since the eruptions (as of 2025/26), but the volcano is spectacular from afar: The ash clouds over the crater are a sign of the immense forces beneath the surface.
★★★ Whitewater Rafting on the Río Pacuare
The Río Pacuare is considered one of the 10 best whitewater rivers in the world — and rightly so. 28 kilometers of Class III and IV rapids through a deep jungle gorge, past waterfalls, tropical forest, and with some luck, toucans and monkeys on the shore. It is the most intense outdoor adventure in Costa Rica.
Most tours start in Turrialba (1.5h east of San José) and last a full day. For an even more intense experience, book a 2-day tour with an overnight stay in a jungle lodge right on the riverbank — no electricity, no internet, just the river and the forest.
Rafting Routes Compared
| River | Class | Duration | Price | For Whom |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Río Pacuare | III–IV | Full day | 90–130 USD | The best! Jungle gorge, waterfalls |
| Río Pacuare (2 days) | III–IV | 2 days | 250–350 USD | Unforgettable: Lodge on the riverbank |
| Río Reventazón | II–III | Half day | 60–80 USD | Beginners and families |
| Río Sarapiquí | II–IV | Half day | 65–85 USD | Bookable from La Fortuna |
Providers
- Exploradores Outdoors: The most professional provider, founded by a former Olympic kayaker. Excellent guides, top equipment. Offices in Turrialba, La Fortuna, and San José.
- Ríos Tropicales: Costa Rica's oldest rafting provider (since 1985). Operates the only lodge directly on the Río Pacuare. 2-day tours are their specialty.
- Pacuare Outdoor Center: Smaller, personal provider with excellent reviews.
CATIE — Research Center
The Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza (CATIE) in Turrialba is a tropical research center with a botanical garden housing 2,500 plant species. A hidden gem for plant and coffee lovers — here, the future of tropical agriculture is being researched. The Agro-Ecotourism Trail (2h, 15 USD) showcases cocoa, coffee, vanilla, and spice cultivation in a tropical forest garden.
CATIE: 5 USD (self-guided) / 15 USD (guided). Mon–Fri 7:00–16:00. 3 km east of Turrialba.
★★ Monumento Nacional Guayabo
Costa Rica's most significant archaeological site is located 19 km north of Turrialba. Here, the remains of a pre-Columbian city have been excavated, inhabited between 1000 BC and 1400 AD — with paved roads, aqueducts (still functioning today!), burial mounds, and mysterious petroglyphs. For Costa Rican standards, Guayabo is an archaeological wonder, as the country otherwise has few monumental pre-Columbian structures.
6 USD entrance fee. Daily 8:00–15:30. 19 km north of Turrialba (last 8 km dirt road).
💡 Tipp
Rafting on the Río Pacuare is Costa Rica's best adventure — if you book only one activity, make it this one. The 2-day tour with an overnight stay in a jungle lodge is unforgettable: evening campfires by the river, morning bird songs and fresh coffee, then back into the rapids.