If you love white water rafting, the Savegre River near Manuel Antonio is one of the best sites to choose from next to the Pacuare river. This adventure tour is suitable for those who already have some experience and it is classed as moderately challenging. In 2017, UNESCO declared this stunning river a biosphere reserve. The river is also home to the beautiful waterfall of San Gerardo just an hour from San Gerardo de Dota. Don’t forget to combine this adventure with a visit to the iconic Manuel Antonio National Park!
Highlights
White water rafting tour
Well-trained and experienced bilingual guides will help you at the most challenging parts of your journey an introduce you to all the safety procedures. There are class II and class III rapids on the river and participants of this tour must be over eight years old.
On this 5 ½ hour Manuel Antonio white water rafting tour, you are going to see what real Costa Rican nature looks like. As you rage through the waters, you will also get a chance to see fantastic landscapes and spot some wildlife like birds and monkeys. The rafting part of the tour will be around 2 ½ hours in total. You will spend the rest of the time with visiting the wildest areas of Manuel Antonio. Also, having a delicious meal on the river shore and swimming. Whenever you look up, you will see different species of birds flying overhead and you will also have the chance to see some traditional villages and towns.
Manuel Antonio National Park
Despite being one of the smaller national parks in Costa Rica, Manuel Antonio still has 184 species of birds and 109 species of mammals as well as almost 80 species of fish in the surrounding waters. You can take wildlife tours to learn about the flora and fauna, canopy tours complete with a thrilling zipline, or rainforest horseback riding and even parasailing tours. You can go snorkeling and scuba diving, surf or simple enjoy the stunning beach.
Quepos
If you want to combine your white water rafting trip with some world-class sport fishing, you can travel to Quepos in North Puntarenas. Famous for the Marina Pez Vela, Quepos has hosted international fishing tournaments and holds water slips for 200 boats.
Tips
Consult local touring agencies about the water levels: It is important to be aware of how low or how high the river is at the time of your visit since this can influence the safety of your tour.
Explore the Central Pacific: Next to the Savegre River, Manuel Antonio and Quepos, why not explore some of the Central Pacific’s famous beaches such as Jaco, Playa Hermosa and Dominical.
Getting to Manuel Antonio and by extension the Saverge River is very easy. Youc an rent a car at the airport or take advantage of the shuttle services from San Jose or Guanacaste. Private transfers are a little more expensive but won’t have to make extra stops. You can also use Sansa Air to fly to Quepos from San Jose. The flight costs about $75 dollars and only takes around 10 minutes.
Dining
Manuel Antonio has a large variety of restaurants and cafe. El Avion is an old Fairchild C-123 airplane that was refurbished and turned into one of the coolest restaurants and bars in Manuel Antonio. The Shana Restaurant Lounge Pool Bar offers high-end Italian food and El Mirador is perfect for fantastic, traditional Costa Rican food like the casado and gallo pinto – complete with a perfect view.
Where to stay
The hotels in Manuel Antonio range from the super luxurious resorts like Arenas del Mar, to vacation rentals such as the Tulemar Resort, and Mid-Range accomodations like Hotel Costa Verde. They all offer excellent service, views and food!
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