For a great Costa Rica week, use the following checklist:

4.jpg• Join a great group of paddlers with Endless River Adventures. Take our Dec 01 Costa Rica Whitewater Trip. Before most of the two groups had even landed in Costa Rica, they had already met, bonded, and made a date for the afternoon in San Jose. And then headed out on the town after dinner Saturday night.

• Enjoy six days of kayaking in Costa Rica. With a Class III and a Class II-III trip going simultaneously, we would normally run separate itineraries for the two trips. But after a day of surfing, it was obvious that there were more similarities in the two groups’ goals than differences. So we offered up options on a daily basis to both groups based on how they felt that day.

We started out on the west coast with the Pirris—a river few are given the opportunity to enjoy: warm water, beautiful scenery, and good rapids to warm up with. Within the two groups there were some who thought the day was the perfect warm-up, others that if it was the warm-up they were worried about how much harder the week might get.

2.jpgFrom the Pirris we headed up north to the Balsa River. One of the few dam controlled rivers, we could not have arrived at a more perfect time as the water reached our put-in about the same time we did! Those feeling like pushing it headed to an upper put-in and started out with two miles of non-stop continuous whitewater before meeting up with the rest of the group for a great day on the river. From the Balsa, it was a trip to the Sarapiqui; but not before a soak in the hot tubs for a night to relax!

The Sarapiqui is always a trip favorite in Costa Rica. Confusion and Superman rapids are memorable rapids for any Class III group. So are the bird sightings: toucans, oro pendulas, herons and even playful vultures splashing in the eddies.

Offering the option of rafting on the Pacuare River assures that everyone on Class II-III and Class III trips experience this river. In fact, the only time we don’t make the Pacuare part of our week is when the water is too high to paddle it. So on Thursday we packed everyone in kayaks and rafts for a trip down the river. At Dos Montanas, the group switched crafts: rafters into kayaks and kayakers into the rafts. Moments right out of a NASCAR event ensued at some of the last wall shots!

• Include spontaneous pit stops on the way to and from the river. The combination of Costa Rican coffee before the river, Costa Rican Imperials after the river, and well, more small bladders (okay, women!) ensure more pit stops. And whether that means checking out a tree full of iguanas, a beautiful view, or a few minutes of dancing, it is all part of taking in the local culture!

• Make the most of the final day of a great paddling vacation. The Pejibaye is just the river to begin such a day. Good rapids, stern squirt spots, surf waves, one last warm water paddle. Then back to San Jose for a final night together.

• Make sure you have lots of photos to share with each other, and with friends at home who could not join you for the week! Here are a few of the photos capturing the best of another incredible week kayaking in Costa Rica.

Pura Vida Friends for a Great Trip!!

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