We specialize in providing the trip that best fits your interests. Trips can range from two days to more than two weeks depending on your interests and schedule. While many of the suggestions below focus on canoeing and kayaking, there are opportunities to include many other activities such as hiking, birding, horseback riding, canopy tours, and fishing, with visiting volcanoes, waterfalls, hot springs, beaches, and national parks. To aid you in thinking about trip itineraries, there is a map below  that shows many of the places we visit frequently on trips..  It is usually best to plan a trip that makes a loop out of San Jose to see more of the country and avoid excessive driving and backtracking.  Call or send us email today and let us know your interests so we can explore the options further with you.

SOME POSSIBLE OPTIONS FOR YOUR ADVENTURE

* Manuel Antonio National Park - Add one day and night at the beginning or end of your trip to see this beautiful park and beach with probably the easiest wildlife viewing in Costa Rica.  Add two days to paddle a local river near Manuel Antonio. Paddling options depend on water levels and river conditions, but include the Rio Savegre, Rio Naranjo,  paddling offshore, and the nearby Damas estuary. 

*Carara Biological Reserve and the new canopy skywalk are located near the main road to Manuel Antonio and provide an opportunity for excellent birding and viewing other wildlife including large crocodiles.  This area is also famous for scarlet macaws which are frequently spotted here at daybreak and dusk.

*South of Manuel Antonio are the remote jungles and beaches of Cocovado National Park where big cats and other rare species are sometimes seen.  This is an excellent destination for nature lovers, but because of its remoteness, it takes some time and effort to reach it.  We sometimes arrange for a motorboat trip through the surf at the mouth of the Sierpe River to Poor Man's Paradise which is within walking distance of the park.   There is also paddling on the nearby Rio Sierpe and Estuario Azul.  Getting to Cocovado via the Sierpe is an adventure itself!   

*Panama lies to the south of Cocovado.  Panama has several interesting rivers near the border.  There are also spectacular mountains where we frequently spot quetzals and other seldom seen wildlife.  It  is also a great place for unusual orchids. There is a new road through the mountains past so many waterfalls we lose count that links the two coasts.  It is now possible to go down the Pacific coast of  Costa Rica and Panama and return on the Caribbean coasts.  The beautiful islands of Bocas del Toro, with crystal clear blue waters filled with tropical fish, is one possible stop on  this loop.  Offshore on the Pacific there is also a  marine park where we can paddle to the  islands.   Panama and Corcovado are excellent destinations, but they are further away from our usual route north of San Jose and usually make for a trip of their own.

*Hike in Rincon de la Vieja National Park where mud pots bubble and vapor geysers spout.  Rincon is an active volcano, but with good weather, you can hike all the way to the crater at the top.  Requires at least an extra day and night for most trips.

*The Tenorio National Park, south of Rincon contains the beautiful Celeste Waterfall where there is also excellent hiking, hot springs, wildlife.  It can be easily included in many trips, but is reached via rough roads.

*The Tamarindo estuary is located on the Pacific coast not to far from Rincon, and nearby Playa Grande is the prime location for watching the giant leatherback turtles nest from December through February.   This area has a lot to offer including beautiful beaches, snorkeling, nearby rivers, mountains, and wildlife.

* Visit Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve and hike and bird watch, in this beautiful area. Adds one or two extra days and nights to most trips.  Please be aware that roads in this area are rough and travel is very slow!

* Whitewater paddlers can canoe the Pejibaye River and visit Turrialba, the white water center of Costa Rica.  Adds one extra day and night to many trips.

* Raft the Pacuare River, probably Costa Rica's most beautiful river with narrow canyons and waterfalls cascading from the canyon walls. Adds one extra day and night. The Pacuare raft trip will also increase cost slightly.  If  you spend two days in the Turrialba area you can both enjoy both canoeing the Pejibaye and rafting the Pacuare, experiencing some of the best whitewater Costa Rica offers. 

* Fishermen and Birders are drawn to Cano Negro where guapote (a type of bass) and gaspar, a pike like fish abound. Flocks of water birds including whistling ducks, storks, roseate spoonbills, and many others are regularely seen here. Jabiru storks are also sometimes seen.

* Fishermen and adventureres are also drawn to Lake Nicaragua and the Rio San Juan. The Solentiname Islands in the Southern part of Lake Nicaragua are home to painters and artisans who paint pictures and handpaint balsa wood crafts that make interesting souvenirs. Paddling among the islands is also fun and the fishing for guapote (a type of rainbow bass) is world class. The Rio San Juan features great fishing for tarpon and snook, interesting paddling on many of the tributaries, and the beautiful town of El Castillo with its fort overlooking the Raudel el Diablo, the largest rapids on the river.

These are only a few of the many options that can be built into your trip. Some optional activities include horseback riding, canopy tours, fishing, snorkeling, and more extensive hiking.  You may want to consider adding a day in the beginning or end of your trip to explore the capital of Costa Rica, San Jose. San Jose is an interesting city with many museums and other sights worth visiting. Be sure to ask us for  a copy of our walking tour. Still another option is visiting Tortuguero National Park, famous for its wildlife and sea turtles.  We also sometimes visit the south Caribbean and eastern Panama where there are beautiful mountains and rivers as well as some very different indian cultures. These are also many other options.  If you discuss your interests with us, we will work with you to custom design the ideal trip.   If you are interested in visiting Costa Rica and don't have definite activities you want to do, you will enjoy one of our scheduled trips where the variety of activities suits most people.  Contact us for information about possible dates.

 We have custom designed trips for a number of paddling clubs, school, and other groups.  If you have a group that is interested in visiting Costa Rica or Panama, contact us so that we can design a trip especially for you.

   "...Canoe Costa Rica Ltd. put together a great ten day adventure showing us rivers with nicely moving water ... and along the way there were herons, monkeys, caiman, vultures, toucans, and all sorts of plant life.  We visited waterfalls, volcanoes, hot springs, coffee plantations, butterfly farms, and most exciting of all we did a canopy tour."  Kasual Kayaks Newsletter, April 2001