Posted by Rick Civelli | 07.11.2013 | Costa Rica Surf Camp

Travels in the Land of the Tico – Rafting on the Colorado

So far, our time in Costa Rica has been nothing short of amazing! Our days are usually split between mornings in the water working on our surfing skills and our afternoons immersed in the local culture with a variety of activities. Some of these excursions have included Spanish lesson, checking out the tidepools, walks on the beach (it’s right outside our door), and various group games. However, our Wednesday activity was a little different. Instead of surfing in the morning, we traded our pop-ups for paddles as we headed out early for an epic adventure!

We left our private hotel around 7:30, the teens fueled with waffles and fruit, and drove towards the Rio Colorado. We meet our rafting guide and followed him to the river. We were about to go white water kayaking! Upon arriving at our entry point, we were briefed with safety procedures and then each camper was paired up with one of the local river guides. We hopped  into the inflatable kayaks and were off!

The river was full of various Class III rapids, and our guides where there to help us safely navigate through each drop and turn. We were all squealing with excitement (boys included) as we went around each bend, never knowing what to expect. About halfway down the river, we pulled off to the side so we could spend some time swimming and jumping from a rope  swing in the deep, clear river pools.  Each of the campers came up with different creative ways to jump from the swing – most with distinctive, funny faces while in mid air. I opted for the classic, simple jump, but loved all the creative ones our campers put together.

Upon reaching our ending location on the river, we were brought to one of the most amazing lunches we have had thus far in Costa Rica. We had typical Costa Rican soup with fish and meat. To complete the meal we had rice, beans, and various vegetables.  For dessert there was rice pudding, juicy pineapple, and watermelon.  The fruit we have been having has  been so great and fresh.

After the meal we were stuffed and very happy, but it was time to head back to the sandy beaches of Playa Grande. The rafting excursion was a success, not only for the exciting day on the river, but also due to our Costa Rican cooks. We can’t wait to experience some more of these adventures during our second week!

– Alex R.