How would you like to go whitewater tubing on the Rio Arenal? This is one of the most beautiful, yet overlooked attractions in the Arenal area and an awesome location for some fun on the river.
To start things off you will be picked up from your La Fortuna hotel and brought to the Montana de Fuego Resort, where the Go Adventure headquarters is located.
When you arrive, your guide will lead you on a short hike of around 15 minutes to the Maleku Villa. The Maleku are an indigenous tribe that inhabits the area. This exhibit is a great way to learn about their culture and arts. Please note that the stop at the Maleku Villa sometimes takes place after tubing.
The walk down to the river and villa is scenic, passing through fields. On clear days, you can see Arenal Volcano looming behind you. When you reach the river, a brief instructional course will be provided for whitewater tubing and then you will be on your way.
The Rio Arenal starts at the Lake Arenal dam and then continues east until it mixes with other rivers in the San Carlos countryside. It quietly passes through a gorgeous canyon behind many of the resorts outside of La Fortuna. Many tourists do not even realize it is there. The canyon is surrounded by lush jungle and there is actually a lot of wildlife down there. If you can look up from the fun while you are tubing you will see a magical world around you!
Make no mistake; this is not a sightseeing tour. The Rio Arenal offer class I and II rapids which is a lot of fun on a small tube. The tubing lasts a little over an hour depending on the flows.
After tubing, you will hike back out and return to the main resort. By default, you will be returned to your hotel after the tour, but you can stay and enjoy the hot springs pools at the resort if you like. In order to do so, you must tell the guide upon arrival so they can coordinate a different transfer back for you.
After the tour you will be brought back to your hotel. Including transfers, this tour is expected to last 3 – 4 hours though this is subject to change. Please notify us if you weigh more than 200 pounds as restrictions may apply. The tour includes transportation, guides, and, equipment.
The Tubing on Rio Arenal is available from Arenal, Arenal Zone 2, and Arenal Zone 3
10 and up
Latitude: N 10° 30' 16.01"
Longitude: W 84° 42' 11.39"
06/09/2023
Very short
04/17/2022
Loved this adventure! Too bad the water was low, not under anyone's control though!
11/27/2021
The guides were wonderful. The process at the check in office was very crowded and rushed. We were told to leave all our belongings. I really wish I would have brought my phone with it's waterproof case though because there were no photos on the tour taken by the guides and because I was told we could not bring any belongings, I didn't get a single picture of this adventure. If I would have had my phone in its case it would have been fine and secure.
10/28/2021
It was a little confusing when we got there and we had to carry our tubes down and then up a muddy path which was not ideal but it was a ton of fun!
08/05/2021
Tour was much shorter then expected, we were expecting to tube down the river through the jungle but just went through 4 rapids and we're done
08/18/2019
Good fun however we were only on the water for 1 hour.
04/12/2019
I only wish it had been longer
07/17/2017
Great tour in a small group. Our kids, 7 and 9 years, had a blast!
05/03/2017
I would of enjoyed to see animals in the trees or simply that the guide tell us about the plants surrounding us
02/16/2017
Guide was amazing
05/04/2016
Miguel was our guide; really knew the river and surrounding area. Only drawback was the hill back to the bus. Miguel saw me struggling and brought the bus to me! Absolute highlight of our trip; this is a must-do!
02/28/2016
This was much more scary (and exciting) than we expected. We would have liked more information about the thrillingn nature of the tour.
12/28/2015
The water was high and we decided to zip line instead. After looking at the water, it wasn't as bad as they said it was. I was happy to do the zip line.