Rafting the Rio Savegre in Costa Rica

In response to all of the adventures I have been posting, a friend back home asked if I was actually going to school or just sightseeing! I had originally signed up for daily 4-hour group classes when I registered for the Spanish language immersion program through Maximo Nivel. But, with April being a slow month for the program, once I showed up and took a placement exam, there were no other students at my proficiency level (absolute novice). So, I was assigned a daily private tutor for 2 hours per day instead of the 4-hour group class. Such horrible luck 😉 My session times shift week to week dependent upon the number of new students that show up at my proficiency level (so far none), as well as instructor availability. This last week, I’ve had private sessions in the afternoons, leaving whole mornings in which to adventure. The latest one was white water rafting on the Rio Savegre (Savage River). The travel rep assured me that I’d be back in time for my 2pm class, so off I went!

According to our guide, Rio Savegre is considered one of the cleanest rivers in all of Costa Rica. The river originates in the rainforests of the Talamanca Mountain Range (at an elevation of over 11,000 feet) and flows roughly 25 miles west to spill into the Pacific Ocean. The river basin covers 230 square miles and is one of the most eco diverse regions in Costa Rica. The Savegre River Basin was declared a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2017. (Wikipedia)

The 1+ hour journey from Quepos to where we put the boats into the river required a 4×4 bus to navigate the twisty, and very bumpy dirt and rock road. I was too busy hanging on to my seat for stability to be able take a pic of the more trecherous stretches of road. This photo was taken by sticking my phone out of the bus window on a more calm section.
Jennifer, another student from Maximo Nivel, joined me on the rafting trip. We were the two adventurous “mature” women on the trip! This is the “before” pic.
The rafting guides from Iguana Tours gave a safety brief to all five boats before we loaded up and started the 13-mile journey down river.
Jennifer and I were super stoked to be on the crew that we dubbed “The Lucky Ones!”  Landon and Dillon, two life-long friends from Oregon celebrating their birthdays in Central America, along with our guide Carlos, rounded out our 5-person boat crew.  We all got along great and thoroughly enjoyed the journey together.
Since Costa Rica is currently in the dry season, the rapids were spaced a little farther apart, and tamer than  usual, but we still got a few Class 3 thrills along the way.
About halfway through the float, we pulled off near a trail into the jungle and hiked to a waterfall. This photo is the approach to the falls.
The swim at the falls was followed by snacks of fresh pineapple and watermelon. So refreshing!

When we finally pulled the boats out of the water at the end of the float  and accessed our cell phones again, I realized that it was already 1:30pm. We still hadn’t packed up the boats, eaten lunch, or driven back to Quepos yet! It quickly became obvious that I wasn’t going to make it in time for my 2pm class. I was disappointed with myself that I obviously must’ve misunderstood what time we would finish and felt bad that I was leaving my instructor hanging. With absolutely no cell coverage to be had, I couldn’t call in to let the school know. Thankfully, the restaurant where we had lunch had wifi and I was able to get the message thru.

Rafting ended a short distance from the little town of Silencio. Earlier, we had stopped at pretty much the only restaurant in town on the way to the put-in to place our orders, so lunch was ready when we arrived. I opted for a classic Costa Rican lunch of casada, which is a combo plate of rice, black beans, mixed cubed veggies, salad, and a meat (usually chicken).
The “after” pic of Jennifer and I at the pick-up location on the River.

I ended up arriving back at school around 4:30pm. Come to find out, the mix up wasn’t entirely my fault! My instructor was still there and had an opening, so I rolled into my Spanish lessons still in my swimsuit!

To my heartfelt apologies for my tardiness, my instructor simply replied, ¡Pura Vida!

2 thoughts on “Rafting the Rio Savegre in Costa Rica”

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  1. Looks the day was a complete GO! Even if you don’t learn Spanish (I have every confidence you will), it seems like a good trip.

    Chief

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