Sarapiquí

The Sarapiquí runs off the Caribbean slope through lowland rainforest to join the San Juan on the Nicaraguan border, and it was the main route into this part of the country before roads. Rafting on it is gentler than the Pacuare, class two and three on the standard section, which makes it the river most people run with children or without experience, and there are calm float trips for wildlife watching where the point is what is on the banks rather than in the water. Caimans, sloths, howler monkeys, toucans and green iguanas are all routine. The area around it holds several biological stations and private reserves.

What you actually see

• The rafting - class two and three, gentler than the Pacuare.
• The float trips - calm-water wildlife watching on the lower river.
• Riverbank wildlife - caimans, sloths, howlers and toucans.
• The biological stations - research reserves along the corridor.

When to go

Year-round. Water is highest from July to December, which makes for bigger rapids; the drier months give clearer water and better wildlife viewing. Float trips run at dawn and late afternoon, which is when animals are active.

Honest expectations

The lower Sarapiquí has been affected by agricultural runoff from pineapple and banana plantations upstream, and the water is not always clear. Rafting here is genuinely mild and experienced paddlers will find it tame. The town of Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí is functional rather than attractive. Rain is frequent on this slope in any month.

Nearby

La Selva is ten minutes; Braulio Carrillo is south along the highway.