The lower Sarapiquí River (sah rah pee KEE) is an excellent choice for a first day trip upon arriving in Costa Rica. The scenery is spectacular, the rapids are moderate, and the wildlife would have any Audubon Society member babbling ecstatically. The upper section of the river, with a gradient of 90 feet per mile (17 meters per km.) and tight bouldery drops, provides all of the scenic attractions of the lower section, with expert-level paddling as well.

For the travel-weary visitor to the tropics, the drive from San José through the Central Volcanic Cordillera to the valley of the Sarapiquí delivers a stunning, invigorating introduction to the verdant tropical rain forest. While much of that dense virgin forest has been cleared for agriculture, the complex patterns of tropical agriculture result in a cultural landscape of refreshing diversity. Surrounding the route are dense fields of bananas, coffee, strawberries, papayas, and ferns. In climbing over the southeast shoulder of the immense Po·s volcano, one climbs into the cool, perpetually wet cloud forest and larger remnants of the natural vegetation complex are encountered. Dense stands of forest shroud the windward slopes of the volcano as the road descends the eastern side of the Cordillera. This side of the range faces the full force of the nearly perennial Trade Winds, wringing copious amounts of rainfall from the moisture laden air as it is forced to ascend the 10,000 foot summits. The prodigious rainfall supports untold numbers of headwater streams which cascade off the volcanic cone to form the Sarapiquí River. Several of these waterfalls are visible from the highway, including La Paz (Peace) falls, which are adjacent to the highway and easily accessible. A short side road leads to a spectacular pair of waterfalls, El Congo and Salto del Angel, which plunge 500 feet into a clear pool. The abundant water also supports rich vegetation forms such as the "Poor Man's Umbrella", with thick leaves up to six feet (2 m.) in diameter. Anyone caught without shelter during a typical afternoon torrent comes quickly to an appreciation of the practicality of this unusual plant.

Rapid expansion of banana plantations is threatening the water quality and aesthetic beauty of the entire SarapiquÌí region. At the same time, sand and gravel extraction are increasing in the area. It would be a tremendous loss if this beautiful river corridor were substantially degraded by these two activities.  

Degree of Difficulty: IV-V Gradient: 90 feet per mile (17 m/km) Length: 6.9 miles (11.1 km) Put-in Elevation: 1180 feet (360 m) Take-out Elevation: 560 feet (170 m) Drainage Area: approximately 125 square miles (321 km2) Average Discharge: approximately 1000 c.f.s. (28 cms) Season: June through December

Creek paddlers will feel right at home on the upper Sarapiquí, as it is quite steep and each rapid is extremely congested with boulders. Although boat scouting will suffice for paddlers with the necessary skills to run this stretch of water, rapid, decisive moves are required in order to avoid pins. The first rapid, which can be easily scouted from the bridge at the put-in, is typical of the drops to be found throughout this section. The character of this rapid is easily seen from this convenient vantage point, but the height of the bridge makes it difficult to appreciate the magnitude of the drop itself. Paddlers must watch constantly for strainers in this section, for the river is extremely narrow and trees hang across it for extended stretches. Frequent evening flash floods from heavy rains in the mountains constantly alter the rapids and sometimes lodge trees between the large boulders that choke the channel, so watch carefully for strainers.

Named rapids in this section include the Banana, The Mush, and Me Gusta (I like it). The Banana is a steep rapid that has a banana shaped vertical drop at the exit. The Mush has a six foot (2 m) waterfall at its terminus which pours into an aerated hole. Obscured from above by a house-size boulder, Me Gusta appears unrunnable at first. The entire flow of the river rushes against the boulder, forming a powerful pillow on the upstream side, with clean four foot drops on each side.

Evacuations would be very difficult from this section because it has very dense forest alongside it and the valley walls are quite steep. Pins are a constant concern and when the flow is high enough to pad all of the rocks, the holes get grabby. We recommend paddling it at relatively low water (800-1500 c.f.s./22-45 cms) in plastic boats. This is no place for rafts.

Fernando Esquivel and Rafael Gallo attempted to run the upper SarapiquÌ in 1984 in a two-man raft, but the raft was damaged by the continuous rocky rapids and the pair had to abandon the run two miles above La Virgen. The first complete descent was accomplished in kayaks the following year by Joe Pulliam, Rafael Gallo, and a group of paddlers from Atlanta.  

Degree of Difficulty: III Gradient: 56 feet per mile 10.6 m/km) Length: 7.0 miles (11.3 km) Put-in Elevation: 558 feet (170 meters) Take-out Elevation: 164 feet (50 meters) Drainage Area: approximately 150 square miles (385 km2) Average Discharge: approx. 2200 cfs (62 cms) Season: June through January

From the put-in below the bridge at La Virgen to the take-out at Chilamate the SarapiquÌ courses through lush Atlantic Coast rainforest and beautifully manicured fields of ornamental plants, sugar cane, oil palm, and cacao while dropping over innumerable gravel bar rapids. Most of the rapids are quite simple and are easily boat scouted, but many of them follow a somewhat disconcerting tendency to terminate in a direct shot into vertical walls of  boulder terraces. On these rapids, it is necessary to cut diagonally across the current to avoid hitting the embankment.

The first rapid of note, Hueco Gringo (Gringo's Hole), is a long, straight rapid that ends in a nice hole at bottom center. The rapid becomes progressively steeper as you descend it. Another memorable drop follows. It begins in much the same fashion as Hueco Gringo, but its terminus is quite different. Instead of terminating against a wall, it suddenly enters a complex boulder garden which has at least four possible routes. The rapid is known as Confusion. Just another quarter mile downstream is a dangerous rapid, Pattie's Bend. It is found approximately four miles (6.4 km) down the river. Looking no different from any of the other boulder gardens, this rapid sweeps left to right over a series of drops which end in a strainer where the main current passes through a group of robust tree roots on the left bank. Paddle rafts in particular have difficulty in avoiding this hazard, so it is important to recognize this rapid before entering it and to begin a left to right ferry as soon as possible.

Bird watchers will have a field day on the SarapiquÌ, as groups of toucans, parrots, bitterns, herons, hawks, oropendolas ("gold tails"), and kingfishers fly busily throughout the river corridor. In many places the river splits into multiple intimate channels where huge trees draped with epiphytes and orchids hang directly over the water. This is indeed the tropics!

The standard takeout is at a small bar and restaurant on the left bank of the river. Great care should be taken at the standard take-out, as a fallen tree has created a dangerous strainer just past the restaurant. An ill-advised swim here resulted in a near fatality following a recent raft trip. Other take-out points are available in the area, some of which are at lovely lodges. An appealing option is to make arrangements to take out and spend the night at the Selva Verde Lodge. The shuttle ride back to the put-in is short and direct. The road follows the river closely, but remains unseen from the river.

The middle SarapiquÌ was first paddled in December 1984 by kayakers John Sheppard, Andy Zimmerman, Jim Reed, Rafael Gallo, Tom Wise, and Earl Alderson. Although the group was mildly disappointed by the lack of difficult whitewater, they were immensely impressed by the scenery. Commercial raft trips were soon begun on the lower river by RÌos Tropicales and this section is now one of the most popular one-day raft trips in Costa Rica due to its magnificent wildlife and fun rapids.  

Degree of Difficulty: Class I Gradient: 9.0 feet per mile (1.7 m/km) Length: 7.3 miles (11.8 km) Put-in Elevation: 164 feet (50 meters) Take-out Elevation: 98 feet (30 meters) Drainage Area: 319 square miles (821 km2) Average Discharge: 4400 cfs (125 cms) Season: June through January

This section contains nothing but flat water but the marvelous scenery is more than enough to justify paddling it. All of the wildlife found on the upper SarapiquÌ is found in greater concentrations on this lower section, but one is also likely to see monkeys, mot-mot birds, and other wildlife that avoids the farmlands of the upper section. Small commercial craft ply the river from the Caribbean to Puerto Viejo via the San Juan River, a distance of over 50 miles (80 km). It is not unusual to see dugout canoes on the river below Chilamate.

One of the most unusual characteristics of the Caribbean slope streams is their sudden change of slope. On the SarapiquÌ, the gradient drops from 45 feet per mile (8.5 m/km) to less than 10 feet per mile (1.8 m/km) in less than a mile (1.6 km), with the change occurring at Chilamate. The Toro and Tres Amigos undergo similar changes in slope.

Chilamate to Puerto Viejo (7 miles). A perfect calm water birdwatching trip through lowland wet forest on the Atlantic side of the country. The trip is ideal for birdwatchers and nature lovers who will appreciate the wide variety of wildlife -- birds, monkeys, iguanas, sloths, etc. -- found in the river's corridor.

La Virgen to Chilamate (7 miles). The Sarapiqui River is an excellent choice for a first rafting trip. The lush tropical rainforest scenery is spectacular, the rapids are moderate yet thrilling, and the wildlife would have anyone babbling ecstatically.