A fantastic way to enjoy and admire nature at its best is being on a river, we know that everything that lives, all animals, birds, plants, trees, and us need water, water is life! Hence a ride down the river seems to be the perfect activity to spot as much wildlife as possible while not having to do much effort, isn’t it perfect?

You will start with a short drive from your hotel to the river’s entrance, your guide will provide you with a helmet and life jacket, the security talk, but don’t worry, is a super safe tour, the river is calm, doesn’t have any rapids, you will just need to sit on the raft, let go down the river with the flowing current, no paddling will be requited and your guide will be with you on the raft at all times, anyone can do it!

The guide will take care of taking the raft through the right direction while teaching you how to experience a true rainforest activity, close your eyes, listen to the sounds of the forests, the living things that are in it, then open your eyes and try to search for the animals you hear, you can find monkeys, birds of all sizes, sounds and colors, sloths, iguanas, toucans and so much more!

Continue down the river and be amazed by all the beautiful nature you will encounter. Once this fantastic activity has reached the end some delicious, fresh, home made snacks will be provided, later you will drive for a few minutes to reach the perfect organic chocolate plantation and once again learn and have fun without much physical activity required.

Learn why chocolate or cacao was so important and part of our culture, how chocolate is growth, make some chocolate on your own and of course, the tasting part in incredible! After this lovely activity you will enjoy of a traditional lunch, with delicious dishes that you have never had before with a friendly local family, and again enjoy the views of the forests and the little animals that will get closer, wait for a magical dessert and rest on a refreshing hammock.

It’s been a lovely day but even the good times have to end, we will take you back to your hotel and hope you have enjoyed as much as we did, you will take home some fantastic memories and maybe a chocolate snack or two… Enjoy the rest of your day!

RATES

  • Adults Icon

    $165.0

    Adults

    10 years old & older
  • Children Icon

    $111.3

    Children

    5 to 9 years old
  • Infants Icon

    $0.0

    Infants

    4 years old & younger
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Tour Itinerary

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7:30am (approximate): Hotel Pick Up!

We will pick you up at the lobby of your hotel to start this great expedition. The exact pick up time will be confirmed on your itinerary once the reservation is confirmed.

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8:10am Ready for boating!

The guide is going to provide all necessary equipment for the boat trip, life jackets and paddles on, as well as clear instructions to navigate down the river.

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8:20am Enjoy scenery and wildlife!

Your guide will take you down the river spotting flora and fauna to show you, a great chance to see monkeys, lizards, birds, sloths, and a beautiful calm scenery while navigating on flat water.

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10:30am Enjoy a typical snack!

After a couple hours on the river, you will leave the boat and enjoy a delicious Costa Rican snack on a local family farm, tropical fruits, plantain and cheese, and a delicious coffee are part of the menu. A highlight of the day comes next, after a 30 minutes scenic drive!!

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11:00am: Enjoy the sweetness!

The Arenal chocolate tour is a unique opportunity to experience one of the most important Costa Rican traditions. The Arenal chocolate tour begins in the sugar cane fields where you will be able to taste delicious sugar cane juice. Next you will enter the cacao plantation, this is where the cacao beans that become chocolate are grown and also you will be able to observe the chocolate process and taste it.

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12:30PM Bon Appetite!

A fresh and tasty typical lunch is going to be waiting for you at an outdoor private farm in the country side, allowing for a real contact of Costa Rica cuisine and our popular "casado" which translates to English as "married", it is the basis of our typical lunch and consist of rice, beans, salad, picadillo, meat of your preference (chicken, beef, fish, or pork), and fried sweet plantain. Vegetarian option is always available.

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2:00PM Hotel Drop off!

This extraordinary half day is accomplished, leaving a very good taste of what this beautiful area has to offer and allowing for some relaxation time for the rest of the day. We will drop you off back at your hotel.

People Love Us

Our guide Carlos Bonilla was very informative about the safari tour. He was able to spot several sloths and other animals. The tour is very relaxing, you sit in a tube and float down the river while enjoying the beautiful surroundings. We also did the Chocolate tour. The olivio family- Minor(owner), his son Otto and wife Yessenia gave a tour of their beautiful property. We had fresh coconut water from the tree on their farm. They squeezed sugarcane juice in front of us-my 11 year old daughter helped squeeze the sugarcane through the machine. Otto showed the chocolate making process in great detail. Yessenia gave a lot of history about cocoa farm, walked us through the farm and at the same time explaining about the farming . It was one of a kind experience and I would highly recommend this to enthusiastic learners!

Sumeet Kumar

2016-12-19

Soy un comentario de prueba, gracias.

Royner Prueba

2016-12-31

We have had several tours this week with rainforest explorers and each one of the guides was knowledgeable, professional, and friendly. All of the arrangements and meals were outstanding. We received everything we expected and so much more.

Bill Sohn

2017-02-27

Everybody had a great time

Sheryl Murakami

2017-03-23

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Read some of the most asked questions about 2 in 1 Safari and Chocolate Tour.

Transportation is included from any hotel in La Fortuna and the Arenal area, some hotels are located further away from the main area, in this case an extra fee may apply. If your place is not on the list just ask us!
Pick up is usually between 7 and 7:30am (it varies depending on the location of your hotel) and takes about 7 hours to complete. By 2:30 pm you will be back to your hotel, after both activities have been completed successfully
A delicious Costarican lunch will be provided and served by a local family in a beautiful location next to one of the rivers so you can be in peace with nature and be able to observe some more animals and birds
Sure they can! Everyone can have a great time at the hanging bridges and at the waterfall, although we believe is more enjoyable for kids 4 years old and over.
Comfortable shoes will be ideal, there is not much walking required, also comfortable clothes: shorts, t-shirts, tank tops, long pants, long sleeves. A change of shoes and clothes may be also required in case there is some rain. Bring also mosquito repellent and sunscreen and a raincoat in case of an usual rainshower.
Sure, keep in mind it will be under your supervision and we highly recommend a waterproof case.
Not at all, while on the safari float you will be seated on the raft for about 2 hours and for the chocolate tour little walks are needed. Is a great tour for everyone and some beautiful scenery of the rainforest will always be encountered.
If a shower or rain happens before or during the tour, it continues as planned, remember is the rainforest and it should be expected. Unless there is a tropical storm in sight then the tour may be cancelled or postponed but we will contact you in advance to inform you.
Yes, we offer pick up and drop off to most destinations in the country, please contact us to coordinate it and quote the extra fee.
We are very accessible, with a 24 hour notice you can get a refund, just don't forget to notify us.
We have in Arenal Tropical weather, it means is usually hot and humid with some rain always on the sight, not heavy rain, usually sun showers towards the end of the afternoon or late evenings. During the months of January, February, March which are considered to be summer, temperature goes between 28°-32° Celsius or 82-90 Fahrenheit and during the rainy season it varies from 22°-28° centigrades or 71-82 Fahrenheit.
We consider Arenal to be the epicenter of adventure! Being the number one favorite destination of the world according to tripadvisor it offers pretty much every activity that can be done in the country in one destination. You can stay in Arenal for weeks and will always have something different to to every day. There are main attractions for every one, there are the activities that will bring up your adrenaline such as whitewater rafting, zipline, waterfall rappelling, lake kayaking, biking, strenuous hikes, waterfalls and more. But if are not such an adventure seeker can find other kind of activities like peaceful walks, hanging bridges, gardens, safari and bloat trips to sightsee, cultural events and many more.
That's a great question, there are many different resorts that offer hot springs, some are for guests use only which is fine because are more exclusive and quiet but if wish to explore more options or if you stay at a hotel with no hot springs there are plenty of options to choose from. Tabacon Resort and Spa Being one of the most popular natural hot springs spot in the world most visitors come to enjoy the peaceful surroundings with a variety of pools of different temperatures and sizes all hidden within the most wonderful and attractive tropical gardens that open up the way for relaxing exploration. The pools are filled with water from an actual hot water river that flows all around the property. There is anything more natural than this. Temperatures vary from 22° to 40° Celsius (72-105F) and you can see small natural cascades to soften your body and spirit. 2. Baldi Hot Springs Consider as the largest hot springs in the world it offers 25 pools of all sizes and temperatures amidst the rainforest surrounded by waterfalls and caves so that everyone can enjoy. Is more like a family place, it offers a water playground for the little ones, water slides, caves to explore, wet bars and restaurants so that everybody can spend a relaxing and fun time. 3. Los Perdidos Hot Springs This being part of the astonishing The Springs Resort, you can get a day pass and enjoy amazing panoramic views as well as a relaxing time at the hot springs, make sure you visit the unique little pools at the bottom of the resort that are immerse in the rainforest at the most peaceful place on earth. 4. Eco Termales A great option to relax and explore. Although it is a smaller option, it also is a more exclusive place, is not as crowded as other places get from time to time and also has its pools also filled with the river water, very natural and relaxing ambience. 5. Paradise Hot Springs Another beautiful, little place to enjoy a relaxing time. It's located right in front of the volcano which makes you have a wonderful view too. Transportation is only included with Los Perdidos option, to all other options you can drive or call a taxi from frontdesk. Depending to your hotel location these can be from 5 up to 25 minutes away. Which one do you prefer? You can combine any of these options with any activity you do during the day or you can get a day pass too and enjoy of a nice lunch or dinner, just ask us!