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Rios Tropicales

Our rating

7/10

Price guide

Highlights

- Simple eco-lodge, great value for money
- Access via river, superb white-water rafting
- Wonderful rainforest surroundings
- Biking, hiking, tree planting, waterfall swims

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Overview

Rios Tropicales is a simple, eco-friendly lodge located right beside Costa Rica’s Pacuare River, a hotspot for many water sports, in particular some of the country’s best white-water rafting. The property adheres to a strict sustainability policy and runs on hydroelectric power. Its private reserve covers over 2,000 acres of undisturbed rainforest and offers an abundance of wildlife viewing opportunities along its 40-plus miles of trails. With a veritable host of land and water-based activities on offer, this lodge offers great value for money and caters to adventurous nature enthusiasts keen to enjoy complete immersion in the rich, untouched rainforest.

Several accommodation options are on offer to suit different budgets, tastes and group sizes. There are hostel-style rooms with bunkbeds and a shared bathroom, standard rooms with river views and an en-suite bathroom, or deluxe rooms that also boast river views and a private bathroom. Both the standard and deluxe rooms can be arranged to house one king size bed, two queens or three singles. All rooms have a rustic, natural feel to them, with wooden flooring and furnishings throughout, and terraced areas provide outdoor space for relaxing and enjoying the captivating sights and sounds of the rainforest.

The main draw at Rios Tropicales is the affordable and flexible accommodation combined with the wide choice of adventurous outdoor activities. The property is proud to have been a pioneer of white-water rafting in Costa Rica since 1985 and continues to offer thrilling expeditions led by professional guides. These breath-taking rafting trips are offered on no fewer than nine different rivers: some excursions are fairly simple and open to beginners, whereas others are more challenging and therefore best suited to more experienced rafters. Some of the many other outdoor activities on offer include rainforest hikes, tree planting, biking and zip lining.

There’s plenty of space on site to unwind when not out exploring the rainforest. There’s a small library with books, magazines and board games, as well as an outdoor decked area with hammocks. Some of the shorter walking trails provide access to nearby natural bathing pools and pretty waterfalls. When it comes to dining, the restaurant serves three meals a day and sources as many ingredients as possible from local communities. Menus focus on local and national cuisine and the rafting guides are also the hosts at the lodge, preparing breakfast, lunch and dinner for guests. Since there’s no road leading directly to the lodge, all of the food arrives either by river raft or is carried in on foot.

The lodge welcomes families, although due to the class III and IV white water rafting that guess have to do in order to arrive and depart from the lodge, the minimum age is 14 years. This same minimum age also applies to other activities families might participate in during their stay, and there are plenty of packages tailored to different requirements and ability levels. For accommodation, the deluxe rooms come in various formations and will best suit the needs of families since they are more spacious and have private bathrooms. Due to the rural nature of the lodge, parents are reminded to keep their children under constant adult supervision.

What customers are saying after travelling with Tourdust

Average Rating

based on 545 reviews

(5.00/5)

  • It really was absolutely amazing. Faisal was wonderful (our driver for the majority of the trip) – such a lovely person and made everything feel so easy and relaxed. The whole experience was incredibly well put together and completely seamless from start to finish. The Sahara Desert was definitely the highlight for me – truly unforgettable – but honestly every part of the trip was special.

    MissingMandy S reviewing Boutique Marrakech & Atlas Mountains on 05 May 2026

  • I just wanted to say thank you so much for organising such an amazing holiday.
    We absolutely loved it, even though Jessica was ready to give up walking for good ????
    Our guide, Mustafa, was great. Really helpful, friendly and informative.
    We loved all the accommodation, and especially the first night and the Riad.
    All of the staff at every location were so friendly and helpful.
    Thanks again for organising such a great trip.

    MissingRebecca H reviewing Marrakech & Mountains Family Holiday on 09 April 2026

  • Thank you yet again for another meticulously organised and executed holiday (our 5th with you). Every aspect worked perfectly.
    Please could you pass on our sincere thanks to your agent in Sri Lanka; Lakshita, our driver and guide, absolutely made the trip for us - he was so keen for us to have the best experience possible. He was organised, kind, interested, punctual, the car was always spotless, and he was an excellent driver. His extensive knowledge was really appreciated by us and was exactly what we had hoped for in a guide. I think the highlight for us was our day in Anuradhapura (7 hours of absorbing history and culture), but there was so much to learn and absorb every day. He also made several suggestions for things that he thought we might like that weren't in our itinerary, and then booked them for us. These included an ayurvedic massage after climbing Sigiriya, a cultural show (an hour of touristy fun!), reef snorkelling with turtles (a real highlight for me - I wish we could have stayed all day), a lagoon boat trip and visit to a cinnamon island, a turtle sanctuary visit, and a gemstone factory visit. He also managed to get us a private tour of Lunanguga, which Peter thoroughly enjoyed. We also really enjoyed the tea factory tour.
    Our guide for the hike was also really excellent, and he and Lakshita made sure that our day was perfectly tailored to our (my) ability.
    All our accommodation was also perfectly selected. Our favourite was the Ceylon tea trails bungalow (just perfect!), but The Villa Bentota came a close second as a perfect way to relax at the end of the trip. Our villa and the grounds at Uga at Ulagalla were also beautiful.
    (Our only slightly disappointing day was the whale watching - no whales wanted to be seen on that particular day, plus I was very sea-sick despite taking meds! The tour organisers offered us a repeat day the following day, which we declined! Having said that, being out on the water was still enjoyable, up to a point...).
    I'm sure I've missed out something - we basically loved it all and felt that the balance of the itinerary was perfect for us (we used the 'rest' day in Galle to do the snorkelling, lagoon, and turtles)
    Thank you very, very much.

    Missingfiona g reviewing Sri Lanka Highlights - Classic on 27 March 2026

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