Pickup is 8:30 am from hotels in Jaco, Herradura, Los Sueños, and Esterillos, two hours later than the Savegre trip that collects from the same doorsteps, so this is the rafting day you can book without setting a 5:00 am alarm. Plan on roughly six and a half hours in total, about an hour and a half longer than the version that departs from Manuel Antonio, with the extra time going to the road.
A 40-minute scenic ride brings the group to the small town of Londres and a private ranch that serves as the base. After safety instructions and practice strokes you board six-passenger rafts, each with its own guide, and a kayaker shadows the group for backup. The Naranjo borders Manuel Antonio National Park and drops fast through mountains, jungle gorges, farmland, and palm plantations. The course is steep and genuinely demanding, with a break at the halfway point to catch your breath and look up at the gorge, then a calmer final stretch where you can watch the scenery over the last few rapids. After close to two hours of paddling, lunch made with local ingredients is waiting at the ranch.
Two limits to check before booking. The Naranjo only runs in the rainy season, May 1 to December 1, when the water is high enough. And it is rated high difficulty with a minimum age of ten. If your dates fall outside that window, or your group includes younger kids, the Savegre River trip from Jaco is class III with a minimum age of eight. Staying in Manuel Antonio or Quepos? Book the Manuel Antonio departure instead.
Bring sunglasses with a retainer cord, a change of clothes, a bathing suit, a waterproof camera, sandals, and a beach towel. Pickup at 8:30 am. Minimum age 10. Available May 1 to December 1 only.
Before you book, one honest note. Prices, departure times, and what is included move with the season here. Rivers rise and drop, tides reset the schedule, boats come out of the water for maintenance, and operators adjust rates without telling anyone first. The details on this page are what we last confirmed directly with the operator, and we go back and check them, but your booking is with the operator and their confirmation is the final word on price, timing, pickup, and what you get. If a detail matters to your trip, whether that is a dietary need, a mobility question, a birthday, or a tight flight, ask us before you book and we will confirm it with them directly rather than guess.
Traveling with kids, limited mobility, or a tight schedule? Tell us your situation and we will match you to the right day and departure.
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