If you want to experience adventure in CR and do your vacation right, then make sure you include a day with Desafío Adventure Company in your travel agenda.
We got to spend two unforgettable, adventure packed, adrenaline pumping days with Desafío Adventure Company in the La Fortuna / Arenal area this past week. A small business based in La Fortuna that has some very small satellite offices elsewhere in Costa Rica, this company defines professionalism in Costa Rican adventure tourism and will give you the experience that you want to have here in this beautiful country.
Our first day started early at 8:00 AM back in Alajuela, where our extremely professional and knowledgeable driver Juanito picked us up to transport us to Desafío’s main office in La Fortuna. The vehicles in Desafío’s fleet are modern and very comfortable and we knew we were in for a nice ride. Some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world are found when driving through Costa Rica, and one of the great things that this company does better than others is hire drivers who know history and facts about the areas they drive in. They also have a very convenient policy that allows guests to stop drivers wherever they want to take pictures, use the bathroom, or grab a bite to eat.
We were greeted warmly when we arrived at the first site in our adventure:
“Gravity Falls.” This tour features rappelling down waterfalls and jumping into a river that flows through a gorgeous canyon and is a can’t-miss activity in the Arenal area. We were able to do the first third of the tour but then due to heavy rain had to head back early – of course, refunds and reschedules are fixed up without a problem with this company. The lunch that is included is every bit as delicious as the website makes it out to be (it bills it as “Delicious lunch”). We ate at a local soda which added a nice touch of Tico culture to the tour.
Day Two started even earlier than the first because our day was booked full with “Mambo Combo,” an adventure option that includes canyoning in Lost Canyon in the morning and white water rafting on the Río Balsa. The height of some of the cliffs and waterfalls that you rappel down in Lost Canyon are impressive and get your heart pounding. If your morning coffee didn’t wake up you, this portion definitely will.
Next we went on to do some rafting down Río Balsa and were delighted with the fast flowing water from all of the rain that fell the day before. Unlike many other rafting tours, when this company says you spend around two hours on rafting down the river, they mean that you spend a good, full two hours with lots of rapids going down the river. The fruit break about midway through is magnificent and the juicy fresh watermelon and pineapple give your rafting team enough energy to make it the rest of the way down the river. Of course lunch was again delicious at a local soda, and photos from a professional photographer were available for purchase after.
What we liked most about this company is that they have thought of everything that adventure seekers coming to Costa Rica need and want. Transportation? Check. Environmentally friendly and safe adventure tourism? Check. Delicious, authentic meals? Check. Pro photos to make the memories last? Check. Professional and fun staff? Check. Adrenaline pumping adventure? MEGA CHECK. With Desafío Adventure Company, we got to see how a real Costa Rican adventure should be done and how a professional tour company should be structured. We had a blast with Desafío and only wish that we could have spent another week with them to experience it all.
For more information or to book your own adventure, visit their website.
Additionally, we would like to give special thank you to Cristina and Suresh and all of the friendly staff at Desafío that made these days so special.