Just wondering how many people have heard of Costa Rica Rios, know that they are a full-service canoe outfitter, and could you please put in the comments where your home base is located (US, Canada, Europe, Asia, etc). This'll help me understand what direction I need to go in while I'm down here helping them out this season.
Thanks!
Shannon
www.costaricarios.com
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C-boating in Costa Rica
Moderators: kenneth, sbroam, TheKrikkitWars, Mike W., Sir Adam, KNeal, PAC, adamin
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agrestal
- C Guru
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- Location: Turrialba, Costa Rica
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C-boating in Costa Rica
canoera hasta la muerte
www.CostaRicaRios.com
www.CostaRicaRios.com
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Pierre LaPaddelle
- CBoats Addict
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- Joined: Thu Jul 16, 2009 5:21 am
- Location: Vancouver Island, BC
I'm happy to plug CRR. The Beaver Club, from the Vancouver area, has made several annual paddling holidays with CRR, and I joined them last March.
Fun rivers, great accommodation, wonderful food, skilled and attentive guides, and accommodating staff -- a super holiday.
It's worth mentioning that CRR puts on excellent side trips for non-paddling spouses while the river-bashers are doing their thing.
I'd go back!
Rick
Fun rivers, great accommodation, wonderful food, skilled and attentive guides, and accommodating staff -- a super holiday.
It's worth mentioning that CRR puts on excellent side trips for non-paddling spouses while the river-bashers are doing their thing.
I'd go back!
Rick
C'est l'aviron. . . !
Rica Rios
Paddled with Rico Rios 8 years ago and loved it. Just 3 clients and two guides and too many rivers.
Nice people.
Emphasize and make sure their gear is on the top of it's replenishment cycle. (code for nearest new and in good repair, especially canoes)
Nice people.
Emphasize and make sure their gear is on the top of it's replenishment cycle. (code for nearest new and in good repair, especially canoes)
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Todhunter
- Ridge Spirit Outfitting
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- Location: Chattanooga, TN
Rick - care to expand upon this? What kind of trips? If I ever were to go, taking the wife would make life easier, and while she would probably like to raft once or twice, she wouldn't want to be on the water the whole time, and I would want to be in an OC some anyhow...Pierre LaPaddelle wrote:It's worth mentioning that CRR puts on excellent side trips for non-paddling spouses while the river-bashers are doing their thing.
Oh, I live in the SE USA
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ice-breaker
- Pain Boater
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- Location: Edmonton, Alberta
My wife is also not terribly interested in a paddling holiday, but could easily be convinced to lie on a sunny beach for a week while I paddled. What are the options for that kind of a holiday for her while I paddled?Todhunter wrote:Rick - care to expand upon this? What kind of trips? If I ever were to go, taking the wife would make life easier, and while she would probably like to raft once or twice, she wouldn't want to be on the water the whole time, and I would want to be in an OC some anyhow...Pierre LaPaddelle wrote:It's worth mentioning that CRR puts on excellent side trips for non-paddling spouses while the river-bashers are doing their thing.
Oh, I live in the SE USA
cheers
dave
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TheKrikkitWars
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I didn't know anything about them, and am from the UK.
Though TBF, I'd fly in with my boat, hire a car, go boating, and fly home... the thought of using an outfitter and hiring gear to paddle with seems somehow "wrong".
Though TBF, I'd fly in with my boat, hire a car, go boating, and fly home... the thought of using an outfitter and hiring gear to paddle with seems somehow "wrong".
Joshua Kelly - "More George Smiley than James Bond"
CBoats Moderator - Not necessarily representing the CBoats staff though...(I'll use words like "moderator", "We" and "CBoats" to make it clear when I am)
CBoats Moderator - Not necessarily representing the CBoats staff though...(I'll use words like "moderator", "We" and "CBoats" to make it clear when I am)
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Pierre LaPaddelle
- CBoats Addict
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- Joined: Thu Jul 16, 2009 5:21 am
- Location: Vancouver Island, BC
Good questions, guyz!
We (da wife and I) were only there for five days -- half of the two-week holiday which the rest of the group enjoyed.
Todhunter -- my wife did 2 or 3 trips to local plantations, or estates where local wildlife or plantlife abounded. Ond day, when we had travelled for 3 or 4 hours to a new location, she opted to stay at the hotel, and go for strolls and snap pix on her own.
What impressed her was that the issue of side-trips was discussed daily with the non-paddlers, and they had choices as to which trips/activities they wished to do. One day, the side-trip seemed so attractive that a coupla paddlers opted to tour, rather than paddle.
It's not a set list. The river trips involved travelling to different areas, and so the side-trips depended on what each area had to offer. I would certainly discuss the itinerary with CRR, and let them know your (spouse') preferences.
Dave -- we were totally in the interior, and not close to the ocean -- therefore, no beaches!
Josh -- interesting point. There's no reason you couldn't travel and paddle on your own without guides/outfitters. That format was my choice on two major Arctic expeditions. But there's something to be said for getting off the plane with one suitcase, being chauffered around a strange country, fed, accommodated, and bashing someone else's gear down a river -- less of an expedition, and more of a vacation. Depends on your goals, I guess.
Bottom line is CRR is approachable and willing to discuss the options. From my experience, they delivered on everything they promised (including changing the itinerary at the last moment to adapt to weather conditions / river levels.
Enjoy!
We (da wife and I) were only there for five days -- half of the two-week holiday which the rest of the group enjoyed.
Todhunter -- my wife did 2 or 3 trips to local plantations, or estates where local wildlife or plantlife abounded. Ond day, when we had travelled for 3 or 4 hours to a new location, she opted to stay at the hotel, and go for strolls and snap pix on her own.
What impressed her was that the issue of side-trips was discussed daily with the non-paddlers, and they had choices as to which trips/activities they wished to do. One day, the side-trip seemed so attractive that a coupla paddlers opted to tour, rather than paddle.
It's not a set list. The river trips involved travelling to different areas, and so the side-trips depended on what each area had to offer. I would certainly discuss the itinerary with CRR, and let them know your (spouse') preferences.
Dave -- we were totally in the interior, and not close to the ocean -- therefore, no beaches!
Josh -- interesting point. There's no reason you couldn't travel and paddle on your own without guides/outfitters. That format was my choice on two major Arctic expeditions. But there's something to be said for getting off the plane with one suitcase, being chauffered around a strange country, fed, accommodated, and bashing someone else's gear down a river -- less of an expedition, and more of a vacation. Depends on your goals, I guess.
Bottom line is CRR is approachable and willing to discuss the options. From my experience, they delivered on everything they promised (including changing the itinerary at the last moment to adapt to weather conditions / river levels.
Enjoy!
C'est l'aviron. . . !
Hiring an outfitter
I used to do my own thing but with hiring an outfitter in a place like Costa Rica you can paddle everyday. It's worth it.
Searching for put in and takeouts and running the river a little conservatively cause you have never been down it "waters down" some of the fun. With a guide you just paddle and push it to your personal limit.
Also Costa Rica is a rainforest and can have unseasonal downpours that change the flows quickly. A Rica Rios guide will shift you off of an unsafe flooding river and get you on a safer one on short notice.
As a reference I used the guide book "The Rivers of Costa Rica: a canoeing, kayaking and rafting guide" by Michael Mayfield and Rafael Gallo, pub. Menasha Ridge Press, 1988.
Maybe Costa Rica Rios can mention a more up to date one.
I went in November at the End of the Rainy season and had average levels but friends have been several times in March at the End of the Dry season and have occassionly had above average levels. A guide will deal with this for you.
I took a wear and tear break on the 4rth day and toured around with a guide provided by Rica Rios and had a good time. Costa Rica is a great country in it's own right, don't go there without seeing some of off the river.
I don't work for Rica Rios, I just had a good time.
Searching for put in and takeouts and running the river a little conservatively cause you have never been down it "waters down" some of the fun. With a guide you just paddle and push it to your personal limit.
Also Costa Rica is a rainforest and can have unseasonal downpours that change the flows quickly. A Rica Rios guide will shift you off of an unsafe flooding river and get you on a safer one on short notice.
As a reference I used the guide book "The Rivers of Costa Rica: a canoeing, kayaking and rafting guide" by Michael Mayfield and Rafael Gallo, pub. Menasha Ridge Press, 1988.
Maybe Costa Rica Rios can mention a more up to date one.
I went in November at the End of the Rainy season and had average levels but friends have been several times in March at the End of the Dry season and have occassionly had above average levels. A guide will deal with this for you.
I took a wear and tear break on the 4rth day and toured around with a guide provided by Rica Rios and had a good time. Costa Rica is a great country in it's own right, don't go there without seeing some of off the river.
I don't work for Rica Rios, I just had a good time.
Re: C-boating in Costa Rica
I'm from Japan and haven
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agrestal
- C Guru
- Posts: 147
- Joined: Mon Jul 06, 2009 2:27 am
- Location: Turrialba, Costa Rica
- Contact:
Matt and Dave -
Here's some info on the non-paddlers option. We had 4 people in our group in Feb who were non-paddlers and they had a blast doing these adventures during the day then meeting up with us for dinner and evening activities! There is a great deal of flexibility in this schedule. If someone is more interested in something else in the area, CRR has been able to accommodate in the past!
http://www.costaricarios.com/files/WoR_Land2011.pdf
Thanks for all the input!!
Shannon
Web: www.costaricarios.com
FaceBook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Costa-Ric ... 1999537228
Twitter: http://twitter.com/CostaRicaRios
Here's some info on the non-paddlers option. We had 4 people in our group in Feb who were non-paddlers and they had a blast doing these adventures during the day then meeting up with us for dinner and evening activities! There is a great deal of flexibility in this schedule. If someone is more interested in something else in the area, CRR has been able to accommodate in the past!
http://www.costaricarios.com/files/WoR_Land2011.pdf
Thanks for all the input!!
Shannon
Web: www.costaricarios.com
FaceBook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Costa-Ric ... 1999537228
Twitter: http://twitter.com/CostaRicaRios
canoera hasta la muerte
www.CostaRicaRios.com
www.CostaRicaRios.com