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Lower Savegre & Rafiki

The Savegre is one of the most pristine rivers in Costa Rica rivaled only perhaps by the Pacuare in rafting circles as a perfect tropical adventure.

The Rio Savegre

Several protected areas checkerboard the lower Savegre valley and the Rey estuary where the river meets its neighbor, the Portalon and spreads into mangrove swamps and lagoons before emptying into the Pacific at Playas Savegre and Matapalo.

The private forest and river reserve surrounding Rafiki Safari Lodge adjoins the Portalón and Transilvania National Wildlife Refuges and an undiscovered secret segment of Costa Rica’s most famous national park, Manuel Antonio.  The Los Campesinos ACTUAR community project spans the Quebrado Arroyo tributary canyon protecting even more forest as well as traditions of the rural farming community.

The Savegre river was nominated in June 2019 to join Costa Rica’s National Parks with protection planned for the headwaters high in the Talamanca mountains at Los Quetzales, San Gerardo de Dota and Cerro de la Muerte as well as the lower sections shown here.

“Surfing” a raft means finding a standing wave and balancing the angle perfectly so you’re slipping down the wave upstream and sliding down the current downstream at the same speed bringing you to a standstill… until you catch the bow and flip!

Playa Savegre and Manuel Antonio coastline
Playa Savegre and Manuel Antonio coastline backed by the Matapalo/Reymangrove estuary barely visible in the distance from the top of Cerro Duarte above the Savegre River valley
Suspension bridge over the waterfall canyon
Suspension bridge over the waterfall canyon
Rafiki Lodge deck and pond
Rafiki Lodge deck and pond
shuttle truck
The shuttle truck for the Rio Savegre Rafting trip from Rafiki Safari Lodge
Stack of rafts
Stack of rafts…check, bunch of paddles…check, load of tourists…check…let’s head for the river
when I fall out of the raft
What do you mean “when I fall out of the raft?”
Skull rock
Skull rock (see the teeth at the waterline) is the first landmark
Digging in to the white water
Digging in to the white water
Bring it on
Bring it on
The paddles only work when you put them in the water
Quebrada Arroyo
Bottom waterfall on Quebrada Arroyo where it meets the Río Savegre
Phew! Made it.
All the water is white water
All the water is white water
Slip slidin' away
Slip slidin’ away…you know the nearer your destination the more you’re slip slidin’ away…We never wanted to reach our destination because rafting the savegre the journey is all the fun!
Ride 'em cowgirl
Ride ’em cowgirl! It’s obviously not her first time at the rodeo
Perma grin
Perma grin
Biggest smiles ever
Biggest smiles ever
Didn't we have a raft a minute ago
Didn’t we have a raft a minute ago?…hang on, I think I can feel it down there with my paddle…
Break on through to the other side
Break on through to the other side
Floating off into the (not quite) setting sun
Floating off into the (not quite) setting sun on the Rio Savegre
Cerro Plano
Cerro Plano from the top of Cerro Duarte at Rafiki Safari Lodge
Crossing a treefall
Crossing a treefall on the trail to Cerro Duarte
The last seed…
Brown Vinesnake (Bejuquilla café, Oxybelis aeneus)
Brown Vinesnake (Bejuquilla café, Oxybelis aeneus). I might not have gotten so close if I had read up on it first – I was surprised to learn that “their moderately toxic venom is known to cause temporary pain and swelling in humans”
Brown Vinesnake (Bejuquilla café, Oxybelis aeneus)
Solórzano’s Snakes of Costa Rica says that Brown Vinesnakes (Bejuquilla café, Oxybelis aeneus) have perfected camoflage – extending their body out in a sinuous curve like this one and gently swaying as though being moved by a breeze. They even have the the unusual ability to flick out their tongue and leave it extended when they freeze into an imitation of a vine.
Central American squirrel monkeys
Black-crowned Central American squirrel monkeys (Saimiri oerstedii oerstedii) relaxing in the shade. Decades ago when we first visited Costa Rica these smallest of the monkeys were nearly extinct and their range limited to Manuel Antonio and Corcovado National parks, Now they’re expanding out into private reserves like the hundreds of acres protected by Rafiki lodge.
long-billed hermit (Phaethornis longirostris) hummingbird
long-billed hermit (Phaethornis longirostris) hummingbird
ducks
A safari tent at Rafiki Lodge
A safari tent at Rafiki Lodge
fiery-billed araçari (Pteroglossus frantzii)
fiery-billed araçari (Pteroglossus frantzii) eating papaya
On one of our many visits to the Savegre we got lucky because a new section of the river was opening to rafting.
bulldozer clearing the road
The bulldozer clearing the road so the 4WD vehicles could pass. This section of the road had been impassable for years but a teak farmer decided it was time to harvest his trees. The lodge chipped in and the road to the upper rafting put-in was reopened.
Even with a tractor and bulldozer to assist with the road we had to walk the last half kilometer to the upper put in on the Savegre river
Swimming down one of the calm sections of the Río Savegre to cool off
Super suspension bridge
Super suspension bridge – believe it or not there are tow people on the bridge. They are the tiny blobs one in the center of the photo and the other two-thirds of the way between the person in the center and the trees on the left (see the 200x zoom lower image). The bridge passes over Quebrada Arroyo to Los Campesinos near the Rio Savegre
Los Campesinos reception
waterfall rappelling
Extreme tours operates a rappelling and zipwire course in and over the Quebrada Arroyo creek, canyoun and waterfalls at Los Campesinos
waterfall rappelling
waterfall zipline
katydid hitchiker
I picked up this katydid hitchiker from a low hanging branch
Bueys - oxen, Costa Rica folk art
Bueys – oxen, Costa Rica folk art. Tours include a stop in the gardens for some natural history of medicinal herbs, spices and other interesting plants
Annato lipstick
Annato lipstick
Vanilla orchids growing on a farm along the Río Savegre valley
Cinnamon tree- Canela
Tatoo plant impression
Community kitchen
The community kitchen prepares delicious traditional meals
The community kitchen prepares delicious traditional meals
Checkout at the pulperia where you can purchase vanilla beans and other products grown by the local cooperatives and farms.

Ray & Sue

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Adventures & Activities - Photos
  • Guayabo National Monument
  • San Gerardo de Dota National Park
  • Lower Savegre & Rafiki
  • Pacuare River Rafting Overnight
  • Pacuare Gilligan’s Island



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