?
Costa Rica trip
Turrialba
Get stuck into nature in the parrot-green, eastern landscapes – and enjoy some of the best whitewater rafting in the world.
Start a trip

Chat to an expert

Get in touch with us and one of our travel experts will answer any questions you may have and help create your dream trip.
or call us on +1 (646) 542 0667
Jonty
Eve
Kristin
4.9 out of 5 stars   Average guest rating
Design your own trip

Customize one of our recommended trips or design your own from scratch

Start a trip
Chat to an expert
Get advice and suggestions to make this your perfect trip.
eve
or call us on: +1 (646) 542 0667
Our guests rate us excellent
4.9/5 (915 reviews)

About Turrialba

Stand in San José on a clear day and your eye will be drawn to a row of mountains 40 kilometres to the east. This is the Cordillera Central, a volcanic mountain range against whose slopes the Turrialba Valley lies – and over here, wild and wonderful takes on a new meaning entirely. Miles upon miles of unspoilt jungle covers the landscape, cut through by gin-clear rivers, fields of sugar cane and macadamia nut plantations, and watched over by all 11,000-feet of the towering Turrialba Volcano. The most famous of these rivers is the Pacuare, a winding, tumbling, gushing churn of water that provides some of the best whitewater rafting in the world and (you guessed it) is one of the main attractions of the region. Depending on how wet you’d like to get, book a half-day or day-long trip with a local operator, and enjoy the thrills and spills of the rapids and the twittering wildlife on the banks. Then, when back on dry land, roam the forest in search of black-cheeked woodpeckers and resplendent quetzals, hike the foliage-clad trails, or propel yourself through the canopy on a zipline.

+ Read more

Why you'll love it

Hundreds of thousands of people visit Costa Rica every year and only a handful of them ever make it to Turrialba…


Off the beaten track

Turrialba is quite the agricultural hub and a visit to one of the plantations will uncover some of the best organic produce in Central America – and some fantastic local cheese.


Something to think about

It was once possible to hike to the three craters of the Turrialba Volcano, but due to some quite serious activity in recent years, access has been prohibited indefinitely. It’s still possible to drive to the volcano, but all visitors must stay clear of the crater.

When to go

January - December

Design your own trip

Pick a trip, selected and curated by our travel experts, then choose your properties - we have 100s of handpicked options to suit every style and budget.

Start with one of our trips or design one from scratch.

What our guests are saying

4.9 / 5
Based on 915 reviews
Guest
Oct 2024 • 17 nights in Tanzania, Madagascar and South Africa
We will definitely use them again! That says it all. Very easy to work with, covered every detail and more. It was... Read more
Jess
Oct 2024 • 12 nights in Tanzania
We are very happy with Timbuktu and Joanna. Communication is great as was the overall trip. Also, the organization... Read more
Kevin
Oct 2024 • 8 nights in Uganda and Kenya
Our trip was tailored to meet our needs and we got to experience all of the things that we were hoping to. Every... Read more
Scott
Oct 2024 • 7 nights in South Africa
From the moment we met Jenna we knew we were in good hands. She caught our vision, created options, worked with our... Read more
Guest
Oct 2024 • 11 nights in South Africa and Mauritius
We were so happy with the services given to us by Annie at Timbuktu. As it was our first time in Africa, she walked... Read more
Sandy
Oct 2024 • 21 nights in Botswana and Zambia
Meg once again arranged a perfect trip for us back to some of our favorite areas but filled with new experiences. I... Read more
kiba point 3 6934621121 o

Not sure where to go?

Try our trip wizard to find your dream trip

Start the wizard
home newsletter cover
Explore the world from your inbox

Join our newsletter with all the good stuff to help you design your own trip

By joining you agree to our privacy policy.