SINCE 2005 · LA FORTUNA, COSTA RICA
Rafting & Safari Float
Tours Near Arenal Volcano
From Class II–III and Class III–IV rafting to a relaxed Safari Float, Wave helps you choose the right river experience near Arenal Volcano, backed by experienced guides and 21 years on Costa Rica’s rivers.
20+
Years of Experience
200K+
Paddlers Since 2005
4.9
On Google & Tripadvisor
100%
ICT-Licensed Guides
Our Story
From a Small Raft to Costa Rica’s Most Trusted Adventure Company
Wave Rafting is a family-run Costa Rica rafting company in La Fortuna, and it started with a kid on a river. Warner Baltodano grew up on the banks of the Sarapiquí, riding old inner tubes with his friends on whatever the water gave them that day. By the time he was head guide at a local white water rafting outfit, he knew those rapids better than most people know their own street. That is where he met Vanessa Willing, a northern Californian leading travel groups through Central America.
One afternoon in 2005, Warner pulled up with a raft strapped to the roof of his truck and a grin he could not hide. “I bought a boat.” They spent the next year building something around it: Warner brought the river instinct and local knowledge, Vanessa the guest experience and the business head.
In March 2006 they ran their first trip, a small group on the Toro River near La Fortuna, working harder than the margins justified, because rafting was the point and the company just grew around it.
WAVE stands for Warner And Vanessa Expeditions, because in 2005 that is exactly who it was: two people and one raft. Two decades on, it takes a crew. Guides, drivers, operation team, reservations team, and the travel planners and hotels who trust us with their guests.
It is also more than rafting now: the Safari Float, the adventure combos, the Rafting Shuttle between La Fortuna and the coast.
The rivers have not changed. Neither has the reason we run them.
art has not changed.
2005
Founded – First Boat
Warner pulls up with a raft strapped to his truck. Warner And Vanessa Expeditions is born.
2006
First Trip Down the Toro River
First rafting tours on the Balsa River with a team of 3 local guides.
20xx
2016 – Home Rivers: Balsa & Sarapiquí
Class II–III on the Balsa River, Class III–IV on the Sarapiquí River. The two rivers Wave still runs today.
Today
Still on the River
Two decades, 3,300+ Tripadvisor reviews, a Safari Float and a Rafting Shuttle later, the same crew is still at the put-in every morning.
Safety Standards
20+ Years
One Standard
ICT-licensed bilingual guides, gear checked before every trip, a safety kayaker on every rafting tour, and a full briefing on the riverbank before anyone touches the water. Our river team checks the level every morning and makes the call. That is the part no license covers.
View Safety Certificate
ICT-Licensed Bilingual Guides
Every Wave guide is licensed by the ICT, Costa Rica’s national tourism board, and holds current training in swiftwater rescue and first aid, renewed on schedule.
A Safety Kayaker on Every Trip
One extra set of eyes on the water, ahead of the rafts, on every rafting tour we run. Not an upgrade. Standard.
Fitted Gear, Checked Before Launch
A properly fitted helmet, PFD and paddle for every guest, on NRS and AIRE equipment, checked before it goes on the water.
River Levels Read Every Morning
The Balsa is partially regulated by a hydroelectric dam, and our river team reads the level marks on every river each morning before deciding where we run.
The People Behind the Paddles
Our Staff Is Our Family
Our staff is our family. Some of them literally, most of them by now. From the person who answers your message at eleven at night to the guide paddling beside you, everyone here is working toward the same thing: your best day in Costa Rica. It’s a WAVE thing.
Vanessa Willing
Co-founder · Guest Experience
Northern California to La Fortuna and never left. She built the guest side of Wave from the very first booking on.
Warner Baltodano
Co-founder · Head of Guides
Grew up on the Sarapiquí and was head guide before Wave existed. Every guide on this crew learned the river with him.
Operations Team
Lead Guide – Head of Safety
The van at your hotel on time, the rafts at the put-in, and towels and cold drinks waiting at the take-out. Every day.
Reservations Team
Bookings
The people who answer your message at eleven at night and steer a nervous first-timer toward the right river. Ask away.
What 25,000 Adventurers say
4.9 stars on Google & TripAdvisor
Frequently Asked Questions
Our base is in La Fortuna, right behind the Catholic church, at the foot of Arenal Volcano. Our white water rafting tours run on the Balsa River (Class II–III) and the Sarapiquí River (Class II–III and III–IV), and our Safari Float runs on the Peñas Blancas River. Hotel pickup in La Fortuna is included on every tour.
Yes. The minimum age is 8 for Class II–III rafting on the Balsa and Sarapiquí rivers, 12 for Class III–IV on the Sarapiquí, and 3 for the Safari Float on the Peñas Blancas River. Kids ride in the middle of the raft with a guide at the back, and every child wears a fitted PFD and helmet.
Rain alone does not cancel a trip; rafting in the rain is part of Costa Rica. Our river team checks the water level every morning and makes the call. If a river is running too high, we move you to a safer river the same day or offer a free reschedule or a full refund.
Yes. The minimum age is 8 for Class II–III rafting on the Balsa and Sarapiquí rivers, 12 for Class III–IV on the Sarapiquí, and 3 for the Safari Float on the Peñas Blancas River. Kids ride in the middle of the raft with a guide at the back, and every child wears a fitted PFD and helmet.
Come Be Part of the Story
Pick your river and we will handle the rest. Hotel pickup in La Fortuna, gear, ICT-licensed guide, fresh fruit on the river and lunch included on every rafting tour.