SOFT ADVENTURE: River of Adventure

By Darcy Rhyno

A trek to Costa Rica’s secret valley reveals unforgettable natural wonders, thrilling rapids and resplendent birdlife.

It’s the six degrees of separation rule that brings us to a Shangri-La, that fictional utopian valley. As my partner and I soak up a little piece of paradise beneath one of those idyllic Costa Rican waterfalls, we strike up a conversation with another couple. We discover a mutual friend back in Canada and agree to meet for dinner. That evening, our new pals gush about a place of indescribable beauty – secret Savegre Valley and the tiny village at its heart, San Gerardo de Dota. It’s an area unknown to most tourists so it sees very few visitors. I was intrigued. I’d fallen in love with the country so many times already, but was skeptical about their recommendation. I didn’t think anything could top what we’d already seen. I was wrong.

The next day, we turn off the Pan-American Highway, about two hours from San José, to tackle the 10-kilometre, nail-biting drive down a narrow, hand-built road. It takes us through verdant cloud forest and thick clusters of trees weighted with mosses, ferns, bromeliads and orchids. The road levels at the base of the Talamanca mountain range at 2,200 metres. Beside it, the Savegre River bubbles up from sources deep in the forest.

HUMMINGBIRD IN FLIGHT

Exploring the village on foot, we pass tidy gardens and a few modest hotels that wouldn’t be out of place in Switzerland to discover small fish ponds filled with fat rainbow trout. This surprising mix of riches makes me think the blissful valley of fiction does exist. To sample locally sourced fare, we choose a riverside restaurant where we order trout salad, a generous bowl with cubes of lightly battered fish accompanied by helpings of vegetables, herbs and cheese piled around a dish of tzatziki.

At our private table overlooking the Savegre, we swear we’ll never leave. But when I ask the waiter where the river at our feet ends, he tells us it flows all the way to the Pacific. Between its source and its mouth is some of Costa Rica’s best white water rafting through more magnificent scenery.

RESPLENDENT QUETZAL

After lunch, we hike one of the valley’s trails through the surrounding Los Quetzales National Park, stretching out more than 5,000 hectares. I catch a glint of shimmering emerald, a bird named for its vividly tinted plumage – the resplendent quetzal. Treetop walkways give us a bird’s eye view of the forest canopy where some of the park’s 200 bird species, like tanagers and hummingbirds, dart and sing among the mossy branches.

That evening, we drive to the coastal town of Manuel Antonio for the second part of a Savegre adventure.

ONE OF THE TOP BEACHES IN MANUEL ANTONIO

Leaving my partner to a quiet day on the beach, I head out early the next morning with a local tour company and a family from Seattle. Along the bumpy riverside road, the guides stop to point out spectacular wildlife – rainbowbeaked toucans gobbling small fruit, swallow-tailed kites gliding overhead and iridescent beetles bobbing along branches.

We reach our starting point at a swinging bridge deep in the jungle. The family of four hops into a raft with one guide while I’m loaded into the front of ‘a ducky,’ the nickname for a two-person inflatable banana boat. At first, the river is a series of steps down moderate rapids, giving me time to adjust to the exhilarating sensation of tumbling down a tropical river. Suddenly, the channel narrows, shooting through surging class II and III rapids that have me laughing and shouting during the chaotic joyride.

A THRILLING TRIP DOWN THE SAVEGRE RIVER

© DARCY RHYNO

Near the end, my guide intentionally bounces the ducky off a rock, dumping us from the boat. I tumble and bump beneath the effervescent current before popping up and floating into still waters. I stand up next to the guide who hoots and slaps me a high five. We paddle to yet another heavenly Costa Rican waterfall. The guide hands me a snack and tosses bits of pineapple into the water to attract fish.

SAVEGRE VALLEY IN COSTA RICA

© DARCY RHYNO

When the family, including two boys ages 8 and 12, later arrives at the falls, we all sit beneath them and enjoy the cool, refreshing water washing over us. I ask the dad about their wild ride in the big raft. The kids are euphoric. “We thought zip lining would be the highlight of our trip,” he tells me, “but the boys said this was even better!”

When I tell these visitors from Seattle about the secret place at the mouth of the river, they’re so intrigued that they change their vacation plans and decide to head to San Gerardo de Dota. Like me, they want to add the Savegre Valley to their list of extraordinary experiences. It’s truly Costa Rica’s own special Shangri-La, an unsung paradise.

HILLS AND RAINFOREST SURROUNDING SAN GERARDO DE DOTA