Turrialba Costa Rica Vacation – Pacuare River 

Turrialba, Costa Rica, and the River Pacuare– a Hidden Treasure

With a Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea coastline, you can easily be distracted from what this beautiful country has to offer in the interior. Located just over 40 miles (75km) to the east of San José, the capital of Costa Rica, Turrialba has become a destination hotspot for those keen on whitewater rafting, with the nearby Rio Pacuare (River Pacuare) seen by many as deserving a place in the Top 10 whitewater rafting rivers in the world. However, focus on rafting at your peril, as this magnificent part of Costa Rica, dominated by Turrialba Volcano, has so much more to offer those of you who have a passion for action-packed vacations.

Hotels in Turrialba, Costa Rica

If getting away from it all is your reason for taking a vacation, then stay in virtually any of the hotels in Turrialba, or along the Pacuare River nearby, and you’ll struggle to see another property, anywhere. With thousands of acres of virgin rainforest surrounding you, the only sound of a daily commute you are likely to hear is a troupe of white-faced monkeys moving through the lush, rich rainforest canopy. Peace, tranquility and seclusion are the most commonly used words round here. Hotels and accommodation in Turrialba tend to be select, individual and of an extremely high quality, including:

• Villa Florencia – an idyllic setting nestling among sugarcane fields and lush, tropical vegetation, discreet is a perfect adjective you could use to describe this unique boutique hotel’s location. Add a fabulous outdoor pool, jacuzzi and a cozy, relaxing restaurant specializing in local cuisine to the mix, and what more could you want?
• The Pacuare Eco Lodge – for those of you who care about the environment, you will feel perfectly at home staying at this jungle adventure camp which overlooks the Rio Pacuare, surrounded by dense rainforest. This is the ideal setting-off point for many a daily adventure.
• Pacuare Lodge – set in 25,000 acres of unspoilt, protected rainforest, the lodge comprises a number of elevated thatched-roof bungalows which have been listed in the National Geographic’s list of 24 of the world’s best eco lodges. The lodges are disconnected from the world to help you reconnect with nature – especially in one of the many spring-fed pools. The highlight of your stay will be dining in The Nest, the lodge’s restaurant, which is perched 60 feet high up in the treetops!

Click here for further details of hotels and accommodation in Turrialba, Costa Rica.

It can be difficult to decide, from a distance, which hotel will best meet your requirements, which is why, at Costa Rica Rios, we are here to help you. We want your vacation to be stress-free from the moment you book it, not just when you arrive, so get in touch and let us help you create the perfect vacation in one of many, many stunning locations in Costa Rica.

Restaurants in Turrialba, Costa Rica

Despite its seemingly isolated location, Turrialba and the surrounding Cartago province has a population of approximately 35,000 inhabitants, which means there is a great choice of places to eat, and international as well as local cuisine to enjoy. Let’s face it, how could you not enjoy the prospect of eating out in a town where the favorite pan-Asian restaurant is called Wok and Roll and where sashimi, sushi rolls and teriyaki are in abundance? La Feria may not look enticing from the outside, but once indoors, sit down, relax and enjoy the delights of home-cooked local produce. At the southern end of town, you’ll come across Betico Mata, which serves the best meat gallos – open-face tacos on corn tortillas – loaded with sausage, pork, beef or chicken. Restaurante Rancho del Sapito serves Latin food to those whose eyes are bigger than their stomachs, and for those of you who are coffee lovers, Lattena serves the best coffee and pastries in town!

For handy reviews of other restaurants and cafes in Turrialba, click here.

Things to do in Turrialba, Costa Rica, as well as on the Rio Pacuare

When you begin to an ‘inclusive’ list of what you can get up to in and around Turrialba, Costa Rica, you begin to wonder if it wouldn’t be easier to create a shorter list of things you can’t do. ‘Swim in the sea’ is as far as we got with the shorter list!

MLB baseballs… That’s right. The Rawlings factory, which employs approximately 300 people, producing approximately 1.8 million baseballs annually for Major League Baseball, is located in Turrialba, Costa Rica. Of course, we know you didn’t book your vacation in Turrialba just because you wanted to locate the Rawlings baseball factory, but it’s a fun and not commonly known fact!

You may have the mesmerizing Turrialba Volcano on your doorstep, dominating the skyline of the town and surrounding countryside, but we have a reasonably good idea why you may have booked your stay in Turrialba, and that is because of the whitewater rafting on the Rio Pacuare. Where this particular river is concerned, and with an eighteen mile stretch to test your skills, perhaps it should be called white-knuckle whitewater rafting.

The following is a list of some (we haven’t got room for them all) of the other things you can do in and around Turrialba and the Rio Pacuare:

• Turrialba Volcano Tour
• Canyoning and rappelling – abseiling down a waterfall and then negotiating the river downstream
• 4WD tours
• Forest canopy ziplining
• Fishing
• Kayaking
• Freshwater swimming
• Horseback Riding
• Mountain biking
• River rafting and tubing
• Golden Bean coffee tour
• Hiking tour

If you want to ask any questions about any of the activities we have listed, or if you want to know if any other specific activities are available, please don’t hesitate to ask. At Costa Rica Rios, we are here to help you in any way we can.

Nightlife in Turrialba

One of the greater advantages of staying close by one of the larger rural towns in Costa Rica is that if you haven’t managed to wear yourself out during the day, there’s still plenty to see and do at night in Turrialba. From buzzing restaurants to local bars and nightclubs, there are more than enough venues to try a different one each night of your stay.