Community - Paraiso

Paraiso is not a small town and it is not that big town either so it is difficult to describe in terms of size. It is the town outside of Cartago that you go through to the Orosi Valley or to Turrialba but it also is very quaint in its own right – on weekends it has a farmers market around the park in the center of town and on most weekend nights it seems everyone in town is out walking and socializing along the main street through town. It is a very friendly town and it is the closest town from Finca de Cynthia with stores and shopping. In fact, the new Mega-Super, just on the out skirts of Paraiso coming from Cartago, is a modern shopping mall that has everything – movies, pharmacy, groceries, fast-food (Burger King), etc.

White Water Rafting in Turrialba (Ryan’s Favorite Activity)

The Rio Pacuare (pah KWAH ray) is the quintessential tropical river. Along its course lie several densely vegetated gorges which shelter jaguars, ocelots, monkeys, sloths, and an incredible variety of birds. Also found within these gorges is some of the best whitewater in all of Central America, ranging up to Class V in difficulty. The Pacuare is the only river in Costa Rica which contains these amenities, including virgin rain forest, while also being quite accessible. The lowland tropical forest here is remarkable for its luxuriant variety and the amazing abundance and diversity of wildlife found within it. Other rivers such as the Telire and the Chirripó Atlántico can match the attractions of the Pacuare but require either a multi-day carry-in or the services of a helicopter.

The trip to Turrialba, where you go to join the Pacuare River rafting trip, is about 45 minutes out of Paraiso and is a very beautiful winding drive up and down through the lush farm lands of coffee and sugar cane.  The road is good but it only has one lane each way and, because it is the main road from the Caribbean port city of Lemon to San Jose, the trip can be slow if you end up behind an 18-wheeler winding its way up the mountain slope to Paraiso.

American, Lee Poundstone, and his Costa Rican wife, Betty, own and operate “Loco’s” the white water rafting tour company used by Ryan – www.whiteh2o.com.

(link to the following picture)

1.  Waterfalls on the Rio Pacuare – #49 in Ryan’s 1^st trip pictures