Kayak Adventure - 10 Days

Embark on an intermediate to advanced kayaking day trips and expedition while getting an authentic taste of the Colombian culture and lifestyle.

Enjoy great moments on and off the water, short shuttles, and perfect weather year round! Countless rivers to paddle. The level can be adapted depending on paddling level. A solid roll and good class 3 – 4 skills recommended.

Enjoy our guest house with a great view while in the mountains.

What to expect

Day 1: Welcome to Medellin

You’ll be received at Medellin’s José María Córdoba International Airport before driving to Expedition Colombia’s headquarters to meet your guide for a pre-trip meeting. Stay overnight in “El Armadillo” guest house, located in the countryside near Cocorná.

From the house, you are just 10 minutes from some of Colombia’s best kayaking!

Day 2: Paddle the Santo Domingo River

The rivers of this area all drain into the Samana River, we will paddle on the tributaries to warm up before the expedition.

Start the day by paddling the Río Santo Domingo, which flows for 12 kilometers through a lush jungle valley. This run is the ideal place to become familiarized with paddling in Colombia’s and offer great training grounds.

Return to El Armadillo guest house, and enjoy typical Colombian food.

Rest for the evening and get ready for the upcoming days.

Day 3: Paddle to Cocorna River

After breakfast, take a short drive to Río Cocorná river. The Cocorná is a low volume creek, and a really fun the boulder garden section, continuous and packed with boofs.

Enjoy this amazing 8 KM section and do laps until you are tired!

Return to the guest house after a few drinks at the local “tienda”.

Day 4: Paddle the Calderas River

Today, we will enjoy a medium size river, with a pool drop character. The Upper Calderas is a 12 KM section of class of III and IV with countless rapids and a few min gorges. We will work on scouting and analyzing lines, but also focus on getting more comfortable with bigger size features and hydraulics. It’s very safe as there is always a pool at the bottom of the rapids.

Enjoy lunch on a beach and keep going, the best is at the end!

At the end of the run, return to the guest house or decide to enjoy a side trip to a large waterfall for a relaxing swim!

Day 5: Calderas River (lower section)

Today is our last day doing a day trip, then we will head into the depth of the Jungle!

Enter the lower Calderas via a dirt road and get ready for a challenging first few rapids! There is always the option to portage, but the rapids are also manageable. The river is higher volume, and we will use this section to get familiar with big water!

After mid-day, we will reach the confluence with the Rio Verde. Therefor the river become very big! But no stress, the rapids are friendly and mostly made of huge waves.

This is the ideal day to transition from creeks to high volume rivers! Enjoy the pristine scenery while floating down towards the Samana bridge! At the end, get a good adrenaline rush with a few class 4 rapids, which also are a great test to see if you are ready for the upcoming Samana river expedition!

Return to the guest house and get your expedition gear ready!

Since paddling a loaded boat is very different from an empty one, we will take time to learn how to load a kayak properly and go through all the tricks that will make the upcoming multi-day a success!

Day 6: Rio Verde Kayak Expedition

After breakfast, drive to San Francisco town. Pack all you need for the multiday, and hike for two hours while mules transport your gear. At the river, refresh with a swim and get ready for 8 km of awesome Whitewater!

Before we start receive extensive information about safety and how we will operate as a group into this remote wilderness context.

Paddle on a verdant river surrounded by tropical jungle. Get ready for the best granite bedrock creeking in Antioquia!

The river enters a small gorge and the boofs are many! Right after the gorge, the river opens up, and we will make camp in the jungle.

Visit lagoons, secluded beaches, and waterfalls. Encounter tropical animals and birds. Camping sheltered hammocks and enjoy a meal cooked on the open campfire by the river.

Day 7: Rio Verde - Rio Samana

Enjoy breakfast at camp. Start kayaking and enjoy a few more class IV Boulder garden until you get to Rio Verde. After the confluence, the river drops down a notch! The intermediate white-water is exciting, yet manageable, as the major rapids flow into inviting, natural swimmable pools.

It’s also a great time to learn how to adapt your paddling style to big-water, and how you can improve your performance in this style of Whitewater by loading your kayak differently.

At the end of the day, we will pass the Samana Bridge, where we can re-supply. We will camp 500 meters below the bridge on an amazing beach.

Day 8: Samana River Kayak Expedition

The two final days of the trip will lead you to experience the amazing Samaná River, our all-time favorite at Expedition Colombia! Get ready for incredible white-water and mind-blowing scenery!

The rapids are pool drop, and channelized though sculpted walls of White granite! The white-water is made of huge waves and fun moves but never dangerous. In occasions, harder rapids pop up, so we will take our time and scout.
Working as a team we will make our way into one of the most pristine jungle of the regions.

For lunch, we will stop on a beach and relax. Let your guide introduce you to the many endemic plants of the river, and tell you about our fight to save the river from hydroelectric threats.

The afternoon paddle will lead us though 2 of the most famous rapids of the river, “the Wall” and “Pizza Rock”. Celebrate your descent at camp, swimming in a natural pool and sipping on wine and “Jungle Juice”.

Enjoy a hearty meal and fall asleep to the sound of the jungle!

Day 9: End of Samana River Expedition

Wake up in the Jungle and get ready for your last day of kayaking! And it’s not the least!

After 2 hours of fun paddling, including the infamous “White Russian” rapid, we will reach the Guatape confluence, where the classic section of the Samana River finishes.

Depending on your skills and feeling at the moment, you can choose to drop into the last gorge (Class 4-5), which is only 5 km, but made of 4 huge rapids, or head down via the road to Narisses, and relax with a cold beer!

Either way, you will have a good time and the team will celebrate a great expedition at the local bar! After lunch, hop in our comfortable 4*4 for a scenic drive though Eastern Antioquia, and reach the guest house by 6 PM. A fest will be waiting for you, and if the energy is there, perhaps a few drinks.

Day 10: Final Morning

Wake up and enjoy breakfast! Relax for the morning and share picture and stories with the guides, before heading to your next destination, with an airport drop-off or a transfer to Medellin.

End of the trip

Included:

• Expert bilingual kayak instructor (languages: Spanish, French, English)
• River hydrology and river running technical training, wilderness endurance and expedition training
• Airport pickup and drop-off
• Professional bi-lingual driver for in-country travel
• All accommodations
• Water & all breakfasts & lunches
• Dinners are only included on overnight wilderness trips. Our guides are happy to offer dinner recommendations based on your preference and budget
• Celebrate your adventure with relaxing overnight stays at El Armadillo ecolodge.

• Visas
• Flights
• Tips
• Travel/Medical insurance
• All kayaking gear (available for rent for $250 per person)
• Personal items such as sunscreen, insect repellant, etc

• Enjoy dinning out or sharing a gourmet meal with a Colombian family with all breakfasts and lunches included.
• On overnight wilderness trips, all meals are prepared for by a French cook.
• Treated water is offered to guests, please bring a refillable water bottle or opt to purchase bottled water
• Excellent vegetarian, vegan, gluten- free, and other dietary options
• During your visit in Antioquia, stay in comfortable hotels located in cultural centers nearby the best selection of traditional and contemporary cuisine
• On wilderness trips, camp in sheltered hammocks at jungle camps.

What to bring:

• Appropriate clothing: shorts or bathing suit, long lightweight pants and breathable shirt, sunglasses, hat, sandals or adjustable tennis shoes (no flip flop sandals)
• Repellent
• Sunscreen
• Extra clothes (end of the activity)
• Camera
• Refillable water bottle
• Headlamp
• All equipment (*gear rental possible for $250 per person): kayak, paddle, life jacket, helmet, spray skirt, dry top, layers, board shorts, good river shoes (high heel), light sleeping bag, hammock, tarp, mosquito net, dry bags (2 twenty liters + 1 ten-liter minimum)
• Safety: Basic first aid kit, 20 meters throw bag, 3 beaners, 2 prussic, allergy medications.