For 35 years, Ríos Tropicales has led adventure travel and ecotourism in Costa Rica. We were pioneers in whitewater
rafting in Costa Rica, advanced sustainability standards, and even saved the Pacuare River from a hydroelectric
dam. All of us at Ríos Tropicales are proud of our three and a half decades of bringing joy and adventure to the people of
around the world while sharing the astonishing beauty of Costa Rica’s rivers and rainforest. We are honored and
grateful for the many national and international awards we have won and for the thousands of friends,
clients and partnerships we’ve established along the way.
Rios Tropicales has a long history of paying it forward in adventure tourism training and giving a hand to former raft
guides to become ecopreneurs. The newest company Rios Adventure Travel is founded by Johnny, Roy, Albert,
Walter, and David Obando. These five brothers grew up in the Rios Tropicales family. They started working with me
when they were just kids helping me reforest their family’s farm that I bought in 1990 to build the Rios Tropicales
Lodge alongside the Pacuare River. They have spent their entire lives on and in the Pacuare, and most of you know
their mother, Doña Dina, who managed the lodge. Many of their sisters also worked at the lodge.
For decades, the Obando boys have been top rafting guides and boaters, seamlessly able to captain a raft, an oar
boat, or a kayak. Johnny has competed in World Rafting Championships and managed a rafting company in
Colombia. Roy is the highest level raft guide instructor for the International Rafting Federation, served as head of
safety for the 2011 IRF World Rafting Championship in Costa Rica and trained and certified the Colombia Rafting
for Peace Team. Albert was the Rios Tropicales guide operations manager for years and was one of my right hands
in overall company operations. Walter is a highly accomplished guide for more than 15 years, and David was our
operations center manager at Cairo besides being a guide. For 30 years, they have been mentored by me, my Rios
Tropicales partners, and top raft guides in Costa Rica and internationally. The Obandos are energetic and eager to
continue our traditions of impeccable safety, exhilarating adventures, and exemplary customer service in their new
company, Rios Adventure Travel. We are extremely proud to recommend the Obandos because they are not only
capable professionals, but I also am certain they will continue to uphold our core values and beliefs in their own
business.
To handle all of their sales and reservations, Ana Patricia Quesada, who was our Marketing and Sales Director, is
forming her own company – Tropical Rivers and Adventure Tours – with her husband, Gustavo Madrigal. Ana
Patricia worked for Rios Tropicales since 1987. Gustavo is a former lead raft guide and a successful businessman.
They met while both working for Rios – a true love story.
We highly endorse Tropical Rivers & Adventure Tour powered by Rios Adventure Travel to be your new partners in
Costa Rica rafting and adventure travel. Please feel free to contact Ana Patricia at: aquesada@tropicalrivers.com
or by phone at +(506) 8399-1213.