Turrialba is the rafting town. The Pacuare, half an hour away, is the reason — a class III–IV river running through a gorge with waterfalls dropping into it, regularly named among the best commercial river trips anywhere, and runnable by people who have never held a paddle.
Trips are sold as one long day from Turrialba or San José, or as two days sleeping at a camp on the bank. The Reventazón nearby is the alternative when the Pacuare is too high, and there are gentler floats for families.