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A bamboo rafting trip down the Río La Vieja is a popular activity in Colombia’s Coffee Region. It’s great for visitors of all ages.
Bamboo Rafting with Balsaje La Berraquera
There are several companies that offer rafting trips, but we recommend Balsaje La Berraquera. Not only does it have the best name, it’s one of the most reputable companies. We’ve taken several enjoyable trips with them, both privately and with guests of our travel company. It’s a great way to relax in a beautiful natural setting while letting the current take you down the river.
Bamboo rafting trips last about 6 hours in total and cost around COP$80,000 per person (as of January 2024), depending on the company. This includes a hearty home-cooked lunch and insurance. Rafts are open-group with up to 16 people, but private rafts for small groups of 6 or more are also available. Reservations must be made at least a day in advance, and heavy rain may affect departures.
Tips for Your Bamboo Rafting Trip
- Wear water shoes, sport sandals, or old shoes you don’t mind getting wet. When you jump off the raft, you’ll want some kind of footwear to protect your feet from the rocks on the riverbed and to keep you from slipping on the raft. They’ll also come in handy for the hike to the waterfall during your lunch stop.
- Carry a bag or backpack for your belongings. It will be kept dry in a barrel on the back of the raft. Don’t forget a change of clothes for after the trip!
- Buy some drinks and snacks before the trip if you think you’ll get hungry. It’s best to do this in town before you check in for your trip. The variety isn’t that great at the store near the river.
- If you need a vegetarian meal or have any food allergies, let them know at the time of booking.
- Wear sunscreen.
- Take some extra cash to pay for the short hike during the lunch stop.
- If you plan on taking pictures, you can buy a plastic protector for your phone. They sell them on the street where all the raft company offices are.
- Listen to your raft pilots. They tell you when it’s safe to get into the water and when you have to climb back onto the raft.
- Try not to swallow the water! It’s not the cleanest river and we’ve had a few guests get stomach bugs from it.
- Tip your raft pilots! They work hard to make sure you have a great day.
Check-In and Departure
After you book, you’re given a time to show up at the raft office in Quimbaya to check in. This has typically been around 9:30am. All you have to do is let them know you’re there and give your ID numbers for the insurance.
At about 10am, everyone assigned to your raft piles onto a jeep. It’s a half-hour ride to another office in Puerto Alejandría where you pick up lifejackets and have one last chance to buy drinks and snacks for the trip.
Getting on the Raft
Next, the group piles back on the jeep to drive a few minutes down a bumpy road to Río La Vieja. That’s where you board your raft and meet your bogas (raft pilots). We usually get two hilarious men who don’t stop cracking jokes and keep the guests laughing the entire time.
Guests are given a few different opportunities to jump off the raft and swim in the river. For the most part, it’s very calm and enjoyable. There are a couple of rapids where the water moves too quickly or is too shallow, making it dangerous to swim. In these cases, the bogas instruct the group to climb back onto the raft.
Stopping for Lunch
After a good 90 minutes on the river, you reach the halfway point of the trip and the raft stops to let everyone off at a picnic area. The guides hand out a traditional fiambre for lunch, which is chicken, rice, potato, yuca, and a hard boiled egg wrapped in a banana leaf.
Hiking to a Waterfall
After lunch, you’ll have the opportunity to hike to a waterfall. Access to the trail costs COP$7,000 (as of December 2023). It takes about 15 minutes through beautiful scenery and is mostly uphill on the way there. I highly recommend it!
Once at the waterfall, you can jump into the plunge pool and stand under the falls. It’s a great feeling and the water is refreshingly cool. The only negative is all the large rocks in the plunge pool, so again, it’s best to wear some kind of footwear.
Back on the Raft
After lunch, it’s time to board the raft again. From there, it takes another 90 minutes floating down the river. The final stop is at Piedras de Moler, where you can thank the bogas and give them a nice tip for their hard work, then hop on a jeep to be taken back to Quimbaya.
