San Rafael from Guatapé

San Rafael sits about an hour east of Guatapé, and it is one of the best reasons to use the town as a base rather than a stop. Cooler, greener and built around clear rivers instead of the reservoir, it is where you go for tubing, waterfall hikes and a slower kind of river day.

Everything below is run by the people who actually operate it. Contact them directly. There is no agency in the middle and no reason to pay one.

Getting there

You do not need a tour to reach San Rafael. Take direct private transport (transport only, no guide) or the local bus. Full details, contacts and the exact wording to request transport without a packaged tour are on Getting Around Guatapé.

Tubing

Two local operators run tubing here, on different rivers, with a genuinely different feel. Neither is simply “better”. Pick by the experience you want.

DIRECT OPERATOR

Escape Natural

Run directly by Juan Gabriel Urrea. They operate two tubing rivers:

• Río Bizcocho: clear water, calmer flow. Best for families, first-timers and anyone wanting scenery over adrenaline.
• Río Guatapé: stronger conditions and more adrenaline for a more adventurous descent.

Escape Natural also runs hiking and waterfall trips directly (below).

Direct contact: WhatsApp +57 304 209 4311

Contact the operator directly for the current local rate.

DIRECT OPERATOR

Tubing Río Arenal / Experience

Run directly by Carlos Esteban Giraldo on the Río Arenal: a roughly 2.5 km route with rapids and natural pools. Longer and more active than a short float, the pick if you specifically want a substantial tubing descent.

Direct contact: WhatsApp +57 321 726 5172
Alternate: +57 310 744 2943

Contact the operator directly for the current local rate.

Hiking and waterfalls

Escape Natural also guides hiking and waterfall experiences in the San Rafael area directly, with no third-party broker involved. Good to combine with a tubing day or as a standalone nature outing.

Direct contact: Escape Natural, WhatsApp +57 304 209 4311. Contact the operator directly for the current local rate.

Wildlife and birds

San Rafael is also serious bird and monkey country. If that is your angle, see Birds, Monkeys and Backcountry Trails.

Why we send you direct

Marketed online, plenty of San Rafael activities are sold by resellers who take a cut for arranging someone else’s river trip. You get a better price and a better day by contacting the crew who actually run the river. That is the only kind of operator we list here.