Introductory Kayak Course

• Meet your guides at our adventure cafe Cra. 43e #11-13, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia at 8 a.m. & drive to Guatapé Lake
• Visit Peñol, if you like, and then start padding on Guatapé Lake (Class 1 flat water)
• Learn basic paddling strokes, how to maintain balance in your boat, and how to steer your boat.
• Once you have mastered a “wet exit” and practiced river rescue techniques, you will kayak in a gentle flow on Guatapé River.
• Stay overnight in beautiful Reserva Zafra Touristica alongside the river and close to the charming, inviting town of San Rafael.
• Demonstrate your learning kayaking a Class 1 and 2 rivers. The 1 to 5 river classification system starts with flat water, and brings you to advanced whitewater.

After breakfast at your hotel, meet your guide at our adventure cafe Cra. 43e #11-13, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia at 8 a.m. Start your day with an introduction to all the gear. Select the appropriate sizes of equipment and outfit your kayak. Drive 2 hours to El Peñol, Guatapé and practice your paddle stroke on the lake and learn some new paddle strokes and boat steering techniques. Paddle to a small island for a delicious lunch. Enjoy the late afternoon discovering the colonial town of Guatapé and its local eateries with the optional visit to the rock of Peñol. Drive 45 minutes to the town of San Rafael and stay overnight at a gorgeous Reserva Zafra Turística alongside the Guatapé River. Dine “farm to table” style in a beautiful outdoor eating area and enjoy the reserve’s delicious selection from the permaculture garden. Stay overnight in comfortable beds in your own cabana style room.

After fresh food and fruit for breakfast at the reserve, head to the river for your first kayak run on whitewater! Learn how to read the currents and anticipate how they will impact your kayak. In a calm pool in the river, learn how to do a safe “wet exit” from your kayak and river rescue techniques. Your guide will be close by you to help you at any time as you are learning how to safely leave your boat in the event that you flip in the river. Learn about the different type of hydraulics and the potential hazards of a river, so you learn how to identify similar features in other rivers and skillfully and safely navigate rivers. Have a snack by the river and enjoy the day paddling the river with your guide at your own pace to truly learn how to improve your kayak skills and increase your confidence on the river. Return to Reserva Zafra Touristica for a lunch and a shower before driving back to Medellin. After a 2 ½ hour drive, arrive to Cra. 43e #11-13, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia by 7 p.m. * arrival time may vary.

Extend your trip by 1 day and 1 night to continue to kayak down other sections of the Rio Guatapé. After another restful night at Reserva Zafra Touristica, you may be ready to head to the river with confidence to paddle a whole section of river! We will drive to the upper Rio Guatapé put in, an 8 km stretch of class 2 whitewater. Get ready for a full day of adventure in a beautiful natural setting with water that is crystal clear and rapids that form from white round granite boulders.  This is when you will realize the magic of kayaking as a means for exploration to pristine environments. Enjoy lunch on the river. Towards the end of the river, there are two small drops, which gives you the occasion to try your first waterfall! Return to Reserva Zafra Turística for a shower and a snack before driving back to Medellin. After a 2 ½ hour drive, arrive to Cra. 43e #11-13, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia by 7 p.m. * arrival time may vary.