Samaná River Expedition

Day 1 - Arrival in Medellin

• Our team of expedition guides will pick you up at the airport.
• Discover the Rionegro plateau and the village of El Carmen de
Viboral, known for its ceramics and traditions.

Day 2 - The Sources

• Wake up early and drive into the remote mountains of eastern Antioquia to the Río Samaná watershed.
• Begin a steep trek (~12 km) through mountain trails, jungle and waterfalls
• Mid-trek break whilst we read the Valley de las Cascadas.
• For lunch, enjoy a “Fiambre”, a traditional antioquenian meal wrapped in banana leaves.
• Reach a remote mountain farmhouse for dinner and spend your first night in this welcoming rural homestay.

Hiking
Distance: 12 km | Elevation gain: -800 m | Altitude max: 2220 m

Day 3 - Waterfalls Valley

• Continue the expedition after a traditional breakfast in the mountains.
• Follow ancient rural trails and meet isolated campesino families along the route.
• Carry on down the Santo Domingo valley, explore waterfalls, study
the hydrology and biodiversity of the watershed.
• Arrive at a remote rural farmhouse for dinner and spend the night in a local family’s finca where you will taste home-cooked meals and hear fascinating stories about this hidden area of Colombia.

Hiking
Distance: 15 km | Elevation gain: +350 m, -400m | Altitude max: 1300 m

Day 4 - Rio Verde

• After two days of trekking, a change of perspective is welcomed! This will be your last morning on foot.
• Continue trekking through tropical rainforest and descend to the Río Samaná.
• Swim where the Río Verde meets the Río Calderas, at the formation of the Río Samaná.
• Raft down the first section of the famous Rio Samana, the last free-flowing river of Antioquia.
• Set up a wild riverside jungle camp and enjoy dinner by the campfire.

Hiking
Distance: 7.8 km | Elevation gain: +610 m, -1000m | Altitude max: 1160 m

Rafting
Distance: 17-20 km | Rafting time: 4h | Rafting level: Class IV+

Day 5 - San Luis

• Start the day with a refreshing swim in the Río Samaná jungle section.
• Take a short hike to a panoramic viewpoint and birdwatching spot above the canyon.
• Begin rafting through Class IV+ whitewater in a narrow granite-walled jungle canyon.
• Navigate secluded beaches, hidden waterfalls and continuous technical rapids.
• Sleep in the authentic village of San Luis

Rafting
Distance: 15-18 km | Rafting time: 4-5 hours | Rafting level: Class IV

Day 6 - Samaná, Fast Section

• The day opens with an extraordinary Class IV+ whitewater descent through unspoilt rainforest.
• It's fast, loud and physical, with long stretches where nothing matters but reading the river and trusting the team around you.
• Reach our wild jungle campsite and take time to unwind and go for a swim before a dinner is cooked over the campfire.
• Camp on the riverbank in sheltered hammocks beside a secluded pool in the middle of the jungle.

Rafting
Distance: 22 km | Rafting time: 5 hours | Rafting level: Class IV+

Day 7 - Cascade of Narices

• After breakfast we're back on the Samaná and paddling downstream in a section that's only accessible from the river.
• We carry on to the hamlet of Narices, on the riverbank downstream of the canyon, beneath an unusual waterfall pouring down from trees into the river.
• We spend the evening with the people of the village, listening to their accounts of the river: how it' reached, how isolated it is, and the pressures coming from outside.

Rafting
Distance: 16 km | Rafting time: 3-4 hours | Rafting level: Class IV

Day 8 - Samaná, Slow Section

• Float down the calmer stretch of the lower Samaná, learning about fish migrations, birdlife and the
unusual limestone and marble formations.
• In the afternoon we reach the remote riverside lodge, Refugio del Agua where we will spend the night

Rafting
Distance: 10 km | Rafting time: 4 hours | Rafting level: Class 0/I

Day 9 - Magdalena Confluence

• Another riverside wake-up, before continuing to raft the last section of the Samaná.
• We'll reach and take a walk into the Nuss canyon, altered by hydroelectric development.
• Back on the water, we carry on to the confluence where the Samaná meets the Magdalena.
• We continue by motorboat before arriving at a rural accommodation near Puerto Triunfo, marking the transition from the jungle back to civilization.

Rafting
Distance: 8 km | Rafting time: 2-3h

Hiking
Distance: 1.5 km

Day 10 - Medellín

• We spend the morning exploring the remains of the old railway that once linked this part of Colombia to the rest of the country.
• We drive back to Medellín, with free time to enjoy the afternoon in the city.
• For anyone who'd like to, there's an optional group dinner at a local restaurant: a last meal together to close the expedition. This dinner isn't included in the price. We'll give you hotel recommendations if you'd like to extend your stay in Medellín.

Manifesto

Hoy en día, pocos ríos han logrado escapar de la intervención humana. El Samaná es una de las excepciones: todavía fluye libremente desde su nacimiento en los páramos hasta su desembocadura en el Magdalena, el río más grande de Colombia. Esta continuidad, desde las montañas hasta el río y de allí al Caribe, es valiosa y frágil: varios proyectos hidroeléctricos amenazan con romperla, poniendo en riesgo el flujo del río, su biodiversidad y las comunidades que siempre han dependido de él.

Lo que hace aún más singular al Samaná es su aislamiento. En gran parte, es inaccesible por carretera; la única forma de llegar es por el agua. Sin turistas de paso ni infraestructura, la única manera de conocer esta selva primaria es recorrer sus aguas turbulentas.

Desde hace más de diez años, el equipo de Expedition Colombia les brinda a los viajeros un acceso privilegiado a la riqueza natural y cultural del Samaná y sus afluentes.

El río es mucho más que un lugar de trabajo: hace parte de quienes somos. Cada día, nuestros guías y clientes descubren por sí mismos la belleza y la riqueza de este río, tanto natural como cultural. Por eso sentimos que tenemos una deuda con él y que somos responsables de su futuro.

Junto con The River Collective, en Expedition Colombia luchamos contra la construcción de represas en este ecosistema único. Lo que te ofrecemos hoy no es un producto turístico cualquiera, sino una expedición con propósito: una forma de involucrarte de manera real y práctica, junto a nosotros, en esta lucha...

Overview

The Río Samaná rafting expedition is Colombia’s only multi-day Class IV–V whitewater trip. It covers 33km trekking and 40 km rafting over 5 days on Antioquia’s last free-flowing river. Just outside Medellín, one of Colombia’s most intact river canyons, a continuous Class IV/V whitewater rafting route through remote jungle with multi-hour technical paddling led by our expert guides.

Pioneers of the Samaná

We were the first team to descend the Río Samaná and pioneer multi-day expeditions on this extraordinary river. It’s our all-time favourite, and a place we feel deeply connected to. Every expedition is a chance to share its wild beauty and keep fighting to protect it.

Learning Experience

You will learn about critically endangered species including the rare palm Aiphanes argos, the Cuphea fluviatilis, and other endemic rheophyte plant species only existing in the Río Samaná corridor. The Samaná is a biodiversity hotspot with 9 species found nowhere else on Earth and 13 plant species discovered during a recent rafting expedition on this same river section. You'll see unusual plant species that exist nowhere else but in this watershed. We'll talk about why the biodiversity here is what it is, and how man-made changes upstream could destabilise systems that look intact but are in fact extremely fragile.

Start-point

Our expedition guides will meet you on arrival in Medellín, either at the airport or directly at your hotel, to begin your journey. From that moment on, all transport for the entire expedition is fully included, ensuring a seamless transfer from Medellín into the remote Río Samaná region and back at the end of the adventure.

- Day 1 -

Food: not included
Accommodation: Hostel in Carmen de Viboral


- Day 2 -

Food: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Traditional countryside farmhouse


- Day 3 -

Food: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Traditional countryside farmhouse


- Day 4 -

Food: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Sheltered hammock camp in the jungle


- Day 5 -

Food: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Rural house in San Luis


- Day 6 -

Food: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Sheltered hammock camp in the jungle


- Day 7 -

Food: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Rural hostel in Puerto Garza


- Day 8 -

Food: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Remote riverside lodge


- Day 9 -

Food: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Rural houses in Puerto Triunfo


- Day 10 -

Food: not included
Accommodation: not included

What is the food like ?

Meals are prepared using fresh regional ingredients and traditional Colombian recipes, cooked by local families in farmhouses. On your first day, you’ll try a traditional Antioquian fiambre, a banana-leaf packed meal made for days in nature. Meals are included during the expedition whenever we’re in remote areas. They aren't provided where there's road access. The food brought during the rafting trip is catered and prepared by local restaurants as a fusion of international and Colombian flavours. Vegetarian and vegan options are available on request, with all meals designed to be simple, nourishing, and perfect for an active jungle expedition.

What is the accomodation like ?

The expedition combines hotels, rural farmhouses, and wild riverside jungle camps. Accommodation is simple yet comfortable, creating an authentic and immersive Colombian wilderness experience.

The expedition crosses multiple ecosystems and temperatures generally range between 18 °C and 30 °C depending on altitude and proximity to the river. Weather conditions can shift quickly between tropical heat, heavy rain, misty mountain conditions, and cooler nights at higher elevation. Humidity remains high throughout most of the expedition and rainfall is a natural part of the experience, especially within the rainforest and along the Río Samaná.

Keep in mind rafting is a weather-dependent activity and may need to be adjusted based on climate conditions.

• Activities: 80km of guided rafting descent (6 days) + 28 km guided hiking (2 days)
• Transport: : All private transfers to and from Medellín
• Guides: Experienced and certified professional bilingual trekking and rafting guides
• Accommodation: 7 nights in rural farmhouses, and 2 nights in a remote jungle riverside camp
• Meals: Meals included whenever we're in remote areas. They aren't provided where there is road access. 20 meals included (8 breakfasts, 8 lunches and 4 dinners)
• Equipment: Full rafting gear, safety kayak support, and basic camping equipment

• Personal clothing, shoes
• Porters for extra luggage
• Paragliding (optional)
• Guide tips
• Personal expenses
• Gopro photo package (can be booked as an extra during checkout)
• Travel Insurance

What do I need to bring?

• Passport for internationals, ID for nationals. Physical documents required.
• Trekking shoes with good grip
• Comfortable trekking backpack
• Closed-toe shoes that can get wet and with a good grip (no flip-flops/crocs/sandals)
• Lightweight quick-dry clothing (light trousers/shorts & breathable shirts)
• Sunhat
• Water-resistant sunscreen
• Insect repellent
• Water bottle
• Quick-dry towel
• Headlamp & extra batteries
• Rainjacket