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Guides Can Make or Break Your Adventure
Guides are the most important part of your Costa Rica experience. Your safety, comfort and enjoyment are all dependent upon the skills, ability, experience and personality of your excursion leader.
At Costa Rica Extreme, our guides are constantly training in different fields, both in the classroom and out in nature. Natural history, Costa Rican culture and history, biology, jungle survival techniques, first-aid and extreme sports are just a few of the many subjects covered by the extensive and often grueling training that our guides are subjected to on a regular basis. In addition, all of our river guides are swift water rescue certified.
All of our guides are native-born Costa Ricans who have been guiding for almost their entire lives. The Segura brothers, Manuel, Alex and Carlos are our principle guides and as such they are the foundation for the success of our excursions. Manuel and Alex along with several other members of our crew have the distinction of being the defending Costa Rican White Water Rafting Champions (and have been since 2002). Our team is currently ranked 10th in the world after very successfully participating in the 2005 World Rafting Championships in Ecuador. They are some of the most experienced and sought after guides in all of Costa Rica.
The following is a brief introduction to our excellent crew:
Andrea Fallas
Andrea is one of Costa Rica’s best rafting guides, male or female. She is well traveled and can boast of many descents in Rivers all over Central America. She is also a member of the 2003 Women’s National Champion rafting team.
She enjoys guiding horse back riding
tours, nature walks, sea kayaking and biology tours. She is well known
for her caring and good natured way with families and children. In
school her areas of concentration were biology and Costa Rican culture.
Carlos Segura
One of the best kayakers in Costa Rica with more than 12 years of experience. He has participated in many world kayaking and rafting events throughout Latin America and Europe. His can lay claim to racing victories in Costa Rica, New Zealand, Spain, Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
He was the principal guide for a rafting
and biking operation in Switzerland in 2004 and was a member of the 2004
Costa Rican Kayak Rodeo Team. Marco Antonio
Marco is our
resident specialist in Costa Rica’s wildlife (not a small task given
that Costa Rica has over 5% of the entire world’s bio-diversity). In
school his areas of concentration were biology, psychology and Costa
Rican culture all of which allow him to be comfortable with poisonous
snakes, scorpions, spiders and many other exotic or strange creatures
that abound in our jungles.
An excellent
river kayaker and rafter he also is an expert sea kayaking and horseback
riding guide. Alex Segura
Alex is one of the best rafters and
probably the best kayaker in all of Costa Rica. With more than 10 years
of experience, kayaking and guiding, he has traversed all but a few of
the navigable rivers in Costa Rica. A member of the National Rafting
Team for more than 7 years, he has rowed in many world-class events in
South America , Europe, North America and Africa. Adventure Racing and Mountain biking are also his passion. Alex definitely has the “extreme” part covered.
In addition, he also serves as the
photographer on many of our excursions, bouncing ahead in his Kayak to
catch you just as you conquer your latest Class IV rapid.
Manuel Segura
With more than 12 years guiding adventure tours all over the country, Manuel is one of the most experienced guides in Costa Rica. A guide instructor, kayaker, adventure racer and a, champion mountain bike racer, he is presently the captain of the Costa Rican National Rafting team, currently ranked 10th in the world after the most recent World Rafting Championships (“WRC”) in Ecuador.
In addition to three WRC events (West Virginia, Czech Republic and Ecuador), Manuel has also raced in the Camel White Water Challenge in both Chile and Zambia, Africa as well as numerous rafting and adventure race events throughout Costa Rica and Central and South America.
As President and co-founder of Costa Rica Extreme, Manuel validates each and every itinerary to ensure that our guests have a memorable, exciting and authentic Costa Rican experience. |