Words:
Bartosz Czauderna
https://loveitliveit.co.uk

Bartosz Czauderna

Photos:
Bartosz Czauderna,
David Mitchell &
Gav Barker

Kayaking the whitewater of Mexico

When you first think of Mexico, kayaking might not be the first thing that comes to mind. Tacos? Sure. Beaches? Of course. But hidden deep in the jungles of Alsaseca lies a whitewater playground unlike any other – and we were about to find out why it’s fast becoming legendary in the global paddling scene.

Starting from stories that Gavin Barker shared with us after his season in Mexico, myself (Love it Live it) and Quim Fontane (European Whitewater School) decided that it would be sick to paddle there and share this destination with others. The idea floated in the current as casually as any conversation between kayakers does, and soon enough, we had a crew. Before we knew it, the trip was happening.

We arrived a week early. Coming straight off the back of paddling adventures in Chile – Pucon and Futa were fresh in my mind – excitement ran high. Upon arrival, we met Sofia Reinoso, our wonderful host and an incredible kayaker with whom we had the pleasure of paddling a few times. We also quickly linked up with David Mitchell, who was spending the season there and had joined our trips before in Zambia, and with that, the crew was complete.

First Impressions: The Warm Welcome of Mexico
From the moment we touched down, the vibe was right. Friendly people, vibrant culture, and food that was out of this world – every meal a surprise, every dish a discovery. Our base was Aventurec, a cosy jungle haven nestled near the Alseseca River. The rooms were simple but perfect, with hot showers and comfy beds. The food? Let’s just say we were fuelled and happy.

Safety was on everyone’s mind before arriving. It’s true – Mexico can have its rough patches. But in this part of Alsaseca Valley, despite some preconceived worries about safety, once we arrived and connected with Gav and Sofia, those concerns faded fast. We were in good hands. Our incredible hosts had everything sorted. Local drivers, secured transport, trusted shuttle services, and a sense of peace that stayed with us the entire trip. Locals in the area were nothing but kind, helpful, and proud of their land. This part of Mexico, remote and relatively untouched by tourism, felt safe and genuine. Once at Aventurec, we were in our own little world, surrounded by rainforest, waterfalls, and pristine rivers.

Getting Wet: Roadside Warm-ups and Banana Bombshells
We kicked things off with the classic Roadside Section of the Alseseca. It is a warm-up of sorts—tight, technical, and fun, though a little low on volume. But the next day, Gav joined us, and it was time for the real deal: Big Banana.

After a long and scenic hike, we stood beneath the towering Big Banana waterfall. The air buzzed with anticipation. One by one, we dropped in. What followed was pure joy – a progression of clean drops, tight gorges, and powerful rapids like Mexican 20 and Mordor. This wasn’t just good paddling – this was world-class whitewater, as good as anything I’d done. And that was just the start. We took our time exploring local sections, learning the lines, preparing for the upcoming trip, and kayaking as many sections as possible.

Group arrival and game on!
After a solid week of paddling, we were joined by Harald Schweidler from Germany and Bryan and Sam Hughes from the UK, whom we picked up from the airport and welcomed to Aventurec. They were buzzing about paddling in Mexico and the experience to come, and we couldn’t wait to share the places we had fallen in love with!

Into the Flow: Lower Jalacingo and Filobobos
We started with the scenic Encanto section of the Filobobos – a mellow, beautiful cruise past jungle-covered canyons and the stunning Encanto waterfall. Then came Lower Jalacingo, a step up in commitment and adventure. A short hike led to a series of juicy 4–8ft drops and flowy boofs. We ended the day with a surprise – the warm generosity of a local family offering to help shuttle our boats. Mexico, again, is showing its magic.

We really wanted to take the group to Big Banana, which became our absolute favourite, but to do it, we had to make sure that we were all ready for running the drops – luckily, we had a perfect place to practice our free-falling.

Truchitas, Coaching, and the Big Banana!
We went to Truchitas, a 7-metre waterfall, where we sharpened our technique by dialling in body position and timing for the bigger drops to come. After many laps and great progression, we were ready to hit the Big Banana.

We started with a beautiful hike to Big Banana waterfall – a mesmerising walk through the jungle that led us to a spectacular pool where a 128ft waterfall comes in. This is literally the postcard section of Mexico. The section starts with some rocky rapids, slowly opening up into some longer nice sections to eventually lead us to the highlights of the upper part of the Big Banana section, which is the ‘Mexican 20’ – a clean 20ft waterfall followed by the ‘Mordor’ – narrow slide to take the boat down. We finished that day full of joy and took out above the ‘Silencio’ (around 40ft).

After this, we knew what we needed to work on, so we returned to sections we had run before to dial in our body position, stroke placement, and boofs. We returned to Jalacingo, and roadside, we took some rest to finally be ready to hit the main section for Big Banana.

This time, we tackled the second half, from the waterfall down to El Silencio, where the IV (V) section of Big Banana starts. It was nothing short of spectacular – volcanic gorges cloaked in rainforest and whitewater that made every ounce of effort feel worth it.

We took our time scouting all the rapids, starting with Houdini through Curtain Drop and finishing with Freestyle Drop. For Meat Locker and Boof or Die, we took a quick portage and enjoyed all the other rapids along the way. It was an incredible experience, and we couldn’t wait to paddle it more!

One of the crew who joined us, 65-year-old John Brian Clough, said it best, “I have a book with pictures of this section, but I never thought I would ever have the opportunity to paddle it.”

That’s what this trip was about – realising dreams, pushing limits, and discovering places we never thought we’d reach.

Gear, Logistics, and the Dream Setup
Thanks to our hosts and Aventurec, logistics were seamless. We had a top-tier selection of boats to choose from – Jackson Gnarvana, Flow, Waka Steeze, Stoke – all ready to go. Shuttles ran like clockwork, meals were wholesome and delicious, and our only job was to show up and paddle.

After others joined us for our first Mexico trip – Gav brought deep local knowledge and river leadership, while Quim and I focused on coaching and capturing the spirit of the trip through media. Each day, we honed skills, refined lines, and built confidence as a team. Whether it was scouting rapids or laughing over the dinner, the vibe was just right.

Wrapping Up: A Jungle Paradise to Remember
In these few weeks, we experienced more than just rivers. We connected with locals, bonded as a crew, and discovered a slice of Mexico that few tourists ever see. The progression was real, the kayaking was next-level, and the memories were forever.
Huge thanks to the Reinoso family, our Aventurec hosts, and everyone who made the journey what it was. We came for the whitewater – but left with so much more.

To those wondering whether Mexico should be your next paddling destination, it should be. Come for the whitewater, stay for the culture, and leave with a piece of your heart still floating somewhere in the jungle.

Hasta luego, Mexico. We’ll be back!