Guys, we’re in the Osa Peninsula. Today we’re looking for gold. You got to get wet for this one.
You can go gold panning in Costa Rica at Dos Brazos del Río Tigre, a small village near Puerto Jiménez. I went in March 2025 with a local guide. Our Airbnb host in town set it up. The tour was about $40 USD per person, and that includes a small jar of gold to take home.
This is a travel day first. About three hours start to finish: a short jungle hike, a river, and a lot of digging for flakes. I have always said the best workout you can do is digging a hole you can stand in. This is that, in a river.
The Tour: Cost, Booking and the Hike
We did not book online. Our Airbnb host knew a local guide and set it all up.
Our guide spoke Spanish only. My Spanish is broken. So there was not much conversation beyond where to dig and what to do next. That was plenty. He pointed. I dug. He ran the pan. If you speak Spanish, you will get more out of the day than I did.
Getting there was easy. I drove a moto from town up to the parking area beside the river. The cutoff from the main road to the river is gravel, but it is not too pitted. You could do it in a car.
From the parking area the hike in is short. Under half an hour to the river, and it is a nice hike. Fortunately we did not have to haul in any gear. The guide had a hiding spot in the bushes for all the tools. That said, a weighted march in with the shovels would have added to the WOD.
How Gold Panning Works
Starting off, we dig up the dirt from the riverbed. Then we put the dirt in front of the sluice and let the river wash through it.
Next up is the pan. The guide swirls what is left until it is mostly dark sand. Then you look for the shine. Where the gold at?
Some rocks just get in the way. There was a huge rock right where we wanted to dig. Too big to shovel, and it was just in the way. It’s kind of like work. Because it is work.
The Full Body Workout Hiding in a Gold Pan
It would be nice if every gym was half submerged in river water. You got to think of the muscle activation in what’s going on here. Every scoop of dirt is four movements chained together.
The squat
You drop low to get the shovel into the riverbed, with the current pushing on your legs.
The spear drive
Then you drive the shovel in like a spear.
The deadlift
Now heave the load up out of the water. This is the one that smashes the lower back. Bending and heaving through water, over and over, puts a real strain on it.
The curl
And finally, bring the shovel up and over to the sluice. That is your curl.
Sets: 10 minutes digging on one side, then switch and do the other side for 10 minutes. Keep it moving.
It’s always good to go a little bit deeper. Deeper water is harder. I was stumbling all over the place. Get some protein after this one.
Here is the whole day, river and all.
Did I Find Gold?
Yes. A few nice flakes of gold in the dark sand. It had been a long day of work by then, and the guide pointed them out in the pan.
You get to keep some of the gold shavings in a small jar. It is more of a keepsake than anything with value.
But I’m rich, guys. Next time I’m coming back here in a suit and brogues, and I’m going to wear the brogues while I walk through the river. It is going to be a suit made of silkies. A silky Silkie suit. And a Rolex, bought with all this gold money.
Until the Silkie suit is made, the closest thing is a regular pair. The silkies I train in are the two-inch Soffe pair, and they are made for a hot day in the jungle.
Soffe Original Ranger Panty (Silkies)
Is the Gold Panning Tour Worth It?
For $40 a person and a day in the Osa, yes. It’s like everything in life. You just got to get wet.
If you have any physical ailments, this would be tough to complete. Your back is bent over the river for most of the tour, and you are fighting the current while you dig.
You can still come along as support for someone who wants to dig. The hike is nice on its own. Bring a small folding chair and relax on the riverbank while they work.
There are lots of bugs and other biting things around the river beds and on the rocks.
If you like your workouts with a river attached, I have more from Costa Rica. Try the bodyweight leg workout at Poza del Cañon or the kettlebell beach workout in Dominical.
FAQ
Where can you go gold panning in Costa Rica?
We went to Dos Brazos del Río Tigre on the Osa Peninsula, near Puerto Jiménez. Our guide took us into the river to dig, run a sluice and pan for gold.
How much does a gold panning tour cost?
Ours was about $40 USD per person in March 2025, and that included a small jar of the gold. Our Airbnb host in town arranged it with a local guide.
How long does the tour take?
About three hours start to finish for us. That includes the short hike in, the digging and the panning.
How do you get to Dos Brazos?
I drove a moto from town to the parking area beside the river. The cutoff from the main road is gravel but not too pitted. You could do it in a car.
Do you get to keep the gold?
Yes, some of it. We took home a small jar of gold shavings. It is a keepsake more than anything.
Do I need to speak Spanish?
It helps. Our guide spoke Spanish only. Broken Spanish and pointing was enough to know where to dig and what to do.
Is gold panning a good workout?
Yes. Every scoop is a squat, a drive, a deadlift and a curl, done in moving water. It puts a real strain on the lower back. With any physical ailments it would be tough, but you can come along as support.
What should I bring?
Shoes that can get soaked, and be ready for bugs. If you are going as support, bring a small folding chair for the riverbank.
And as always, do it in silkies.
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