Whitewater: a river with rapids
Is it worth the trip?
69Good out of 100 for your dates
5 days tie for best
Tue 3 · 68 out of 100
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 18kn
- Air
- 15°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Wed 4 · 69 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 11kn
- Air
- 15°C
- Rain
- 0.4 mm
Thu 5 · 69 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 14kn
- Air
- 16°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Fri 6 · 69 out of 100
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 13kn
- Air
- 16°C
- Rain
- 0.3 mm
Sat 7 · 69 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 13kn
- Air
- 16°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sun 8 · 69 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 13kn
- Air
- 16°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Mon 9 · 68 out of 100
- Wind
- 6 kn
- Gusts
- 17kn
- Air
- 15°C
- Rain
- 0.9 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 253, fair
- Tue 368, good
- Wed 469, good
- Thu 569, good
- Fri 669, good
- Sat 769, good
- Sun 869, good
- Mon 968, good
- Tue 1072, good
- Wed 1175, good
The spot in two facts
- Grade IIIat its hardest
- Moving waterthe water
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know the river level, weirs or your skill.
| Day | Score | Wind | Gusts | Air | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 53, fair | 7 kn | 20kn | 10°C | 26.3 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 68, good | 5 kn | 18kn | 15°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 69, good | 3 kn | 11kn | 15°C | 0.4 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 69, good | 4 kn | 14kn | 16°C | 0 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 69, good | 2 kn | 13kn | 16°C | 0.3 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 69, good | 3 kn | 13kn | 16°C | 0 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 69, good | 4 kn | 13kn | 16°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 68, good | 6 kn | 17kn | 15°C | 0.9 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 72, good | 4 kn | 14kn | 17°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 11Nov | 75, good | 6 kn | 18kn | 19°C | 0 mm |
Wind and gusts are in knots, rain in mm. River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go. More
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Best time to go
No month stands out
Good kayaking days in a typical week, each month, for grade III paddlers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).
- Jan1of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb2of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar4of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr5of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May7of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun7of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul7of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug7of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep7of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct7of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov5of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec2of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical weather, not a forecast, and not the river's level: a month that is often good to be outside may still be low water.
Map
put-in, take-out, its town
Lao, Grotta del Romito - Papasidero on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Lao, Grotta del Romito - Papasidero
A river section on the Lao, from a put-in down to a take-out. Grade III, on the international scale. Suits grade III paddlers and up, by its grade. 3 paddling schools, clubs or hire within 10 km, the nearest 6.8 km away. The town to stay in is Papasidero.
- River Lao
- Grade Grade III, on the international scale.
- Who it suits Suits grade III paddlers and up, by its grade.
- Access No source states the access rules: check locally.
- Schools, hire 3 paddling schools, clubs or hire within 10 km, the nearest 6.8 km away.
Spots and rivers: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Whitewater sections © Rivermap (rivermap.org), Riverzone and Jonathan Riddell, ODbL.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,400–US$2,630 each
about US$1,400–US$2,630 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, stay, food, kayak hire.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to NAP, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$536–US$1,110 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$107–US$174 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$315–US$523 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$301–US$563 |
| Kayak hire | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$141–US$261 |
| Total | about US$1,400–US$2,630 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Papasidero
about 10 min by car · 7 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Papasidero its beds, food and every spot near it
About US$114 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 17h 50m
About 17h 50m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → NAP, direct, then 3h 20m by road
Flights ORD → NAP on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Papasidero · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Papasidero · GetYourGuide
River level
River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go.
Paddling schools, clubs and hire nearby
Lao Canyon Rafting 6.8 km
Canoa Club Lao Pollino 7.2 km
River Tribe 8.6 km
The nearest named schools, clubs and kayak or canoe hire within 25 km, in a straight line. Listings, not a recommendation. Schools, clubs and hire: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits