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Costa Rica Travel Blog is the current traveller, will-be traveller, has-been traveller, and should-be traveller's guide to everything costa rica. Information, stories, news, advice – written by the Pura Vida! eh? Incorporated team – costa rican insiders, outsiders, and everywhere-in-between-siders.
Which Costa Rica Zipline Is The Best? Comparing 6 Popular Canopy Tours in Arenal and Monteverde.
One of costa rica’s greatest features is its variety. Visitors can experience volcanoes, rainforest, beaches, national parks, cloud forests, hot springs, and so much more with only a short amount of time spent in this tiny country. However, with variety comes choice, and choice can create confusion – especially when the options available to choose from are all great options worth considering.
Travellers regularly turn to us for assistance with their trip planning and there is no tour more commonly asked about than ziplining. Ziplining (or canopy tours, as the activity is commonly referred to – click here to read our post about the differences between canopy tours and ziplining) is extremely popular and can be experienced in just about every area of the country. This being said, most travellers would agree that the most popular canopy tours are those located in arenal and monteverde given the lush, green, natural settings these two destinations provide as a tour backdrop. There is no shortage of canopy tour providers in these two areas, and in the true spirit of competition, each has its own reasons why they believe their tour is ‘better’ than any other.
In order to help ease the decision-making process, we aim to provide travellers with the details they should know about the various canopy tour options so they can make an informed decision as to which tour is perfect for them. We have chosen six of the most popular tour experiences available in the arenal and monteverde areas (including those provided by Sky Adventures Arenal, Arenal Mundo Aventura, Ecoglide, Sky Adventures Monteverde, Selvatura, and 100% Aventura) so that we could note some similarities and differences between each according to a number of important factors (such as the number of cables offered, the length of the cables, the minimum age limit to participate in the tour, the breaking system used, whether or not transportation is included, and extra features available such as tram rides, tarzan swings, superman cables, and more).
Unfortunately, it is not possible for us to identify one of the following options as ‘the best zipline’. Throughout our experience working with clients from all over the world, we understand that each traveller (and the experience he/she is looking to have) is different. For this reason, we could not attempt to determine what is best for travellers – instead we aim to provide the facts so travellers can quickly and easily decide for themselves which option is best according to their individual desires, needs, and evaluation.
ARENAL CANOPY TOURS (ZIPLINING):
Sky Adventures (Arenal)
Located in la fortuna/arenal (nearby el castillo – an approximate 25 minute drive from downtown la fortuna). This tour option is the only canopy tour to automatically include the sky tram aerial tram ride with the sky trek canopy tour. This tour option also provides the option of being combined with Sky Adventures’ sky walk hanging bridges tour.
Number of Cables: 10
Cable Length Span: 200 meters to 750 meters
Special Features: complimentary sky tram aerial tram ride
Minimum Age: 8 years
Transportation: is not included, but is available for an extra fee
Breaking System: automatic breaking system
Sky Trek Canopy Tour (Ziplining) – Sky Adventures Arenal
Sky Tram Aerial Tram Ride – Sky Adventures Arenal
Sky Walk Hanging Bridges Tour – Sky Adventures Arenal
Arenal Mundo Aventura
Located in la fortuna/arenal (an approximate 5 minute drive from downtown la fortuna). This tour option is the only canopy tour to include a zipline over the stunning la fortuna waterfall. This tour option also provides the option of starting the tour with a horseback ride (available at an extra cost) and/or this tour can be combined with Arenal Mundo Aventura’s popular horseback riding to the waterfall tour or their rappel tour.
Number of Cables: 10
Cable Length Span: 200 meters to 800 meters
Special Features: zipline over the la fortuna waterfall, view from the observation tower, optional horseback riding portion
Minimum Age: 4 years
Transportation: is included with the tour cost to/from la fortuna/arenal hotels
Breaking System: hand-breaking system
Canopy Tour (Ziplining) – Arenal Mundo Aventura
Horseback Riding to the La Fortuna Waterfall – Arenal Mundo Aventura
Rappel Tour – Arenal Mundo Aventura
Ecoglide
Located in la fortuna/arenal (an approximate 5 minute drive from downtown la fortuna). This tour option offers a tarzan swing.
Number of Cables: 15
Cable Length Span: 10 meters to 430 meters
Special Features: tarzan swing
Minimum Age: 5 years
Transportation: is included with the tour cost to/from la fortuna/arenal hotels
Breaking System: hand-breaking system
Canopy Tour (Ziplining) – Ecoglide
Canopy Tour (Ziplining) – Ecoglide
MONTEVERDE CANOPY TOURS (ZIPLINING):
Sky Adventures (Monteverde)
Located just outside of santa elena (an approximate 10 minute drive from downtown santa elena). This tour option is the only canopy tour to automatically include the sky tram aerial tram ride with the sky trek canopy tour. This tour option also provides the option of being combined with Sky Adventures’ sky walk hanging bridges tour.
Number of Cables: 10
Cable Length Span: 100 meters to 750 meters
Special Features: complimentary sky tram aerial tram ride
Minimum Age: 8 years
Transportation: is not included, but is available for an extra fee
Breaking System: automatic breaking system
Sky Trek Canopy Tour (Ziplining) – Sky Adventures Monteverde
Sky Tram Aerial Tram Ride – Sky Adventures Monteverde
Sky Walk Hanging Bridges Tour – Sky Adventures Monteverde
Selvatura
Located just outside of santa elena (an approximate 5-10 minute drive from santa elena). This tour option offers an optional tarzan swing. This tour option also provides the option of being combined with Selvatura’s tree top walkways (hanging bridges tour).
Number of Cables: 15
Cable Length Span: 70 meters to 1000 meters
Special Features: optional tarzan swing
Minimum Age: 4 years
Transportation: is included with the tour cost to/from monteverde hotels
Breaking System: hand-breaking system
Canopy Tour (Ziplining) – Selvatura
Hanging Bridges – Selvatura
100% Aventura
Located just outside of santa elena (an approximate 5-10 minute drive from santa elena). This tour option includes the mega tarzan swing, walk across a hammock bridge, rappel line, and superman (forward-facing) cable.
Number of Cables: 12
Cable Length Span: 20 meters to 750 meters
Special Features: mega tarzan swing, hammock bridge, rappel, and superman cable
Minimum Age: 5 years
Transportation: is included with the tour cost to/from monteverde hotels
Breaking System: hand-breaking system
Canopy Tour (Ziplining) – 100% Aventura
Tarzan Swing – 100% Aventura
Superman Cable – 100% Aventura
*Discounts for canopy/ziplining tours are available through Pura Vida! eh? Incorporated at: http://www.costaricatourdiscounts.com/
QUESTION TO COMMENT ON: Have you experienced one of the above mentioned canopy tours? What did you think?
Pura vida!
This is something I’ve always wanted to do. I think I need to work on getting over my fear of heights first, though.
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Beautiful Pics
ajaytao2010 -
Just wanted to send you a quick note to say congrats on the “Very Inspiring Blog Award”.
Pura vida!
thanks
I was in Costa Rica two years ago and of course I took the opportunity to go on a canopy tour (Selvatura specifically). It was one of the best experiences in my life: Me, that I get so much vertigo, I did it!
Nervous on the platforms I couldn’t look downward but from the beginning of each cable, however, I couldn’t avoid admiring the canopies and the spectacular rain forest you could see from the longest cables…
One of the cables was so long, around 2km, that you had to do two by two! One can’t explain it, one has to live it.
P.N.: the breaking system was managed by the staff so although you tried to use your hand if fact always was under control.
Woodpecker –
I am so glad to hear that you have tried one of the canopy tours! It is thrilling, terrifying, exhilarating, and rewarding all at the same time. We regularly receive feedback from travellers that ziplining is one of the highlights of their trip, and we agree with you entirely – “one can’t explain it, one has to live it”!
Pura vida!
Overall, wonderful, informative blog you have on Costa Rica. I visited Costa Rica for a week in the summer of 2008. I did the canopy tour however I cannot recall the name of the company. I had such a fun time, and I remember the leather glove handbrake too. Thank you Costa Rica Travel Blog for liking an article, Self-care for the Busy Mind, and following my blog, http://www.gracefulearning.com Costa Rica is a very peaceful country, and visiting Costa Rica and all it offers would also be great holistic self-care. Blessings, Lori
Lori Smith, M.Ed. –
Thank you so much for your comments! We are so glad to hear that you had such a great trip to Costa Rica a few years ago. You are 100% correct – the peaceful nature and ‘pura vida’ that is the country is both addictive and a self-soother. We are happy to have found Graceful Learning for the richness it provides. We just read your “Play” post – it is both informative and in-line with what we (and what I would expect most others) to experience from time to time. Love your writing!
Pura vida!
Thank you so much, Pura vida! Blessings for your continued writing, energy and presence you radiate about Costa Rica. Lori
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Actually when you see the pictures make you want to travel to Costa Rica, and is quite right when you say: There for all, and for all the tastes of tourists.
Alexander
allabouttailormadetravel.com
How does the automatic breaking system work?
Hola westlondondesignervid!
Great question! The automatic breaking system used by Sky Adventures in Costa Rica is called the Z breaking system. This system allows Sky Adventures’ guides to stop zipliners as they approach the landing area, as opposed to the zipliners having to stop themselves with their own hand. With the regular hand-breaking system (used by the majority of canopy tour operators in Costa Rica), zipliners wear a thick glove throughout the tour and are taught how to slow their speed by gradually increasing the tightness of their hand grip on the zipline cable. With the Z breaking system, the requirement to slow one’s self in approaching the landing area is avoided. Although both methods are safe, some travellers prefer the newer and more innovative system utilized by Sky Adventures as it can provide a less stressful canopy tour experience for those who have never ziplined before and/or those who have concerns about the hand-breaking process.
Additional information in regards to the safety of Sky Adventures’ canopy tour (ziplining experience) can be found here for the Monteverde Park and here for the Arenal Park.
Thank-you for your comment!
I’ve done several of the zipline tours and found them all to be a lot of fun. My favorite is Selvatura because you get the option to go on the hanging bridges before or after your tour. Plus, they have that really cool bug museum on the grounds, which is is definitely worth a visit.
The only drawback in my mind is the hand braking system many of the ziplines use, which is simply a thick leather glove that you hold down on the line to slow you down. On wet days they weren’t very effective and the guides had to throw little “brakes” on the line to slow you down. Small drawback – very fun experience overall.