Written by Nikki Solano

Nikki is the CEO of Pura Vida! eh? Inc. (Costa Rica Discounts), and the author of the guidebooks Moon Costa Rica (2019, 2021, 2023, and 2025 editions) and Moon Best of Costa Rica (2022 edition) from Moon Travel Guides. Together with her Costa Rican husband, Ricky, she operates the Costa Rica Travel Blog, created the online community DIY Costa Rica, built the Costa Rica Destination Tool, oversees the brand-new (summer 2023) Costa Rica Travel Shop, and designed the Costa Rica Trip Planning 101 E-Course. Also, Nikki wrote the Costa Rica cover feature for Wanderlust Magazine's sustainability-focused Travel Green List issue, showcased Costa Rica destinations and experiences on Rick Steves' Monday Night Travel show and podcast/radio show, and served as the Costa Rica Destination Editor for Essentialist, a luxury travel brand. Want to show your appreciation for her free article below? Thank Nikki here. ❤️️

Want to know our pick for the BEST ZIPLINE TOUR and the BEST ZIPLINE CABLE in Costa Rica? They are featured on DIY Costa Rica!

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CHOOSING A CANOPY ZIPLINING TOUR IN COSTA RICA IS ALL ABOUT VACATION GOALS

Costa Rica offers something for everyone. If we had to make a grade school presentation about its plethora of opportunities, we would create a giant flowchart with a permanent marker and a piece of bristol board. We would draw a box at the top with the word “Costa Rica” written in it, with lines shooting out toward other boxes that list possible vacation goals, including “relaxation”, “adventure”, “romance”, and “cultural immersion”. From there we would draw a number of smaller boxes, each one containing the name of a local activity or practice that can be linked to a particular goal, such as “sunbathing on the beach”, “ziplining through the rainforest”, “dining at a fine restaurant”, and/or “speaking Spanish with local Costa Ricans”, respectively. Just as elementary school students learn focus and filtration through brainstorming, travellers can build worthwhile and efficient vacations by compartmentalizing their trip goals and organizing plans to achieve them.

Take the goal of “adventure” for example. If you wish to achieve this by “ziplining through the rainforest”, you may wish to consider the following inquiries as you add boxes to your own flowchart in an attempt to narrow down which canopy tour experience would be the best for you.

• The number of cables the canopy ziplining tour offers
• The canopy ziplining tour cable lengths
• The tour operator’s reputation, safety record, and employee friendliness
• The tour operator’s minimum age limit for participation in the canopy ziplining tour
• Whether or not transportation is included with the canopy ziplining tour
• The type of braking system used during the canopy ziplining tour
• The duration of the canopy ziplining tour
• The ratio of the canopy ziplining tour’s cost with the experience received
• The type and quality of views obtained during the canopy ziplining tour
• The tour’s proximity to town and/or your hotel
• Special features or additional items included with the canopy ziplining tour
• The opportunity to combine the canopy ziplining tour with other activities of interest
• Other canopy ziplining tour factors that may be important to you

When we work to determine which Costa Rica tours and activities warrant our time, energy, money, and recommendation, we question nearly all of the above. Although it is rare for us to come across experiences that appease our criteria and critiques across the board, one of the most detailed flowcharts we have drafted to date is our evaluation of Arenal Mundo Aventura’s canopy ziplining tour options.

WHY WE LOVE ARENAL MUNDO AVENTURA’S CANOPY ZIPLINING TOURS

La Fortuna / Arenal is touristy; there is no doubt about it, just as there is no questioning that the area offers so much to see and do that even the most tourism-repugnant travellers opt to visit the destination during an otherwise off-the-beaten-path trip. Parallel to the region’s growth in commercial development is the creation of countless canopy ziplining tours along for the ride. As a result, La Fortuna / Arenal is home to many, many canopy ziplining tour options, albeit only a select few that we choose to recommend. One such recommendation is the Big AMA Canopy Ziplining Tour (and its shortened experience, the AMA Xtreme Canopy Ziplining Tour) offered at the “Arenal Mundo Aventura Ecological Park”.

A reputable tour operator boasting a positive reputation within the industry and friendly tour guides… check. A lengthy tour experience with a sufficient number of zipline cables (totaling more meters than most canopy ziplining tour competitors)… check. A valuable tour experience that combines fun and fantastic views with a cultural component at an affordable price… check. A location that doesn’t require too much time or difficulty to get to, that also offers ample free parking onsite for travellers who wish to drive themselves to/from the park, as well as complimentary transportation to/from local hotels for travellers who need it… check. Opportunities for two or more onsite activities (or offsite activities nearby) to be combined in order to save money and/or precious vacation time… check. What more could we (or you) ask for?

Looking for something else to visit nearby the Arenal Mundo Aventura Ecological Park? Don’t miss our related blog post:

El Salto Costa Rica: Local Free Tarzan Swing And Swimming Holes La Fortuna / Arenal Site

ABOUT THE ARENAL MUNDO AVENTURA ECOLOGICAL PARK

The Arenal Mundo Aventura Ecological Park is best known for its three original onsite activities: the canopy ziplining tour, the rappel tour, and the horseback riding to the La Fortuna Waterfall tour (each of which may be combined with either or both of the others to form half-day or full-day combo tours). In addition, Arenal Mundo Aventura offers early morning birdwatching tours and night tours conducted around their property, as well as presentations by members of Costa Rica’s Maleku Indigenous tribe. Operations for all of the above-mentioned activities flow through the Arenal Mundo Aventura Ecological Park, an area comprised of over five hundred hectares of protected land that exists a convenient five-minute drive from La Fortuna’s downtown core.

Don’t miss our Arenal Mundo Aventura tour discounts:

Big 12 AMA Canopy Ziplining Tour (La Fortuna/Arenal)

Big 12 AMA Canopy Ziplining Tour with Horseback Riding (La Fortuna/Arenal)

Horseback Riding to the La Fortuna Waterfall Tour (La Fortuna/Arenal)

Big 12 AMA Canopy Ziplining Tour and Rappel Tour Combo (La Fortuna/Arenal)

Big 12 AMA Canopy Ziplining Tour, Rappel Tour, and Horseback Riding to the La Fortuna Waterfall Tour Combo (La Fortuna/Arenal)

Maleku Indigenous Village Tour And Presentation (La Fortuna/Arenal)

ARENAL MUNDO AVENTURA: THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE BIG AMA (12 CABLE) CANOPY ZIPLINING TOUR AND THE AMA XTREME (7 CABLE) CANOPY ZIPLINING TOUR

Canopy tour participants who opt to zipline in La Fortuna with Arenal Mundo Aventura may choose from one of two ziplining tour experiences: the Big AMA canopy ziplining tour or the AMA Xtreme canopy ziplining tour. Travellers, beware of street-corner salesmen and/or travel agents who sell “Arenal Mundo Aventura’s canopy tour” without providing the tour experience’s exact name; since the AMA Xtreme canopy ziplining tour is a shortened (and therefore less expensive) version of the regular Big AMA canopy ziplining tour, some individuals and companies will offer it to travellers as to appear to provide a lower price than their competitors who instead supply their clients with the full tour. When the experience is ambiguously described as being “Arenal Mundo Aventura’s canopy tour”, the caption is misleading and may lead some travellers to assume that they will receive the full canopy ziplining experience when in fact only a portion of the tour has been reserved. To be clear, participants who are interested in Arenal Mundo Aventura’s regular and full 12-cable canopy ziplining tour should request the Big AMA canopy ziplining tour, whereas participants who would prefer Arenal Mundo Aventura’s shortened 7-cable canopy ziplining tour should request the AMA Xtreme canopy ziplining tour.

The regular Arenal Mundo Aventura canopy ziplining tour (the Big AMA 12 canopy ziplining tour) cable lengths:

Cable #1: 180 meters
Cable #2: 140 meters
Cable #3: 130 meters
Cable #4: 135 meters
Cable #5: 540 meters
Cable #6: 340 meters
Cable #7: 980 meters
Cable #8: 196 meters
Cable #9: 100 meters
Cable #10: 207 meters
Cable #11: 354 meters
Cable #12: 450 meters
Total ziplining distance: 3,752 meters

The shortened Arenal Mundo Aventura canopy ziplining tour (the AMA Xtreme canopy ziplining tour) cable lengths:

Cable #1 (which is actually cable #6 in the AMA Big 12 tour): 340 meters
Cable #2 (which is actually cable #7 in the AMA Big 12 tour): 980 meters
Cable #3 (which is actually cable #8 in the AMA Big 12 tour): 196 meters
Cable #4 (which is actually cable #9 in the AMA Big 12 tour): 100 meters
Cable #5 (which is actually cable #10 in the AMA Big 12 tour): 207 meters
Cable #6 (which is actually cable #11 in the AMA Big 12 tour): 354 meters
Cable #7 (which is actually cable #12 in the AMA Big 12 tour): 450 meters
Total ziplining distance: 2,627 meters

ARENAL MUNDO AVENTURA: THE CANOPY ZIPLINING TOUR EXPERIENCE

Upon arrival at the Arenal Mundo Aventura Ecological Park, all canopy ziplining tour participants (both Big AMA tour participants and AMA Xtreme tour participants alike) are briefed with a thorough safety talk and equipment demonstration. Bracelets that identify whether a tour participant will experience all twelve zipline cables or only seven zipline cables are handed out. The tour officially begins with an approximate twenty-minute tractor ride to the canopy ziplining tour starting point where the first of two waterfalls encountered during the tour–the stunning Pino Blanco Waterfall–can be seen. Once each canopy ziplining tour participant has been fitted for their harness, Arenal Mundo Aventura tour guides lead participants who have reserved the Big AMA canopy ziplining tour on an approximate thirty-minute hike into the forest toward the first zipline cable (in contrast, participants who have reserved the AMA Xtreme canopy ziplining tour begin their tour experience with nearby cable #6, the first cable encountered with the shortened tour option). Although the Big AMA canopy ziplining tour offers a longer tour experience and five additional zipline cables than the AMA Xtreme canopy ziplining tour, both tours offer internal rainforest and bird’s eye views of La Fortuna’s lush landscape, complete with frames Maleku cultural center visit described below), another tractor ride (or a horseback ride, if this option is desired and reserved in advance) is provided as transportation back to the Arenal Mundo Aventura reception and entrance.

Note:

• Arenal Mundo Aventura enforces minimum age, height, and weight limits for participation in their canopy ziplining tour; children must be at least seven years old, at least three feet and ten inches tall, and at least fifty-one pounds in order to participate.

Note:

• Although some walking/hiking is required in order to get to/from a number of the tour’s cables, the most challenging section of the entire canopy ziplining tour takes place at the start of the tour prior to arriving at the first cable.

Note:

• Tour participants who would prefer to start the canopy ziplining tour via horseback ride (this option is available at an extra cost) must request this preference in advance at the time of tour reservation.

ARENAL MUNDO AVENTURA: COMPLIMENTARY CULTURE AT THE MALEKU INDIGENOUS RESERVE

Upon completion of the Arenal Mundo Aventura canopy ziplining tours, participants stop at the Maleku Indigenous Reserve where they are greeted by friendly members of the local Maleku tribe in cultural dress. The soft greeting capi capi (kapi kapi), or “hello” in Maleku native tongue, is welcoming. A brief demonstration (which lasts approximately ten minutes) introduces foreigners to Maleku culture. Handmade arts and crafts made from balsa wood and jicara fruit (similar to pumpkin) are available for purchase if desired, and payment can be made directly to Arenal Mundo Aventura at the end of the tour upon return to the park’s reception. Years ago during one of our first visits to the Arenal Mundo Aventura Ecological Park, Ricky and I bought a carved jicara that depicts images of a butterfly, a toucan, and a macaw; during the Maleku presentation we experienced we were taught what each image represents: beauty and the colour of love (the blue morpho butterfly), the tranquilizing power of woman over the aggressive and the protectiveness of man (the toucan), and fidelity (the macaw). To date, the carving remains one of our most cherished souvenirs.

Note:

• The brief Maleku demonstration described above is automatically included with Arenal Mundo Aventura’s canopy ziplining tours (no separate request or reservation is required for it, and it cannot be removed from the canopy ziplining tour experience). In addition, Arenal Mundo Aventura offers a separate and more in-depth Maleku Indigenous Village tour and presentation that showcases cultural rituals pertaining to food and dance for travellers interested in learning more about the tribe. The latter experience is not linked to Arenal Mundo Aventura’s canopy ziplining tour (it requires a separate reservation altogether) and it does not involve any ziplining.

MAP OF THE ARENAL MUNDO AVENTURA ECOLOGICAL PARK

QUESTION TO COMMENT ON: Have you participated in Arenal Mundo Aventura’s canopy ziplining tour in Costa Rica? What did you think?

Pura vida!

If you’re more of a visual learner, take a moment to view our gallery photos below from our most recent visit to the Arenal Mundo Aventura Ecological Park.

Planning to visit La Fortuna / Arenal and wondering what the Arenal Mundo Aventura canopy ziplining tour experience has to offer? Check out the videos below (courtest of Arenal Mundo Aventura) to see if the tour is right for you. Not yet planning a trip to Costa Rica? Live vicariously through those who have had the pleasure of travelling to the country. Who knows, perhaps it will inspire you to visit one day!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZlsIFl6uQY&w=640&h=480]

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Arenal Mundo Aventura: La Fortuna Canopy Ziplining Tour

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