Last updated on May 13th, 2022 at 09:31 am GMT-6 (Costa Rica time)
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. ❤️️
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Is there a difference between zipline tours and canopy tours in Costa Rica?
One of the most common questions we are asked about adventure tours, as well as one of the most common misconceptions that travelers have about tours in Costa Rica, focuses on zipline tours and canopy tours. Most people assume the two activities are unique experiences, so if you’re one in the crowd, you may be surprised to learn that zipline tours and canopy tours in Costa Rica are one and the same.
Confusion regarding whether or not there’s a difference between zipline tours and canopy tours in Costa Rica stems from the fact that the two terms are used interchangeably by tour operators and travel agencies to describe the same event. No wonder travelers (perhaps you included) routinely question how zipline tours and canopy tours differ. To help clarify things, here’s how each can be defined:
Ziplining is the act of gliding across one or more suspended cables. Therefore, a zipline tour is a tour during which you engage in the activity of gliding across one or more suspended cables. A canopy tour is a tour during which you engage in ziplining, so in effect, it’s also a tour during which you glide across one or more suspended cables.
Technically, if we focus on language, the two terms can be split ever so slightly in the following way:
The term “zipline tour” references the essence of the activity (i.e., ziplining) whereas the term “canopy tour” references the place where the activity takes place (i.e., the treetop canopy).
Regardless of what they’re called, though, in Costa Rica, zipline tours and canopy tours are the exact same thing. Tours advertised as “zipline tours,” “ziplining tours,” “canopy tours,” or “canopy ziplining tours” provide the same type of experience.
What’s more important than how you define the activity
Although every zipline tour in Costa Rica can be defined as a canopy tour (and every canopy tour can be defined as a zipline tour), where differences do exist are in the design, quality, inclusions, and location of each tour. Zipline tours and canopy tours exist in nearly every tourist town in Costa Rica yet some are higher, faster, longer, more adrenaline-pumping, and/or more breathtaking than others. (For inspiration, don’t miss our related blog post: Best Ziplines In Costa Rica: Comparing 6 In Arenal And Monteverde). Some provide better views (of lakes, oceans, volcanoes, and forests), more modern equipment (including newer handlebar braking systems), and extra amenities (such as aerial tram rides, superman cables, rappel routes, and Tarzan swings) to provide participants with more bang for their buck. Regardless of which tour you choose and your reasons for selecting it, know this: it doesn’t matter if it’s called a zipline tour or a canopy tour, you’ll enjoy the experience just the same.
QUESTION TO COMMENT ON: Have you participated in a zipline tour or canopy tour in Costa Rica? Which one did you choose and why?
Pura vida!
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