The Zip Lines of Costa Rica
This Costa Rica eco-tour takes you to Corcovado National Park where you can explore some of Costa Rica's natural wonders
So what if you are traveling too fast to observe many wildlife species? Anyway you look at it, traversing horizontally through the rainforest, hooked to a zip line, is unforgettable fun, and no place says zip line like Costa Rica, birthplace of this exhilarating pastime. And it isn’t just for the thrill. An environmental education component is generally part of the experience. Visitors will have a choice of several regions where the activity is offered during Costa Rica tours.
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The Zip Lines of Costa Rica
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Zip Lines are comprised of steel cables strung between two towers or trees, in segments of varying lengths. Most zip line tours include several. Given helmets and gloves, riders are strapped into a climbing harness that is attached to the pulley and to the cable. Gravity does the rest. Adults zip alone; children ride tandem with a trained guide. Too little or too much weight slows the rider’s speed. Depending on the rider’s weight and the cable’s angle, speeds may reach fifty miles per hour.
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Riding through the trees on a cable is not without risk. Travelers who wish to take a zip line tour during their travel to Costa Rica are advised to zip with an established operator who has a strong safety record and provides a safety briefing.. Though international standards exist, each operator sets its own rules including rider weight, height, age and fitness limits. Some accommodate children; some don’t. Anyone who is afraid of heights may wish to zip on a line that is twenty feet above the forest floor rather than a hundred feet as some are. Advance reservations are usually necessary.
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Some of the most popular areas for zip lining are in the vicinity of Arenal Volcano National Park and the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve northwest of the capital. On the Pacific side, visitors on Costa Rica tours will find zip lines in the vicinity of Manuel Antonio National Park and Marino Bellena National Park.
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Those who wish a slower, quieter way to commune with nature during their travel to Costa Rica may prefer to take a guided canopy tour that travels on foot across suspension bridges and specially-built walkways connected to canopy viewing platforms or in trams.
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Visitors who take Costa Rica tours with Southern Explorations will have several zip line opportunities. The eight-day Rainforests and Volcanoes trip and the eight-day, self-guided Classic Fly Drive trip visit the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. Five of our trips, three guided and two self-guided, travel to Manuel Antonio National Park. Two guided trips and all three self-guided trips visit Arenal National Park.
