Costa Rica Ziplines

Costa Rica has become famous for it's many great beaches for surfing, majestic rainforest, and of course making a visit for some Costa Rica adventure tours. When you are not doing the whitewater rafting tours or the canyoneering adventure your next choice is the many different ziplines in Costa Rica. There are so many ziplines in Costa Rica that we doubt anybody really knows all of them but I can assure you that the best ones we have been on and hope to have you join us on a Costa Rica family vacation. Take a look at the list we made of some of our favorite ziplines in Costa Rica.

Zipline is the adventure that almost everyone in the family can do. It does not involve a lot of skill. This is why it is a perfect activity for a family of all ages. All the kids have to do is scream and all grandma has to do is go along for the ride.

SkyTrek (Arenal Area - Northern Zone)  -- With well over 70 different zipline tours in the country we will have to say that we think SkyTrek is still the best. When it comes to height, speed, and view this is one of a kind. The speed is around 45km each cable and your highest cable is 700ft. But the best part about this zipline is the view. It is located on the side of the Arenal Volcano which lends itself to some of the best views of the volcano you can get. Along with the seeing the volcano upclose, you a great view of Lake Arenal and then on a clear day you can actually see Nicaragua. The SkyTrek is a company that started in Monteverde where they have a similar zipline that also has excellent cables and you will not be disappointed with the views there too. 

When it comes to reputable companies with a solid safety record Skytrek has really made a name for themselves. They have done so well they are now even franchising out international and their operations can be seen in Mexico. You can also find hanging bridges and gandola rides in the Arenal operation. When we operate a Costa Rica vacation and zipline is on the itinerary in the Arenal area we pick Skytrek 90% of the time. The only time we do not operate Skytrek is when little kids under the age of eight want to zipline as Skytrek does not allow young kids. It should be mentioned that this company is owned by Costa Rican brothers who have an interest in protecting the rainforest which surrounds the operation of Skytrek.

 Osa Canopy Tour (Southern Pacific Area) -- This is a canopy tour that is like none other in the country. The things that seperate this canopy tour from many others is that it is located on a mountain ridge at 1,000ft above sea-level just 1km inland. The only place in Costa Rica where you find this type of topography is on the mid to southern Pacific area near the town of Cortez. This canopy offers a great mix of high cables, off roading to get to the cables, an amazing tarzan swing, and a tree rappel. The town of Cortez is located about one hour south from the town of Dominical and the tour will last around three hours because you have to take a 4x4 to get to the top of the ridge.

If I had to pick a Tarzan swing that gave you adrenaline rush like none other it would be the Tarzan swing here at Osa Canopy Tour. You can almost compare it to a bungee as it has a 30ft free fall. This is an amazing adventure and if you decide to put the Tarzan swing on your Costa Rica family adventure tour you better be ready for some serious adventure.

 Borinquen (Northern Area Rincon de la Vieja) --- If you are in the northern part of the country in the area of Guanacaste you might start to realize that there is not much elevation. Not much elevation on a Costa Rica adventure tour can wipe out most of the tours we might have planned for you. The whitewater rafting in this area is nothing too exciting with not many big rapids in the area. This is why it is important to drive inland and when you drive inland into the mountains there still might not be big rapids to run but you can find a great zipline which is at the resort of Borinquen. This is about a two hour drive from the beaches in Guanacaste and it is will worth it. The veiws are amazing; the zipline is a perfect taste of the rest of Costa Rica without having to go too far from the beach. You will see in the first cable as you go zipping across a canyon that has a 150ft waterfall below.

It should be said if you are in the area you should consider staying at the Borinquen Lodge for the night as it is a great place to get away from the beach, feel the cool mountain air and have perfect views of Rincon de La Vieja Volcano.

Titi-Canopy Tour (Central Pacific Manuel Antonio)  -- If we had to give a company the best name award it would go to the Titi-Canopy tour in Manuel Antonio. A smaller operation but with a perfect safety record the Titi-canopy is named after the type of small monkey that is found in the Manuel Antonio area. It is also commonly known as the Squirrel Monkey. Here you will find 12 cables and an easy half day tour from the many touristy areas of Manuel Antonio. The longest cable runs around 450ft and this place is kid friendly making it a good choice for a Costa Rica family vacation but still leaving plenty of time for the Mrs. to enjoy the Costa Rican spa.

Some of the other great activites that Titi-Canopy tours offer is the tarzan swing and a rappel. We call this the big three which you are starting to see more and more canopy tours offering.

Selvatura Canopy Tour (Monteverde) -- One of Costa Rica's top canopy tours has to be Selvatura as it is located in the beautiful area of Monteverde and really runs a close to perfect operation and is why we list them and choose to work with them on many occasions when we are doing a Costa Rica adventure tour with Monteverde in the itinerary. Along with having the cables and the hanging bridges, Selvatura offers so much more. You will spend more than the two hours of your average canopy tour. Here you can spend an entire day if you decide to immerse yourself in the many natural options they have at Selvatura. As a company we find it very important that on a Costa Rica vacation you can get into contact with nature and this is one of the best spots for it. You have the option visiting butterflies, insects, frogs, snakes, and natural history hikes as they have designed the complex into a mini show of some of Costa Rica's most sought after species while keeping them their natural settings.

Maquenque Ecolodge

Green Macaw (Ara Ambigua)

Another Costa Rican ecolodge that is the perfect spot for nature. This is an ecolodge that is located in the northern plains of Costa Rica. This is the perfect setting for an ecolodge and a great chance to visit the famous Green Macaw. Many birders that visit Costa Rica can only hope to see this very rare bird and your chances at Maquenque are very high.  The Green Macaw, Ara Ambigua, is estimated to be at a world population of just 7,000 species.

The Maquenque ecolodge is located on 60 hectare near the new Maquenque National Wildlife Refuge which measures 60.000 hectares. If you are in the mood for some serious birding tours or just want to relax on a Costa Rica family vacation than this is the spot. This is a calm area where you can float in a canoe, go horseback riding, take night hikes, and even a visit into Nicaragua can be the highlight of your stay in the Maquenque ecolodge.

Costa Rica Rafting

Costa Rica is the perfect spot to make a whitewater rafting tour part of your family vacation. We are a small company that operates our rafting tours on a small scale allowing us to have some of the most experienced guides in all of Costa Rica.


 Chirripo Atlantico -- We wanted to start off by talking to you about Chirripo Atlantico. Unfortunately this is not a commercially rafted river and it happens to be one of the most intense rivers in all of the America's. This is a trek by horseback to get to Costa Rica's most daring rapids. A 15 hour river run of constant class V's. This is just to let you know what your guides do during their free time so you can have the confidence that our guides will take good care of you in your Costa Rica river rafting trips.







Pejibaye -- If you want to get the kids wet and keep them in the raft then the whitewater rafting adventure on the Pejibaye is where we will plan on taking you. All of our guides are certified, experienced whitewater rafters but if rivers could get certified this would be the kid-friendly river. It is easy access in and out and is located in the town of Turrialba. If you happen to be staying at the Casa Turire Hotel then there is no closer river for you than the Pejibaye since the run ends at your hotel. It is surrounded by beautiful low lying foliage and crystal clear water. Another nice option about this tour is that even if you do it in one day from the San Jose area, you are still arriving back early afternoon. The time on the river is around 2 hours. This is also very close to the village of Sitio de Mata where you can experience our rural tourism activities and also where we have our Costa Rica Spanish School. Pejibaye is a class II & III.

 Pacuare River -- When it comes to Costa Rica whitewater rafting this is the river that has made the country famous. Listed as one of National Geographics top five scenic rivers on the planet, the famous Pacuare River continues to live up to its glory and fame. The river is engulfed in enormous mountains filled with primary rainforest. It is here that our company got it's start and we hope that we can share the beauty of this river that changed the way we look at our planet. It is a magical place and if Mother Nature was in a Royal Wedding, I have a feeling her dress would look something like the Pacuare River.  It is a demonstration of the heart of the tropics filled with life as you make your way down the 18 miles of pristine clear river. We operate a number of different rafting options for the Pacuare River including one and two day adventures. If you want more days on the river you do not have to convince us, just let us know and we can accomodate a Costa Rica rafting tour that will keep you surrounded by nature for a week that you will not regret. Along with our standard commercial tours we offer Costa Rica camps to get kids out into nature and teach them skills used by some of Costa Rica's top river guides.
This is a solid class IV river from start to finish although in the dry season with a good guide (one of ours) the river runs low but you will still get soaked.

 Savegre River -- This is a river for those that want just a small taste of what they might get in the famous Pacuare River. Here on the Savegre you get similar glimpse of what you experience on the entire trip of the Pacuare. If you visit the Savegre River, one of the benefits is that you will be just minutes from one of Costa Rica's most beautiful beaches and that is Manuel Antonio. And now with the new highway, you can head south to the small surfing town of Dominical where you will find some great surf and some not-so-touristy luxurious spots to stay to end your Costa Rica family vacation.
Savegre is class II & III in the dry season and some nice class IV's in the rainy season.

Sarapiqui -- This is a river that is located on the east side of the Central Valley and is nice because it is  just around 2 hours from San Jose so we can operate this tour for you from the San Jose area. The Sarapiqui depending where you decide to start your rafting tour, has some adventurous rapids but most of the river would not be big water. We often operate rafting tours here for families with small children. The best part about the Sarapiqui is that although close to towns and roads, it still has very plentiful wildlife as there are a number of reserves and rainforests in this area. This makes the river a popular spot for animals to hang out. If you are in the area of Sarapiqui it is probably worth staying the night  because there is much to be learned and it can be a very educational experience as it is popular spot for nature lovers to visit. Birding tours are a large part of the local activities and there are many different places to educate students and scientist looking to do field work in the heart of the tropics. It should also be noted that Sarapiqui River rafting tours can be an easy day trip from the Arenal Volcano area. The Sarapiqui River is class II & III in the lower section and some class IV's in the upper section.

  Balsa River -- Here is where you can wake up with a georgous view of an active volcano, sleep in and have a nice hearty breakfast and then enjoy some white water rafting just before lunch. The Balsa River is located in the perfect distance from the Arenal Volcano area if you are in the mood for some adventure but you do not feel like driving far and would like to be back in time to spend time in the many hotsprings in the Arenal area. The Balsa River is class II & III and will get everyone wet for sure and you should be able to stay in the raft for the entire trip.




Coto Brus -- This is a nice river to raft that is located very far south and one of the last possible rivers to do a rafting tour in before reaching Panama. The Coto Brus is similar to the Pejibaye but a bit larger and some bigger rapids. This is not a commercially rafted river compared to the Sarapiqui, Balsa, & Pacuare but we do operate tours here and it can be a very fun day on an isolated river. This river only makes sense if you are down in the area as it is tucked back into the southern mountains. It is a class III & IV and around four hours of river time. It is located in very rural areas and not many options for changing clothes except behind a tree or a slow moving cow.

 Guabo -- This is a river that is worth running for two reasons. The first is that it has a beautiful drop that makes the two hour run worth it. It is a class IV rapid that will leave you telling stories weeks after you get back home. The second is that it is located just above the beach town of Dominical and you actually can finish this rafting trip in the ocean. You just paddle out of the mountains into the beautiful waters of the Pacific. This is a beautiful river that many have referred to as the baby Pacuare. This beach is not runnable all year and there must be enough water to run it which is not too often. If you get the chance and the Guabo has the right water level make sure you take advantage of it and run it. Let us know as we always know the level it has and we will keep you posted and take you for an amazing Costa Rica Adventure.

Best time to Visit Costa Rica

One of the most common phrases you will hear from most nature guides in Costa Rica is: "The only thing certain about the weather in the tropics is that, the weather is uncertain". This is a very true statement and even more so now with the changes in weather that we are experiencing all over the globe. Our personal opinion as a company is that rain or shine a Costa Rica family vacation can still be a lot of fun. It turns out in the heart of the dry season the rivers are low, not as much green (still a lot though), and the animal species you see most are other tourist. We put together a few easy descriptions of the months of visiting Costa Rica to help you try and decide when might be the best time for you to plan your Costa Rica family adventure tour or a relaxing Costa Rica vacation.

January -- This is one of the most crowded months of the year as the end of the year holiday crowds usually pour over into the first week of January. It is a nice time to visit though because it is the end of the rainy season and should be dry in most parts. It is important to realize that you might hit the dry season in one area and the rainy season in another. The Costa Rican families are on summer break and January is a time when the locals enjoy visiting some of the same beautiful beaches as the tourist. A Costa Rica whitewater rafting adventure might be at low water level during this time of year which could be good if you don't want it too rough and are looking for a real scenic view of the rivers as most are running clear this time of year.

February -- The local Costa Rican crowd at the beaches has slowed down a bit from the early January days and the dry season is in full swing with a lot of sun and being 9 degrees above the equator a lot of sunburn-looking tourists. Pretty much the entire Pacific Coast is going to be without rain these days where the northern coast is blistering hot and dry down in the Southern Pacific you can still find quite a bit of green and shade. Rivers are low for rafting tours and the famous canyoneering adventures are in full go as many rivers can be rappeled now that they are low and not full of water.

March -- This is a very common time to visit Costa Rica and is what we consider one of our peak seasons that runs for a few weeks during March and April as the country gets many of families and student trips for springs break vacations. The Costa Rica families are back in school these months as their summer break runs from mid-December to late February. The locals are off for "Semana Santa" which is Holy Week and a number of processions take place during this time and no alcohol is served in the country for three days. When booking Costa Rica trips in the months of the March and April you want to make sure you plan ahead at least three months and more if possible.

April -- This is a very nice time to travel to Costa Rica as you will be coming out of the dry season and into the rainy season. It is very refreshing to get some rain after the three core months of the dry season. April is not heavy rains though as they are just starting to arrive and make for some rainforest- feel to your tropical Costa Rica family adventure and the Costa Rica whitewater rafting tours begin to get going. So if you are looking for some warm weather that hasn't arrived yet in the US yet, then a Costa Rica vacation might be the answer.

May -- A very slow month in tourism comes after the peak high season in March in April. If you have the time you can often find good prices and not a lot of touristy traffic in and around where you might be visiting. May is a beautiful month with often some rain and trees and everything is starting to get the green glow going as they begin to gulp up the rain. There is still plenty of dry time to enjoy some sun on the beach and do the zipline without a torrential down pour.

June -- The next two months of June and July are another peak high season as the schedule in North America lends itself to vacation time with kids. Ok, now for something you might not have known. June and July in Costa Rica are actually perfect months for Costa Rica vacation. They have the rains of the rainy season but they are even known to have the dry moments of the dry season. Some have even labeled it "veranillo de San Juan" which is the name for the mini-dry season that is given during this time. Although there are quite a few of tourists in the country the hotels and everyone always seem prepared and it is a matter of where you stay and who you book with that will make all the difference in your Costa Rica family adventure.

July -- This would be the month that is just as busy as June and things are moving about the same pace and the weather is often similar with spurts of rain and spurts of very dry. It is a great time to visit and the local Costa Ricans actually have a two week vacation during this time so you might have the chance to join some of the locals at the beach which is always great fun. June and July are also common times to do immersions in Costa Rica. Many Costa Rica Spanish schools have their high season during this time and it's a great opportunity to try and pick up the language in the beautiful village of Sitio de Mata. There are also a number of options of Costa Rica summer camps.

August -- This is your last chance to get in a Costa Rica family vacation without more rain than you can handle. It is also a popular time for Europeans to visit as of Spain & Italy have their main vacation time during the month of August. August is a great time to travel and you will have plenty of rain and plenty of dry time. If you visit the Northern Pacific beaches you will see a few more extended weeks of sunshine as the Southern Pacific starts to get rain earlier in the year. If you would like to do the Costa Rica whitewater rafting tours this is a great time to take on some high water.

September -- This is a month when not many tourists visit Costa Rica. It is when the heavy rain comes but if you have the time you can always find great deals and still have an amazing Costa Rica adventure tour. There is something magical about being able to experience the heavy intense rains of the tropics that give the rest of our planet life, controlling the water cycle. We often find that tourism is low but many Costa Ricans sign up for the day tour of rafting Pacuare River. They know the river has a great level which makes for some exciting adventure. The hotels and Costa Rica ecolodges all around the country have prices that get down to as low as half price.

October -- Keep the rain coming as October has been known as the hardest rains of the year. Again if you don't mind rain and you can see it for the beauty it really is, it is just beautiful driving in Costa Rica in a Land Rover on a bumpy road and reaching a Costa Rica ecolodge to relax under the heavy downpours of the tropics during your luxurious Costa Rica vacation.  This can be the perfect month for a romantic Costa Rica honeymoon. A whitewater rafting tour in October will be an amazing experience and will make you fall in love with rafting for sure.

November -- There is a small rise in tourism this month and there is some peaks of the dry season. November is still heavy on the rain in certain parts of the day and the Northern Pacific Coast of Guanacaste is starting to see longer sunny days. A great time to travel since you are getting the sunshine for moments, the prices of the rainy season still and not many tourists.

December -- The first half of December is everyone getting ready for vacation. The local Costa Rican kids go on summer vacation and most head out to the beach because the dry season has arrived around mid-December. I would like to note that this is never accurate year after year and with climate change it is just too hard to predict. As you can expect December is one of the busiest times of the year for a Costa Rica vacation and unless you plan ahead expect to have limited options of where you can stay. Also you can expect to see large crowds in the Costa Rican airports. This is the perfect time to pick some of the spots that are off the beaten path for a Costa Rica adventure tour. The Costa Rica whitewater rafting tours still have water and are not running very low or very high so a great option for all looking for some adventure.

Costa Rica Packing List

During a Costa Rica Adventure tour or just a relaxing Costa Rica vacation you want to always make sure you are packing correctly and informed about the different extremes in weather in the tropics than where you might be traveling from. There are many different activities you might be doing during your Costa Rica vacation from whitewater rafting, canyoneering, or just sitting on the beach. For the best comfort and most importantly least amount of blisters to take home as souvenirs you want to make sure you check and double check your packing list before your Costa Rica adventure tour. Take a look at a packing list that we have developed over the years of things you should bring:

Espino Blanco Lodge

My first impression when I walked into this lodge was "this is what every hotel in Costa Rica should be". It is literally surrounded by nature. It was not bull-dozed and then a gardener came in and planted pretty trees and flowers around it. It is in the rainforest and cabins, reception, and the restaurant are placed in the midst of the rainforest. There are holes in the floor of the restaurant and reception that wrap around trees so the absolute least amount of trees had to be removed. It is completely natural in all aspects and very low on energy use. You walk around the hotel holding a lantern. That is correct, no lights in your room so bringing a flash-light is a great idea. This is a perfect spot for a Costa Rica family vacation and although not a super fancy place it is decorated, clean,  and done to perfection to make you feel the jungle all around.

When describing Costa Rica ecolodges this is for the true ecotourist. Although this hotel is located in a large reserve called Espino Blanco it is only off the beaten path by 2km and is actually only 20 minutes from the town of Turrialba. Espino Blanco is part of the Wagelia hotels which has two other hotels in the Turrialba area. The other two hotels are simple but in our opinion it's a no brainer that the Espino Blanco that we describe above is the best without question of their three hotels in the area.

Being in the Turrialba area, this lodge is great access to some of the best Costa Rica adventure tours. The Costa Rica whitewater rafting tour of the Pacuare River, one of top five scenic rivers on the planet according to National Geographic, is nearby.