Canopy Zip Line & River Drift Combo
This adventurous combo tour features heart-pounding canopy zip line rides, paired with an engaging rafting trip down the beautiful Piedras Negras River. Wild enough to get your adrenaline going, this tour also allows plenty of opportunity to enjoy the natural beauty that has made Costa Rica famous.
Get Ready for Fun
After a friendly local pickup from your La Fortuna hotel, you arrive at the basecamp. Here you may store a change of clothing and an extra towel in the complimentary lockers that are provided so that you can dry off after the days’ big adventure. While you’re at the basecamp, you may also decide to rent a GoPro so that you can take exciting first-person footage of your tour to show your friends and family back home. Just ask your friendly guides to assist you with the rental.
Long Ziplines to the Riverbank
In order to arrive at the riverbank, you’ll get to soar across the canopy on two extended ziplines. Combined, these two ziplines measure over 800 meters in length. Dense vegetation and sweeping vistas pass by, giving you a feeling of free-flying over the rich rainforest canopy. On the short walk between the two ziplines, take in the beautiful natural landscape and keep a keen eye out for wildlife. This area is home to indigenous coatimundis, (“coati”), and yellow-throated toucans.
Rappel to the River Basin!
Arriving at the riverbank platform, the next step in your adventure is an adrenaline-pumping, 100-foot rappel down to the river basin below. Every bit as thrilling as it sounds, rest assured that your knowledgeable guides and top-of-the-line gear will keep you safe on this breathtaking decent.
At the bottom, your experienced instructor will take a moment to provide you with an informative safety briefing. During this meeting, you will learn how to navigate the river on your personal raft.
You will also be given a life jacket to wear in addition to your helmet. Although this part of the river is relatively shallow, safety is always a priority here. Following the instruction, it’s time to get out on the water!
Don’t let the words, “river drift” fool you. While there are certainly many areas where drifting takes place on your course, for much of your trip you will be bouncing through Class I and Class II whitewater rapids in your personal tube raft. Whirling pools spin you through a series of cascading drops and rushing currents. Your tube careens off of large river rocks, spiraling you off in a new direction as your guides supervise the wild fun from close by. The currents correct your course, and off you go again, splashing on further down the river. During our Green Season, (May to November), the water levels are higher and the water rushes faster. During the rest of the year, the river runs somewhat calmer. Year-round, this is a truly fantastic personal tubing experience.
A Chance to Drift
Each series of rapids on the Piedras Negras are punctuated by calm, lazy stretches of river where you will have time to catch your breath and enjoy the landscape around you. Tranquil rainforest stretches up to the river’s edge on either side of you. The sounds of colorful tropical birds fill the air as spider monkeys and other exotic mammals cling to the trees and play along the riverbanks. Enjoy a beautiful waterfall before engaging in the final course of rapids.
As your wild ride comes to a close, the water calms and you ease to the banks. After a quick drying off, you will be driven back to the basecamp for a cold, refreshing beverage made with natural rainforest sugar cane. There are outdoor showers and changing rooms where you may remove your wet clothing and change into the dry set you stashed in your locker at the beginning of the tour.
If you prefer to stay a while, stop by the delicious on-site restaurant, order a meal and enjoy incredible views of Arenal Volcano from the tranquil balcony. Either way you decide, this is a memorable river rafting tour that is sure to be a highlight on your trip to Costa Rica
