Canyoning in Costa Rica!
Canyoning (also known as “canyoneering”) is easily among the world’s greatest adrenaline outdoor activities. It’s essentially a sport of descending narrow canyons with the assist of ropes and climbing harnesses for safety. Participants get to experience truly unique places in nature in a unique way, by safely rappelling through rushing waterfalls, over large chokestones and down imposing rock walls. There are enough places to enjoy great canyoning in Costa Rica that it can be somewhat of a challenge to choose the right canyoning trip for you and your companions. Here are some first-hand observations and more information to help you choose the best canyoning experience.
More pictures of canyoning in Costa Rica >>
Lost World in Arenal
This is one of my favorites for travelers who want a fun, almost amusement park-style nature and adrenaline experience. The guides are super high-energy and focus on getting everybody involved on the hike. This excursion combines some hiking through the narrow gorge with a few long rappels (including one of 200 feet) plus chances to swim and generally splash around. A photographer goes along with you to capture the good times. This is a particularly good choice for people who like variety and who would enjoy some fun showmanship by their guides. Departures daily, year-round at 7:30am, 10:00am, and 1:00pm (pick-up times can vary depending on your hotel location in the Arenal Area).
Pure Trek in Arenal
This is a great choice for someone looking for more rappelling, especially through waterfalls, in a terrifically scenic rainforest slot canyon. The guides are true professionals and take great pains to insure your safety and offer encouragement to anyone who may be a little afraid of heights. If you are in Arenal and want a no-nonsense though thrilling rappelling excursion, this outfitter makes a fantastic choice. Pure Trek schedules 2 canyoning trips a day, one at 7:15am and one at 12:15pm.
Selva Bananito Eco-Lodge
Located near the Caribbean coast, this isolated eco-lodge is the place that started it all! It’s where canyoning got its start in Costa Rica and it’s still a beauty. This is truly pristine rainforest; in fact, the property borders the La Amistad International Park, among Central America’s most vast tracts of unspoiled rainforest. On the Selva Bananito canyoning trek, travelers enjoy more of a wilderness experience and a rugged physical challenge, since instead of driving to the high points, you’re hiking through jungle and wading on the river bottom to reach them. With effort comes reward; here you get to hear the distant roars of howler monkeys and get close up views of Costa Rica’s amazing birds, lizards, beetles and frogs. While the other two places to canyon are half-day trips, this is more like a ¾ day to nearly a full day experience. Trips start in the morning and go as long as necessary to return to the lodge.
Canyoning General Information
Canyoning is generally recommended for travelers aged 12 or 13 up to approximately 65. You’ll want to be in good physical condition but you don’t need to be an athlete. What’s more important is a spirit of adventure and a desire to have fun. Some experience hiking is also a good idea.
Some of our travelers have a fear of heights and that prevents them from enjoying the sport. While being afraid of heights isn’t an advantage, it isn’t something that should necessarily stop you either. The equipment you find with reputable canyoning outfits is first-rate, first-world quality. The staffs you find on these trips genuinely take your safety as the #1 concern and the good outfitters all have backup plans in place in case anything were to go wrong. Since it’s so safe, canyoning in Costa Rica is an excellent endeavor to confront and overcome a fear of heights.
The fees are often around US$ 100/person, and this includes professional bilingual guides and support staff, lunch, towel, transportation to / from the start and all the equipment (helmets, ropes, climbing harness, etc.). Typically these are half day tours in total, about 5 hours. Participants should wear swimsuits and clothes that you can get wet, along with secure shoes (river shoes or Chacos, etc.) plus bring a dry change of clothes for afterwards.
With Adventures Within Reach, we can customize a tour to include canyoning in nearly any itinerary, so please contact us for ideas and how to fit it in. A great day in Costa Rica is to do enjoy the Sky Trek zipline (in Arenal) in the morning, then do an Arenal canyoning trip in the afternoon. Or you can do the canyoning in the morning and relax by the pool or hot spring the balance of the day. Canyoning in Arenal is easy to fit into any tour between San Jose and the Pacific Coast, just add at least one and preferably 2 nights in Arenal in between.
Selva Bananito Eco-Lodge is a destination lodge in the opposite direction of Arenal, towards the Caribbean coast and Cahuita) that can be reached directly from San Jose by road or via a rafting trip down the Pacuare river. That makes an awesome adventure trip, and AWR’s 9-day Costa Rica and Bocas del Toro Adventurer does just that. Feel free to call or email us for more ideas. Whatever you do, try to make time for some canyoning in Costa Rica!