Arenal is the unofficial capital of adventure tourism in Costa Rica — whitewater rafting, ziplining, canyoning, mountain biking, horseback riding, all-terrain vehicles — and all of these adventures are served up with a few spoonfuls of fear.
The one-of-a-kind EcoTram at Hacienda Barú near Dominical, Costa Rica, puts guests in the driver's seat for a slow-motion ride through the rain forest.
The new Diamante Eco Adventure Park near Playa del Coco aspires to be the best adventure park in Central America, and its Superman flight is a good start.
Cañon de la Vieja Lodge offers a fun float down the river, a little high-wire adventure and some seriously relaxing hot springs. And it's easy to get to.
A challenge course at Sky Adventures in Arenal offers ziplines, tightrope walking, rickety bridges, hanging ladders, a waterfall Tarzan swing and a pregnant pit viper. Who could ask for anything more?
The jungle canopy zipline was invented in Costa Rica by a U.S. biology student doing research, then reimagined for adventure tourism by a Canadian entrepreneur in Monteverde. And what a tangled web they wove.
If you get a thrill from 100% Aventura's Superman cable in Monteverde — the longest zipline in Latin America — just wait for the 45-meter drop on the terrifying Tarzan swing.
