Costa Rica Canopy
If you are planning to travel to Costa Rica, a tour of the canopy is a vital part of your trip. The lush green canopies in Costa Rica are stunning when viewed from the paths, hanging bridges, and zip lines situated through this exotic country.
Where are the Canopies in Costa Rica?
While there are numerious canopies throught Costa Rica, the most famous canopy is the the Monteverde area of Costa Rica. In that area, the two most established tours of the canopy are offered by Sky Trek and Selvatura. Read on for a comparison of the two...
A recent photo of the Sky Trek Canopy Tour in Monteverde Costa Rica.
Are all canopy tours the same?
No, there are many canopy tours and the two compared here are simply the best. This is for a number of reasons, and it starts with location - Monteverde has the best cloud forest canopies in the country.
Another consideration is the size of the operation - time flies when you are having fun, so the length of the canopy tour is another big consideration. The tours compared here offer the longest lines in the Monteverde area. In Arenal we can recommend Hanging Briges Canopy Tour, Arenal Sky Tram,and Arenal Sky Tram and Sky Trek (a combination tour). See all the Arenal Costa Rica Canopy Tours - note there are some more interesting combo tours that combine various canopy tours with other local attractions there.
In Monteverde, Selvatura and Sky Trek are both well run organizations and will provide a safe experience in the canopy that you will remember for your lifetime.
If you are just interesting in taking a hike through canopy pathways and hanging bridges, then you will get a great view at either Selvatura or Sky Trek. Both are in the primary cloud forest and the canopy is dense, and their suspension bridges will give you an eagle eye view of the dense canopy. So we do not make a big distintion between the Sky Walk Suspension Bridges and the Selvatura Canopy and Bridges tours - just read more about them at the links provided and choose the one that appeals to you the most.
However, if it is the thrill of the zip line that appeals to you, then there are several minor details that may make a difference to you. Zip lines are cable systems that enable you to glide through the canopy, looking at the tree tops as you fly above the jungle.
At Selvatura, the zip line ride puts you a bit more IN the canopy than ABOVE it. At Sky Trek, the self-supporting platforms are sometimes more elevated so you feel above the canopy more of the time. At Selvatura, the platforms are actually fastened to the huge trees, so one feels more a part of the jungle.
At Sky Trek, the platforms where you land at the end of a cable are very long, and the guides have a system that allows them to slow you down as needed at the platform landing area. This allows you to keep both hands at the same position the duration of the ride and eliminates the need to worry about braking. The platforms at Selvatura are not as deep and it is up to you to slow yourself down at the end of the ride. It is simple to slow yourself down and at the beginning of each canopy tour the guides will instruct you how to do so, so this is not an issue.
Since the platforms are larger at Sky Trek, it is easy to switch positions and drop back behind or go in front of others in your party. This is nice because it makes it very easy to get videos and photos of your companions on the zip line as they zoom over the canopy. At Selvatura there are fewer opportunities to switch positions as soon as you land on the platform you will be immediately connected to the next line and sent off. At Selvatura, after every 3-4 lines, everyone is piled up on one platform and wait for the guides to pass them up and set up further along the ziplines. So there is the oppurtunity to switch around here but the platforms are usually a bit packed making it a challenge.
One thing Selvatura has that Sky Trek does not have is a swing they call the "Tarzan Swing". It is about halfway through the zip line canopy tour an is a huge adrenaline rush! You climb up to a platform that overlooks a big drop off. Once your harness securely fastened to a two heavy ropes (a main rope and a backup) you step off the platform... the rope is tight so you free fall for only a fraction of a second before the swing takes you out above the canopy. It is a huge rush, and some people choose to just watch the brave take the ride as it is not required to continue along the tour.
In summary, the zip lines at Selvatura and Sky Trek are both thrilling, safe, and completely rewarding tours of the canopy. At Selvatura there is the opportunity for a bit more adrenaline because of the Tarzan Swing and a bit more alertness required on your part for occasional braking. Sky Trek is also a thrill, with a better opportunity to take photos and braking done for you by the guides.
You can learn more and book the Selvatura Zip Lines here and Sky Trek Zip Lines here. You can also check out all Costa Rica zipline and canopy tours for other canopy tours in case you are looking for a Costa Rican Canopy experience elsewhere in the country.