Zip-line/Canopy Tours

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Zip-line/Canopy Tours

A little history-

Although Canopy tour adventures are relatively new, their origins date back to the 1970’s when the technique were developed by US scientists in order to study the canopies of trees in the rainforest without disturbing the life in the branches and trunks by having to attach ladders or climbing equipment to the tree. Utilizing techniques common in rappelling and spelunking, scientists quickly learned the distinct advantage of studying the jungle canopy undisturbed from above. Now, the scientists were able to study the canopy ecosystems in great depth and the rainforest became the prime target for exploration with this newly developed technique.

In regards to tourism, canopy tours first became popular in Costa Rica during the mid ‘90’s and have spread all over the country (some say, to the detriment) and to many other parts of the world as well.

Canopy tours are an adrenaline rush but they also offer up a completely different and unique way to experience and view the rainforest. But the best thing is that almost anyone can enjoy them as they require little physical effort.

That being said, it is a good idea to gather as much information about a certain canopy tour as you can, as they are not all created equal and you should select the type that interests you most. Some tours offer long and fast cables such as SkyTrek, promising you'll go from A to Z as fast as possible- these can be a real rush. Some are slower, and closer to the canopy, offering great views of the rainforest, rivers, waterfalls and maybe even some wildlife. Some tours even offer a combination- mixing in some hanging bridges, trams and guided walks along jungle trails. So many cables, the options are numerous.

Canopy tours and Costa Rica are synonymous, so if you visit the country you shouldn’t leave without doing a canopy tour as it’s something you will remember for the rest of your life and something you will surely want to do again.