Zip Lining in Monteverde – The Best Places

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Zip lining is one of the most popular activities to do in Costa Rica. How fun would it be to zip over dense jungles and get a view from above? Zip lining in Monteverde is unique because Monteverde is a cloud forest. In fact. Monteverde is the most popular place in Costa Rica to go zip lining mostly because of the amazing views.

There are several zip lining companies in Monteverde. We either visited or did a lot of research on every zip lining company in Monteverde to select the best places for you to visit. We then broke down what to expect at each of the best zip lining companies to give you a better idea of which one is best for you.

Alright, let’s get to it!

Zip Lining Lingo

Before I get into what to expect at each zip lining place it is probably best to explain some zip lining lingo. Otherwise, you’ll have no idea what I’m talking about!

Platform

OK this one is kind of obvious. The platform is where you stand before you zip. A guide will be at each platform while you zip line. They will hook you up to the cable and tell you when you can jump.

Cable

Cable is the line that you are attached to when zipping from one platform to the other. The length of the cables vary throughout your zip lining adventure.

Tarzan Swing

A Tarzan swing is where you stand on a platform and you are attached to a cable which is attached in front of you. Confused? Yea, I’m not explaining this well at all and I unfortunately don’t have a picture. You then jump and swing like a pendulum until you slow down and reach the ground. It’s basically a rope swing from a high platform. That is probably a better explanation. The initial drop may take your breath away, but then it is very exhilarating!

Superman Swing

A Superman swing is when you do normal zip ling but while lying down and looking out over the jungle below. It may seem a bit scary, but the view is definitely amazing! In the picture above you can see my dad being daring and trying out the Superman.

Rappeling

Rappeling is when you are attached to a cable and go down the side of a cliff face. In Costa Rica, a lot of the rappelling is done down high waterfalls. This is a popular activity for all you adventure lovers.

Hanging Bridges

Hanging bridges consist of nature trails and suspended bridges that you can walk over. These bridges vary in length and height but they can guarantee a great view!

Canopy Tour

A canopy tour is just what they sometimes call the zip lining tour in Costa Rica. After all, you are getting an overhead tour of the canopy.

Now let’s get into all your amazing Monteverde zip lining options!

Selvatura Park

Number of Platforms: 

There are 13 cables with a total of 2.2 miles of zip lining

Special Features:

One tarzan swing and access to their hummingbird garden is also included in your entry.

For $10 you can do one cable as a Superman swing as part of your ziplining.

For extra fees, you can access their butterfly garden, reptiles and amphibians or their hanging bridges walkways.

There is a restaurant and gift shop on site.

Cost:

Zip lining is $50 per person.

Zip lining + hanging bridges is $80 per person

Reptiles and Amphibians is $15 per person

Access to the butterfly garden is $15 per person

Selvatura park also offers other combo tours. You can check the rates for their combo packages here.

Transportation:

Free transportation from your hotel and back within downtown Monteverde is included.

For more information and to reserve ahead of time you can check out the Selvatura Park website here. 

Extremo Park

Number of Platforms:

24 platforms (16 cables + Tarzan swing + rappeling + Subterranean Superman Tunnel, and one aerial Superman)

The cables total over 2.5 miles in length.

Special Features:

For an extra fee, you can go bungee jumping, take a buggy tour, or do the swing extremo.

There is also a restaurant on site.

Cost:

$50 per person for the ziplining

$75 per person for bungee jumping

$44 for the swing extremo

$80 for the buggy tour

Transportation:

Free transportation from your hotel within downtown Monteverde is included.

You can find out more on the Monteverde Extremo Park website.

Adventure Canopy 100%

Number of Platforms:

10 cables, Superman (2), rappelling, mega Tarzan swing

Special Features:

For an extra fee they also offer bridges, horseback riding, and ATV tours.

Cost:

$50 per person for the ziplining with the Superman, Tarzan swing, and rapeling.

$35 per person for the hanging bridges.

$50 per person for horseback riding.

$60 per person for the ATV tour

Transportation:

Free transportation from your hotel within downtown Monteverde is included.

You can find out more info and book your canopy tour in Monteverde with 100% Adventura.

Sky Adventures

Number of Platforms: 

7 cables totaling 2,600 ft of zip lining.

Special Features:

For an extra fee, they also offer a sky tram, hanging bridge walk, a walk through their herpetarium (an exhibit of reptiles and amphibians), and a tree climbing park.

There is a restaurant and gift shop on site.

Cost:

$84 per person for zip ling

$41 for the hanging bridge walk

$16 to visit the herpetarium

$42 per person for the tree climb park

$48 per person for the sky tram

They also have several packed deals in which you can combine multiple activities for a lower rate. You can check that out here.

Transportation:

Transportation for your hotel in Monteverde is an extra $10.

For more information and to reserve ahead of time you can check out the Sky Trek website here. Just make sure to double check that you are booking for Monteverde and not La Fortuna. They have a zip lining park there as well, but all the booking is done on one website.

Our Experience Zip Lining in Monteverde

We went zip lining in Monteverde while traveling with a large group of our family and friends after our wedding. In total there were 13 of us out of 15 people that wanted to go zip lining. The only reason the other two didn’t want to zip line was because they had already done it last time they had visited and wanted to use that time to try out the hanging bridges instead.

So, the day before our Monteverde canopy tour adventure we all sat down and chose our zip line adventure of choice. The owner of our hotel strongly recommended Selvatura Park for beginners and Extremo Park for more action. In the end, all the German (except for my lovely husband who stuck with me) chose Extremo Park and the US crew all chose Selvatura Park. That should tell you something about the adventure level of the Germans vs. the people from the US. Us US people are wimps! 😉

The next day we woke up early to wait for our free transportation to the parks. We opted to go zip lining around 9am so that we could beat the crowds and also so we would still have the rest of our day to do other things.

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The buses picked us up about an hour before our scheduled zip lining launch time (probably not the correct terminology haha). This allowed us plenty of time to pick up other zipliners, drive the 30 minutes to the park, and gear up.

Once we arrived at Selvetura we checked in at the front desk. It was there that they asked us if anyone in our group wanted to try the Superman swing for the final cable. Thomas and my dad both opted to pay the extra $10 for the Superman swing.

Next, we put our stuff in the free lockers and headed to the gear room. Oh, and we made sure to use the bathroom one last time before we got our gear on. We were then given hard hats, gloves, and harnesses which a Selvetura employee helped us put on.

Then we were off! We walked to where the first cable was, listened to safety instructions, and tried to shake our nerves. The first cable was really short and was meant to give you a little introduction into what you are doing. After that, the cables get longer. There were some cables that you could do as a couple. There was also one in which there were two cables next to each other that you could do as two couples racing. For this one, my cousin and I each partnered with one of the guides and raced. She somehow won.

Then we came to the Tarzan swing. My dad, one cousin, and I all sat this one out. However, the rest of our group went for it. It was so fun to watch everyone’s reactions as they jumped. I’ve never heard my sister scream like she did as she had her free fall from the platform.

We all had a great time and felt completely safe and secure the entire time. The guides were also excellent. They had fun with it but were very professional as well. I highly recommend going ziplining in Monteverde at Selvetura. You’ll have a blast!

When we reunited with the German crew they had nothing but great things to say about Extremo Park as well. However, I’m happy I stuck with Selvetura because some of the things they talked about seemed a bit above my thrill level.

Our Tip for Zip Lining in Monteverde

– Go early in the day before the crowds. Zip lining is the most popular activity in Monteverde so it is best to either arrange it ahead of time or just go really early.

– If your plans are already set, it doesn’t hurt to book your zip lining ahead of time. In the green season you will have no problem booking your zip line adventure the night before but during the dry season (end of December until mid-May) things can book out ahead of time. Just be warned that some of the companies don’t have any cancellation policy.

– If you are looking for a place to stay in Monteverde, here are our suggestions…

– Wear a rain jacket. It’s almost always raining in Monteverde. You probably won’t be able to get the hood over your helmet, but at least your body will still dry.

– Don’t be scared! I was so nervous but it was incredibly fun and actually not scary at all.

– All of the companies I listed are very reputable and have great safety records. However, if something doesn’t feel safe or right to you, always trust your instincts. There is no shame in bowing out of an activity if you don’t feel comfortable. Along with that, always check everything quickly yourself. The guides are good, but it is always best to double check that they hooked you up properly.

What to Do After

On our bus ride back from Selvetura we decided we were ready for lunch and asked to be dropped off in the downtown area. We headed over to Taco Taco and I highly recommend it! The tacos were great and they also had a huge selection of craft beer. It was the perfect treat after zip lining.

If you are looking for more fun things to do in Monteverde check out our complete guide to the area. In our guide, you can find out how to climb up inside a ficus tree to the top, the best places to go hiking, a cool tree house restaurant, and more.

Let us know if you have any questions about doing a Monteverde canopy tour in the comment section below. We are always happy to help you out. Also, if you tried zip lining in Monteverde we’d love to hear about your experience!