Wanderlust Travel Magazine (UK)
ADVENTURE
1 Conquer the rapids
Costa Rica’s rivers swell during rainy season, so the best time to raft is from May to October. Rivers are graded; slow currents are classed as one or two, while six is the most challenging. Nervous? Then avoid ones with names like The Terminator (on Sarapiquí) or El Abismo (on Reventazón). Novices might want to try Peñas Blancas or Balsa, where you may spot herons, sloths and monkeys.
If you want to shake things up, opt for Savegre, which has calmer spots interspersed with rapids. Alternatively, paddle hell for leather on Río Toro, which is class two to four. Save Pacuare for last, as it’s voted among the world’s best rivers for white-water rafting. You can snake along its 108km length from the Talamanca mountains to the Caribbean – as long as you survive its double drop rapids, that is!
2 Fly through the trees
Central America’s longest zipline (1,590m) awaits at 100% Aventura in Monteverde. This is a heart-racing way to see the misty cloud forest and you will whizz down 11 ziplines before reaching the grand finale: Tarzan’s Swing, which will drop you to the ground 45m below. A little further north of Monteverde is La Fortuna, where you can zipline with the backdrop of Arenal volcano.
Another nine ziplines and 13 platforms await in Costa Rica’s south in Montezuma, at the southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula. Zip through the brocolli-green canopy, pausing at each of the platforms to soak up the incredible views of the surrounding mountains and the glittering Pacific Ocean. You may even spot capuchin monkeys and colourful parrots (such as macaws), while the sounds of howler monkeys will echo through the trees. When your feet are back on solid ground, be sure to explore the many waterfalls of Montezuma and cool off in their natural pools.
3 Swim with sharks
Whether you’re an advanced diver or a first timer, there are plenty of underwater spots, teeming with sharks, that are suited to your level. Novices should head under the water at Drake Bay where reef sharks can be seen along with orcas, humpbacks and pilot whales.
More experienced? Travel 30m below the surface at Bat Island, the only place in Costa Rica where you can experience bull sharks. Advanced certified divers can sail out to the far-flung Cocos Island, south-west of the mainland. This remote outpost is world-famous for its hundreds of hammerhead sharks and huge tiger sharks.
4 Gaze in awe at volcanoes
Costa Rica’a north is home to five active volcanoes. To admire the most photogenic, visit La Fortuna, where you can combine gawping at the symmetrical cone of the 1,657m-high Arenal volcano with jungle treks. After stretching your legs, take a dip in one of the many hot spring pools and apply natural clay body masks made with volcanic ash. Then tick off the other active volcanoes on the list – Poás, Rincón de la Vieja, Turrialba and, of course, Costa Rica’s highest volcano, the 3,432m Irazú, the closest to the capital, San José.
Don’t underestimate the thrill factor of dormant volcanoes either. Catarata Del Toro awaits exploration in the less-visited Central Valley. Listen to the crash of the waterfall from the top and feel its spray on your face as you descend into the 90m crater of an extinct volcano.
5 Trek the jungle
Over 90% of all organisms in a rainforest are found in the canopy, so what better place for a jungle adventure? At the Sky Walk at Monteverde Cloud Forest, six suspension bridges join together to form a 2.5km trail through Monteverde’s canopy. Follow a tour guide across the knee-shakingly high bridges while learning about the native flora and fauna.
For an extra thrilling adventure, embark on a jungle trek in the dark. In both Monteverde and Manuel Antonio NP, you can join a guide for a night walk. While your sight will be diminished, your other senses will come alive: the smell of the damp on the jungle floor; the high-pitch buzz of the insects; the low grunts of the toads. The forest never sleeps so expect to see bright tree frogs, huge snakes and tarantulas.