5 Best Land-Based Adventures To Experience In Costa Rica

Costa Rica is a beautiful Central American country with coastlines on the Caribbean and Pacific. Meanwhile, the country has endless rainforests and protected jungles to explore its biodiversity, teeming with beautiful wildlife. We recently looked at marine activities to be had in the country and now look at land-based adventures.  Moreover, Costa Rica is one of the most perfect countries to experience adventure sports, such as zip lining through the rainforest and canyoning waterfalls. Other adventures include ATV tours of the interior, exploring waterfalls and visiting the Jaguar Rescue Center. Read on to find out more about what is on offer to those with adventure in their souls.

ATV Tour in Costa Rica

Exploring Costa Rica on an ATV tour is a true adventure, where the mini off-road vehicles take you over the rough terrains. Meanwhile, the Central American country has some excellent tours with good quality off-road vehicles and the necessary safety equipment to keep you safe. Usually, a tour will start with a crash course (excuse the pun) on safety before heading out into the wild.

Bear in mind when booking ATV tours that the company needs you to have the correct license, with MOPT and ICT, and must have adequate insurance coverage. Bear in mind that Costa Rica has many unregistered ATV tours and taking the wrong one could be a huge mistake. Rather book with a registered tour operator such as Jungle ATV.

Canyoning waterfalls in Central America

The adventure sport of canyoning involves traveling down a fast-flowing water body or waterfall at extreme speeds. In fact, this is one of the favorite adventures for travelers visiting Costa Rica and is an exciting, adrenaline sport. La Fortuna offers a canyoning tour known as Pure Trek, which involves a 200-foot waterfall. However, other great locations for the sport can be found at Turrialba’s Explornatura and The Park at Jaco.

Costa Rica is one of the best locations for canyoning due to the many mountains in the country. Here, small rivers have carved out a path through the hills over the years, creating hundreds of canyons and waterfalls. However, bear in mind that canyoning tours like the Finca Modelo Ecologica are not for the fainthearted.

Cool off in a waterfall in Costa Rica

A gentler adventure is to hike to a waterfall through the lush green rainforest. One of the best is the Llanos de Cortez Waterfall in Liberia, Costa Rica, only 20 minutes from downtown Guanacaste. It costs less than $10 to visit the waterfall, where you can swim and splash around with your friends or family.

Another beautiful waterfall is the Del Toro Waterfall, with its amazing 270-foot drop, located in the Central Valley. To access this option, head through the village of Bajos del Toro, a few hours’ drive from the city of San Jose. However, bear in mind that the village has few tourist attractions other than the waterfall, but is perfect for those seeking quiet time in nature.

Visit the animals at the Jaguar Rescue Center

Animal lovers should make a plan to visit the Jaguar Rescue Center in Puerto Viejo de Talamanca. The center is the foremost location to learn more about the wildlife in Costa Rica, where they treat injured animals. Moreover, they provide rehabilitation for the jaguars before releasing them back into the wild.

A visit to the rescue center is an ideal adventure for a family day trip. On arrival, you can enjoy a guided tour, where you can interact with various animals, including anteaters, birds, jaguars, monkeys and sloths.

Meanwhile, the Jaguar Rescue Center does amazing work with the animals and with educating visitors on the behaviors of the species in the wild.

Zip Lining Adventure in Costa Rica

You couldn’t find a better country in the world for the sport of zip lining than Costa Rica. The tiny Central American nation is famous for its spectacular views and landscapes, best seen on zip-lining cables over the lush rainforest.

As for the best locations, Fortuna, Guanacaste and Monteverde are ideal for a great zip-lining experience. Meanwhile, whether you are an experienced zip liner, or visiting with the family, the country has zip line tours to suit everyone.

One zip line tour that is particularly suitable for families is La Fortuna’s EcoGlide. This tour takes you through the rainforest while offering beautiful views of the nearby Arenal, the rainforest itself and the hillside. Meanwhile, one truly great feature of the EcoGlide tour is the Tarzan Swing, sending you flying through the forest, best suited to experts.

Have an adventure in Costa Rica this year, enjoying adrenaline-inducing sports, hiking in the rainforest and visiting the wildlife.