Arenal Volcano Adventures
When I travel, I like adventures. Food adventures, outdoor adventures, trying new things, seeing new sights, I want it all. For this go round in Costa Rica, I knew I wanted to zip line and to ride ATVs. Before departing, a good friend told me to get out and see different parts of the country so I made it a point to incorporate an in-country excursion. I was flying into Liberia and looked for attractions near that airport. After renting a car in Tulum in 2019, I felt completely comfortable doing so in Costa Rica to make it easier to move around for the week.
My main home base for my 7-day trip was Coco Beach, or Playa del Coco. Like many beach towns, it was a tourist locale with lots of ex-pats from the U.S. and Canada in the area. Since I traveled in early April, many locals were also headed to the beach for Easter week and weekend. I can talk more about the main part of my stay in another blog but, for this one, I want to focus on the Arenal volcano and rainforest in the area of La Fortuna. This is where I got my adventure on, and got to check out some pretty amazing hot springs too (also for another blog because woooo, child I could have lived there).
The views of the Arenal volcano, from the top of the volcano, and around the volcano were absolutely breathtaking. The three-hour drive (yes three-hours) from Playa del Coco was gorgeous as well, and quite easy to make because Costa Ricans drive relatively slow. The roads were honestly smoother than the ones in New Orleans. On the ride you could see the change in climate from the dry, hot coastline to the lush, rainy greenery of the rainforest in the province of Alajuela. On the way I stopped at a dope bakery to grab coffee and breakfast while overlooking the lake. I cannot remember the name of the bakery but it was a perfect stop with good food and awesome views.
My tours and itinerary for the ATV and ziplining were created by the concierge service provided by my Airbnb. The listing was called Volcano-Lux Arenal / King Bed / La Fortuna. Highly recommend. One trick I use when traveling is to primarily book budget lodging (preferably with a kitchen) but to also splurge on more luxury accommodations for one or two nights. This was worth every penny because of the customer service and location.
The way I worked up until the day before departing for Costa Rica there was no way I could have seamlessly coordinated the itinerary that was sent to me via the concierge. All tickets were booked for me, I just needed to show up and enjoy the experience. Not to mention the relaxation and comfort provided by a morning massage and breakfast made by a private chef at the Airbnb, it was an all around 5-star experience.
Now, to the main point of this blog- the adventure travel experience! The two tours for ziplining and ATV were Sky Adventures Arenal Park and Outback ATV Tours and Arenal Volcano Adventures. I only had time to do the zip line tour at Sky Adventures park, I was not able to do the walking tour. There are guided and non-guided hanging bridges walking tours above the rainforest treetops, and also an adventure course if you really want to test your limits. Sky Adventures is a massive well-run park, not to mention Costa Ricans were the first to create the zipline so they know what they’re doing. I met folks from Malta and outside London, people of all ages were ziplining. You had the option to record your experience with a GoPro, and I chose to do so.
I am terrified of heights and somehow the height of this zipline did not register even after I was sent a video of the experience by my host. The GoPro helped because for a lot of the ziplining I was screaming in terror with my eyes closed. But, when I did open my eyes, while holding on for dear life to the metal contraption- the views were incredible. It was like being a bird soaring above the tree tops with the coast line appearing beyond the jungle. It was certainly something I will never forget. I Googled later, the zipline at Sky Adventure is 600 feet in the air. I suppose the name “Sky Adventure Park” would indicate to me that the experience would be high up but, I felt like I could touch the clouds. 600 feet is approximately two Eiffel Towers stacked on top of each other, and I have never ventured to the top of that structure. There are 7 total zip lines on the zip line tour but if heights make you queasy, this experience might not be for you.
The other part of my adventure day was a bucket list experience for me, ATV riding. What better place to ride an ATV for the first time than in the rainforest? It was an experience that included a hike to the top of the volcano after spending about 30-45 minutes riding, getting to see a gorgeous river and waterfall in the middle of the rainforest, and meeting indigenous Maleku people who taught us about their culture and customs. I did the three-hour tour. If you like the outdoors and nature, but also a mix of power (think jet skiing on the ground), then the ATV ride through the jungle is a pretty dope opportunity.
I will also add that my choice of an adventure excursion in Costa Rica was between the Arenal area and Monteverde, you can do lots of different outdoor adventures in either part of the country. If I go back, I’ll definitely try Monteverde and in particular, the butterfly sanctuary.
