A Dose of Adrenaline With 100% Aventura

Ziplining with 100% Aventura, Monteverde, Costa Rica

Following our relaxing but seriously inspiring nature walk in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, Mak and I were ready to turn the adrenaline up a notch.

While there are a number of adventure tour companies operating in Santa Elena offering everything from leisurely hikes to badass canyoning tours, the choice to do a canopy tour with 100% Aventura (aventura = adventure) was made simple enough–according to the folks at our hostel, it was easily the best value in town.

Their tour boasts the longest zipline in Latin America measuring a whopping 1590 meters (or 5,216 feet…nearly a mile long!) and a massive Tarzan Swing at the very end, just in case your heart’s not already beating out of your chest.  If you’re not sure what a Tarzan Swing is, don’t worry–you’ll find out soon enough.

Since carrying your camera during the canopy tour isn’t highly encouraged, I strapped on the ol’ GoPro and managed to get some pretty beautiful footage of our day.  I don’t know if you guys know this, but Costa Rica is REALLY green.

Ziplining with 100% Aventura, Monteverde, Costa Rica
GoPro ready!
Ziplining with 100% Aventura, Monteverde, Costa Rica
Looking like a real badass if I do say so myself.

First, we hit the shorter ziplines…

…Followed by the longest zipline in Latin America; we were in a face-first superman position for this one (I opted to leave the audio on this next video so y’all can hear me talking to myself like a crazy person).

Ziplining with 100% Aventura, Monteverde, Costa Rica
1590 meters of fun.

Do one thing every day that scares the total sh*t out of you.

Ok, so maybe that’s not exactly what Eleanor said.  But the message is the same.  The ziplining was easy enough; now, in order to protect my reputation as an adventurous traveler, I had to face my real fear.

I had to conquer…the Mega Tarzan Swing.  Maybe it’s just me, but there’s something unsettling about being hurtled toward the ground with nothing but a stretchy rope to save you from meeting a grisly end.  Needless to say, I was NOT convinced this was a good idea, but somehow I took the plunge anyway.

Tarzan Swing, 100% Aventura Monteverde, Costa Rica
This is what mental preparedness looks like, I swear.

Warning: If you’re watching this with audio, be prepared to turn the volume down just before the 1:05 mark.

It may  not be obvious from all the screaming, but I actually really enjoyed the Tarzan Swing.  Would I do it again?  It’s possible.  Am I glad I faced my fear?  Absolutely.  Am I ready to take on bungee jumping next?  Uhh, let’s not get carried away.

So, that was our day with 100% Aventura!  This tour costs $45 (USD) and runs for about 3 hours including travel time to and from your hotel (pickup is included).  We thought it was a great value and a lot of fun.

Are you an adrenaline junkie?  Would you go ziplining through the Costa Rican jungle?

23 comments

    • LaMochilera (author)

      Oh man, I don’t think I would have ever had the guts to motorbike Vietnam. It’s not the motorbiking that’s the problem, it’s Vietnam’s traffic! Now THAT’S brave!

  • estherjulee

    haha loved the video of the tarzan swing. it does look like a lot of fun. I think it’s probably scarier than bungee. I’ve done that in New Zealand, and it was over so fast.. I had no time to even process that I was falling. Did you feel the sensation of falling with the swing?
    estherjulee recently posted…Award Winning Meyer Lemon Crinkle Cookies RecipeMy Profile

    • LaMochilera (author)

      Definitely felt the falling sensation on the Tarzan Swing! It’s over pretty fast but then you fall again after the upswing! I guess bungee is the same way. Still not sure about if I could ever do it…

  • Christie

    Aaaah I did this in Costa Rica earlier this year, at the exact same place, with tarzan swing and all! So SO much fun but also so freaking scary! I screamed so loud on the tarzan swing I almost lost my voice haha. I’d love to do it again! I’m from NZ and never bungeed…after doing the tarzan swing I’m not sure if I could!
    Christie recently posted…I didn’t love the Perhentian IslandsMy Profile

    • LaMochilera (author)

      Aww but NZ is like THE place to bungee jump! Haha no I don’t blame you one bit, someone would have to give me a pretty big incentive to bungee jump I think…lots of money or a whole day at a spa afterward…

  • Heidi Wagoner

    Great fun and in a wonderful country too! I love the energy rush from ziplining. I did 9 traverses in Jamaica and smacked right into a tree at the end of one of them. luckily it was padded and all ended well.
    Heidi Wagoner recently posted…Two Day Slow Boat On The Mekong River with Kids!My Profile

    • LaMochilera (author)

      Haha oh no! That’s too funny…I hope you were wearing a helmet at least!

  • Howard Blount

    Ziplining is about as extreme as I get. Went ziplining at YS Falls in Jamaica. It was fun, but too fast to enjoy the scenery. Also, we were in Costa Rica last year, but didn’t make it to Monteverde. Fun post!
    Howard Blount recently posted…Retro Roadtrip: Jamaica’s Dunn’s River FallsMy Profile

    • LaMochilera (author)

      Too fast to enjoy the scenery? Either that sounds like the coolest ziplining ever (talk about an adrenaline rush) or a total waste of money, I can’t decide! I’d recommend this tour if you ever make it back to Costa Rica!

    • LaMochilera (author)

      It was so much fun! And the beautiful scenery we got to look at made it even better. So glad you like the videos! 🙂

  • Justine

    I went on that same zipline and I had such a blast! Haha, I love the video of you on the Tarzan Swing. That’s hilarious. Seriously, I would have been freaked out just walking on that ledge…I’m not sure I would have had the guts to jump. Good for you! I think you have to try bungee jumping next. I’ve been wanting to try it forever, but again I’d probably be too scared to actually jump…
    Justine recently posted…The Nitty Gritty of Finding a Job in IndonesiaMy Profile

    • LaMochilera (author)

      I was terrified the whole way out there but I knew the video was recording so I tried not to audibly freak out too much haha! Bungee jumping may be in my future but I need some time to recover from this first. And someone might have to push me because I’m not sure I’d jump either!

    • LaMochilera (author)

      Once they hook you up to the Tarzan Swing all you have to do is bend your knees a little and it pulls you right off the edge!

    • LaMochilera (author)

      Oh man, I BET that was amazing!!

    • LaMochilera (author)

      I’m the same way Erica, whenever I watch people doing daring things my palms start to sweat! It was a lot of fun despite how terrified I was 🙂

  • Jason

    Hey Leah, I am going to have to go do that tarzan swing after watching your video. I have been living in Costa Rica for almost two years now and I have never been to Monteverde. I have heard nothing but good things about that area and I love the mountains here. I am currently living in Jaco and just opened up an adventure you would love. If you ever come back to Costa Rica you should hit me up for a free tour, I give all my friends with blogs a free tour. Here is our website: http://www.jacoropes.com

    • Leah Davis (author)

      Sweet! It was an awesome experience 🙂 I do hope to visit Costa Rica again someday!

      • Jason Mueller

        OK. Hope to connect with you then. Pura Vida!

Comments are closed for this post.
Inline
Inline