|
Costa Rica Canopy Tours
A
world unto their own, rainforests are one of this planet’s dying
habitats. And though much is being done in the way of conservation
to protect them, these amazing places are being chopped away at
quite a fast rate. However, in Costa Rica, eco-tourism has taken a
front seat, and since this tiny nation is home to over roughly 5% of
the world’s biodiversity, a lot is being done to protect and
preserve these endangered zones.
With more than a quarter of Costa Rica covered in rainforests, one
of the best ways to explore these truly magical and enchanting
realms is via a canopy tour. Developed by US scientists, who were
trying to study trees without touching the plant, animal and insect
life on the limbs and trunks, canopy tours emerged as the prefect
solution.
A fantastic way to explore a truly unique habitat like the
rainforests without disturbing the wildlife or endangering the trees
themselves, canopy tours have become the ideal way to get a bird’s
eye view of the forest below.
Though many people still believe that hiking is a great way to
explore a rainforest, canopy tours are even better because the view
they offer is often unparalleled and one also gets to see the flora
and fauna in their natural environment. Additionally, with
rainforests often having dense plant life, the environment on the
ground can get pretty dark, thus making it difficult to see
everything in a clear manner.
There are a number of walkways or skywalks through out Costa Rica’s
forests that have bridges strung across a valley from where you can
walk above the canopy of trees and get a panoramic aerial view of
the forest below.
However, the most popular form of canopy touring
is the kind where platforms are built into the strongest trees and a
zip line is strung in between them. Tourists are then sent zipping
across the forests from tree to tree on these lines via a safety
harness.
A Canopy Tour consists of suspension cables on which the person will
travel from platform to platform while enjoying the beauty of the
forest canopy. These cables are specially designed by expert
engineers, who have made it one of the safest and most thrilling
adventures available for tourists in Costa Rica. Clients are equiped
with high-tech harnesses to ensure their safety.
Certainly not a sport for the faint hearted, canopy tours are
definitely meant for the more adventurous tourists who enjoy the
adrenaline rush. And while it is relatively safe, canopy tours are
not without their own risks. These risks often arise when people use
substandard canopy tour operators, who utilize equipment that is
either broken or not up to par. Some of these operators do not even
use the correct or appropriate safety equipment which is very
dangerous.
In order to have a safe ride, always make sure you are
securely fastened into your harness and that you have two straps one
for the ride and the other for backup.
An amazing and often thrilling experience, canopy tour operators can
be found all over the country. Most of Costa Rica’s national parks
have canopy tour operators, with many of their head offices or
branches based in the capital San Jose.
|
|
**
New
**
As Promised,
is Proud to Announce...
Interactive
Driving
and
City Maps of
Costa Rica
|
|
Click Here
... for a Cost of Living
Analysis of
Costa Rica as compared to the Four Major Travel Contributing
Areas in the
US, Northeastern Boston Area,
Southern Florida Region,
Dallas, Texas and
Greater San Francisco...
Coming Soon... |
|
|
