Canyoneering in Costa Rica

As I booked my adventure’s next destination, I knew that there were three things I had to do, with one of them being canyoneering in Costa Rica. The other two activities were White Water Rafting on the Pacuare River and scuba diving with manta rays at the Catalina Islands.

What is Canyoneering?

Canyoneering, or canyoning, is the sport of exploring canyons. Mind-blowing, right?

This is done through the use of a variety of techniques that often include things such as hiking, scrambling, climbing, rappelling, jumping, and swimming. 

As a life-long rock climber, I remember my excitement the first time I ever saw someone rappelling down a waterfall. It may have taken a while for it to finally happen, but as I watched, I knew it was something that I would do one day.

Costa Rica Canyoneering

I already knew through my research that Costa Rica is a prime destination for canyoneering. I just didn’t realize how much so.

A cursory search will reveal multiple locations throughout the country where it is possible to tackle this sport. The main ones being the Arenal Volcano area, Monteverde, Manuel Antonio, and the South Pacific coast.

I chose Monteverde because it was listed as the most challenging of the options. This was due to a few reasons, such as there being six waterfalls and their strength. With some very long repels under heavy cold water, the area sounded right up my alley.

Ecological Model Farm – Finca Modelo Ecológica

While this is an activity that I would like to tackle independently, being in Costa Rica prohibited that. Even back home, I no longer have the same circle of friends who would be capable of undertaking something like this safely.

So an operator it was.

Located about three hours north of San Jose, Finca Modelo Ecológica was the only operator I could find in the area. I don’t know if this was a good or a bad thing as the other areas all listed multiple companies.

That wasn’t the type of detail to dissuade me, though. So I got in my rental car and headed there right from the airport. I’d like to say “straight there” but the GPS initially led me to a farm on the side of a mountain. “Luckily,” unlike when I was trying to get to Tortuguero National Park, this only sent me thirty minutes in the wrong direction.

The Basics

Upon arrival, I was the only participant for the day. Given the nature of traveling during COVID, this was something I both fully expected and was glad for.

Certain activities are just better with fewer people. Have you ever been climbing or rappelling with someone who froze? It can be a mess. This is something that’s more likely to happen in this type of situation, as opposed to when you’re with people you already know and trust.

After meeting the crew we got right to work with waiver signing, and safety equipment talks. I was issued a harness, figure 8, helmet, elbow pads, knee pads, and leather gloves.

I know that may sound a bit like overkill, but believe it or not, a waterfall dumping thousands of gallons of water on your head from 100 feet up is capable of knocking your feet out from under you. Crazy.

Don’t go falling down waterfalls

After I was all geared up, the three of us headed into the jungle. Our hike to the river took about thirty minutes, which was around the same amount of time it took to get back. I remember being able to hear the roaring of the river before it came into sight. I was excited.

At this point of the day, the crew already knew that I would be able to handle myself. So as we finally stepped into the icy cold water, it was mostly just chit-chat.

They knew because, prior to canyoneering, I also did a treetop climb on a massive ceiba tree. Before starting they asked me if I had ever climbed before. I sandbagged them and said “a little.” I then climbed the outside of the tree which they told me 99% of people who try it fail. But that’s a story for another day.

The power of nature

You wouldn’t expect it to be so cold in Costa Rica at the end of summer, but it was. That’s because Monteverde is nestled high up in the mountains.

Hiking through a cold river was something new for me. I’ve wanted to get into river hiking for a while, so this is definitely something I’ll be revisiting in the future.

At first, I hopped from rock to rock, trying to stay dry, as if I wasn’t about to be completely soaked from head to toe. Damn, a second pair of shoes would have been nice!

Sneakers are available to rent, but that’s always a hard pass for me. Years of working in a climbing gym doesn’t want me putting anything rented on my feet. It’s the same with the sleeping bag rentals on Mount Kilimanjaro. Gross.

You get over the chill fast, though… as in the second you’re staring over the edge of a roaring waterfall and the mist settles on your face. I was grinning ear to ear at this point.

It’s all about safety, so as I hooked myself up to the rope, even though I had been repelling hundreds, if not thousands of times before, there was still a backup in place. A separate line, that would be kept slack and controlled by the crew, just in case I lost control of my own rope.

No matter how good you are at anything, accidents do happen, so safety first.

All of the guides are trained in Wilderness First Aid and CPR. There are also daily safety checks on all the equipment and anchors.

Over the edge!

Leaning back over the edge of that first waterfall was a rush. Since this was new to me, I continued with a measure of caution. I was about halfway down before that caution flew out the window and I kicked out for the first time.

Completely soaked, the water battered me as I bounced down the face of the cliff, going faster as I found my comfort zone. That is, of course, right up until my feet went into a hidden edge of the rock that left me flat on my ass, thirty feet up, and staring into the receiving end of a waterfall. Just a step above staring at your shower head, right?

Stupid mistake. I hadn’t repelled in quite a while and this was new terrain. I let my excitement get ahead of me, and got waterboarded in return. Imagine sitting in the surf while at the beach and letting a wave hit you square in the face… for thirty seconds straight. It was kind of like that.

I was more deliberate on the successive waterfalls but still managed to keep up a good pace. It’s hard to see your foot placement due to the water, so I did slip again, but I bounced back fast. Those knee and elbow pads got some good use.

It was tough at times, but I wanted it tough. I live for the experience. It was tough enough that on more than one occasion, I thought that this would definitely be too difficult for many people. I did, after all, choose one of the most difficult rivers for canyoneering in Costa Rica.

Things continued like this for about a mile. Hike through the river, rappel down a new waterfall, and leap into a pool of water.

Unfortunately, all things come to an end, and this is probably a bit quicker when it comes to finding so many waterfalls in such a short stretch of river.

Similar, but different.

Canyoneering in Costa Rica was so fun. It was something so familiar, but also completely new. Almost like experiencing a new twist on your favorite food. Don’t forget, I’m a foodie!

As we hiked the thirty minutes back through the jungle, my immediate thought upon completion was that I wanted to do it again.

How much to go Canyoneering in Costa Rica?

The cost of a canyoneering adventure with Finca Modelo is $55 per person. It will take you around two hours and has a minimum age limit of 15 years.

There are three different time slots available: 8:00 AM, 11:00 AM, and 2:00 PM. As the water is quite cold, I would recommend either 11:00 AM or 2:00 PM to give the air temperature a little time to warm up.

They also offer a package tour of canyoning plus tree-top climbing for a rate of $75 per person. This is only offered at 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM and will take you around five hours.

Tips and Tricks

First and foremost, bring a change of clothes with you! I know this may sound like a no-brainer, but I’ve been on several rafting trips where other people didn’t bring dry clothes to change into. That doesn’t make for the most comfortable ride back to base!

Another tip that I would like to share has to do with your shoes. Yes, I go right in with my sneakers on. Shoes can take a lot of time to dry, so one way to help speed the process is to remove the soles from the inside. You’d be surprised by the amount of drying time this one little action saves.

How about it?

So what do you think? Is canyoneering in Costa Rica something you’d like to try? Fair warning, you may find yourself daydreaming about going again!

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