Things to do in

Jaco

Begin your tour with a short 30-minute walk and be introduced to the Central Pacific transitional forest. During the walk observe the amazing flora and fauna. Afterward, begin your chocolate experience and discover the international cocoa collection of the Central Pacific. Learn about the different varieties of cocoa, as well as its ancestral history, and cocoa's impact on the world economy. Try the actual cocoa fruit and take part in the cocoa production process. Delish in different types of chocolate and mix it with tropical fruits. Also learn about two of the most traditional agricultural products of Costa Rica, sugar cane and coffee. Have direct contact with the plants and hear about the natural history of these crops. At the end of the experience, there will be organic chocolate bars with different cocoa percentages as well as other cocoa products for purchase.

Experience the forest as never before at Rainforest Adventures in Jacó, Costa Rica. The aerial tram ride lasts one hour and twenty minutes of pure magic. Discover the real beauty of amazing Atlantic rainforest with an expert bilingual guide. The Aerial Tram has 18 gondolas that allow a maximum for 9 passengers including one bilingual (English/Spanish) naturalist guide. Upon advanced request there can be guide assistance in other languages as well. Explore all the different layers of the rainforest, from the floor to the treetops. The canopy is home to an enormous amount of flora and fauna. Eager to find light and space, many plants have colonized the treetops, turning them into small, independently functioning ecosystems.

The fun starts with a 15-minute tractor ride to the top of the mountain for the zip line portion of your adventure. Descend through the rainforest on a 2-hour course of 10 cables and 14 platforms, some with amazing panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean and Gulf of Nicoya. After the zip lining is complete, its time to get your adrenaline pumping with an ATV adventure to a waterfall. Start with a test drive on a specially designed private track. Once you are familiar with your vehicle, the fun continues on a muddy 2-hour ATV tour in more than 300 hectares of private property. Enjoy this safe adventure with your guide as your journey towards a pristine private waterfall for a short hike and swim before returning to the base. Alternatively, upgrade your tour by choosing the 3-hour ATV course. After the zip lining portion of the tour which remains the same, embark on a longer ATV adventure which includes a visit to some nearby waterfalls and a drive along a muddy coastline trail with numerous lookout points.

Enjoy one of the best ways to discover nature in the Costa Rica rainforest. Vista Los Sueños Adventure Park and see why it is renowned for having some of the best-kept horses in the area. With a tour through this private and exclusive 80-acre property, you will also get to enjoy stunning waterfalls and natural swimming pools. You may also be able to spot some great wildlife such as Toucans, White Face Monkeys, Poison Dart Frogs and, Scarlet Macaws. Your tour starts at the beautiful Herradura Costa Rica base, just 10-minutes from Jacó Beach and Los Suenos Resort. Once you arrive you will be equipped with all the gear you require, plus receive a short orientation session, ensuring you are comfortable before you set off. Once you are ready to depart, you will commence your ascension through the rainforest. Upon your eventual arrival at the waterfalls and swimming pool area, you will have some time to relax and enjoy the beautiful waters and natural scenery. During the tour, your bilingual guide will provide bottled water and at the end of your journey, you will enjoy a snack of fresh tropical fruits. Throughout the day professional photographers will capture the best photos and have them available for purchase at the end of your tour.

This park is the most famous in the country due to its wide variety of flora and fauna specimens, and also because Forbes ranked it in the top 10 most beautiful parks in the world. The park alone offers 3 unique hiking trails that differ in level from smooth and flat to quite sharp and steep. On this tour, the best nature guides will be with you, and will help you understand the environment. The track you’ll take is actually smooth and charming and circles in the park making your walk around 2 miles long. Through the walk, your guide will describe the several species you’ll see, and you’ll be able to take beautiful pictures or simply enjoy the scene. Among the best parts of this excursion is that the Manuel Antonio National Park hosts 3 of the 4 current monkey species of Costa Rica. On this hike, enjoy a relaxing break at the 3rd beach situated on the southern part of the national park. You’ll have around twenty minutes to relax on the beach or in the calm waters of the bahía. During the hike, it is possible to see birds, reptiles and sloths, as well as plants and insects such as orchids and butterflies. Your guides will use Pentax and Swarovski telescopes that you can use to view wildlife and take photos under an alternative point of view. After concluding the tour, transportation back to your lodging will be provided.

Your adventure kicks off with a 15-minute tractor ride for the extreme canyoning portion of your adventure. Discover the Central Pacific transitional rainforest and admire its flora and fauna along the way. Upon arrival to the first platform, receive all the necessary safety instructions and start with the 250 feet auto guided rappel descent. The second descent is a rappel down the face of a 70 feet waterfall, shortly after you will descend the biggest waterfall, an amazing 150 feet rappel. If you're feeling adventurous, you can try the 15 feet cannonball jump into a natural pool. Alternatively, you can take a guided zip line to the bottom. From there you can descent natural slides and waterfall avalanches. Finally, savor a delicious buffet lunch in the afternoon.

Experience the true meaning of "Pura Vida" as this guided trip takes you to the rain forest in the hills above the Pacific Ocean to a majestic setting of pure Costa Rican natural harmony. Take a 4×4 drive up the mountain over 1000 feet to get to a private reserve. Your guide will stop along the way to point out interesting flora and fauna and the incredible views of the ocean and countryside. Start your adventure through the river after a short (5 minute) downhill hike. Hike up the river using trails and bridges that criss-cross  the river allowing you to enjoy the multiple smaller, interactive waterfalls and natural pools. There are 4 different swimming holes and many waterfalls to get under. These natural pools will invite you to swim in the fresh mountain spring water and submerge under the falls for an invigorating massage. For the more adventurous there are a couple of places you can jump into the pools from 4 and up to 25 feet! Enjoy some fresh tropical fruit at the last pool before the 10 minute hike back to the truck. During the entire tour you are totally surrounded by beautiful Costa Rican virgin rain forest. Bring your camera and your guide will keep it in a dry bag to make sure you get all those amazing pictures without damaging it!

Receive a short tutorial on how to ride an ATV from your experienced guide. Ride a few laps on a private specially designed ATV test track. After getting confident in your riding ability, it’s time to hit the open road. Speed through luscious green terrain. Cross rivers. Cruise by farms and scenic nature. Reach lookout spots where you can take in the breadth and scope of this beautiful landscape. Hop off your ATV and take a quick hike with your guide to an exclusive private waterfall, where you can snap some pictures.

If you want to discover the best of Costa Rica and have tons of fun in the process, join this activity that combines ziplining, horseback riding, and a swim in a waterfall, all in half a day. Start out with ziplining: take a 15-minute tractor ride up to the top of the mountain, and then spend the next 2 hours ziplining back down. Descend on a series of 12 platforms and 10 cables, including one of the longest in Costa Rica’s central pacific. After ziplining, it’s time to meet the horses. You’ll be paired with your new best friend and head for the mountains. Ride for about 30 minutes at the top of a mountain, passing farms and rainforest.   Then, you’ll hike back down to a private waterfall that flows into a natural pool. Refresh yourself with some cold water and then take about 30 minutes to go swimming in the cool waters of the natural pool. Finally, you will return to base, where you’ll be greeted with fresh tropical fruits.

Take part in an all day quest geared toward adrenaline junkies but also for the more calm-spirited. There are no jumps that are required so if you are traveling with an adventurous spirit but just want to watch or swim that is fine too! The trip starts with a drive South to the wild and rugged Osa area. Trek to five different waterfalls in three locations with each one getting bigger and more beautiful. Observe the falls from dry-land, swim in the pools or climb up and jump right in! It is up to you to decide what you are up for. Jump from a rope swing at one of the falls into the natural pools below. The next Waterfall has jumps from 8-40 feet and a natural water slide. Then enjoy an authentic Costa Rican meal at a typical local restaurant. Enjoy a 4×4 trek deep into the mountains to arrive at arguably the most magnificent waterfall in all of Costa Rica after lunch. When the conditions are right you’ll have the option of cliff jumping from 20, 30, 45 or 75 feet into the deep pool at the base of the 75′ falls. During this tour you will be deep in the Costa Rica rain forest. The first 2 locations have a 5 minute hike to the falls and the last hike is about 30 minutes.