We’ve been to Costa Rica several times, including a one-month stay to study Spanish years ago. So, for our stop in Puntarenas, Costa Rica we decided to do the classic excursion: zip lining. We have zip lined numerous times before, so this one needed to be good. After much research online we found Adventure Park, just 30 minutes outside Puntarenas.

Adventure Park is part of a larger property called Finca Daniel-Vista Gilfillan de Nicoya, which includes accommodations and a restaurant. However the 25 zip lines over 11 waterfalls makes this different from the 20+ other zip line properties in Costa Rica.

We booked the excursion on our own, directly with the property, which some fellow cruise ship passengers have said is risky. We’ve never had a problem with our independent approach, but today we were tested. We were off the ship and ready to meet our driver at 8:00 as scheduled. He didn’t show up. By 9:00 it was obvious we’d been forgotten. After a few emails we were able to reschedule for the afternoon tour, and we used the morning to wander around Puntarenas. We shopped, explored the busy fish market, watched fishermen unload their catch, and had a beer. Before we knew it we were headed to Adventure Park. No harm done.

For our trouble, the property offered us a tasty, authentic Costa Rican lunch of rice, veggies, chicken,and beef. The restaurant overlooked the expansive valley below with views of the ocean in the distance. As they say in Costa Rica, Pura Vida!

The time had come to suit up in our harnesses and head out to zip. The best part was that it was a private tour–just the two of us with our three guides, Cristian, Walter, and Juan. If we had gone on the morning tour as planned, we would have been two of 24 people. With just the two of us, we got special attention, went at our own pace, and got to know our guides a bit.

As we flew over the water and through the trees, we soaked in the beauty of the rainforest. Part way through the 25 lines we stopped for a swim in a watering hole fed by a pretty waterfall.

On the two longest lines, our guide Walter flew just behind us with the camera on video, which was great until Marnie put the brakes on too early, missed the platform and got plowed into by Walter while hanging on the cable.

Everyone was fine and it made for a good video!

We made it back to Puntarenas with plenty of time to spare before boarding the ship and heading back to sea.

All in all, a perfect day in Costa Rica!