Canopy tours — zip-lining between platforms high in the rainforest — are one of Costa Rica's signature activities, and for good reason. You travel between tree-top platforms on steel cables, sometimes 25 metres or more above the forest floor, with the canopy stretching out around you in every direction.
The best-known location is Monteverde, where the Original Canopy Tour pioneered the activity in 1994 and multiple operators now run competing circuits. Manuel Antonio is another popular option, with cables running above Pacific coastal forest. Most tours run 2–3 hours, cover 8–12 lines, and include a safety briefing and harness fitting.
It's not for the acrophobic — platforms sway, and the height is real. But the experience of gliding through the forest at canopy level, surrounded by bromeliads and epiphytes and the occasional burst of bird activity, is hard to match. Book through your accommodation or directly with a licensed operator; prices typically run $50–$80 per person.