The Original Canopy Tour

On day six of this vacation package, you will be picked up for an exciting tour of the rainforest canopy. The Original Canopy Tour Costa Rica at the Monteverde Cloud Forest Lodge was the first canopy tour in existence in the world.

The reserve consists of approximately 70 acres of primary and secondary tropical rainforest and cloud forest, which is extremely rich in its biodiversity. There are over 5 kilometers of trails through primary and secondary rainforest and cloud forest. This eco-system contains a variety of Bromeliads and Epiphytes, among other species of plants, animals, birds and insects on the huge branches of the trees. Here the builders have constructed a series of observation platforms and traverses that will take you through the canopy layer of the rainforest.

As of January 2002, the tour includes 2 suspended walkway sections (some call them hanging bridges or sky walk ways), 11 tree platforms, 8 traverses high in the treetops, and 2 rappels, which are vertical descents on ropes assisted by our highly trained personnel.

The tour starts with a short guided hike through the private reserve of the Cloud Forest. The first part of the tour will take you through secondary and primary forest and then a climb up a ladder to the first platform, about 8 meters above the ground where an ingenious series of cables connecting the trees awaits you. After a soaring through the tree tops on horizontal traverses and platforms suspended in the tree tops you will rappel back to the forest floor and hike another 50 meters where you will have a spectacular climb up a rope ladder through the inside of a huge, hollow strangler fig. This is the only one in existence.

Dangling from 22 meters off the ground the eight-meter-long walkway (that winds around the various trees that the strangler fig has consumed in its lifetime) makes for an unbeatable vantage point for observing the surrounding rainforest. You will then continue your tour from platform to platform, assisted by our expert guides, and finally have a second rappel which takes you a long way down back to the forest floor.

The platforms vary in height from 8 meters to 28 meters above the forest floor. A cloud forest generally has several layers to the canopy rich in biodiversity, all of which can be seen on the tour. The climate in the Monteverde area is generally warm to cool. It is not often a "tropical heat" that people expect in these parts. In fact, in the nights the temperature can go down to 7 or 8 degrees above zero (Celsius, which is about 48 - 52 degree Fahrenheit). Shorts can be worn, but jeans are also comfortable. Hiking boots are a good idea, as it rains frequently. Insect repellant, cameras and binoculars are also recommended.

Participants must bring a passport or other ID. The Canopy Tour takes about 2 to 2 1/2 hours to complete. The Original Canopy Tour Monteverde is an unforgettable adventure for family members of all ages.