Why sit when you can zip? Sure, we’re all about taking in the views, but what if you could see them from every angle? Enter, zip lining – the ultimate way to sightsee. From the Costa Rican jungle to the Eiffel Tower, loads of famous landmarks and attractions are now letting you spread your wings to capture the best kind of bird’s-eye view. So, channel your inner Tarzan and take to the skies. Here’s where you can zip across some of the best spots in the world…
Costa Rica
There’s no better way to catch up with Costa Rica’s breath-taking rainforest and jungle canopies than by skirting over them at 50 miles an hour. In fact, zip lining is one of the top activities to tick off in this tropical country. There are several locations and experiences to choose from, but three stand out from the crowd.
Rincon de la Vieja National Park is a 35,000-acre volcanic landscape packed with sulphur pools, tropical birds, howler monkeys and sloths. Get your adrenaline kicks with a ride through the trees and over its Colorado River. Or head to the Tortuguero National Park, known as the ‘Amazon of Costa Rica’, which is teeming with tropical wildlife and a maze of lakes and canals. You can capture it all as you cruise between its 13 zip-lining platforms. The mist-covered Monteverde Cloud Forest, meanwhile, is a jungle high in the mountains. Walk over the eight hanging bridges or tackle its terrain via zip line to spot hummingbirds, toucans and rare butterflies – the longest line is over a kilometre.
Jamaica
Jamaica’s adventure-filled Mystic Mountain in Ocho Rios is where you can get stuck into some sky-high escapades. The adventure park crams in an aerial gondola ride, a bobsledding adventure, 10 zip lines and even an infinity pool and a waterslide.
To get to the top of the mountain, hitch a speedy gondola ride over the jungle canopy to take in the views of Ocho Rios’ coastline and the Caribbean Sea. Then at the top, there’s a jungle bobsled ride. Yep – we’re talking your own version of Cool Runnings where you can feel the rhythm, feel the rhyme around a 1,000-metre tree-lined track for bobsled time. And once you’ve had enough rides (because you can go again and again), you can ride the zip line right down to the bottom of the mountain. There are 10 platforms to cross, each with increasing difficulty, and from the longest one you’ll be able to see the ocean.
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Mexico
From ancient Mayan ruins to secret cenote pools in underground caves, Mexico’s Caribbean coast lines up some super unique sights to spot. And, it has its fair share of rainforest to explore, too. On a Tulum Jungle Maya tour, you’ll be able to tick off all three and cover both land and sea. Swim in Yaxmuul cenote, a natural pool tucked away in a cave and go snorkelling in Sac-Actuncenote, the world’s longest underground river. Then, make sure you hop into a 4×4 to explore the rainforest and, you guessed it, zip line through the thick jungle.
If you’re heading to Puerto Vallarta on Mexico’s Pacific Coast, you’ll be able to tackle Mexico’s longest and fastest zip-line course. You’ll find it right in the depths of the Sierra Madre Mountains, where there are treetop bridges, zip lines, canyon swings and an abseiling platform to cover. One of the zip lines is a massive 1,200 metres long and you can reach speeds of up to 60 miles per hour on it – scream if you want to go faster.
Mauritius
Mauritius might seem like the place for a tranquil island escape, but don’t underestimate its wild side. We’re talking sky diving, abseiling down a waterfall and walking along the seabed wearing a bubble helmet. Head to Casela World of Adventures, which is near the resort of Flic en Flac, and you can do some zip lining over the tropical jungle. This place has the longest zip line in Mauritius, leaving you in the air for a dizzying 22 seconds – pick from an hour-long tour or go for the whole day if you fancy. Best of all, there’s the option of zip lining in tandem, so if your nerves get a hold of you, you can hold someone else’s hand for the ride. After you’ve crossed all the platforms and consider yourself to be a zip lining expert, try the canyon swing and step off a 45-metre-high platform to become king of the swingers.
Back down on Earth, don’t miss the Nature Kingdom area here, full of exotic birds, big cats, giraffes and rhinos. And after your high-octane adventure, you can pay a visit to the peaceful lettuce-munching giant tortoises that are native to the island.
St Lucia
Exploring St Lucia’s scenery is like stepping onto a film set. There’s everything from dramatic mountains and sparkling waterfalls to emerald jungles and even a drive-through volcano. On the northwest of the island, you’ll also find the Treetop Adventure Park, where you can fly over a forest canopy at 30mph, spotting tropical blooms and exotic birds as you go. There are 12 zip lines to tackle, including the longest and tallest on the island at a huge height of 150 feet. St Lucia has its own native parrot, named the St Lucia parrot – who’d have thought of that name, right? It exists only on the island – so keep an eye out for the striking, rainbow-coloured bird as you’re whizzing past. And, if you’d rather take things at a more leisurely pace, there’s always the option of the air gondola, which will take you on a gentle ride through the rainforest. Pick the Royalton St Lucia hotel as your base to be closest to the action.
Dominican Republic
There are plenty of places to hop on a zip line in the Dominican Republic, including Punta Cana in the east and Puerto Plata on the north coast. If you want to pack as many adventures as you can into one trip, swap from the saddle on a horse-riding tour to a harness on a jungle zip line. Visit the to-die-for Damajagua Waterfalls or take to a tropical plantation to check out native aloe vera and blackberry plants.
You can also spend the day whizzing across eight zip lines in the Anamuya Mountains in Bavara. This course consists of 2,100 metres of cable and covers the whole of the mountain region, with the longest line stretching for almost a kilometre. Once you’ve got your head for heights, you can try the extreme swing adventure too.
Think you can handle it? Put some of world’s best zip lines to the test and check out some more active breaks.
Looking for more articles? You’ll find them on the Inspire homepage.
Authors: Lily Owen and Danielle Penny
Last updated: 29/01/2024
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