A Day at Diamante Eco Adventure Park on Costa Rica’s Best Zipline

Ziplining in Costa Rica is a bucket list item and must-do activity for thrill-seekers and the adventurous. There are so many ziplines in Costa Rica so it can be hard to decide which one to try. We didn’t travel all the way to Costa Rica just to experience an average zipline. No sir. We wanted to experience the BEST zipline in Costa Rica, which we found at Diamante Eco Adventure Park. They were ranked on TripAdvisor as Costa Rica’s #1 zipline. Their Superman zipline is Central America’s longest dual-action zipline. It ranks at #5 in the world! We did it and are here to tell you all about it. We even flew our drone along to capture some footage and wore a GoPro to show you exactly what to expect. Although nothing can compare to experiencing it in person! We loved it so much that we went back a second day to do it again!

In addition to the incredible ziplines, we also visited Diamante’s animal sanctuary and took an ATV tour. They also offer horseback riding and beach activities like snorkeling, kayaking, and paddle boarding. There’s so much to do there that you can easily spend a few days ticking items off your Costa Rica bucket list. So many of Costa Rica’s must-do experiences are offered in one location in the Guanacaste Province. Here’s a taste of all that you can enjoy at Diamante Eco Adventure Park.

The view from the best zipline in Costa Rica

As you drive up to Diamante Eco Adventure Park, you realize that you are in for a real treat. Lush tropical forests meet white sand beaches and vivid blue waters. Diamante has a unique ocean-view zipline that soars above the trees. In fact it is Costa Rica’s only ocean view dual zipline. When  you get to the highest point just before the Superman line, you will want to spend some time soaking in the view. It is incredible! You are surrounded by tropical forest until your eyes meet the ocean.  If you are lucky you may spot monkeys swinging in the trees. You will definitely hear birds chirping. It’s so relaxing, which is ironic since you are about to undertake an activity that is the exact opposite of relaxing. Think adrenaline-pumping, stomach-dropping,  almost-poop-your-pants kind of excitement. 😉

Flying like superman on Costa Rica’s best zipline

We were not virgin zipliners before ziplining in Costa Rica. Read about our first experience ziplining in Whistler, British Columbia. Yet every time feels like the first time, for ziplining that is. 😉 I (Alexis) am honestly not even sure how I manage to zipline without completely losing it. I have a fear of heights in certain circumstances. Yet somehow I managed to fly above the forest 80 stories high. It sounds pretty insane and it is, but in a good way.

The superman zip-line allows you to fly on your stomach with legs extended behind you and arms out, just like the superhero. Bertaut wore his superman shirt the first day we ziplined but knew better than to wear his cape since it could’ve gotten tangled in the lines. Yes, he really does have a superman cape. He has an obsession with the man. So how fitting that he flew the Superman zipline at Diamante Eco Adventure Park. It was meant to be.

Traveling like the speed of light on the #1 zipline in Costa Rica

We initially planned to fly our drone beside us as we flew the superman zip line on tracking mode. Then we found out how fast we would be flying. The superman zipline is almost one mile long and reaches speeds of up to 100km per hour. We were informed that there was no way our drone would be able to keep up with us, and we would most likely lose it. After a series of unfortunate events on previous vacations, we didn’t want to run the risk of losing yet another drone. If you’re curious, check out how we lost our drone in the Maldives and how our next drone got stolen from our luggage in Turkey.

So Bertaut decided to play it safe and fly the drone to capture me doing the superman zip line. That way he had full control of it and it could just capture me speeding away.

Experiencing Costa Rica’s best zipline vicariously through us

Thanks to our GoPro camera, you can vicariously experience the superman zipline through us without fear of peeing your pants. Here’s what you can expect. Remember, though, this doesn’t come close to what it actually feels like. At least you can get an idea of what you will see when you take on Costa Rica’s best zipline. Ocean view ahead, forest view below. The fancy hotel along the beach is Hotel Riu Guanacaste in case you’re wondering.

Screaming on the quick fall bungee jump

After a series of several ziplines you arrive at the quick fall bungee jump. I don’t know what exactly it is about this free fall, but it scared the crap out of me. I suppose that it’s because you feel like you are falling to your death. But you’re not. You are completely safe. You are hooked up to a bungee cord that slowly brings you to the ground to land on a cushioned pad after the initial free fall. But still, it felt scarier to me than ziplining 100km/hour at 80 stories above ground. I screamed. So did Bertaut. Don’t tell him that I told you. 😉

It was actually hilarious because these young kids went before us and didn’t make a peep. So we thought, it can’t be that bad. Then I went and screamed the whole way down. The kids said “I can’t wait to see what THIS GUY does.”, talking about Bertaut. He looks like a tough guy, right? Hahahaha. I guess we found Superman’s cryptonite. It’s a quick fall bungee jump. I mean, he was pretty cool about it. He didn’t scream like a girl. It was more like “OH MY GOD!”

I think the worst part about it is that you have to stand on the outside of the rail on the tower while the guy hangs on to you. Then he lets go and you fall backwards. I seriously cannot describe how scary it feels. Yet I watched about 10 other people do it and not make a sound, so obviously it doesn’t get to everyone. You’ll have to see for yourself if it phases you.

Ziplining into the animal sanctuary

If you just purchase the aerial pass, then your zipline tour is over after the free fall. If you purchase the adventure pass, then you will take one last zipline into the animal sanctuary. It’s a much lower-key zipline that goes slower and is not as far off the ground. It is cool though because you get to fly into the animal sanctuary and see it from a different perspective.

Bertaut flew his drone here but got distracted. Next thing he knew it was stuck in a tree. We’re not sure how that happened exactly because the Mavick Pro has an anti-collision feature which is supposed to avoid things like trees. This guy and his drones. He really could write a book about all the adventures of his drone. Thankfully one of the guys who works there climbed up the tree and retrieved it for him. Otherwise I would’ve had something to say about that. Boys and their toys.

Walking the suspended bridge over crocodiles

The last thrill of the adventure pass is walking the suspended bridge over crocodiles. Dont’ worry, you are still attached to the bridge by cables. So there’s no risk of falling into the crocodile habitat and becoming their next meal. Yet it still feels somewhat dangerous and thrilling. It took me back to my childhood and my fond memories of Crocodile Dundee. I loved those movies. It also felt like something Indiana Jones would do. It was definitely a cool thing to have accomplished without soiling myself.

I did have the alarming thought as I walked over the enormous crocodiles that they can jump. I know I’ve seen some Nat Geo episodes of crocodiles bursting out of the water really high to snatch up unsuspecting victims. Lexy in PR reassured me after I brought up this concern that they did their research before building the suspended bridge. Crocodiles need really deep water to jump high.  Thankfully the water in their sanctuary is not deep enough to allow them to gobble up any visitors on the bridge. Whew!

See Costa Rica’s rescued wildlife at Diamante’s animal sanctuary

If you buy the adventure pass you can explore the animal sanctuary either before or after your zipline tour. Guanacaste’s largest animal sanctuary houses rescued animals native to Costa Rica. They provide sanctuary to crocodiles, iguanas, caymans, sloths, monkeys, pumas, jaguars, toucans, parrots, snakes, frogs, and birds. They also have a beautiful butterfly observatory. You may be lucky enough to have one land on you if you are patient.

Our favorite part of the animal sanctuary was interacting with the toucans. I was able to feed them and hold them on my arm. It was such a neat experience. They love hats, so make sure to wear a hat if you really want to pique their interest. Check back soon for another blog post with more about the animal sanctuary, since we have so many photos of its beautiful animals.

ATV along the beach and rivers of Costa Rica

Our final activity at Diamante Eco Adventure Park was riding ATV’s. We had never done this before so it was especially exciting. Since we didn’t have time for both, we were debating between horseback riding and ATV’ing. We decided to try the ATV’s based on the recommendations of staff who said it is more exciting and obviously faster-paced. It was definitely a lot of fun.

We cruised along the beach, splashed through rivers, and sped down roads through gorgeous landscape.

We stopped for a few minutes at the beach to snap photos and saw about 10 white-faced monkeys swinging through the trees. They got surprisingly close to some other beach-goers who were feeding them. Feeding wild monkeys is not advised, but it was exciting to see them so close.

 

A day’s worth of activities at Diamante Eco Adventure park

Diamante Eco Adventure park is a must-do in Costa Rica. It provides a great mix of thrill-seeking fun, education about the wildlife of Costa Rica, and relaxation in a beautiful setting. We recommend getting there as soon as they open, at 8:30am, and buying the Adventure pass for a full day of fun. For $98 you get to do the zipline tour, free fall, suspended bridge over crocodiles, animal sanctuary, botanical garden, and beach activities including paddle boarding, snorkeling and kayaking. It also includes a buffet lunch, coffee and drinks. You could easily spend the entire day there. We did. We loved it so much that we went back for a second day of adventure.

Diamante Eco Adventure Park also offers horseback riding and ATV tours for an additional cost. One hour on the ATV is $58 for one person, or $68 if two people are on the same ATV. Horseback riding is $48 per hour.

Final words on the best zipline in Costa Rica at Diamante

We had a blast during our time at Diamante Eco Adventure Park. It is located near Liberia and is ideal for anyone staying in the Guanacaste region, but is worth the drive even if you’re not close. Plan to be there for an entire day if you really want to take advantage of all they have to offer.

Make sure to bring sunscreen, bug spray, sunglasses, shoes that won’t fall off your feet (no flip flops), swimsuit, your camera and GoPro if you have one. Feel free to bring along your drone too, just watch out for trees. 😉

Diamante has a photographer taking photos along the zipline tour. You can purchase single photos for $10 or all your photos for $40. We didn’t bring our DSLR camera on the zipline tour because it would have been difficult to carry while zip-lining. We wore our GoPro on our helmet and snapped a few photos with our iPhone in between ziplines, which is what we recommend doing. You can store anything you don’t need in lockers.

Thank you to Diamante for having us! We cannot wait to come back with our kids, who will go crazy over the animal sanctuary and beach. Even if your kids are too small (they must meet a certain weight limit) to zipline, Diamante is still a great way to spend a day interacting with rescued animals and enjoying the gorgeous beach.

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