CANOPY
A genuine Costa Rican enterprise working with professional bilingual naturalist guides, experts in techniques of rescuing and mountain climbing, who have applied their skills on handling and making the people feel comfortable and safe in tree tops.
It's the aim of tree top trails to preserve the forest for research and education, for the use of future generations and for the learning and understanding of humanity on how to conserve it.
Canopy tour.... What is it about?
It consists of observing humid and transitional forest in the area of Rincón de la Vieja through two different points of view:
• Walking below the lower canopy, observing the bio-diversity of the under story.
• Discovering the incredible life form at different canopy's level from the smallest insect to the biggest predator.
How is it done?
Our guide will train you with the techniques used for traversing from one platform to the other one, using mountain climbing equipment. (Pulleys, gloves, harnesses, rappelling systems, etc.)
Deep inside the primary forest, our first guide will climb up to the top of the main platform, while the second guide will brief you with the last minute instructions regarding security and safety systems.
Once all the group followed by the third guide have climbed to the first (main) platform, you will be informed about the tree top's biodiversity. It will be the same for all platforms.
The third guide will be the first traversing to the next platform and he will be waiting for you and your group who has received instructions on how to attach the safety sling and unhook from the pulley.
One by one you and your group will be invited to be prepared to traverse to the next platform.
Our clients can descend at any platform.
Top tree trails has a 2 hours duration, depending on the quantity of people doing the tour and how much time you take on each platform.
Security!
We have taken all possible safety precautions in building the platforms in the different levels of the canopy up to an altitude of 97 ft. These platforms are connected by steel cables permitting us to traverse from one tree to the other.
With high quality pulleys, harnesses, safety slings and the full tree climbing equipment, we can travel distances between 80 ft. to 270 ft. from one platform to another, including three hanging bridges.

CLIMBING THE VOLCANO
Climbing the Rincon de la Vieja Volcano is not for the casual hiker. Anybody in reasonably good shape can do the climb, but there are a few hazards, difficulties, and inconveniences to be aware of. The following list describes the climbing conditions:
• Length: The trail from the ranger station at the Las Pailas park entrance is listed as 8 kilometers in length.
• Steepness: The first six kilometers of trail climbs at a usually gentle slope through two different kinds of forest. It is tiring, but can be handled easily simply by resting when necessary. During my rest stops I was entertained by numerous sightings of birds, squirrels, and coatimundis. The last two kilometers of trail include long sections that climb at a fifty-degree slope. A couple of spots helpfully had ropes in place.
• Temperature: The rangers warn that it can get foggy and windy at the exposed upper portions of the trail. My short pants were adequate for the day I was there, but I carried a sweater, long pants and a rain jacket just in case.
• Visibility: If it is foggy on the summit, which happens often, you can easily get lost, as once you climb higher than the tree line the trail is just a faint line among the scattered rocks, ash, and gravel. If it is foggy, you may as well not make the climb, as you won't be able to see anything, anyway.
• Falling In: This can happen, so one must exercise caution. There are no guards to stop you from getting too close; only a sign in Spanish. When you are standing on the lip of the volcano, it is tempting to walk closer to the edge in order to get a better picture. You must keep in mind that you are on a sloping hillside made up of gravel and ash, and it would be easy to get caught up in a miniature landslide, resulting in a drop of about two hundred meters into a lake of boiling acid. Not worth it!

HORSEBACK RIDING
Accompanied by an expert guide, there is no better way of exploring the beautiful primary forest trails of our private reserve. You also have the option to go to the Park to the Blue Lagoon in summer only.
Being on horseback makes a comfortable spot while seeing giant trees and different plants and animals. You can watch bird life and see magnificent views of the Rincón de la Vieja volcano at the same time.