Hacienda Pozo Azul

We had limited time and we took a tour from our hotel to the Pozo Azul facility. We took the Adventure Combo Package (Canopy/Rafting). We were a little worried becuase we have a 10 year old boy that was a little short and we were worried that he was going to have problems on the zip lines, but the staff at Pozo Azul were great with him. The made sure he got strapped in and one of the guides piggy backed with him. Once he felt the first run, there was no stopping him. He went down the canopy runs like Tarzan. The guides were young and eager to talk about the plants and wildlife in the forest. They were very knowledgeable. We later found out that one one of the guides was taking a Tourism Certificate being given by the government of Costa Rica. Those who take the course have to study extensively the plants and wildlife found in Costa Rica. So, his knowledge was a bonus and he spoke very good english. The canopy runs were safe, and it is one of the safest runs in the country. The runs use two cables that can hold 6,000 lbs each and each line is seperate. Your harness has two straps that attach individually to the lines. If one harness or zip line breaks, then the other one will be there to hold you. We had 9 runs, and totaled more than 1,000 meters of zip line. It went over trees, around them and over a creek. There us a small uphill hike between runs. On the next to the last run, there is a pineapple/water break. The guides give you a break and served the freshest pineapple that I had in a long time. After the canopy, we had lunch at their dining hall. The dining facility looks like a lodge and you can either eat outside on a porch or inside. The food was great and plentiful. After lunch we did the rafting. Once again the the Pozol Azul staff did a great job on their safety briefing and explained all of the rowing commands. The river had Class II/III rapids (not very wild), but good enough to give you a feeling of white water rafting. The guide stopped in a section and let us get out and jump into the river. We then floated back to our rafts, and continued with our expedition. The funniest thing was that our guide was the brother of our canopy guide. The rafting guide did a great job pointing out the wildlife (egrets, howling monkeys, vultures and poison dart frog). As you go along the river, you get to see the local population enjoying the river as well. My son loved it. Once we finished, Pozo Azul staff gave us towels to dry and we took a shower in their facilities. Their showers and locker rooms were very clean. We took this tour through Tropical Expeditions Tour Co.