Hello,
We are planning a trip to Costa Rica either in June or August. I've been hearing a lot about canopy tours on this board. Could someone tell me exactly what they are? My daughter told me about a National Geographic show that she saw with rope bridges going through the trees. I just started reading my guide book and it mentioned a chair-lift type thing going through the trees. Are these the canopy tours everyone talks about? What are people's thoughts on the zipline (which sounded scary to me)?

What beaches have the riptides? I think we would want to stay away from those.

I just bought Lonely Planet which I have found helpful in the past for other destinations. Can anyone recommend any other guide books for Costa Rica? What do people think of Insight?

I apologize for all the questions but based on what I have read so far, I think it will be hard to pin down destinations and activities. Every place sounds so beautiful and interesting!

Thanks for your help.

Dear Kwoo,
Canopy tours refer to ziplines, bridges and aerial trams that are located between trees at canopy level. There used to be only a couple of canopy tours in CR in the past, but now they are everywhere! You can find ziplines in almost all major destinations (near SJ, Arenal, Manuel Antonio, near the beaches in the north etc). If you are not afraid of heights and if the thought doesn't make you wish you stayed at home, then by all means - go for it! It is A LOT of fun! My mother already did it 3 times! You usually don't see many animals, because they tend to get away from the noise, but the view of the forests from above is wonderful, and the adrenalin rush is a lot of fun.
As I said, there are many all over the country, I personally recommend going to Turubari Park (www.turubari.com), which includes a the ziplines, and aerial tram, as well as butterfly farm, horseback riding, tropical gardens and more. Percy wrote a report on it a while ago in a post called "car/driver recommendation?" (I will bring it to the top).

I can't help you with the riptides, I can just tell you that the beach inside Manuel Antonio National Park is more like a huge pool! There are almost no waves there and with the forest behind you and the prolific wildlife, it is a must!
I personally really like Lonely Planet as well, and I find them to be accurate and easy to use. Some people really like Moon handbook by Christopher Baker.
Feel free to write me directly for any more information.
Pura Vida,
Neta Talmor

A good guide book should alert you as to which beaches are not safe for swimming. Seriously, this is an issue. .many deaths occur each year and most of them are tourists. For example, when we were in Cahuita (Caribbean side), the owner of the hotel warned us about the current right in front of the hotel. We made sure we didn't stray out past our waists. It usually isn't a problem unless you like to venture on out a little way (which I'd never do anyway!). Jaco has a reputation for bad current. They are sporadic up and down the coasts due to landform and whatever else plays into that. Always check with the locals (get more than one opinion). Protected bays should be fine. . .these are easy to spot, of course. Many of the popular surf areas have strong currents which don't seem to bother the surfers (due to experience, most likely). But do pay attention to this. Not to be taken lightly.

I was in Jaco in mid May a few years ago and there was a VERY strong riptide. I was unable to stand still in waist deep water and the current kept pulling me out to sea, which was scary. My husband didn't seem to have a problem with it though - he had a blast surfing.

Thanks for all the helpful replies. Hopefully, Lonely Planet will address this issue in more detail.

Can anyone recommend any specific beaches they liked that didn't have problems with riptides? We like to swim and snorkel; we are not surfers or divers. We will definitely ask the locals, too, as one poster suggests. I like the beach that Neta describes in MA, too.

Flamingo, Tamarindo, Brasilito, Conchal, Potrero, Sugar Beach (all close together) are decent for swimming. Also further north, in the Golfo de Papagayo and at Playa Hermosa and Playas del Coco. These are good swimming beaches. I understand Samara is good as well. Tambor is good for swimming, also. As are the beaches of Manuel Antonio. Just about any area you go to will probably have a bit of both. That is, if you end up at a beach with dangerous riptides you probably won't have to travel far to find one that doesn't.