Canyoning in the Lost Canyon, Costa Rica
Recommended by 97% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
La Fortuna, Costa Rica
- 4 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Overview
Explore the rugged landscape and forested depths of Costa Rica’s Lost Canyon. Rappel down into four waterfalls and have the chance to cool off in refreshing pools. Hike through a thick rain forest teeming with life and scramble over rocks as you uncover hidden secrets of this amazing area. Then sit down to a tasty all-you-can-eat buffet of Costa Rican cuisine.
- Trek through the rainforest and go rapelling with a guide
- Dine on a delicious Costa Rican–style lunch
- Includes hotel pickup and drop-off for added convenience
- Small group sizes ensure personal attention from your guide
What's Included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Local guide
- Lunch
- Safety equipment and briefing
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Pickup details
We are happy to pick you up from any hotel or rental home in the La Fortuna and Arenal Volcano area. Just pease provide us the exact Google Maps location upon booking your tour with us. If you are coming from San Jose or Guanacaste, please be sure to allow at least a three-hour drive time.
What To Expect
Awaken your inner jungle explorer on this 4-hour Costa Rica canyoning tour. You’ll be picked up at your La Fortuna hotel for the short drive to the Lost Canyon, located near Arenal Volcano. An experienced guide will present a safety briefing and help you gear up with a hard hat and harness. To begin, test out your rappelling skills on a 10-foot (3.5-meter) cliff alongside a waterfall.
Once you’re warmed up, tackle a 150-foot (45-meter) cliff known locally as ‘Big Boy.’ Use the rock face to rappel halfway down, and then hang on for a thrilling drop into a natural swimming pool. Next up, descend the granddaddy of the Lost Canyon — a 200-foot (60-meter) cliff and waterfall. Cool off after your descent with a swim in the water waiting below.
Your guide will lead you on foot through the lush, rugged terrain of the canyon, where you’ll climb over boulders and splash down a natural waterslide. Learn about native plant species and be prepared to encounter the many birds, insects and animals that inhabit the area. Refuel with an authentic Costa Rican lunch before the return trip to La Fortuna.
Once you’re warmed up, tackle a 150-foot (45-meter) cliff known locally as ‘Big Boy.’ Use the rock face to rappel halfway down, and then hang on for a thrilling drop into a natural swimming pool. Next up, descend the granddaddy of the Lost Canyon — a 200-foot (60-meter) cliff and waterfall. Cool off after your descent with a swim in the water waiting below.
Your guide will lead you on foot through the lush, rugged terrain of the canyon, where you’ll climb over boulders and splash down a natural waterslide. Learn about native plant species and be prepared to encounter the many birds, insects and animals that inhabit the area. Refuel with an authentic Costa Rican lunch before the return trip to La Fortuna.
1
Desafio Adventure Company
2
Arenal Volcano
3
Hunters & Gatherers Costa Rica
4
La Fortuna
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Minimum age is 10 years
- It is recommended that you wear comfortable walking shoes
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 10 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Mary_C
Beautiful canyon with rushing water. Very safety conscious, friendly, and efficient staff. A wonderful experience.
Reviews
4.8
based on 272 reviews
Lauren_N, Mar 2026
Wow- what a fun and unique adventure! So much more exciting and adventurous than we realized it would be. Our guides were so great, made everyone feel safe and fun to chat with. Highly recommend for a unique opportunity if you’re up for some adventure!
Michelle_V, Jan 2026
Great tour, four big rappel, some water fun, a bit of hiking, and lunch. Nice guides. Would definitely recommend this.
Shravani_K, Dec 2025
This was so much fun! It was mine and my husband’s first time rappelling and the guides were super helpful and patient with us - especially me - because I was very nervous. They made sure everyone was well briefed on maneuvering the ropes, always made safety a priority while also making sure that we all had fun. We had a wholesome lunch after the experience which made us so happy. Will highly recommend.
Archana_D, Dec 2025
Absolutely excellent experience!! Highly recommend. The staff were all so helpful and made us feel so safe. The whole adventure was so nicely done. Absolutely fabulous!
Karen_M, Dec 2025
We loved this adventure! Organized, friendly. I’m terrified of heights and had no problems. The water was perfect temp. Would do this again and again!
Pauline_T, Dec 2025
This was absolutely incredible! Boost of adrenaline for sure. We felt safe the entire time with the very knowledgable tour guides. The last repelling experience is a bit more challenging, but you can take your time and do everything at your own speed. My husband and I loved it. Highly recommend!
Nicole_S, Aug 2025
We had a fantastic time canyoning. One of us was a little nervous and all of the guides were so thoughtful and made sure that we were comfortable. It was a great experience that we all highly recommend.
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Wow — thank you so much for sharing your experience with us! 🤩 We’re thrilled to hear you had a fantastic time canyoning with our team. Knowing that our guides helped everyone feel safe, comfortable, and supported — especially those a little nervous — truly means the world to us. 🙌💛
Your recommendation is the highest compliment we can receive, and we can’t wait to welcome you back for another adventure! 🚀🌿💦
Adventure hugs from La Fortuna,
- Desafío Adventure Company 🌋Team
Blake_S, Jul 2025
My adult daughter and I had a great time. The repelling was a lot of fun. The pictures that the guides took were amazing. The hiking was somewhat strenuous.
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thank you so much for your feedback! 😊🧗♀️ We're thrilled to hear that you and your daughter had a great time canyoning with us! The rappelling is definitely a highlight 💦💪 and we're glad the photos captured those amazing moments 📸🌿.
Yes, the hike can be a bit challenging, but we hope it added to the sense of adventure! 🚶♀️🌄 Thanks again for choosing us — we hope to see you again soon! 🇨🇷✨
— The Desafío Team 💪😄
Amy_D, Apr 2025
This experience was so much fun! My husband and I did this back in 2008 for our honeymoon and have always remembered it. We have wanted to share this with our kids and now that our kids are teenagers, it was the right time to bring them back to our favorite country and relive one of our favorite experiences with them. They both say that after more than a week of fun in Costa Rica, this was the highlight! As a mom I was never worried about safety, the guides were very attentive and explained things well. The lunch was super delicious and even my picky eater enjoyed the food and was full when we left. The photos are great - truly priceless! In our group my 13 year old was the youngest and a 62 year old woman was the oldest - an activity great for many ages!
Mary_C, Apr 2025
Beautiful canyon with rushing water. Very safety conscious, friendly, and efficient staff. A wonderful experience.
Lian_L, Jan 2025
I booked the activity for my husband and our teenage son, they enjoyed it very much, and had fun. Recommended.
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thank you for your kind words! 😊🌟 We're thrilled to hear your husband and teenage son had a fantastic time and enjoyed the adventure. 🛶🎉 We truly appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you and your family back soon for more unforgettable experiences! 🌴✨ #PuraVida
— The Desafío Team 💪😄
Judy_K, Jan 2025
Such a fun experience! It was our first time repelling and we felt safe the entire time. The staff were friendly and very entertaining. The terrain is a bit rocky and slippery so we'd recommend grippy water shoes (although one of us did the excursion in our sneakers). We are both somewhat fit but the most strenuous part of the activity was the final hike up to basecamp at the end.
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thank you for sharing your experience! 🙌🌟 We're delighted your first rappelling adventure was both fun and safe. 🧗♀️🧗♂️ Our friendly team always aims to make every moment enjoyable and memorable. 😊👍 Great tip about wearing grippy water shoes for the rocky terrain! 👟🪨 We appreciate your feedback and hope to see you back for more adventures soon! 🌿✨
— The Desafío Team 💪😄
Laya_F, Dec 2024
THIS WAS INCREDIBLE!! I never write reviews but I had to for this because it blew my expectations out of the water. It was an incredible adventure, not one of those tourist traps that leave you disappointed because they’re barely anything. The guides were amazing, so kind and knowledgeable, and the canyoning was easily the coolest most exhilarating experience I have ever had. They priced everything really fairly as well which was really appreciated. Overall the best thing we got to do in Costa Rica and I cannot recommend this highly enough
Response from Host, Dec 2024
Hi,
WOW! 🤩 Thank you for this incredible review! 🙌 We’re beyond thrilled that your canyoning adventure with us blew your expectations out of the water! 💦💥
Our guides 🧗♂️💚 love what they do, and we’re so glad their kindness and knowledge made your experience even better. It’s awesome to hear this was the coolest and most exhilarating thing you’ve ever done! 😎🌟
We always strive to keep things fair, fun, and authentic 🏞️, and it means the world to us that this was the highlight of your Costa Rica trip! 🇨🇷✨
Thanks for recommending us so highly — we hope to see you again for more adventures! 🤙🥾🌿
Pura Vida! 🌞🦜
Desafío Adventure Company Team
Casey_P, Jul 2024
Very cool experience! It was super fun for our family of 5 (including 16, 15, and 12 year old boys). Challenging, and unlike anything we’ve done before—but we had plenty of support for great tour guides. Lunch was very good as well.
adira_s, Jan 2024
HIGHLIGHT OF OUR TRIP!! this activity has it all. A nice keep ride, crazy repelling and zip lining combos, fun guides who are laughing the whole time with you, places where you jump into the water. It was exhilarating. So much bang for the buck
Jennifer_A, Nov 2023
This trip was fantastic! The guides were very knowledgeable. While the spoke perfect English, they let me practice my rough Spanish which was a nice treat. Felt very safe and had a fantastic time.
Tena_G, Nov 2023
Great company to book adventures with, second time using them on 2 different trips. Wonderful tour guides, fantastic lunch, nice facilities..so much fun.
Kristen_G, Nov 2023
12 out of 10! Amazing guides! They made us extremely comfortable rappelling when we had never done it before. There aren’t enough words to describe how incredible this experience was. Please do yourself a favor, and book this excursion.
Margaret_N, Nov 2023
Overall, great time! Good mix of adrenaline and just seeing what this part of Costa Rica has from a very unique perspective. Not overly challenging, but requires some guts and endurance so not crowded with a bunch of tourists who you will find at more accessible but equally beautiful locations.
Jane_L, Aug 2023
Fantastic experience. Totally exhilarating and lots of fun. The guides were also amazing, especially Arturo who went above and beyond to recover a lost mobile phone for a little boy in our group.
Janet_D, May 2023
The beauty of the area is unmatched, the guides were fantastic and it was a very unique experience. I would do it again in a heartbeat!
Alexander_F, May 2023
Ronnie and Dario were both amazing guides. Really funny and made the experience perfect. Really loved this activity and highly recommend it to others.
Mikayla_R, Sep 2022
This was one of my favorite experiences in Costa Rica! Our main guide was David who explained everything clearly beforehand. I was very nervous because I had never repelled down waterfalls before. David and the rest of the guides were super supportive and helpful to me and everyone else.
I thought I would struggle a lot but after the first waterfall, I felt a lot more confident.
There were some others in our group who were struggling more with climbing down the mountain. The guides saw this and each one of those people had their own guide to help them get down.
They were incredible people with tons of understanding and patience!
Dana_B, Jul 2022
Simply incredible- an absolute must do! I spent a month in Costa Rica and after several tours and tons of time on google --I booked this tour and it was my favorite day by far. I felt immersed in the jungle. The canyoning was thrilling and safe and the guides were so nice and so fun. I am so happy I didn't leave Costa Rica without doing this!!
Erin_W, Sep 2021
We were in Costa Rica for a little over a week and did about an excursion a day. This was HANDS DOWN the BEST excursion that we did. It's fun, has some surprises, and the crew is totally pumped to show you a good time. I would recommend this tour to anyone and everyone. All you have to bring is a good attitude and get ready for some fun! Pura Vida!
pettyrg, Aug 2019
By far the best adventure we had in Costa Rica! All the guys with Desafio were great. There are lockers for your things, bring a change of clothes, you are completely wet by the end! They take pictures and a few videos you can purchase. For my family of 4 it was $35 (cash only) and well worth it! The Costa Rican lunch afterwards was amazing. Don’t miss this trek through the canyon!!!
john w, Mar 2018
We did the 1 pm tour due to timing issues. Normally we would choose the morning which is usually much busier. It turned out it was just my wife and I. Cesar and his team did a great job. Big rappels, excellent equipment and a good meal afterwards all led to an excellent day. Not too physically demanding with a short uphill hike at the end. The water surprises were a fun addition.
Christine C, Jul 2017
very fun activity, repelling from the water fall was exciting if you haven't done it before. walking into and out of the lost canyon was also very interesting, you don't get to see this canyon unless you go on this tour since it's very remote. free fall into the water hole is also very unique for this tour. highly recommended.
paul.lalancette, Jun 2017
Very friendly staff that made you feel comfortable and safe. Great variety of small and very tall waterfalls. Beautiful scenery and very thrilling trip! Traditional Costa Rican meal for lunch that was delicious. They have several photo opportunities along the trip and videos too that you can purchase afterwards for a fair price 25 for a couple. Tour is a combination of repelling, hiking, and some surprises!
Yanneth_T, May 2017
A must do in Arenal...the experience could be intimidating at the beginning I am afraid of heights but the guides Cesar! make you feel so comfortable and safe that you will be ready to challenge yourself. Great company, great people, awesome experience!!
From $112.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Canyoning in the Lost Canyon, Costa Rica
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