Rainforest Waterfall Hike & Hanging Bridges near Quepos

You'll press fresh sugarcane juice the traditional way, using a working trapiche in someone's backyard.

A six-hour rainforest tour near Quepos combines a hike to a 120-foot waterfall, a crossing of one of Costa Rica's highest hanging bridges, and a home-cooked lunch in the house of Doña Corona, a founder of the local eco-tourism cooperative. You'll explore her garden, learn about campesino life, and operate a traditional sugar mill. The tour includes a four-wheel-drive pickup from your hotel, a live guide in English or Spanish, and a swim in the waterfall pool. Children are welcome from age eight.

The experience

A four-wheel-drive vehicle picks you up from your hotel in the Manuel Antonio area and takes you into a rainforest reserve run by a community cooperative. The first major stop is one of the country's highest hanging bridges, which you cross to reach a 120-foot waterfall hidden deep in primary rainforest. You swim in the pool beneath it before hiking onward to Doña Corona's home, where the real centerpiece of the day unfolds.

Lunch is cooked in her kitchen and served in her home, not a restaurant or a tour lodge. You eat what she has prepared, explore her garden, and hear directly from her about the campesino lifestyle and how the cooperative formed. After the meal, you move to the yard to operate a traditional sugar mill, or trapiche, pressing fresh sugarcane by hand and drinking the juice immediately. It's a working tool, not a display, and the experience is hands-on.

The return journey takes you back through the rainforest and down to your hotel or villa. The whole outing runs about six hours from pickup to drop-off. A moderate level of physical fitness is needed for the hike and the waterfall swim. The operator does not recommend this tour for travelers with poor cardiovascular health.

What’s included

• Lunch prepared in Doña Corona's home.
• air-conditioned four-wheel-drive vehicle with hotel pickup.
• a live guide in English or Spanish.
• access to the hanging bridge and the 120-foot waterfall.
• a swim in the waterfall pool.
• a hands-on sugar mill experience with fresh sugarcane juice.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:00

AgesAdult (18 to 85 years) · Child (8 to 17 years) · Under 8: can't be booked

GroupUp to 20

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

ConfirmationConfirmation within 48 h

Prices and times updated 2 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical effortNot recommended with heart problems

Operated by Luna Vida Adventures

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want to spend time with local people in their own space rather than at a commercial venue, and if you're comfortable with a moderate rainforest hike and a waterfall swim. The six-hour commitment and the physical demands mean it suits travelers with decent fitness who are ready for a full morning or afternoon in the reserve.

Traveler reviews

4.99★★★★★★★★★★

106 verified traveler reviews

5 ★105

4 ★1

3 ★0

2 ★0

1 ★0

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (8 to 17 years). Children under 8 can't be included in the booking.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

How difficult is the hike to the waterfall?

The hike requires at least a moderate level of physical fitness. You'll be walking through rainforest terrain to reach the 120-foot waterfall, and swimming in the pool beneath it, so comfort with both hiking and water is necessary.

What is Doña Corona's home like, and how is lunch served?

Doña Corona's home is a quaint, local residence where she cooks lunch in her own kitchen. You eat the meal in her home and have time to explore her garden and learn about her life as a founder of the cooperative.

Will I really operate the sugar mill myself?

Yes. After lunch, you'll use a traditional trapiche (sugar mill) to press fresh sugarcane by hand and drink the juice you've made. It's an interactive, hands-on experience, not a demonstration.

What time does the tour start, and when will I be back at my hotel?

The tour runs six hours total, including pickup and drop-off at your hotel or villa in the Manuel Antonio area. Your guide will confirm the exact pickup time when you book.