Costa Rican Hotels Blog | Your Gateway to a Costa Rican Experience

In the 1990’s, the eco-tourism industry in Costa Rica took yet another turn while adding to the already overwhelming amount of adventure and recreational activities that could be done in Costa Rica.

Canadian entrepreneur and ecologists Darren Hreniuk envisioned tourists enjoying the dense Costa Rican vegetation from a different point of view and opened the Original Canopy Tour in 1994.  The Original Canopy Tour today operates in the Monteverde Cloudforest, Mahogany Park and Drake.

By the year 2000, the availability of adventure activities and attractions had grown to include hanging bridges, aerial trams, ATV tours, canyoning treks and hiking.  Canopy or zip-lining tours suddenly sprung from every corner of the country as it became the most sought after activity and number one thing-to-do on the list of thousands of tourists.

However, the variety in activities unfortunately did not go hand in hand with the country’s bad road conditions and long distances.  Divers were unwilling to miss out on a day or two of diving in order to travel to San Jose and engage in white water rafting or to Monteverde for a canopy tour.

Tourists were also missing out on the opportunity to enjoy one of Costa Rica’s many National Parks that protects volcanoes and a the richest biodiversity in the Central American region.

Local entrepreneur and owner of the Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin in Guanacaste became aware of this void and included all land based adventure activities within his services.  Due the property’s proximity to all major North Pacific beach resorts and diving sights, Hacienda Guachipelin began to fill out that void while not forcing tourists to leave the coast.

The Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin is located at the entrance of the Rincon de la Vieja National Park in Guanacaste which provides for great adventure such as tubing and canyoning down the Colorado River, zip-lining and horseback riding.  In addition, guests are able to enjoy the park’s great volcanic-related activities such as an invigorating dip in the boiling mud baths and hot springs as well as hike through the forest while enjoying its river and waterfalls.

The re-opening of the Daniel Oduber International Airport in Liberia also contributed to the region’s growth and eco-tourism activities while not compromising vacation time as all main eco-tourism activities were within an hour drive.

Local airline Nature Air also played a very important role in maximizing the visitors time while in Costa Rica.  Thanks to its great flight schedule, destinations and rates, getting to and from key attractions is a breeze.  This way, tourists are able to see the best of Costa Rica’s attractions while cutting down on ground travel.