The two real canopy tours near Santa Teresa compared, Malpais Canopy Tour with 11 platforms above Cabo Blanco and Sun Trails over the Montezuma waterfalls, with 2026 prices, cable counts, age and weight limits, pickup, and who resells them.
There are two ziplines within reach of Santa Teresa. Malpais Canopy Tour is 15 minutes away, faster, longer, and cheaper at $50 to $65. Sun Trails in Montezuma is 45 minutes away, costs $62 to $108, and includes a swim at the upper Montezuma waterfalls, which is why most visitors pick it.
The short version
If you want the zipline itself, go to Mal Pais: 11 platforms, nearly a mile of cable, a 500 m run through the jungle along a creek, a Tarzan swing, and Pacific views from the ridge at the edge of the Cabo Blanco reserve. If you want a half day out with a waterfall swim in the middle, go to Sun Trails in Montezuma, where the 9 cables and 13 platforms cross the river valley above the falls and the tour stops at the upper pools. Neither is a 3 km superman megaline like the ones in Monteverde or Arenal; both are honest jungle canopies with good guides, and the reviews for both sit at 4.6 to 4.9 on Google.
Everything else you will see advertised in Santa Teresa is one of these two, resold with a pickup. Adventure Nicoya, Zuma Tours, Tiko Tours, Tours and More, and the hotel desks all put you on the same cables.
Malpais Canopy Tour
Malpais Canopy Tour is on a farm above the Mal Pais fishing village, up the hill from the port on Justin's Road, at the entrance to the Cabo Blanco reserve. The property has more than 200 tree species and the tour runs through them: 11 platforms between 5 and 30 metres up, steel cables, a 300 m shot across a canyon between the second and third platforms, and a 500 m ride along a creek that is the highlight. A short hanging bridge and a Tarzan swing round it out, and guides let you ride head-first "superman" style on some cables if you ask. The operator's site quotes about 1 hour 15 minutes on the cables and around two hours with the briefing and the truck ride up the hill.
Price is $50 per person direct, with hotel transport for $10 return, per the operator's booking pages, and $65 on the Santa Teresa tour-desk sites that include pickup. Tours go out at 9am, 11am and 3pm, and the office is open 8am to 5pm daily; book by WhatsApp on +506 2640 0360 or online. Weight limits at Costa Rican canopies are typically 220 to 250 lb and minimum ages around 5 to 6 with a parent, and Mal Pais takes children (the photos show kids on the cables), so message ahead with ages and weights and they will tell you yes or no.
Who it suits: families with kids who want the ride without a long day, anyone staying in Mal Pais or Carmen, and people who already did the Montezuma falls on their own. The honest caveat: you drive up a rough hill in the back of a truck, and in September the last section can be a mud bath, so wear shoes you can lose.
Canopy del Pacífico
Canopy del Pacífico is the same operation under its other name. The company trades as Canopy Mal Pais del Pacífico, and tour desks in Santa Teresa use both, so if a quote for "Canopy del Pacífico" and a quote for "Malpais Canopy" differ, you are comparing the same cables with and without transport. Book whichever is cheaper.
Sun Trails, Montezuma waterfall canopy
Sun Trails Tours is the Montezuma zipline and the reason so many people from the Santa Teresa side make the 45-minute drive. The course has 9 cables and 13 platforms across the valley of the Rio Montezuma, and the tour stops at the upper tiers of the Montezuma waterfalls for a swim, with a 12 foot jump at one of the pools for those who want it and plenty of stairs for everyone. Reviews from 2025 and 2026 mention new carbon-coated cables that run faster and quieter, a weight limit raised to 250 lb, and guides (Max, Dany, Armando, Ernesto come up repeatedly) who are funny and careful. The office is 1.5 km up the hill past Hotel Amor de Mar, open 8:30am to 5:30pm.
Tours start at 9am, 1pm and 3pm, with hotel pickup 20 to 50 minutes before from Mal Pais, Santa Teresa, Montezuma and Cabuya, and you are back three to four hours after the start. Sun Trails' own price has been around $62 plus 13% tax; resellers list $70 to $108 with transport from Santa Teresa. Bottled water is included, bring a swimsuit under your clothes and a towel in a small backpack, and expect a lot of vertical: several reviewers who were not fit found the stairs hard, and one 72-year-old made it with a guide's help.
Who it suits: first-time visitors who want the zipline and the waterfall in one morning, and anyone based in Montezuma. The caveat: pregnant women are not permitted, the stairs are steep and many, and if you have already walked to the falls the swim stop is a repeat.
Adventure Nicoya
Adventure Nicoya is a tour desk in the centre of Montezuma that books the Sun Trails canopy alongside its bioluminescence and beach trips. Its website was not loading when we checked in September 2026, so book through WhatsApp or walk in, and confirm which operator will actually run your zipline before you pay.
Zuma Tours, Tiko Tours and Tours and More
Zuma Tours at Plaza Kahuna in Santa Teresa and its Montezuma office sell both canopies on their site, listed as the Montezuma Waterfall Canopy Tour and the Mal Pais and Santa Teresa Canopy Tour, with transport from either side. Tiko Tours in Playa Carmen and Tours and More on the main road do the same. The advantage of a desk is one WhatsApp for the canopy, the waterfall, the Tortuga boat, and the shuttle; the price is usually the reseller rate above rather than the operator's direct rate, so ask what the difference buys you.
Comparison table
| Malpais Canopy Tour | Sun Trails Montezuma | |
|---|---|---|
| Distance from Santa Teresa | 15 min | 45 min |
| Cables and platforms | 8 cables, 11 platforms, nearly 1 mile | 9 cables, 13 platforms, about 1 mile |
| Longest run | 500 m along a creek, 300 m canyon shot | Valley crossings above the river |
| Extras | Tarzan swing, hanging bridge, superman | Waterfall swim, optional 12 ft jump, hanging bridge |
| Time | 1.25 to 2 hours | 3 to 4 hours with pickup |
| Price 2026 | $50 direct, $10 transport, $65 via desks | About $62 plus tax direct, $70 to $108 via desks |
| Start times | 9am, 11am, 3pm | 9am, 1pm, 3pm |
| Weight limit | Ask, typically 220 to 250 lb | 250 lb |
| Kids | Yes, with a parent | Yes, if they can manage stairs |
| Pickup | Santa Teresa, Mal Pais, Montezuma, Cabuya | Santa Teresa, Mal Pais, Montezuma, Cabuya |
How to choose
Pick Mal Pais when the zipline is the point, when you have young kids, or when you want to be back at the beach for lunch. Pick Sun Trails when you want a half day out and have not yet seen the waterfalls; it is the more complete outing and the one people remember. If you have a car and a full day, do Sun Trails at 9am, eat in Montezuma, and finish at the lower Montezuma fall from the riverbed trail, which we cover in the waterfalls guide. If you are counting dollars, Mal Pais direct with your own transport is the cheapest zipline on the peninsula.
For the wider list of things to do when the surf is flat, see things to do beyond surfing, and for age limits and the rest of the family menu see Santa Teresa with kids.
Practical notes
Book a day ahead in green season and two or three days ahead from December to April, when the 9am slots go first. Both operators take WhatsApp bookings and card payments; the tour desks take cards and sometimes add a fee for them. Prices exclude the 13% tax unless the quote says otherwise.
Wear closed shoes that can get muddy, shorts or leggings (no loose skirts), tie long hair back, and leave jewellery at home. Bring a swimsuit and towel for Sun Trails, insect repellent for both, and a small backpack that fits snugly, because it rides with you on the cables. Glasses need a strap. Cameras and phones are at your own risk; both companies sell photos.
Right now, in late September, mornings are usually dry and afternoons are not. Take the 9am slot, expect mud on the access roads, and know that both operators cancel in a lightning storm and rebook you rather than refund.
FAQ
How much is a zipline tour in Santa Teresa?
Malpais Canopy Tour is $50 direct plus $10 for hotel transport, or about $65 through a tour desk. Sun Trails in Montezuma is about $62 plus 13% tax direct and $70 to $108 through resellers with transport from Santa Teresa. Prices are per person, as of September 2026.
Which zipline is closest to Santa Teresa?
Malpais Canopy Tour, about 15 minutes south of the cruce above the Mal Pais fishing village. Sun Trails is in Montezuma, about 45 minutes away across the peninsula, and includes a waterfall swim.
Can kids do the zipline?
Yes at both. Mal Pais takes children with a parent riding alongside and Sun Trails takes kids who can handle a lot of stairs. Message the operator with each child's age and weight before booking, because the minimum age and the harness sizes are decided on the day.
Is there a weight limit?
Sun Trails lists 250 lb after its 2025 cable upgrade. Malpais Canopy Tour does not publish a figure; Costa Rican canopies typically cap at 220 to 250 lb. Ask by WhatsApp when you book.
Does the Sun Trails zipline include the Montezuma waterfall?
Yes. The tour stops at the upper tiers of the Montezuma waterfalls for a swim, and you can walk down the stairs to the big lower fall afterwards if you have the legs. It does not include the riverbed trail from the village, which is a separate free walk.
Do I need to book a zipline in advance?
A day ahead is enough in green season. From December to April, and around Christmas and Easter, book two or three days ahead for a morning slot. Both operators confirm by WhatsApp.
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