Skyline Canopy Tour — Local services in Cartagena

UPDATE: I appreciate the reply of the owner to my review though I disagree on several points. We were aware of the positive reviews on social media and is one of the principle reasons we chose your company. I leave great reviews for those who provide great experiences. This was not the case this time.

Was disappointed in my experience. The tour guides were not engaging and very exclusionary. Virtually the entire time on the tour their talked and laughed amongst themselves in their language which we did not understand. Very little was spoken to us other than some directions.

One other issue we had that was frustrating was that on the morning of the tour they asked us to come two hour early because of some potential rain in the afternoon. We told them we would try but we had another appointment an hour away that didn't end early enough for us to meet their request. We did however, tell them we would let them know when we were on our way so they would know when to expect us. We ended up getting there 15 min after their requested schedule change which is pretty good considering all the factors like roads, tourists and weather. When we were 15 min out they texted me and said not to bother coming early because their 1pm appointment showed up and we would have to wait. HOLD ON! I though it was being changed because of the weather? It seems they were trying to slot us into an opening that someone else may have canceled. No one mentioned that we would start at our scheduled time if we could arrive by 1 pm. We had changed some plans to try to accommodate their request because we are aware of afternoon rains. And the rain came as we suited up and had to wait 30 min. No problem. However the guides unharnessed and went inside where it was dry and left us by ourselves outside.

They also advertise a Tarzan swing. Don't be fooled. It is a rope swing between two platforms and which are pretty ose together. It is a joke but probably okay for the young or elderly. Another Tarzan swing we did sent you dropping 50 feet and swinging 200 plus feet. It was optional for any on the tour but several of us did it.

The ziplines don't really change much in elevation throughout the tour which was disappointing though they do have 1 longer line. Other tours we have been on were much more engaging and fun for the same price.

NOTE: These folks push really hard for you to purchase their video and photo package. There are some good photos but you only get a short video and two pics for 30 dollars or so. For 3 of us that went it was going to be 80 dollars. They strongly discouraged me from taking along my own camera and we were rushed through the tour very quickly. It was a frustrating experience and one we won't repeat with...

I'd like to preface this by saying I do not like heights. However, from the start, the guide crew made me not only feel comfortable, but helped me to have fun. They are experts at helping kids feel relaxed and get them to have fun - even if they start the tour freaking out. If you have a small child (toddler), they will give them a cute little harness and assign a dedicated guide to them for the whole course. They'll lean back a bit and sit the child on their knee while zip lining. For older kids who may be freaking out a bit, they'll go at the same time as them for the first few courses, then by the 3rd ish course, if they're no longer flipping out, they'll just act like they are going with them again, but not just. Once the kid realizes they were alone, it immediately builds confidence and they go alone the rest of the way. The guides were super fun, spoke decent english, told jokes, interacted with the guests, and made the whole experience worth while.

That's not to say they were not taking safety seriously. Despite all of their jokes and fun, they were constantly looking at people's harnesses, their gear, the lines, the platforms, were in constant radio communication with each other, and keeping everyone in the group together. So while it looked like they were just having fun, if you pay attention, they were professionals doing their job, while also having fun doing it. They bring a professional photographer along the way because it's not really possible to hold the line, hold the break, AND take pictures/video. A family of 4 can expect to pay about $80 for the whole picture package ($20/person in your party). You get LOADS of pictures and videos. You pay at the end, and they email you the content within a day of your tour. Though some of the platforms seemed sketchy, they were actually pretty sturdy. Some may "wiggle" more than others, but that may be because you're hanging from a tree instead of being nailed into it (which may harm the tree). For the most part, you wont notice any instability unless you try to sway it back and forth on purpose. All of their platforms were attached to trees in a way that doesnt damage the tree itself. I never felt unsafe at any point.

Overall, it was a lot of fun, and I'd definitely do it again. I highly recommend this anyone in the area looking to do a...

On a short trip to Costa Rica for a weekend wedding, I found myself with some time on a Saturday open and a strong urge to finally experience zip lining in the jungles of Central America. I've seen a lot of amazing videos of this activity online, and felt compelled to try. With no prior reservation and only an hour's notice, my Best Western team in Tamarindo where I was staying connected me to the fine folks at Skyline Canopy Tours, including a round trip ride. The destination was only 30 minutes each way from my hotel, and my friendly chauffeur Chris was great and connected the dots. For under $100 all in, it was the best experience I could possibly have expected for a solo adventurer.

After getting set up, I met my skilled and hilarious instructors Emmanue and Mr. Anderson, as well as Yelsin, my personal photog for this tree top excursion who documented this amazing canopy tour. The guys started with a tutorial of how the ropes would work, and then helped me get my zip line legs with an initial base drop over 50 feet down. I was all in from the start, and my heart was racing for the rest of the tour. It was awesome! We quickly zipped from one tree top to the next, expertly crossing the jungle in swift flight, like a hawk dropping from the sky in zero gravity! I had a blast with the guys and climbed up the trees, soared over amazing heights of jungle, saw the vast incredible living jungle, and even swung like the native howling monkeys myself while never feeling out of my comfort zone. It was incredible!

After completing the 10 zip line courses, I had to spring for the photo and video package so I could show my friends, and they even gave me a great deal on that too! I can't sing the praises of Emmanue, Mr. Anderson, and Yelsin enough, and I would definitely come again next time I'm...