Description
For those who feel that one waterfall is never enough, The Extreme Adventurer is a full-day expedition into the South Pacific, the region stretching toward the Osa Peninsula, where mountains plunge toward the sea and rivers have carved perfect pools into volcanic rock.
We leave Jaco early and travel south on the Costanera highway, with ocean on one side and rainforest on the other. The first stop is just a five-minute walk from the vehicle: a pair of waterfalls with a rope swing that arcs you out over the water before letting go above a deep pool. Here you can swim, float or try your first jumps.
The second site turns up the intensity. Natural rock platforms let you leap from 8 to 40 feet, and a chute of water-polished stone sends you sliding, laughing all the way, into the pool below. After all that action it is time to refuel with a traditional Costa Rican lunch at a local restaurant, complete with a hearty casado, fresh fruit and natural juices.
The afternoon saves the best for last. A 4x4 ride pushes deep into the mountains toward a waterfall of about 75 feet, reached after roughly 30 minutes of hiking through the forest. When weather and water levels allow, the bravest in the group can jump from 20, 30, 45 or even the full 75 feet. Watching, or taking, that final leap is one of the most electrifying experiences Costa Rica has to offer. We roll back into Jaco around sunset, tired, sun-kissed and very happy.
