We went canyoning with Desafio last month and thought it was one of the best activities in all of Costa Rica. Having tried Pure Trek Canyoning a couple years back, we decided to try Desafio on our last trip so that we could compare and contrast the two. We are very glad that we did, as we ended up liking Desafio more. This is not to put down Pure Trek, as we also had a great time with them. However, Desafio offers a more traditional canyoneering experience --- while Pure Trek is mostly about repelling, Desafio combines repelling with hiking, swimming, etc, much more a true canyoneering experience similar to Interlaaken, Switzerland. The other advantage of Desafio is that the hike out of the canyon at the end of the tour, while uphilll and steep, is not nearly as grueling as Pure Trek.

The Desafio tour consists of a number of climbs down waterfalls with a rope, as well as two very large rapels. The instructors warn you at the beginning that you won't have fun if you are not willing to get wet. That was very true, as there are a few parts where you essentially have to jump into the water to pass. The rapels are set up so that the highest one is second, and well into the tour. This is another advantage over Pure Trek, where the very first rapel is the highest. Even though we have done a few rapels, you always get a little nervous on the first one. Therefore, it is harder to enjoy the first one at Pure Trek, which of course is the best one.

The instructors were all great. While safety came first, they also made the tour incredibly fun. They were some of the best in Costa Rica.

Overall, a great experience. While I made the comparison to Pure Trek, I do not want to discourage people from doing it, as it is also a ton of fun. However, on a relative basis, if you can only do one, I would recommend giving Desafio a try!

We just got back from a great trip to Costa Rica. We bought the 4 day Monteverde/Arenal package through Desafio and could not have been more pleased with the whole experience. We changed the package a little to accomodate what we wanted to do, and they were very flexible with our changes. We booked everything, including transportation, tours, and hotels through Desafio. This is definitely the way to go. Desafio's staff did a great job with putting it all together. All we had to do was show up at the designated time! Thanks to Desafio, we had an awesome time! The best tour is Canyoneering!

My friend and I did a private canyoneering tour with Desafio and it was absolutely amazing. We hiked and rapelled down a waterfall. What an adrenalin rush! This tour made the ziplining tour seem tame. You would be doing yourself a huge disservice if you missed out on this tour. This was the best tour I've been on in my entire life. The guides were uber friendly and made us feel safe at all times.

The day before going on this canyoning trip, I had a bad accident while zip lining. I thought I was done with the adventure, but I had been looking forward to trying this. I am so glad I did. While it was one of the scariest things I have ever done in my life, it was also one of the most exhilarating. The guides were extremely professional and well trained. They paid special attention to me and my injuries from the day before and made sure I was safe the whole time. At the same time, they had a great sense of humor and helped build camaraderie amongst the group. If you are looking for an incredible challenge and thrill, this is a great way to go.