Canopy tour
Encyclopedia
A canopy tour is an established route through a wooded and often mountainous landscape making primary use of zip-line
s and aerial bridges between platforms built in trees. Tourists are harnessed to a steel cable without interruption throughout the entire tour for safety. Although canopy tours date back far back into history for their civil use and even scientific they are now used primarily for recreation and fun and have become part of the adventure tourism industry.
, Costa Rica
, Thailand
, Brazil
and other countries with jungles or rainforests. Costa Rica was one of the original locations for canopy tours and as such there are a high number available there. Canopy tours are available in other areas throughout North America
, Europe
, Africa
and Australasia
.
Canopy tours often include a jeep or hike tour to the zipline site during which a guide tells you about wildlife and flora. At some mountain resorts, the ziplines are near the base of summer-green ski slopes and the first zipline is reached via a chairlift. These guided tours often last from one to three hours depending on the tour company. It will often include accommodation, meals, transport other activities such as rafting, mountain climbing, hiking and mountain biking.
industry and are often marketed as being environmentally-friendly. They require the construction of several platforms supported by trees far above the ground. Some canopy tours have taken extra steps to not only prevent harm but to give back to the environment.
Zip-line
A zip-line consists of a pulley suspended on a cable mounted on an incline...
s and aerial bridges between platforms built in trees. Tourists are harnessed to a steel cable without interruption throughout the entire tour for safety. Although canopy tours date back far back into history for their civil use and even scientific they are now used primarily for recreation and fun and have become part of the adventure tourism industry.
Types of Canopy Tours
There are hundreds of zip-line tours across five continents to date, but are particularly popular in MéxicoMexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
and other countries with jungles or rainforests. Costa Rica was one of the original locations for canopy tours and as such there are a high number available there. Canopy tours are available in other areas throughout North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
and Australasia
Australasia
Australasia is a region of Oceania comprising Australia, New Zealand, the island of New Guinea, and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term was coined by Charles de Brosses in Histoire des navigations aux terres australes...
.
Canopy tours often include a jeep or hike tour to the zipline site during which a guide tells you about wildlife and flora. At some mountain resorts, the ziplines are near the base of summer-green ski slopes and the first zipline is reached via a chairlift. These guided tours often last from one to three hours depending on the tour company. It will often include accommodation, meals, transport other activities such as rafting, mountain climbing, hiking and mountain biking.
Ecology and Conservation
Canopy tours are part of the burgeoning ecotourismEcotourism
Ecotourism is a form of tourism visiting fragile, pristine, and usually protected areas, intended as a low impact and often small scale alternative to standard commercial tourism...
industry and are often marketed as being environmentally-friendly. They require the construction of several platforms supported by trees far above the ground. Some canopy tours have taken extra steps to not only prevent harm but to give back to the environment.