Parasailing was a first for our whole group so it was great to hear we could do it together. You can go parasailing alone or in a group of two or three people. I went with my mother and my son.
Of course, we were a bit scared so we asked around first. We asked a lot of questions. How do you get up? How do you get down? Just how scary is it? What does it feel like? What companies offer it? We heard over and over about Melanie and Aguas Azules. We also heard over and over that it’s something hard to describe and better to experience first hand. After doing it, we can highly recommend this activity. We will be back, for sure! We heard it’s like a swing, like a helicopter, like a zipline, but no. It’s an activity all its own with a freeing and exciting feeling you don’t want to miss out on. Try it at least once in your life, and, please, with a reputable company.
Reputation that’s based in truth over years means a lot. Aguas Azules is a company that prides itself on its longstanding reputation in the local community and among tourists and tourism agencies. Miguel is from the area and has been offering parasailing tours for 30 years and when he and his wife, Melanie, started Aguas Azules, 17 years ago, they decided to always keep the same name so people wouldn’t confuse them with any other companies. Other companies have come and gone and some may even say they are connected to Aguas Azules but this is not true. Book directly with Aguas Azules or on their website. Be careful of booking a tour with just anyone, as something like parasailing requires safety precautions that not all companies take. When you arrive at the beach, you will be bombarded by people offering tours and it’s easy to think they are all offering the same thing but important to note that’s not actually the case and go with a reputable company. Our taxi driver knew exactly where we could find Aguas Azules among the many tour operators on that beach. The first stranger I spoke to knew Melanie by name and pointed out exactly where to go. In other words, they and their company are well known. They are fully licensed and insured, use the best quality equipment, and have a very highly trained staff. They are the pioneers of parasailing in Costa Rica. Additionally, they won the 2020 Travelers’ Choice Award from Tripadvisor as well as a Certificate of Excellence from Tripadvisor every year.
Aside from being around for a long time and having built a great reputation, they have a clear focus on safety and making the visitors feel comfortable. They have a whole team trained in how to set up the equipment and how to help us into our gear. Each of them knew what they were doing and each of them seemed genuine, like they enjoyed what they were doing and it was important to them that we had a great time. They were confident and helped us stay calm before our adrenaline filled adventure. They were very patient with my special needs son, too. Melanie and the team explained, in Spanish and English, how the harnesses worked and made sure we knew that there was no way to fall out.
One member of our group, my mother, was hesitant to try parasailing but decided to go for it after hearing Melanie’s explanation of the equipment and the process. Melanie gave us a signal to use in case anyone wanted to end the ride early but we didn’t need to use it. My mom really enjoyed it and remarked that even though she normally doesn’t like heights or rides this was fun and she was happy she did it. She noted that she didn’t get that feeling you get in your stomach from a roller coaster.
It’s an adventure activity but one that doesn’t throw you around. It doesn’t knock the wind out of you but does leave you breathless in a good way.
My son was also unsure but wanted to try. With the innocence of a child, he said, “I’m a little scared, and I don’t know how to do it but I’ll try my best to fly.” The team showed us that we really didn’t have to try or do anything much at all, just walk a few steps. Then the parachute took over. They were right alongside us for those few steps and then we were smoothly lifted into the air. It wasn’t too fast or scary but it was thrilling. Before we knew it, we were soaring high above everything. It was breathtaking to overlook one of the best beaches like that.
It felt like a combination of flying and swinging, in my opinion. It was one of the best adventure activities I’ve ever tried. I loved being so high up, relaxing, and taking in the views of the expansive sea and the houses built into the mountains just past the beach.
My mother and I enjoyed observing the variations in the sea color. There are so many beautiful shades of the sea that you can see more clearly with a bird’s eye view. We also dared to look up and see the open parachute that was guiding us along.
My son loved seeing all sorts of boats from up above. He was playing “I spy,” finding sailboats, catamarans, jet skis, and even a “pirate boat.” He alternated between finding boats and screaming “Cool!” and “This is awesome!” He was also happily surprised that we were taken back to shore by jetski, an added adventure.
If you’d like more information or to book a parasailing tour or another water sport adventure with Aguas Azules, see their website or contact them by phone:
+506 8701-4126
+506 8366-0227
Current prices, as of September 2022:
Single $85 plus IVA
Double $140 plus IVA
Triple $185 plus IVA
