Early November 2012: We made reservations and prepaid online before we left the mainland. We attempted to phone a couple of times to confirm our reservations, but Toro Verde was closed on the days we called (they only operate a few days a week), and I was unable to comprehend the directions to leave a message because they were recorded only in Spanish. In any case, we were expected when we arrived. There seem to be only two times during the day to participate in this adventure: 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., so make sure you arrive fairly early. The facility is undergoing remodeling, so pre-adventure restrooms are portapotties in the parking lot. (Be sure to visit them before your group departs.)
Leave plenty early if you're going from San Juan with a rental car. The majority of the road along the coast is good, but the stretch through the mountains is very winding, and you're sure to get behind slow-moving trucks. It takes longer than you would expect. That's why we opted to do the one o'clock departure time. If you tend to get motion-sickness, you might want to take a Dramamine before you leave your hotel or rental.
The Toro Verde "gift shop" was locked up, and there was no place to purchase water. IMPORTANT: TAKE YOUR OWN WATER, AT LEAST TWO HALF-LITER BOTTLES PER PERSON to take along, and another for when you return to your transportation. (We saw no place in the small community nearby at which we could buy any.) There are cords connected to the harnesses from which you can attach your water bottle so you'll have your hands free. To be well-prepared, you might want to take along some extra light cord (heavyweight string) or strap for your extra bottle. We were not well-prepared, and only had one bottle each, which we convinced the office person to go into the gift shop and get for us. The weather was quite sunny and hot, and I was sweating, overheated, nauseated, and dehydrated before we got to the 3rd of the 8 ziplines. (I lost my breakfast somewhere along the trail.) There are several short hikes of varying intensity involved to go from one station to the next. The last one is truly punishing unless you are young and fit, neither of which applies to me and my husband (both of us in our early 70s and overweight). That last hike is extremely steep (about 150 steps UP), but the guides were extremely patient and the other family in the group of 8 seemed equally so. It wasn't easy, but I made it! So, I caution you strongly to have water, and a snack too if you tend to get low blood sugar. There is no way to go back once you complete that first zipline, so once you go across, you are committed to do the whole thing. :-) I felt completely safe the whole time.
We finished the adventure off by riding "The Beast" (La Beastia). For me, that was the absolute highlight. I was like a kid wanting to do it again and again. Alas, you only have that one opportunity (unless you go back another day). There are many YouTube videos of the experience, but they can't come close to the exhilaration you experience from flying across the valley for nearly a mile in approximately a minute. I took my camera, which also shoots short videos, and made sure that the wrist strap was securely around my wrist so I wouldn't drop it. I don't think I'd recommend a phone camera without a strap. When you get to the brake at the end of the line, you get a pretty good jolt, and it would be easy to drop it. I'd recommend watching some of the videos on YouTube before you decide to do this
Clothing? Of course! No, actually, it depends upon the weather forecast. In our case, it was sunny and in the mid- to high-80s. Lightweight shirt, shorts or capris with deep pockets (such as cargo shorts), sturdy sneakers (no sandals!). Short shorts are not the best idea. I noticed that the straps from the rigging appeared to turn short shorts into "thongs", and didn't look comfortable at all! Sunglasses were fine to wear. If you're wary, use a strap to attach to the earpieces, but I didn't use one and got along fine.
Wear sunscreen!
My husband and I feel that this is a "must-do" on one's bucket list. In fact, I'm ready to go back and do it again.....maybe just the beast unless I can get in better shape and/or can turn back the clock. We highly recommend! I'd recommend watching some of the videos on YouTube before you decide to do this, however, so you'll know what to expect. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did. read more