Ultralight Planes- The best way to see Costa Rica from the sky
Many of us have hiked through a rainforest, taken a bus through the jungles and rode an ATV down the back roads. Now, it’s time to see Costa Rica from the sky!
Ultralights (small light sport aircrafts) allow you to fly as gently as a bird among Costa Rica’s immense, undiscovered lands. Tours are available all over Costa Rica, with professional pilots willing and able to help you discover the majestic countryside from high in the sky. Imagine soaring over Costa Rica’s incredible beaches, waterfalls and rainforests taking in unforgettable images. Or, envision yourself coasting on the winds of the Pacific Ocean as you look down on the Osa Peninsula, flying low above specific destinations such as Drake Bay, Corcovado National Park and the Golfo Dulce. Ultralights let you glide over these exquisite areas, allowing you to enjoy your life and nature’s bounty to the fullest.
There are many ultralight companies in Costa Rica that can assist you in this journey. Skyline de Costa Rica has a flight tour that lets you relax as you take in the visual works of art surrounding Ballena National Park. The tour gives you a bird’s eye view of the famous sandbar shaped like a whale’s tail, which Ballena was named after. They also offer tours of the mangrove estuaries and Playa Uvita. The Flying Crocodile is another ultralight flying center, and offers tours that allow you to feast on the abundant mountains and tropical forests in the Nicoya Peninsula, Samara and Nosara.
Most tours have predetermined flights paths for the areas, but you can choose your journey within the flight radius. If you’re interested in getting in the pilot’s seat yourself, some aviation centers offer flight lessons as well. Also, it is extremely easy to get your pilots license in Costa Rica, and in very little time you could be a licensed aviator yourself.
Many ultralight planes have open cabins so you can really experience the wonders of this incredibly diverse ecosystem like a bird: exposed to the fresh air. You may even find yourself flying alongside a flock of birds, which is why so many professionals use ultralights to photograph these avian beauties. National Geographic uses ultralights regularly, and the incredible movie Winged Migration was entirely filmed from an ultralight.
So, with the gentle ascension of a plane, the slow blending with the wind and the impressive landscape below coming into view, you will start to feel as light as air…and this is where your journey begins!
For more information on ultralight lessons and flight tours please visit: