In the heart of the province of Guanacaste there’s a paradise that has everything, from canopy and trails to a river with a waterfall surrounded by hundreds of acres with animals brought here from the African savanna.

How to get there? It is the road to Liberia

What to bring? light clothes, swimsuit, towel, sunscreen, camera, sunglasses, hat, change of clothes, tennis, sandals and an excellent attitude.

Level of accessibility:

Accessible with some difficulty

(only with help) (accessible with some difficulty) (accessible without difficulty)

Distance: There is transportation to every sport/activity.

Difficulty: Easy

Vehicle: Automobile

Parking: Yes

Pets: No

Camping: No

Contact: Tel: 2288-1000 [www.facebook.com/ponderosaadventurepark/]

We left early from Karlita’s house with Nati who was our special guest for the weekend. Nati is a legitimate Viking with her own self-empowering story. She recently had a car accident and lost mobility in her legs. The best thing is that she does not see this as limiting but instead sees the possibilities of having a good time, with an amazing attitude. Thanks to her our way to Guana seemed short in the distance while she told us her story. Half way through we had breakfast at Palenque Garabito and then we continued our journey to La Ponderosa, which is located near Liberia.

Since we arrived we felt a sense of being in something similar to Jurassic Park African savannah edition in Costa Rica ... We passed a giant stone wall with a puddle of water (don’t know where the water was coming from) and we followed a path stoked to see a bunch of giraffes, zebras, giant horned cows, ostriches and bugs not from this continent.

We arrived at the parking lot that is next to the center of operations of the adventure park, we got off to eat something while they prepared our activities.

Our first activity was the safari, then we picked up several carrot packages and got on a trailer pulled by a grasshopper that took us through all the areas where they kept the free animals surrounded by a classic dry tropical landscape of the Guanacaste landscape. The first animals that we saw were the ostriches that are really giant, then we went to see the zebras that are tremendous and hypnotize with their patterns, then we saw giraffes that could easily cross the trailer from side to side with their necks and finally, we saw antelopes and Impalas.

After the safari we went kayaking through the river of La Ponderosa ... for this, we rode each one with a guide and it was definitely my favorite activity because the river is super clean and fresh, also that goes into the forest and culminates in a very high waterfall. After here we went to have coffee and then to sleep since we had to rest for our next day.

The next day after breakfast we prepared to do canopy, this had us excited because Nati had never done this, besides her attitude and the guides had us pumped because there are no limitations for anyone. There were 9 cables that passed over the forest and the river, absolutely everyone had a blast and the coolest part was that you could hang upside down on the last rope that crossed the over the La Ponderosa waterfall.

After the canopy, we changed to have some lunch as the next activity was the horseback riding around the farm. For the ride, we were taken to the lower part of the main waterfall where we were waiting with the horses. Here we start the journey along the river and after a while, we enter the mountain passing some sunny parts and others under the shade. When we were done with the ride we headed back to the starting point that was the waterfall, so we took the opportunity to bathe in the pool and refresh ourselves a bit.

The trip was incredible but to live the experience with Nati, who in spite of her physical disability, taught us that a positive attitude makes all the difference in the world and this made the trip even more spectacular. Our experience was great but the truth is best to see it from your point of view.

"Going on an adventure with Karla, Glori, Tavo, and Trejos was epic! Riding in the truck to go on safari to see exotic animals, kayak in the river, canopy, horseback riding on the farm or just relax at the La Perla waterfall are activities that are enjoyed lots and are possible for people with disabilities, with the support and assistance from La Ponderosa staff. I had never done canopy and it was an amazing experience! Even the chair went along on the ride! ''

If you want to read more about Naty's experience, follow the link: [(http://fundameco.org/2017/03/31/turismo-inclusivo-la-ponderosa-adventure-park/ )] Once bathed and fresh we prepared to go back to San Jose ... physically tired but at the same time loaded with batteries to start the week with the best vibes.