BoB vs. the highest zipline in South America

“So… who would like to go first?” No response. I looked at the 15 people standing around me and thought to myself “Why not?” A few minutes later I was hanging in a harness feeling quite uncomfortable being at the edge of a deep canyon.

In ‘BoB vs. …’ I write short stories about adventures & outdoor activities. This time a story about BoB vs. the highest zipline in South America! 

The highest zipline in South America

We were doing the 4-day Machu Picchu jungle tour and made a stop in the small town of Santa Teresa to go ziplining with ‘Cola de Mono’ (flying fox). Cola de Mono has the highest zipline in South America (150m!) and has 2500 meters of cables in seven sections. On the cable you can reach a speed as high as 60 km/h!

The day started off with instructions at the beautiful Cola de Mono headquarters. After that we hiked to the first canopy. At this first canopy everyone was still careful, holding one hand on the pulley while they went down. However, at the next canopy people already started experimenting: going ‘without hands’ and spinning around. After that ziplining madness was on. People hung upside down or even went flying horizontally ‘superman style’. The latter was so much fun! Flying over the treetops with the wind in your hair. It truly felt like flying Also, while cruising down the line you have the best views on the valley below you!

In total you’ve got 2-3 hours of ziplining fun. Although there are several companies in Santa de Teresa offering canopy tours, we heard that Cola de Mono is the best (and the oldest) company. At Cola de Mono you were going down fast until the end of the canopy, while at other companies you sometimes even stopped before the end of the canopy (according to our friends who did another tour). Also we loved the Peruvian guides of Cola de Mono who were very helpful and kind. It’s truly a South America adventure you don’t want to miss!

So yes, playing superman during our Machu Picchu tour was awesome. It was my first time ziplining and I kept thinking “Why haven’t I done this before?… This is so cool”! If you ever have the chance to zipline: GO!

SCORES (OUT OF FIVE STARS)

‘NEVER AGAIN, SCARY AS HELL’ LEVEL ** 
‘NEED TO BE IN GOOD SHAPE’ LEVEL *
‘FUN’ LEVEL ****
‘SUPERBE LANDSCAPES’ LEVEL ****

About ziplining in/around Santa Teresa

Website: Cola de Mono (there are also other companies)
Costs: 58 USD
Where: Santa Teresa, Peru
BoB tips: Wear a superman suit! And check out this Machu Picchu packing list.

Bunch of Backpackers is no way connected to Cola de Mono, nor did it receive a reward for mentioning them. 

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