We went to Cabo the first week in January and happened to be there for our daughter’s 10th birthday. She put in a request to go zip lining and our concierge arranged a fabulous excursion through Cabo Adventures. We had taken the kids zip lining twice before: first in Costa Rica and then in Kauai so they knew what they were getting themselves into (sort of).
I thought we were just going zip lining, but it turns out Cabo Adventures has some other activities built in – like cliff-side repelling, rock climbing, a bungee swing, suspension bridge (e.g. tight rope walking), and the grand finale: a 4,000 ft (that’s over 1 kilometer) “Superman” style zip line, the longest in Mexico! Although they told us we didn’t have to do anything we didn’t want to I’m glad these “extras” were a surprise for me when we got there because I think I would have been worried about how the kids would handle it and if I would be brave enough to keep up! It turns out we all did fine and the day was so much more fun than we expected.
We were not allowed to bring cameras or phones along the course, but they did have a photographer who followed our group around and we were able to buy the pictures at the end. I definitely enjoyed not having to worry about my camera and instead was able to just be in the moment.
I thought they did a really good job explaining how to ride the zip line and be safe without making it sound overwhelming or complicated. They also did a pretty good job easing us into the course (e.g. shorter zip lines first). The only exception to this was on the second zip line we had the option to ride upside down. Everyone except our 6-year-old & I took them up on this! I couldn’t believe our oldest (who is usually our most cautious child) did it! I think if this option had been presented a few more zip lines in I would have tried it (or so I say….). I know they got some pictures of the kids riding this way, but since we let the kids be in charge of selecting all the pictures at the end of the day I think they may have missed these!
Our 6-year-old rode most of the zip lines all by himself (although he & I did two together). In Costa Rica he was only four years old and not heavy enough so he had to ride almost all with a guide for extra weight. The minimum age for this Cabo excursion was actually 8 years old, but since he met the minimum height requirement of 4ft he was able to go. We had double checked this before we booked so there was no disappointment when we arrived.
The course was set up in a UNESCO protected biosphere and it was a bit of an oasis in the middle of the desert. It was in a large valley with beautiful pools of clear water that we got to zip line over.
When I’m zip lining I feel safe because I’m strapped in and zooming from Point A to Point B which are typically at relatively equal elevations. I am not a fan of throwing myself off the side of a platform and “free falling” without the guarantee that all straps & harnesses will do their job. Because of where I happened to be in the line after rock climbing I was escorted to the front of the bungee swing line. While I wanted to do it, I was nervous and not thrilled about going first, but I tried not to let on to my three kids standing right behind me. Standing on the edge of the platform waiting for them to give me the go ahead to jump was the worst part, and the heckling from my kids didn’t help either. But, once I jumped off it was really fun! I did let out a scream though! All three kids went too. I just can’t get over how brave they all are! Below is a video of our 12-year-old jumping. I liked this one because you can see other people in the distance zip lining and walking across the tight-rope bridge.
The one thing that they recommended our youngest not do was the cliff-side repelling because he was just not heavy enough. So he & I sat this one out, but we got to watch everyone come down the cliff from a nice perch above.
From this perspective, you can really see how high up they were!
The Superman zip line was by far the most nerve-wracking thing we did, but we ALL did it. They had another option, called “The Chicken”, if you chose not to do Superman. We had to hike up several hundred feet to the platform. The platform we were zipping to was so far away it was really hard to see. The birthday girl volunteered to go first. They added a Go Pro to her helmet, set her up in the harness and added A LOT of extra weight to give her enough momentum to reach the other end. And before I could stop it from happening they sent the birthday girl off the edge of the platform! We watched her disappear into a little dot zooming across the landscape reaching speeds up to 60mph! Eventually ,she reached a patch of trees and we lost sight of her, but knew she was still going because we could hear the zip line on our end vibrating. Suddenly she reappeared and we saw her reach the other platform, the zip line went quiet, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Next went our 6-year-old, followed by me, our 12-year-old & Mike. I am so proud of all of us for doing this. And to prove we actually did it – here’s a video (edited by our very own 12-year-old!)
The last bit of our excursion was driving ATVs. This was an add-on that we agreed to when we checked-in that morning. Drivers had to have a valid driver’s license so the kids could only be passengers much to their disappointment. The ATVs fit a maximum of 4 people so if I wanted to go then I had to drive. Our daughter wanted a “girls only” ride and since it was her birthday I agreed.
My plan was to be the last driver so I wouldn’t feel the pressure of driving really fast. Somehow I ended up behind Mike who was behind the lead car. So much pressure! It was super dusty (thus the bandanas over our nose & mouths) and really hard to see the course. There were cows lingering on the side of the course and I was afraid one would just step out in front of me! To put the dust in perspective, I didn’t even see the photographer along the course. I did get a little more daring throughout the course and it was actually really fun. I didn’t flip the ATV or run into any cactuses, cows, the photographer, or another ATV. I’m glad we decided to do it even though Kate told me I was “so slow!”
After the ATV, we returned to where we had started to see all our pictures and eat quesadillas made with tortillas made right there in front of us – they were delicious! And we were starving!
The kids enjoyed watching others fly down the Superman zip line from this treehouse-like perch.
Three thumbs up for this amazing birthday adventure!
When we returned to the hotel, we had just enough time for a quick dip in our hot tub before we headed out to dinner in Los Cabos.
We ate at a fabulous restaurant recommended by our concierge, Maria Corona. We had asked for something fun and kid friendly, but also nice and Maria Corona delivered! They had a wonderful outside patio with a band playing and we were seated right in front by the stage. The highlight of the dinner was the magician that came over and performed for our daughter. He had some amazing tricks that we still talk about and wonder “how did he do that?!?!”
And at the end of the night, they brought over a special birthday dessert and serenaded our daughter with “Feliz Cumpleanos!” She loved it! Not a bad way to celebrate her 10th birthday!
See Also: Snorkeling and Whales in Cabo and Surfing in Cabo
2 comments
My daughter is also 6 years old and over 4 feet but I’m not getting the same response about zip lining from Cabo adventures. When you verified prior to going did you just call the number on their website? Thanks! Looks so fun!
Hi Jen – We had our concierge arrange the excursion for us and they verified directly with Cabo Adventures for us. I imagine they called the number on the website, but I’m not positive.