Whee-hah! At each platform, instructors check your cable connections and other equipment before sending you zooming off to the next. The combination of the adrenaline rush, the natural beauty of the forest, and the camaraderie of your friends and instructors can be addicting. Safe & Sound. Instructors receive 200+ hours of training and are pleasant, fun and English-speaking to boot. Here, Alicia Bernal hooks you onto the line at one of Huana Coa’s nine treetop platforms. By the time you reach the second or third one, all nervousness is gone and you’ll be bickering over who gets to go first. Faster Than a Speeding Bullet. Each of the nine zip-lines carries you high above the lush green canopy of the forest below. The lines get progressively faster and longer, with the easiest first and the fastest – and most fun – saved for last. The instructors say most people don’t want it to be over and beg for more. Each tour is about 3-1/2 to 4 hours from when you first pile into the all-terrain vehicles to travel up the mountain to your triumphant return to base. Fly Like a Bird. Yes, this is exactly what it looks like! On every tour, one instructor acts as cameraman, and there are photos and video available for purchase at the end. Whether you buy or not, it’s really fun to watch the video and see candid photos as you fly through the air (seemingly unafraid). And Huana Coa prides itself on being environmentally friendly, and takes great care to minimize its impact on the local ecosystem. The Green Scene. The harness – strapped on tightly by Huana Coa’s instructors - acts as a seat, and is surprisingly comfortable. Thick leather gloves allow you to use your right hand to grasp the cable firmly and brake as you get close to the next platform. You don’t even have to be particularly physically fit - just average functional health and fitness is needed. If folks in their 80s can do it, so can you! What Goes Up… must come down, somehow! Once you reach the final platform, built high in a huanacaxtle tree overlooking the silver-blue agave fields of the nearby Los Osuna Tequila farm, it’s a seemingly easy rappel to the ground about 30 feet below. For many people, this is the most exhilarating part of the tour.

Click image for slideshow.

Where: Huana Coa is about 45 minutes north of Mazatlán via the free road, near the town of La Noria. Call the office for specific directions & reservations, which are required.

When: Daily 9:30am and 12 pm. Wednesday tours start at noon. Closed Sunday.

Cost: $75 USD for visitors, $600 pesos for residents (proof required, ID or utility bill with your name). Group rates available. Price includes R/T transportation from Mazatlán.

Details: Wear loose, comfortable clothing and secure footwear. You must be in good health, able to walk 15 minutes uphill, climb a tall ladder unassisted and not experience anxiety or dizziness due to heights. Age 9 and above. Must be under 275 lbs. and able to fit in all equipment & harnesses. Sorry, intoxicated persons not permitted.

Reservations/Info: 669-990-1100. www.huanacoa.com. Office: Ave. del Mar #111, next to Hotel Don Pelayo (Howard Johnson)