Best Hanging Bridges in Costa Rica: Comparing 4 in Arenal and Monteverde
Last updated on September 28th, 2021 at 12:43 pm GMT-6 (Costa Rica time)
Written by Nikki Solano
Nikki is the CEO of Pura Vida! eh? Inc. (Costa Rica Discounts), and the author of the guidebooks Moon Costa Rica (2019, 2021, 2023, and 2025 editions) and Moon Best of Costa Rica (2022 edition) from Moon Travel Guides. Together with her Costa Rican husband, Ricky, she operates the Costa Rica Travel Blog, created the online community DIY Costa Rica, built the Costa Rica Destination Tool, oversees the brand-new (summer 2023) Costa Rica Travel Shop, and designed the Costa Rica Trip Planning 101 E-Course. Also, Nikki wrote the Costa Rica cover feature for Wanderlust Magazine's sustainability-focused Travel Green List issue, showcased Costa Rica destinations and experiences on Rick Steves' Monday Night Travel show and podcast/radio show, and served as the Costa Rica Destination Editor for Essentialist, a luxury travel brand. Want to show your appreciation for her free article below? Thank Nikki here. ❤️️
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Get the Costa Rica info you need by browsing our article's TABLE OF CONTENTS:
- The best hanging bridges in Costa Rica: Narrowing down the choices
- Arenal and Monteverde Hanging Bridges Map
- Arenal Sky Adventures Park (Sky Walk Arenal)
- Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park (Mistico Hanging Bridges)
- Monteverde Sky Adventures Park (Sky Walk Monteverde)
- Selvatura Park (Treetop Walkways)
- Arenal and Monteverde hanging bridges comparison: Which hanging bridges are the best?
The best hanging bridges in Costa Rica: Narrowing down the choices
You asked, we answered! As a follow-up to our post Best Ziplines In Costa Rica: Comparing 6 In Arenal And Monteverde, we are delving into the question “which Costa Rica hanging bridges are the best?” by taking a look at some of Costa Rica’s most popular hanging bridges attractions.
Here’s what you should know about the top four hanging bridges attractions located in the Arenal and Monteverde areas of Costa Rica: the Sky Walk Hanging Bridges at the Arenal Sky Adventures Park, the Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges at the Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park, the Sky Walk Hanging Bridges at the Monteverde Sky Adventures Park, and the Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges at the Selvatura Park. Skip further down the page if you’re most interested in learning which of the four properties would be the best to visit.
Arenal and Monteverde Hanging Bridges Map
We created the above map to showcase where each Arenal (La Fortuna) and Monteverde hanging bridges attraction is located. Included on the map are the following sites (each of which we detail in this blog post):
- Arenal Sky Adventures Park (marked by a hiker icon)
- Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park (marked by a hiker icon)
- Monteverde Sky Adventures Park (marked by a hiker icon)
- Selvatura Park (marked by a hiker icon)
Arenal Sky Adventures Park (Sky Walk Arenal)
Sky Walk Arenal photos
Don’t miss our discounts for activities run at the Arenal Sky Adventures Park, including the Sky Walk Hanging Bridges:
Click here to access the FREE Arenal Sky Adventures Park discounts!
The best hanging bridges Costa Rica: Are they the Sky Walk hanging bridges at the Arenal Sky Adventures Park?
The Arenal Sky Adventures Park is located an approximate 30-minute drive west of downtown La Fortuna near the community of El Castillo. The park’s on-site hanging bridges, called the Sky Walk Hanging Bridges, offer a 3-hour hike through the rainforest over a series of suspension bridges. The Sky Walk Hanging Bridges can be combined with Sky Adventures’s Sky Tram Aerial Tram Ride and/or the Sky Trek Canopy Tour (zip-lining), two activities that also take place on-site at the Arenal Sky Adventures Park. To learn more about our experiences participating in the Sky Walk Hanging Bridges Tour at the Arenal Sky Adventures Park, don’t miss our related blog post Sky Adventures Arenal: Ziplining, Hanging Bridges, And Tram Rides In La Fortuna.
- Number of bridges: 8 in total, 4 are hanging/suspension bridges
- Guided tour option? Yes; see the Sky Walk Guided Hanging Bridges Tour option
- Self-guided tour option? Yes; see the Sky Walk Hanging Bridges Entrance (Unguided) option
- Early-morning bird-watching tour option: No
- Night tour option? No
- Private tour option? Yes
- Restaurant on-site? Yes; breakfast and lunch are served at the on-site Chill Out Restaurant
- Special features: walks through the Sky Walk Hanging Bridges include visits to 2 observation platforms and 2 waterfalls; you may purchase photos (called “Sky Pictures”) and/or videos (called “Sky Movies”) of your tour(s) at the park as souvenirs
- Minimum age for participation: N/A; all travelers are allowed to visit the Sky Walk Hanging Bridges
- Transportation to/from La Fortuna/Arenal hotels? Optional transprotation is available, but since Sky Adventures does not automatically include round-trip transportation in the cost of their tours, there is an extra fee (usually around $17 per person) for the service
Sky Walk Arenal hanging bridges trail map
View more free trail maps on our Costa Rica maps Pinterest board.
Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park (Mistico Hanging Bridges)
Mistico Hanging Bridges photos
Don’t miss our discounts for activities run at the Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park, including the Hanging Bridges:
Click here to access the FREE Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park discounts!
The best hanging bridges Costa Rica: Are they the hanging bridges at the Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park, formerly known as the Arenal Hanging Bridges?
The Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park is located an approximate 30-minute drive west of downtown La Fortuna, just beyond Lake Arenal. The park’s on-site hanging bridges, called the Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges (formerly known as the Arenal Hanging Bridges), offer a 2-hour hike through the rainforest over a series of suspension bridges. The Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges can be toured first thing in the morning as part of an early morning bird-watching tour or after dark during a night tour, if not during the day. The Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges can also be combined with a Horseback Riding Tour; horseback riding also takes place on-site at the Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park. To learn more about our experiences participating in the Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Tour at the Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park, don’t miss our related blog post A Step-By-Step Guide To The Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park.
- Number of bridges: 16 in total, 6 are hanging/suspension bridges
- Guided tour option? Yes; see the Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park Tour option
- Self-guided tour option? Yes; see the Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park Entrance (Unguided) option
- Early-morning bird-watching tour option: Yes
- Night tour option? Yes
- Private tour option? Yes
- Restaurant on-site? Yes; lunch is served at the on-site Sal & Pimienta Restaurant
- Special features: Walks through the Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges include a visit to 1 waterfall; you may purchase a photography service at the park that includes a printed, color photo and/or a photo CD as a souvenir
- Minimum age for participation: N/A; all travelers are allowed to visit the Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges
- Transportation to/from La Fortuna/Arenal hotels? Optional transportation is available, but since the Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park does not automatically include round-trip transportation in the cost of their tours, there is an extra fee (usually around $19 per person) for the service
Mistico hanging bridges trail map
View more free trail maps on our Costa Rica maps Pinterest board.
Monteverde Sky Adventures Park (Sky Walk Monteverde)
Sky Walk Monteverde photos
Don’t miss our discounts for activities run at the Monteverde Sky Adventures Park, including the Sky Walk Hanging Bridges:
Click here to access the FREE Monteverde Sky Adventures Park discounts!
The best hanging bridges Costa Rica: Are they the Sky Walk hanging bridges at the Monteverde Sky Adventures Park?
The Monteverde Sky Adventures Park is located an approximate 10-minute drive north of downtown Monteverde (a.k.a., Santa Elena). The park’s on-site hanging bridges, called the Sky Walk Hanging Bridges, offer a 2-hour hike through the cloud forest over a series of suspension bridges. The Sky Walk Hanging Bridges can be combined with Sky Adventures’s Sky Tram Aerial Tram Ride and/or the Sky Trek Canopy Tour (zip-lining), two activities that also take place on-site at the Monteverde Sky Adventures Park. (Note that the park’s off-site herpetarium, which is called Herpetarium Adventures and is located in Santa Elena, is no longer open to the public and operating herpetarium tours.) To learn more about our experiences participating in the Sky Walk Hanging Bridges Tour at the Monteverde Sky Adventures Park, don’t miss our related blog post Sky Adventures Monteverde: Ziplining, Hanging Bridges, And Tram Rides In The Cloud Forest.
- Number of bridges: 5 in total, all of which are hanging/suspension bridges
- Guided tour option? Yes; see the Sky Walk Guided Hanging Bridges Tour option
- Self-guided tour option? Yes; see the Sky Walk Hanging Bridges Entrance (Unguided) option
- Early-morning bird-watching tour option: No
- Night tour option? No
- Private tour option? Yes
- Restaurant on-site? Yes; lunch is served at the on-site Red Frog Restaurant
- Special features: You may purchase photos (called “Sky Pictures”) and/or videos (called “Sky Movies”) of your tour(s) at the park as souvenirs
- Minimum age for participation: N/A; all travelers are allowed to visit the Sky Walk Hanging Bridges
- Transportation to/from Monteverde hotels? Optional transportation is available, but since Sky Adventures does not automatically include round-trip transportation in the cost of their tours, there is an extra fee (usually around $10 per person) for the service
Sky Walk Monteverde hanging bridges trail map
View more free trail maps on our Costa Rica maps Pinterest board.
Selvatura Park (Treetop Walkways)
Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges photos
The best hanging bridges Costa Rica: Are they the Treetop Walkways hanging bridges at the Selvatura Park?
The Selvatura Park is located an approximate 10-minute drive north of downtown Monteverde (a.k.a., Santa Elena). The park’s on-site hanging bridges, called the Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges, offer a 2-hour hike through the cloud forest over a series of suspension bridges. The Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges may also be combined with Selvatura’s Canopy Ziplining Tour (zip-lining), a Snake and Frog Exhibit Tour, a Butterfly Garden Tour, a Hummingbird Garden Visit, and/or a Sloth Sanctuary Visit. (Note: that the park’s on-site insect museum is no longer open to the public.) To learn more about our experiences participating in the Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges Tour at the Selvatura Park, don’t miss our related blog post Selvatura Monteverde: Ziplining, Hanging Bridges, Butterfly / Hummingbird Gardens, And A Reptile / Amphibian Exhibit In The Cloud Forest.
- Number of bridges: 8 in total, all eight of which are hanging/suspension bridges
- Guided tour option? Yes; see the Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges Tour option
- Self-guided tour option? Yes; see the Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges Entrance (Unguided) option
- Early-morning bird-watching tour option: No
- Night tour option? No
- Private tour option? Yes
- Restaurant on-site? Yes; lunch served at the on-site El Jardin Restaurant
- Special features: you may purchase a photo CD at the park as a souvenir
- Minimum age for participation: N/A; all travelers are allowed to visit the Sky Walk Hanging Bridges
- Transportation to/from Monteverde hotels? Yes; Selvatura automatically includes round-trip transportation to/from Monteverde hotels in their tour rates
Arenal and Monteverde hanging bridges comparison: Which hanging bridges are the best?
As we’ve touched on in previous posts (The Best River For Rafting In Costa Rica, Best Ziplines In Costa Rica: Comparing 6 In Arenal And Monteverde, and Best Hot Springs In Arenal: We Compare All 12 La Fortuna Hot Springs), it’s impossible for us to pick “the best” of anything without imposing our own biases on you. We realize that you may not like, prefer, and prioritize the same hanging bridge features that we do, so instead of picking favorites that may or may not tickle your fancy, we’ll help you choose the best Arenal or Monteverde hanging bridges option for you based on your own interests, needs, and budget. Below are answers to some of the most common questions we receive from travelers about the hanging bridges in La Fortuna and Monteverde. Use the information to narrow down the various hanging bridge adventures and determine which is most deserving of your time and money.
Location
Which hanging bridges are in La Fortuna or Arenal?
The Sky Walk Hanging Bridges at the Arenal Sky Adventures Park and the Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges at the Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park.
Which hanging bridges are in Monteverde or Santa Elena?
The Sky Walk Hanging Bridges at the Monteverde Sky Adventures Park and the Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges at the Selvatura Park.
Bridge quantity
Which hanging bridges attraction has the most bridges (suspension bridges and non-suspension bridges included)?
The Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges at the Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park (16 bridges), followed by the Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges at the Selvatura Park (8 bridges), the Sky Walk Hanging Bridges at the Monteverde Sky Adventures Park (6 bridges), and the Sky Walk Hanging Bridges at the Arenal Sky Adventures Park (5 bridges).
Bridge length
Which hanging bridges attraction has the longest bridge (suspension and non-suspension bridges included)?
The Sky Walk Hanging Bridges at the Monteverde Sky Adventures Park (bridge #5; 236 meters), followed by the Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges at the Selvatura Park (bridge #4; 157 meters), the Sky Walk Hanging Bridges at the Arenal Sky Adventures Park (bridge #4; 143 meters), and the Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges at the Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park (tayra bridge; 97 meters).
Which hanging bridges attraction has the longest bridge distance across all bridges (suspension and non-suspension bridges included)?
The Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges at the Selvatura Park (776 meters in total), followed by the Sky Walk Hanging Bridges at the Monteverde Sky Adventures Park (712 meters in total), the Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges at the Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park (574 meters in total), and the Sky Walk Hanging Bridges at the Arenal Sky Adventures Park (446 meters in total).
Views
Which hanging bridges offer a view of rainforest canopy?
The Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges at the Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park and the Sky Walk Hanging Bridges at the Arenal Sky Adventures Park.
Which hanging bridges offer a view of cloud forest canopy?
The Sky Walk Hanging Bridges at the Monteverde Sky Adventures Park and the Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges at the Selvatura Park.
Waterfalls
Which hanging bridges pass one or more waterfalls?
The Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges at the Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park and the Sky Walk Hanging Bridges at the Arenal Sky Adventures Park.
Tours and self-guided access
Which hanging bridges require a guided tour?
None of the hanging bridge tours are required to be run with a guide, though guided tours of each are available.
Which hanging bridges permit self-guided tours?
Each of the hanging bridges tours can be experienced without a guide, though guided tours are available.
Which hanging bridges offer the option to reserve a private hanging bridges experience?
Each hanging bridges attraction offers the option to reserve a private hanging bridges experience (if desired, and at significantly higher tour rates) for group travel.
Restaurants
Which hanging bridges parks have a restaurant?
Each hanging bridges attraction offers the option to dine on-site.
Transportation
Which hanging bridges parks automatically include round-trip transportation to/from nearby hotels in their tour rates?
The Selvatura Park automatically includes transportation with visits to their Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges.
Which hanging bridges parks offer round-trip transportation to/from nearby hotels at an extra cost?
The Monteverde Sky Adventures Park, the Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park, and the Arenal Sky Adventures Park each offer optional, non-complimentary transportation with visits to their hanging bridges.
Special experiences and add-on experiences
Which hanging bridges offer the option to go zip-lining on-site?
The Sky Walk Hanging Bridges at the Monteverde Sky Adventures Park, the Sky Walk Hanging Bridges at the Arenal Sky Adventures Park, and the Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges at the Selvatura Park.
Which hanging bridges offer the option to ride an aeral tram on-site?
The Sky Walk Hanging Bridges at the Monteverde Sky Adventures Park and the Sky Walk Hanging Bridges at the Arenal Sky Adventures Park.
Which hanging bridges offer the option to visit a butterfly garden, hummingbird garden, snake/amphibian exhibit, and/or sloth sanctuary on-site?
The Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges at the Selvatura Park.
Which hanging bridges offer the option to go horseback riding on-site?
The Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges at the Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park.
Which hanging bridges offer an opportunity for early-morning bird-watching (prior to park opening)?
The Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges at the Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park.
Which hanging bridges offer an opportunity to explore the forest after dark (i.e., on a night tour)?
The Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges at the Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park.
QUESTION TO COMMENT ON: Have you experienced one of the above-mentioned hanging bridge parks? What did you think about the experience?
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