Best Hanging Bridges in Costa Rica: Comparing 4 in Arenal and Monteverde
Nikki Solano
Last updated on July 11th, 2024 at 09:35 am
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. ❤️️
Do you want to know our pick for the BEST HANGING BRIDGE in Costa Rica? It is featured on DIY Costa Rica!
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 Sky Adventures Arenal Parkand the Mistico Hanging Bridges at the Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Parkin the La Fortuna/Arenal region, and the Sky Walk Hanging Bridges at the Treetopia Park (formerly the Monteverde Sky Adventures Park)and the Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges at the Selvatura Park in the Monteverde region. 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):
Sky Adventures Arenal Park / Arenal Sky Walk Hanging Bridges (marked by a hiker icon)
Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park / Mistico Hanging Bridges (marked by a hiker icon)
Treetopia Park (formerly the Monteverde Sky Adventures Park) / Monteverde Sky Walk Hanging Bridges (marked by a hiker icon)
Selvatura Park / Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges (marked by a hiker icon)
Sky Adventures Arenal Park (Arenal Sky Walk Hanging Bridges)
Arenal Sky Walk Hanging Bridges photos
Don’t miss our discounts for activities run at the Sky Adventures Arenal Park, including the Sky Walk Hanging Bridges:
The best hanging bridges Costa Rica: Are they the Arenal Sky Walk Hanging Bridges at the Sky Adventures Arenal Park?
The Sky Adventures Arenal 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 Arenal Sky Walk Hanging Bridges, offer a three-hour hike through the rainforest over a series of suspension bridges. The Sky Walk Hanging Bridges can be combined with Sky Adventures’s Arenal Sky Tram Aerial Tram Ride and/or the Arenal Sky Trek Canopy Tour (zip-lining), two activities that also take place at the Sky Adventures Arenal Park. To learn more about our experiences participating in the Arenal Sky Walk Hanging Bridges Tour at the Sky Adventures Arenal Park, don’t miss our related blog post Sky Adventures Arenal Park: Zip-Lining, Hanging Bridges, And Tram Rides In The Rainforest.
Number of bridges: eight in total, four are hanging/suspension bridges
Guided tour option? Yes; see the Arenal Sky Walk Guided Hanging Bridges Tour option
Self-guided tour option? Yes; see the Arenal 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 Arenal Sky Walk Hanging Bridges include visits to two observation platforms and two 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 Arenal Sky Walk Hanging Bridges
Transportation to/from La Fortuna/Arenal 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 $19 per person) for the service
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:
The best hanging bridges Costa Rica: Are they the Mistico 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 Hanging Bridges (formerly known as the Arenal Hanging Bridges), offer a two-hour hike through the rainforest over a series of suspension bridges. The Mistico 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 Hanging Bridges can also be combined with a Horseback Riding Tour; horseback riding also takes place at the Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park. To learn more about our experiences participating in the Mistico 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: sixteen in total, six are hanging/suspension bridges
Guided tour option? Yes; see the Mistico Hanging Bridges Tour option
Self-guided tour option? Yes; see the Mistico Hanging Bridges Entrance (Unguided Tour) 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 Hanging Bridges include a visit to one 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 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
Treetopia Park (Monteverde Sky Walk Hanging Bridges)
Monteverde Sky Walk Hanging Bridges photos
Don’t miss our discounts for activities run at the Treetopia Park (formerly the Monteverde Sky Adventures Park), including the Monteverde Sky Walk Hanging Bridges:
The best hanging bridges Costa Rica: Are they the Monteverde Sky Walk Hanging Bridges at the Treetopia Park (formerly the Monteverde Sky Adventures Park)?
The Treetopia 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 Monteverde Sky Walk Hanging Bridges, offer a two-hour hike through the cloud forest over a series of suspension bridges. The Monteverde Sky Walk Hanging Bridges can be combined with the Monteverde Tree Tram Cableway (Aerial Tram) Ride, the Monteverde Sky Trek Canopy Tour (zip-lining), or the Monteverde Arboreal Obstacle Course, three activities that also take place at the Treetopia Park. To learn more about our experiences participating in the Monteverde Sky Walk Hanging Bridges Tour at the Treetopia Park, don’t miss our related blog post Treetopia Park (Formerly Sky Adventures Monteverde): Zip-Lining, Hanging Bridges, And Tram Rides In The Cloud Forest.
Number of bridges: six in total, all of which are hanging/suspension bridges
Guided tour option? Yes; see the Monteverde Sky Walk Guided Hanging Bridges Tour option
Self-guided tour option? Yes; see the Monteverde Sky Walk Hanging Bridges Entrance (Unguided Tour) 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 and/or videos of your tour(s) at the park as souvenirs
Minimum age for participation: N/A; all travelers are allowed to visit the Monteverde Sky Walk Hanging Bridges
Transportation to/from Monteverde hotels? Optional transportation is available, but since the Treetopia Park 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
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 two-hour hike through the cloud forest over a series of suspension bridges. The Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges may also be combined with the Selvatura Park‘s Canopy Ziplining Tour (zip-lining) and/or tours of Selvatura’s on-site Butterfly Garden, Sloth Habitat, and Herpetarium. (Note: that the park’s insect museum and hummingbird garden are no longer offered 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 Park Monteverde: Zip-Lining, Hanging Bridges, A Sloth Habitat, A ButterflyGarden, And A Herpetarium In The Cloud Forest.
Number of bridges: ten in total, 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 Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges
Transportation to/from Monteverde hotels? Yes; the Selvatura Park 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 (including 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 Sky Adventures Arenal Park and the Mistico 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 Treetopia Park and the Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges at the Selvatura Park.
Bridge quantity
Which hanging bridges attraction has the most bridges, including both suspension bridges and non-suspension bridges?
The Mistico Hanging Bridges at the Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park (sixteen bridges), followed by the Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges at the Selvatura Park (ten bridges), the Sky Walk Hanging Bridges at the Sky Adventures Arenal Park (eight bridges), and the Sky Walk Hanging Bridges at the Treetopia Park (six bridges).
Which hanging bridges attraction has the most suspension bridges (i.e., excluding stationary, non-suspension bridges)?
The Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges at the Selvatura Park (eight bridges), followed by the Mistico Hanging Bridges at the Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park and the Sky Walk Hanging Bridges at the Treetopia Park (both with six bridges), and the Sky Walk Hanging Bridges at the Sky Adventures Arenal Park (four bridges).
Bridge length
Which hanging bridges attraction has the longest bridge (suspension and non-suspension bridges included)?
The Sky Walk Hanging Bridges at the Treetopia Park (bridge #5; 236 meters long), followed by the Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges at the Selvatura Park (bridge #4; 157 meters long), the Sky Walk Hanging Bridges at the Sky Adventures Arenal Park (bridge #4; 143 meters long), and the Mistico Hanging Bridges at the Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park (Tayra bridge; 97 meters long).
Which hanging bridges attraction has the longest distance traveled over 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 Treetopia Park (712 meters in total), the Mistico Hanging Bridges at the Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park (574 meters in total), and the Sky Walk Hanging Bridges at the Sky Adventures Arenal Park (441 meters in total).
Bridge height
Which hanging bridges attraction has the highest bridge (suspension and non-suspension bridges included)?
The Sky Walk Hanging Bridges at the Sky Adventures Arenal Park (bridge #2; 70 meters high), followed by the Mistico Hanging Bridges at the Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park (Arenal bridge; 55 meters high), the Sky Walk Hanging Bridges at the Treetopia Park (bridge #5; 50 meters high), and the Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges at the Selvatura Park (bridge #3; 34 meters high).
Views
Which hanging bridges offer a view of rainforest canopy?
The Mistico Hanging Bridges at the Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park and the Sky Walk Hanging Bridges at the Sky Adventures Arenal Park.
Which hanging bridges offer a view of cloud forest canopy?
The Sky Walk Hanging Bridges at the Treetopia Park and the Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges at the Selvatura Park.
Waterfalls
Which hanging bridges pass one or more waterfalls?
The Mistico Hanging Bridges at the Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park and the Sky Walk Hanging Bridges at the Sky Adventures Arenal Park.
Tours and self-guided access
Which hanging bridges require a guided tour?
Guided tours of the hanging bridges, if desired, are offered by all four hanging bridge parks.
Which hanging bridges permit self-guided tours?
All four hanging bridge parks welcome self-guided exploration (i.e., a tour guide is not required).
Which hanging bridges offer the option to reserve a private hanging bridges experience?
All four hanging bridge parks offers the option to reserve a private hanging bridges experience, if desired.
Restaurants
Which hanging bridges parks have a restaurant?
All four hanging bridge parks offer 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. The other three hanging bridge parks do not provide complimentary tour transportation.
Which hanging bridges parks offer round-trip transportation to/from nearby hotels at an extra cost?
The Treetopia Park, the Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park, and the Sky Adventures Arenal Park each offer optional, non-complimentary transportation with visits to their hanging bridges.
Special experiences and add-on experiences
Which hanging bridge parks offer the option to also go zip-lining on-site?
The Sky Walk Hanging Bridges at the Treetopia Park, the Sky Walk Hanging Bridges at the Sky Adventures Arenal Park, and the Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges at the Selvatura Park.
Which hanging bridges offer the option to ride an aerial tram on-site?
The Sky Walk Hanging Bridges at the Treetopia Park and the Sky Walk Hanging Bridges at the Sky Adventures Arenal Park.
Which hanging bridges offer the option to visit a sloth habitat, a butterfly garden, and/or herpetarium 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 Hanging Bridges at the Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park.
Which hanging bridges offer an opportunity for early-morning bird-watching?
The Mistico Hanging Bridges at the Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park.
Which hanging bridges offer an opportunity to explore the forest after dark via a night tour?
The Mistico Hanging Bridges at the Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park.
Pura vida!
Do you have questions about the hanging bridges in Costa Rica, want to know whether you should visit one or more of the hanging bridge parks in La Fortuna or Monteverde, or need help determining how to incorporate hanging bridge experiences into your vacation? No problem! When you’re ready, make an appointment here to communicate with me (Nikki) privately and we can discuss these and other topics to get your questions answered fast and your Costa Rica trip poised for success. Pura vida, amigos! 🙂
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Summary
Article Name
Best Hanging Bridges in Costa Rica: Comparing 4 in Arenal and Monteverde
Description
We compare the most popular hanging bridges in Costa Rica and offer discounts for hanging bridge tours and entrance fees!
