Monteverde Sky Walk Hanging Bridges (Treetopia Park): Everything You Need To Know
Nikki Solano
Last updated on July 8th, 2024 at 03:19 pm
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. ❤️️
Want to know our pick for the BEST HANGING BRIDGE in Costa Rica? It is featured on DIY Costa Rica!
Ricky and Nikki; touring the Sky Walk Hanging Bridges in MonteverdeSky Walk Hanging Bridge at the Treetopia ParkRicky; crossing a Sky Walk Hanging Bridge at the Treetopia ParkRicky and Nikki; touring the Sky Walk Hanging Bridges at the Treetopia ParkNikki; crossing a Sky Walk Hanging Bridge at the Treetopia Park
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We know the Monteverde Sky Walk Hanging Bridges well because we’ve been exploring them for years
As we mentioned in our related blog post Treetopia Park (Formerly Sky Adventures Monteverde): Zip-lining, Hanging Bridges, And Tram Rides In The Cloud Forest, we’ve explored Monteverde and its hanging bridges for years, dating back to the mid-2000s. In that article, we detailed the Treetopia Park‘s entire Monteverde operation, including the Monteverde Sky Trek Canopy Ziplining Tour, Monteverde Tree Tram Aerial Tram Ride, Monteverde Sky Walk Hanging Bridges, Monteverde Sky Climb Arboreal Tree-Climbing tour, Monteverde Vertigo Drop (free-fall activity), and additional on-site offerings, from parking and lockers to dining opportunities. If you’re interested in learning about the various tours, activities, and services that are available at the Treetopia Park, please see the article referenced above. If you’re merely interested in learning aboutthe Treetopia Park‘s Sky Walk Hanging Bridges, please continue reading below.
The Monteverde Sky Walk Hanging Bridges experience
Nikki; touring the Sky Walk hanging bridges at the Treetopia Parksecondary forest at the Treetopia ParkSky Walk trail inside the Treetopia Parkmonkeys spotted during the Sky Walk hanging bridges tour at the Treetopia ParkSky Walk trail inside the Treetopia Parktree in the cloud forest at the Treetopia Park
In stark contrast to the Treetopia Park‘s Tree Tram Aerial Tram Ride and Sky Trek Canopy Ziplining Tour, both of which invite participants to spy on the cloud forest from above, the park’s Sky Walk Hanging Bridges provide a unique opportunity to explore Costa Rica’s cloud forest from within.
More specifically, if you visit the Sky Walk Hanging Bridges, you’ll stroll through roughly 2.5-kilometers of dense, secondary forest amid much of the biodiversity that Costa Rica (and the Monteverde region in particular) is known for. Spotting and/or hearing fauna along the walk is common; during our visits, we regularly see monkeys playing in the trees and climbing on the cables that support the bridges. Although you’ll cover plenty of solid ground as you traverse the park’s nature trails, most impressive are the long, metal hanging bridges that are suspended high above the forest floor. You’ll be amazed by the majestic beauty of Monteverde’s deep and verdant cloud forest as you make your way across each bridge, completely immersing yourself in nature.
Monteverde Sky Walk Hanging Bridges trails
The start of the Sky Walk Hanging Bridges experience requires hikers to decide between the “Long Walk” or the “Short Walk.” Here’s what you should know about both routes before choosing either one.
The Long Walk vs. the Short Walk
The 2.5-kilometer long walk is the Treetopia Park‘s complete hanging bridges circuit. It’s a circular trail that departs from the Treetopia Park‘s operations center and loops around the back of the park before returning to the trailhead. In contrast, the short walk is only a portion (roughly half) of the long walk. It, too, is a circular trail that departs from the operations center. It forms a smaller loop within the larger loop that forms the long walk. The two trails (i.e., the long walk and the short walk) overlap in places. If you complete the long walk’s full course, you’ll complete the short walk as part of the journey.
The long walk covers the entirety of the park. It not only provides a longer walk, it also provides access to a part of the park that’s the least visited and is the most likely to provide wildlife-spotting opportunities. The long walk also provides a more difficult hike, not only because you’ll cover a greater distance than the distance traveled during the short walk, but because the long walk has more inclines and declines. In contrast, the short walk minimizes hike duration and difficulty. The short walk is your best option if your time is limited and/or you’d prefer to explore the park’s easiest course.
If you take the long walk, you’ll find that the Sky Walk Hanging Bridges at the Treetopia Park in Monteverde are comprised of six hanging bridges in total. Here’s how the various hanging bridges compare with one another according to bridge length and height:
Sky Walk hanging bridge details for the Treetopia Park
Bridge #1: 66 meters long / 15 meters high Bridge #2: 122 meters long / 49 meters high Bridge #3: 114 meters long / 17 meters high Bridge #4: 125 meters long / 36 meters high Bridge #5: 236 meters long / 50 meters high Bridge #6: 48 meters long / 15 meters high Total hanging bridges distance: 711 meters
If you take the short walk, you’ll encounter four hanging bridges in total. Specifically, you’ll cross Bridge #3, Bridge #4, Bridge #5, and Bridge #6 detailed above.
It’s easy to miss the long walk’s 6th bridge. Here’s why and how you can avoid doing so.
Though the trail that’s trekked during the long walk forms a loop, a section of the trail splits into two paths at one point, leading hikers in different, albeit parallel, directions for several meters. Further up the trail, the two split paths reconnect, so regardless of which path you choose to follow, it will return you to the long walk’s loop. It’s important to know that each of the two paths have a hanging bridge of their own, which represent two of the Treetopia Park‘s six hanging bridges (Bridge #5 and Bridge #6). Many travelers who complete the long walk’s full loop cross only five hanging bridges in total because they explore only one of the two paths encountered when the trail splits (i.e., they cross either Bridge #5 or Bridge #6, not both).
In order to cross all six hanging bridges in the park, first you’ll need to choose the long walk, not the short walk. When you encounter the fork in the trail after you cross Bridge #4, choose one of the two paths that you’re presented with and proceed to cross that path’s hanging bridge (the path to the left leads to Bridge #5 and the path to the right leads to Bridge #6; both paths eventually lead back to the trailhead). Then, backtrack along the same path, retracing your steps over the hanging bridge you crossed moments before, and return to the fork in the road. From there, take the other path, cross over its hanging bridge, and continue on your way.
Hanging bridge sway and how to minimize bridge movement
A common question we receive about the Sky Walk Hanging Bridges (and hanging bridges is general, regardless of where they’re located in Costa Rica) is whether the bridges move and/or sway when people cross them. The quick answer to this questions is: “Yes, the Sky Walk Hanging Bridges move when you walk across them.” The more elaborate answer to the question is: “Yes, the Sky Walk Hanging Bridges move slightly when you walk across them, but they don’t sway greatly from side to side as you may envision a rope bridge doing. What you’re most likely to feel when you walk across a hanging bridge is a teetering beneath your feet as the bridge’s metal floor panels adjust to your footsteps.”
To best minimize movement as you cross a hanging bridge, walk in the middle of the bridge to avoid shifting your weight to either side. Hold onto both sides of the bridge with your hands for support (again, to avoid shifting your weight to one side if you happen to lose your balance when you walk), and walk slowly. The faster you walk, the more the metal floor panels will teeter from side to side. If possible, don’t cross a hanging bridge when other people are on it. Sometimes the steps of another hiker at the opposite end of the bridge can cause the entire bridge to move.
Monteverde Sky Walk Hanging Bridges tour guide requirement
The Sky Walk Hanging Bridges Tour that is operated by the Treetopia Park is a guided tour. This being said, it is not a requirement to explore the Sky Walk Hanging Bridges with a tour guide.
Instead of paying the Treetopia Park the cost of their guided hanging bridges tour, you may pay them their hanging bridges entrance fee, which permits access to the hanging bridge trail for unguided use. Regardless of whether you experience the guided Sky Walk Hanging Bridges Tour or explore the hanging bridges on your own, an advance reservation for the Treetopia Park is recommended.
Tours of the Monteverde Sky Walk Hanging Bridges
At the Treetopia Park, you can explore the Sky Walk Hanging Bridges on your own (i.e., without a tour guide), as a standalone guided tour (i.e., with a tour guide), or as part of a combo tour (i.e., with or without a tour guide, and in combination with one or more of the Treetopia Park‘s other on-site activities). Combo tour options include coupling the hanging bridge experience with either the Tree Tram Aerial Tram Ride or the Sky Trek Canopy Ziplining Tour. Note that because the Sky Trek Canopy Ziplining Tour automatically includes a one-way tram ride (see above for details), if you reserve a combo tour that joins the Sky Walk Hanging Bridges with the Sky Trek Canopy Ziplining tour, you’ll get the Tree Tram Aerial Tram Ride too.
Monteverde Sky Walk Hanging Bridges duration and tour times
Monteverde Sky Walk Hanging Bridges Unguided/Self-Guided Tour duration
At least 1-1.5 hours (or longer, depending on the speed you hike and how many stops you make along the way)
Monteverde Sky Walk hanging bridges Guided Tour duration
Approximately 2 hours
Monteverde Sky Walk Hanging Bridges Unguided/Self-Guided Tour times
7:00am, 8:00am, 9:00am, 10:00am, 11:00am, 12:00pm, 1:00pm, 2:00pm, and 3:00pm
Monteverde Sky Walk Hanging Bridges Guided Tour times
7:00am, 8:00am, 9:00am, 10:00am, 11:00am, 1:00pm, 2:00pm, and 3:00pm
How much it costs to tour the Monteverde Sky Walk Hanging Bridges
Despite being a beloved Costa Rica attraction, the Treetopia Park‘s prices are markedly fair and some of the least expensive for hanging bridge experiences at Costa Rica’s top destinations. When compared to the costs for the Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges, which are just up the road from Treetopia at the Selvatura Park, the Sky Walk Hanging Bridges cost $10.00 less per adult for an unguided tour and $16.00 less per adult for a guided tour (or $19.75 and $28.25 less per adult, respectively, if you use a Pura Vida! eh? discount to access the hanging bridges), making either option an excellent deal.
Monteverde Sky Walk Hanging Bridges Unguided/Self-Guided Tour costs
Monteverde Sky Walk Hanging Bridges entrance fee (unguided/self-guided tour) per adult (17 years and older)
Monteverde Sky Walk Hanging Bridges Guided Tour costs
Monteverde Sky Walk Hanging BridgesGuided Tour cost per adult (17 years and older)
$49.00 (includes Sky Walk Hanging Bridges entrance fee), or $36.75 if using a Pura Vida! eh? discount discount available here
Monteverde Sky Walk Hanging Bridges Guided Tour cost per child (5-16 years)
$33.00 (includes Sky Walk Hanging Bridges entrance fee), or $24.75 if using a Pura Vida! eh? discount discount available here
Monteverde Sky Walk Hanging BridgesGuided Tour cost per child (0-4 years)
$0.00 (includes Sky Walk Hanging Bridges entrance fee) details here
Monteverde Sky Walk Hanging Bridges age and weight limits
There is currently no minimum age limit or maximum weight limit imposed on individuals who want to explore the Sky Walk Hanging Bridges at the Treetopia Park.
Young travelers and travelers with disabilities
Exploring the Sky Walk Hanging Bridges is a family-friendly activity. If you’ll be traveling with kids, it’s important to know that children (ages 0-4 years) are welcome to explore the Sky Walk Hanging Bridges at the Treetopia Park for free with a paying adult.
Part, but not all, of the trail at the Treetopia Park‘s Sky Walk Hanging Bridges is wheelchair-accessible.
Pura vida!
Do you have questions about the Treetopia Park’s Sky Walk hanging bridges, or want to how to best incorporate a visit to these hanging bridges 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
Monteverde Sky Walk Hanging Bridges: Everything You Need To Know
Description
We've been exploring the Monteverde Sky Walk hanging bridges for years. Here's everything you need to know to plan your visit!
