Selvatura Park Monteverde: Zip-lining, Hanging Bridges, A Sloth Habitat, A Butterfly Garden, And A Herpetarium In The Cloud Forest

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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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Thinking about visiting the Selvatura Park?

You’re not alone! I can nearly guarantee that other Monteverde-bound Costa Rica travelers who are planning their trip at this very moment also have the Selvatura Park in their sights, figuratively speaking. Several of them will indeed visit Selvatura during their time in the country, contributing to the swarms of tour groups that descend upon the park—Monteverde’s most visited adventure park—on a daily basis. If you don’t mind flocking with the masses, at least for a few hours, go ahead and join the herd.

Would you prefer to visit a less busy, albeit tourist-friendly, adventure park in Monteverde? If so, don’t miss our article about the Treetopia Park, an adventure park that’s just down the road from Selvatura.

Treetopia Park (Formerly Sky Adventures Monteverde): Zip-lining, Hanging Bridges, And Tram Rides In The Cloud Forest

Selvatura functions in Monteverde like a well-oiled cog. At least four times a day, groups of tourists are shuttled to its adventure park, where they gather in the park’s reception area, collect tickets for their reserved tours, meet up with their assigned tour guide(s), and set off into the cloud forest for some unforgettable experiences. Selvatura chugs along in this process, day after day, month after month, lending somewhat of an industrial vibe to Monteverde, a relaxed, rural destination that, for the most part, is authentically Tico (Costa Rican).

Despite being busy and undeniably touristy, the Selvatura Park has a lot to offer. At the forefront of its appeal is the convenience of serving up a smorgasbord of experiences. We know each option well; we’ve visited the Selvatura Park several times over many years, not only on business trips to perform site inspections as part of our corporate operations at Pura Vida! eh? Inc., but also to enjoy the park’s attractions and their unrivaled proximity to the region’s mistiest cloud forest reserve (the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Biological Reserve), which keeps the park profoundly lush.

Without further ado, let’s dive into what you’ll find at the Selvatura Park and some valid reasons to walk willingly into what some travelers feel is a tourist trap.

Selvatura Park tours and activities

The Selvatura Park is best known for its on-site canopy zip-lining tour, hanging bridges, and wildlife exhibits:

• The Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges, which are a combination of hanging bridges (suspended high above the forest floor) and a nature trail (along on the forest floor) that explore Monteverde’s cloud forest ecosystem. A tour guide is not required to explore the Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges on your own. However, a tour guide can be provided by the Selvatura Park if you’d like to have one. A reservation is required to explore the Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges with a tour guide, and strongly recommended to explore the Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges without a tour guide
• The Canopy Zip-lining Tour, which entails gliding across multiple zip-line cables situated above the cloud forest treetops. A tour guide is required and is automatically provided by the Selvatura Park with a reservation for this activity. A reservation is required to participate in the canopy zip-lining tour.
• The Sloth Habitat, which is an enclosed, indoor space where several live sloths reside and move around freely. A tour guide is required and is automatically provided by the Selvatura Park with a reservation for tours of the sloth habitat. A reservation is required to participate in the sloth tour.
• The Butterfly Garden, which is an enclosed, indoor space where several live butterflies reside and move around freely. A tour guide is required and is automatically provided by the Selvatura Park with a reservation for tours of the butterfly garden. A reservation is required to participate in the butterfly tour.
• The Herpetarium, which is a room with several glass terrariums where live reptiles and amphibians reside and can be examined at close range. A tour guide is required and is automatically provided by the Selvatura Park with a reservation for tours of the herpetarium. A reservation is required to participate in the reptile and amphibian tour.

Please see the Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges, Canopy Zip-lining Tour, Sloth Habitat, Butterfly Garden, and Herpetarium sections below for more information about each experience.

Combo tours

Selvatura invites visitors to mix and match on-site activities to create their ideal day. As an alternative to reserving a standalone tour (a ziplining tour or a hanging bridges tour, for example), you can select one of the following combo tour packages compiled by the Selvatura Park:

All-Day Package	Canopy Ziplining Tour, Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges entrance fee (unguided/self-guided tour), Sloth Habitat tour, Butterfly Garden tour, and Herpetarium tour
Black Diamond Package	Canopy Ziplining Tour, Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges entrance fee (unguided/self-guided tour), Sloth Habitat tour, and Butterfly Garden tour
Platinum Package	Canopy Ziplining Tour, Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges entrance fee (unguided/self-guided tour), and Sloth Habitat tour
Diamond Package	Canopy Ziplining Tour, Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges entrance fee (unguided/self-guided tour), and Butterfly Garden tour
Gold Package	Canopy Ziplining Tour and Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges entrance fee (unguided/self-guided tour)
Bronze Package	Canopy Ziplining Tour and Butterfly Garden tour
Emerald Package	Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges entrance fee (unguided/self-guided tour), Sloth Habitat tour, and Butterfly Garden tour
Silver Package	Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges entrance fee (unguided/self-guided tour) and Sloth Habitat tour
Wooden Package	Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges entrance fee (unguided/self-guided tour) and Butterfly Garden tour
Leaf Package	Sloth Habitat tour, Butterfly Garden tour, and Herpetarium tour

The Selvatura Park‘s Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges

Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges experience

Unlike Selvatura‘s canopy zip-lining tour, which allows visitors to see Monteverde’s cloud forest from above, the Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges permit cloud forest exploration from within. On a walking tour of these hanging bridges, you’ll cut through dense cloud forest, trek past decades-old flora, possibly see some of the area’s resident fauna (we’ve always had great luck seeing monkeys and coatis at the Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges), and cross a total of eight suspension bridges varying in length in height.

The Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges’ lengths and heights:

Bridge #1: 65 meters long / 17 meters high
Bridge #2: 82 meters long / 19 meters high
Bridge #3: 115 meters long / 34 meters high
Bridge #4: 157 meters long / 31 meters high
Bridge #5: 120 meters long / 28 meters high
Bridge #6: 57 meters long / 18 meters high
Bridge #7: 90 meters long / 25 meters high
Bridge #8: 90 meters long / 20 meters high
Total distance traveled over the Treetop Walkways’ hanging/suspension bridges: 776 meters
Highest height reached while traveling over the Treetop Walkways’ hanging bridges/suspension bridges : 34 meters

More specifically, if you visit the Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges, you’ll traverse roughly three kilometers of secondary forest that showcases much of the biodiversity that Costa Rica (and the Monteverde region in particular) is known for. Though the natural landscape is a lovely image from all angles, the region’s scenery is most impressive when viewed from the middle of the park’s hanging bridges, each one suspended high above the forest floor. From that vantage point, you can appreciate the vast, varied cloud forest and spy on its intricate, precious way of life.

Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges trail

You’ll find only one trail at the Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges regardless of whether you explore the hanging bridges with or without a tour guide. The trail’s circuit, which begins and ends just beyond Selvatura Park’s parking lot, isn’t difficult to hike, but uphill and downhill sections interspersed among flat stretches up the walk from “easy” to “easy-to-moderate”.

Ascending and descending steps

If you don’t enjoy walking up and down steps, or if mobility impairments make those tasks uncomfortable or difficult for you, it would be best to avoid visiting the Selvatura Park‘s Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges. Here’s a look at the uphill and downhill steps you’ll encounter along this particular hanging bridges trail, which are in addition to the steps you’ll take across flat sections of the trail:

From the trailhead to bridge #1	10 steps uphill
From bridge #1 to bridge #2	20 steps uphill and downhill
From bridge #2 to bridge #3	10 steps uphill and downhill, then 13 steps up to the bridge
From bridge #3 to bridge #4	no steps uphill or downhill
From bridge #4 to bridge #5	3 steps down from the bridge
From bridge #5 to bridge #6	uphill and downhill sections but no steps
From bridge #6 to bridge #7	6 steps down from the bridge, uphill and downhill sections, then 47 steps down
From bridge #7 to bridge #8	uphill and downhill sections with 49 steps uphill and 54 steps downhill
From bridge #8 to the end of the trail (you’ll cross two small, non-suspension bridges during this part of the trail)	uphill and downhill sections with 6 steps up and 8 steps down, then 22 steps uphill to the end/parking lot

Fortunately, the steps encountered along the hanging bridges trail aren’t tall, so climbing and descending them doesn’t require much exertion on the part of the average traveler. Do watch out for the trail’s mixed pathways, however. Parts of the trail are comprised of flat and sometimes leaf-stricken concrete, which can be slippery when wet, and other parts are comprised of uneven, sometimes broken bricks, which can be a tripping hazard.

Hanging bridge sway and how to minimize bridge movement

A common question we receive about the Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges is whether the bridges sway when people cross them. The quick answer to this questions is: “Yes, the Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges move when you walk across them.” The more elaborate answer to the question is: “Yes, the Treetop Walkways 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.

Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges age requirements and weight limits

There is currently no minimum age requirement or maximum weight limit imposed on individuals who want to explore the Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges.

Young travelers and travelers with disabilities

The Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges are family-friendly. If you plan to travel with kids, it helps to know that children (ages 0-3 years) are welcome to explore the Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges in Monteverde for free with a paying adult.

Unfortunately, the Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges at the Selvatura Park are not wheelchair-accessible.

The Selvatura Park‘s Canopy Zip-lining Tour

Canopy Zip-lining Tour experience

Unlike some canopy ziplining tours in Costa Rica, which soar above the forest canopy (i.e., above the treetops), much of the Selvatura Park‘s Canopy Ziplining Tour takes place within the forest. More specifically, the tour travels through the trees in some sections and provides an inside look at the area’s native flora, which belongs to the region’s notable cloud forest ecosystem.

Be aware:

There’s a fair amount of hiking that’s required during this canopy ziplining tour, including uphill treks in the forest and staircase ascents to zipline platforms.

Braking system

Similar to most other canopy ziplining tours that are operated in the Monteverde region, the Selvatura Park‘s Canopy Ziplining Tour utilizes the traditional hand-braking system. (Note that the Sky Trek Canopy Ziplining Tour operated by Monteverde’s Treetopia Park utilizes a different, handlebar braking system.) Although both braking methods are regarded as safe, the hand-braking system requires you to place gentle pressure on the zipline using a thick leather glove to slow your speed. (In contrast, the handlebar braking system requires you to jostle a set of metal handlebars back and forth to slow your speed; it’s a process that some travelers find less daunting than the hand-braking method.) A demonstration of how to use the hand-braking system is provided at the start of the Selvatura Park‘s Canopy Ziplining Tour.

Tour extras and add-ons

The Selvatura Park offers two optional add-on experiences with their Canopy Ziplining Tour, one of which is complimentary. For free with the park’s zip-lining tour is a thrilling free fall experience (called the Tarzan Swing). For an additional fee, you can also experience the park’s Superman Cable, a forward-facing zipline ride. Note that the Superman Cable takes the place of the tour’s final (and longest) zipline cable, so if you purchase it, you’ll experience twelve normal ziplines and one forward-facing one while other tour participants experience thirteen normal ziplines and no forward-facing ones.

Canopy Zip-lining Tour logistics

Selvatura‘s Canopy Ziplining Tour experience begins with the collection of safety equipment at their on-site operations center, just beyond the park’s reception and souvenir shop. To confirm, the use of all necessary ziplining equipment is included in the cost of Selvatura’s tour, so no equipment rental fees apply.

Following a short shuttle ride from the park’s reception to the first zipline cable, you’ll receive an instructional briefing led by the tour’s guides, then you’ll have a chance to try a few practice cables. The practice cables allow you to sample ziplining and get a feel for the hand-braking system, to make sure you feel comfortable participating in the activity. If you don’t feel comfortable participating in the activity, it’s best to opt out of continuing with the tour at this time. (Note that you may not be entitled to a tour refund given the last-minute change.)

The Canopy Ziplining Tour at the Selvatura Park counts thirteen zipline cables in total. Here’s how the various cables compare with one another according to the length and height of each one:

Canopy Zip-lining Tour cable details for the Selvatura Park:

Cable #1: 76 meters long / 11 meters high
Cable #2: 82 meters long / 16 meters high
Cable #3: 115 meters long / 25 meters high
Cable #4: 227 meters long / 17 meters high
Cable #5: 650 meters long / 6 meters high
Cable #6: 80 meters long / 118 meters high
Cable #7: 72 meters long / 8 meters high
Cable #8: 203 meters long / 30 meters high
Cable #9: 305 meters long / 32 meters high
Cable #10: 309 meters long / 25 meters high
Cable #11: 100 meters long / 30 meters high
Cable #12: 350 meters long / 47 meters high
Cable #13: 1,000 meters long / 178 meters high
Total zip-lining distance: 3,569 meters

Though the duration of the Canopy Ziplining Tour can vary from day to day due to group size, weather conditions, and other factors, on average, the tour takes roughly two hours to complete. That timeline includes the collection of equipment, the shuttle ride to the first zipline cable, the instructional briefing, and the ziplining/hiking portion of the tour. It does not include any extra time needed to travel between the Selvatura Park and downtown Monteverde (known as Santa Elena, an approximate 15-minute drive from the park) and/or area hotels before the tour begins and after the tour wraps up.

Age requirements and weight limits for the Canopy Zip-lining Tour

To date, four years old is the minimum age requirement to participate in the Canopy Ziplining Tour at the Selvatura Park.

The current maximum weight limit for participation in Selvatura’s Canopy Ziplining Tour is 300 lbs. Individuals who exceed the maximum weight limit will be evaluated by the Selvatura Park‘s technical staff according to their height and physical condition to determine eligibility for tour participation.

Travelers with disabilities

The Canopy Ziplining Tour at the Selvatura Park is not wheelchair-accessible.

The Selvatura Park‘s Sloth Habitat

Sloth Habitat experience

The Sloth Habitat is the Selvatura Park‘s newest attraction and, rather quickly, it’s grown to become one of the park’s most sought-after sights. Convenience is key; not only can you see several sloths (two-toed varieties only) at close range inside the habitat, but you can see them with very little effort by strolling along the habitat’s easy 100-meter brick trail. Jam-packed into Selvatura‘s 45-minute tour of the Sloth Habitat is continuous narration by a knowledgeable tour guide, who covers all things sloth, from where and how long sloths live to what they eat and when and how they poop. The tour even debunks the popular myth that sloths can only move slowly, although you’ll learn that for yourself if you’re lucky enough to spot one of the resident sloths moving inside the habitat.

To be transparent, as we always are, financially supporting wildlife facilities via wildlife exhibit tours—and furthermore, recommending those tours to travelers like you—makes us incredibly nervous. We’ve toured some great wildlife facilities since we first started exploring Costa Rica together in the mid-2000s (facilities with longstanding positive reputations), but we’ve also toured (and watched local news segments about) others that do more harm than good. Suffice to say, we cover the subject cautiously, and in the spirit of full disclosure, we’ll admit that we don’t yet know much about the Sloth Habitat at the Selvatura Park with respect to what goes on—the good and possibly the bad—behind the scenes. I can tell you that the habitat at this particular park is associated with the Sloth Sanctuary of Costa Rica, which operates on the Caribbean Coast (just up from the town of Cahuita), and that the sloths that arrive at the Sloth Habitat at the Selvatura Park are sloths that cannot be rehabilitated and reintroduced into the wild via the operation in Cahuita. The habitat in Monteverde will be the forever home for those sloths, and while it’s a noble gesture for the Selvatura Park to create space for them to reside, one wonders (hopefully, many do) whether proceeds from the park’s popular Sloth Habitat tours benefit Costa Rica’s sloth population at large. Until an answer to that question is provided in public realms, know that the Sloth Habitat at the Selvatura Park provides guaranteed sightings of adorable sloths, but whether and how your visit helps the general sloth population remains unknown.

Sloth Habitat age requirements and/or weight limits

There is currently no minimum age requirement or maximum weight limit imposed on individuals who want to explore the Sloth Habitat.

Young travelers and travelers with disabilities

The Sloth Habitat is family-friendly. If you plan to travel with kids, it helps to know that children (ages 0-3 years) are welcome to explore the Sloth Habitat in Monteverde for free with a paying adult.

In addition, the Sloth Habitat at the Selvatura Park is not wheelchair-accessible.

The Selvatura Park‘s Butterfly Garden

Butterfly Garden experience

Another easy 100-meter trail travels through the Selvatura Park‘s Butterfly Garden, which is adjacent to (and shares a dome with) the Sloth Habitat. The butterfly tour mimics the sloth tour in that the experience is a 45-minute light walking tour that’s narrated by a tour guide. Most interesting to look at is the chrysalis wall, where you can eye stages of a butterfly’s lifecycle in real time, but most delightful to experience is the flutter of the butterflies as they float past you while flying freely inside the enclosed garden.

Butterfly Garden age requirements and/or weight limits

There is currently no minimum age requirement or maximum weight limit imposed on individuals who want to explore the Butterfly Garden.

Young travelers and travelers with disabilities

The Butterfly Garden is family-friendly. If you plan to travel with kids, it helps to know that children (ages 0-3 years) are welcome to explore the Butterfly Garden in Monteverde for free with a paying adult.

In addition, the Butterfly Garden at the Selvatura Park is not wheelchair-accessible.

The Selvatura Park‘s Herpetarium (reptile and amphibian exhibit)

Herpetarium experience

The Selvatura Park‘s Herpetarium, too, is a low-key experience that leads a light walking tour around a room with several acclimatized glass terrariums. Inside are some of Costa Rica’s most stunning—and dangerous—reptiles and amphibians, including colorful and speedy dart frogs and intimidating but beautiful fer-de-lance and bushmaster snakes, among other species. A tour guide narrates the walk, so you can learn about the creatures’ unique behaviors, feeding habits, and functions within different ecosystems.

Herpetarium age requirements and/or weight limits

There is currently no minimum age requirement or maximum weight limit imposed on individuals who want to explore the Herpetarium.

Young travelers and travelers with disabilities

The Herpetarium is family-friendly. If you plan to travel with kids, it helps to know that children (ages 0-3 years) are welcome to explore the Herpetarium in Monteverde for free with a paying adult.

The Herpetarium at the Selvatura Park is not wheelchair-accessible.

The Selvatura Park‘s additional features and information

Operations center facilities

Free lockers, free parking, and a souvenir shop

The operations center at the Selvatura Park is a modern facility complete with a small lobby, a souvenir store, and lockers. There’s also a large parking lot that provides a free place for tour participants to park their rental car. (Parking is free.)

On-site restaurant

The only place to eat at the Selvatura Park is the El Jardin restaurant. Typical Costa Rican food and a variety of international food is served.

Photo/video souvenirs and GoPro rentals

With their Canopy Ziplining Tour, Selvatura supplies a complimentary photographer who takes photos and videos of the tour experience, which you’re welcome to purchase upon completion of the tour. If you would prefer to capture your own tour footage, though, you can do so with your own camera. If needed, GoPro cameras and accessories are available to rent at the Selvatura Park for a fee, and subject to availability.

Tour transportation (shuttles) and road conditions to/from the park

Selvatura provides complimentary transportation to/from their adventure park and Monteverde-area hotels with the purchase of their Canopy Ziplining Tour, their Natural History Walk (the Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges guided tour), or one of their combo tours. If you intend to visit only the Sloth Habitat, the Butterfly Garden, or the Herpetarium and you need transportation to/from the Selvatura Park, you can elect to add the park’s own round-trip transportation service to your exhibit tour reservation.

The drive from the center of Santa Elena (Monteverde’s downtown core) to the Selvatura Park takes approximately 15 minutes. Half of the drive is conducted on paved roads (roads #606 and #619) and the other half is conducted on a slightly rougher, unnamed road where stones and potholes are common. (The unnamed road leads to the entrance of the Selvatura Park, which is after the entrance to the Treetopia Park and before the entrance to the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Biological Reserve.) Although having a 4×4 vehicle isn’t always required to reach the Selvatura Park from within the Santa Elena/Monteverde region, the section of road between the Treetopia Park and the Selvatura Park can be quite bumpy and slippery when wet, so having a 4×4 vehicle would be advantageous.

Map of the Selvatura Park

Note that you may see two markers for Selvatura on maps; one is for their office and the other is for their adventure park. Understandably confusing for travelers, both establishments are on the same road.

To participate in any one (or more) tours at the Selvatura Park, be sure to arrive at the adventure park location, which will be the northernmost marker on any map. (It’s just before the entrance to the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Biological Reserve.) Down the road and closer to the town of Santa Elena (i.e., downtown Monteverde) is Selvatura‘s office, which is used for administrative purposes only.

Pura vida!

Do you have questions about the Selvatura Park’s on-site activities, or how to best incorporate a visit to this park 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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