Treetopia Park or Selvatura Park: Which Monteverde Hanging Bridges Are The Best?
Nikki Solano
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. ❤️️
Nikki; touring the Treetopia Park’s Sky Walk Hanging BridgesNikki; touring the Selvatura Park’s Treetop Walkways Hanging BridgesRicky and Nikki; touring the Treetopia Park’s Sky Walk Hanging BridgesRicky and Nikki; touring Selvatura’s Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges
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How to choose between the Sky Walk Hanging Bridges at the Treetopia Park and the Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges at Selvatura Park
Fun fact: Costa Rica’s spectacular cloud forest at Monteverde is home to numerous hanging bridge parks! Two in particular, the Treetopia Park (formerly known as Sky Adventures Monteverde) and the Selvatura Park are top Monteverde attractions that shouldn’t be missed. But if your vacation itinerary or budget won’t allow you to experience both sites, don’t fret! The daunting task of deciding which hanging bridges are the best in Monteverde—the Sky Walk Hanging Bridges at the Treetopia Park or the Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges at the Selvatura Park—just got easier.
If you’re familiar with our blog, you already know that we rarely classify any one experience in Costa Rica as “the best” because the term is highly subjective. We know that the best for us may not be the best for you according to your individual wants, needs, and preferences. So, spoiler alert: the article below doesn’t pick one hanging bridge park over the other. Instead, the article below relays important information gathered from our many visits to both the Treetopia Park and the Selvatura Park so you can quickly and easily compare and contrast the two properties and decide for yourself which hanging bridges are the best for you to visit.
A quick trip down memory lane
We’ve been exploring Monteverde (including the Treetopia Park, back when it was known as Sky Adventures Monteverde, and the Selvatura Park) since the mid-2000s and we’ve enjoyed watching it grow and tracking its changes ever since. ❤️
Ricky and Nikki; at the Treetopia Park (formerly Sky Adventures Monteverde) in 2012Ricky and Nikki; at the Treetopia Park (formerly Sky Adventures Monteverde) in 2019Ricky and Nikki; at the Treetopia Park (formerly Sky Adventures Monteverde) nowRicky and Nikki; at the Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges in 2017Ricky and Nikki; at the Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges now
Before you pick a hanging bridge park, know this.
Before we get to comparing and contrasting the two parks, know this: you cannot go wrong with either park. Not only are the Treetopia Park and the Selvatura Park popular attractions in the Monteverde area but also they’re two of Costa Rica’s top attractions that regularly receive rave reviews. Though one of the parks may suit your style and interests more than the other (our article below will help you determine that), neither is a bad choice.
Number of bridges, bridge length, and bridge height
When considering bridge quantity, length, and height, what matters most is the quantity, length, and height of a park’s suspension bridges, not the quantity, length, or height of a park’s non-suspension bridges. Suspension bridges provide the quintessential, sought-after “hanging bridges” experience, which involves walking through a forest on a bridge that’s suspended high above the forest floor. Non-suspension bridges, which are typically short, stationary, positioned just above the forest floor, and supported by metal beams beneath the bridge, aren’t considered hanging bridges. The charts below, which detail bridge quantity, length, and height, reflect a park’s suspension/hanging bridges only.
a suspension/hanging bridge at the Treetopia Park
The Treetopia Park’s Sky Walk Hanging Bridges: Number of bridges and bridge lengths
Total number of hanging bridges (excluding non-suspension bridges): 6 bridges
Bridge #1: 66 meters long Bridge #2: 122 meters long Bridge #3: 114 meters long Bridge #4: 126 meters long Bridge #5: 236 meters long Bridge #6: 48 meters long
Total hanging bridges length (suspension bridges only): 712 meters traveled over 6 hanging bridges
a suspension/hanging bridge at the Selvatura Park
The Selvatura Park’s Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges: Number of bridges and bridge lengths
Total number of hanging bridges (excluding non-suspension bridges): 8 bridges
Bridge #1: 65 meters long Bridge #2: 82 meters long Bridge #3: 115 meters long Bridge #4: 157 meters long Bridge #5: 120 meters long Bridge #6: 57 meters long Bridge #7: 90 meters long Bridge #8: 90 meters long
Total hanging bridges length (suspension bridges only): 776 meters traveled over 8 hanging bridges
Treetopia Park’s Sky Walk Hanging Bridges: Bridge height
Bridge #1: 15 meters high Bridge #2: 49 meters high Bridge #3: 17 meters high Bridge #4: 36 meters high Bridge #5: 50 meters high Bridge #6: 15 meters high
Bridge #1: 17 meters high Bridge #2: 19 meters high Bridge #3: 34 meters high Bridge #4: 31 meters high Bridge #5: 28 meters high Bridge #6: 18 meters high Bridge #7: 25 meters high Bridge #8: 20 meters high
Maximum bridge height: 34 meters
Nature trails and hike distance, duration, and conditions
The nature trails at the Treetopia Park and the Selvatura Park are similar. At each park, a nature trail loops around the park’s property and leads a hike through the cloud forest that includes flat, uphill, and downhill sections (some climbing of stairs is required, especially at the Selvatura Park). Note that although the trails at both hanging bridge parks are well-kept, natural hazards like tree roots and branches are encountered along the way, so keep an eye out for them.
Treetopia Park trails
Sky Walk Hanging Bridges trail at the Treetopia ParkSky Walk Hanging Bridges trail at the Treetopia Park
When the Sky Adventures Park in Monteverde rebranded as the Treetopia Park (you can learn more about that event here, if you want), the shift brought a few changes to the park’s property, including the way the Sky Walk Hanging Bridges (in Monteverde, not La Fortuna/Arenal) are experienced. Despite what you may read elsewhere (some resources are outdated), the Treetopia Park currently offers two trails: a main trail and a short side trail that is an offshoot of the main trail.
The main trail
The 2.7-kilometer main trail is the Treetopia Park‘s primary hanging bridge circuit. It is 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. Five of the park’s six hanging bridges (Bridge #1, Bridge #2, Bridge #3, Bridge #4, and Bridge #5) are encountered along the circular trail.
The short side trail
The short side trail branches off from the main trail between the main trail’s fifth bridge and the trailhead. This short side trail is optional; it is an out-and-back trail that you can either take in addition to the main trail or skip altogether, but be aware that the short side trail provides access to the Treetopia Park‘s sixth and last hanging bridge (Bridge #6), so you must elect to explore both the main trail and the short side trail if you wish to cross all six hanging bridges at the Treetopia Park. More specifically, in order to cross all six bridges at the Treetopia Park, you need to—literally—take these steps:
a) From the trailhead, take the main trail and cross the five hanging bridges that it visits.
b) After crossing the fifth bridge, take the short side trail (a linear trail) that leads out to the sixth hanging bridge bridge and back.
c) After returning to the main trail, complete the main trail loop by continuing on the trail (in the direction you haven’t yet explored) until it ends back at the trailhead.
I wouldn’t classify the main trail as being difficult, although it does have uphill and downhill sections, but if you don’t have the energy (or time) to hike the main trail in its entirety, consider hiking the short side trail only. With this option, you’ll be able to access one hanging bridge (unfortunately, it’s the park’s shortest hanging bridge; Bridge #6) and you’ll get a sampling of what the scenic hanging bridges in cloud forest-blanketed Monteverde are all about.
Selvatura Park trails
Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges trail at the Selvatura ParkTreetop Walkways Hanging Bridges trail at the Selvatura Park
At the Selvatura Park, you’ll find only one trail at the Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges. 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 that 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 (many are roughly half the height of a standard step), 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.
Nature trail comparison chart
Nature trails at the Treetopia Park
Nature trail at the Selvatura Park
Number of trails
Two; the main trail (a circular trail) and the short side trail (a linear trail that branches off from the main trail)
One circular trail
Trail distance
2.7-kilometer loop (main trail)
3-kilometer loop
Number of hanging bridgesencountered along the trail(s)
Five hanging bridges are encountered along the main trail; a sixth hanging bridge is accessed by taking the short side trail
Eight hanging bridges are encountered along the trail
Guided hanging bridge tours
Both the Treetopia Park and the Selvatura Park run guided hanging bridge tours. At the Treetopia Park, the experience is called the Guided Sky Walk. At the Selvatura Park, the experience is called the Natural History Walk. It’s worth noting that the cost of a guided hanging bridges tour at the Selvatura Park is significantly higher than the cost of a guided hanging bridges tour at the Treetopia Park, making the latter park the better attraction to visit if you’re a budget-conscious traveler.
Hanging bridge tour comparison chart
Hanging bridge tour at the Treetopia Park
Hanging bridge tour at the Selvatura Park
Guided hanging bridges tour cost
Original cost: $54.00 USD plus tax per adult (discount here) Original cost: $41.00 USD plus tax per child (5-17 years; discount here) Cost: $0.00 USD per free child (0-4 years)
Cost: $80.00 USD plus tax per adult Cost: $72.00 USD plus tax per student/adolescent Cost: $56.00 USD plus tax per child (4-12 years) Cost: $0.00 USD per free child (0-3 years)
Yes: no shoes with slits (such as Keen sandals) or open toes
Yes: no shoes with slits (such as Keen sandals) or open toes
Cloud forest views and wildlife-spotting opportunities
There is little difference between the cloud forest views you’ll find at the Treetopia Park and the cloud forest views you’ll find at the Selvatura Park (the same goes for wildlife-spotting opportunities) because the two large parks neighbor one another. (By car, a roughly seven-minute drive separates the entrances to the two massive parks.) Both hanging bridge parks are lush and green, and they remain that way year-round. Both provide an opportunity to explore the treetop canopy among the cloud forest and see giant, jaw-dropping trees. Both hanging bridge parks are home to several species of wildlife, including monkeys, coatis, butterflies, and hummingbirds, although the wildlife can be difficult to spot. Personally, I’ve had better luck spotting wildlife at the Treetopia Park; of the two parks, the Treetopia Park receives less human traffic, so there are fewer voices and sounds of crunching footsteps to scare the wildlife away.
Cloud forest views at the Treetopia Park
tree in the cloud forest at the Treetopia Parkview of the cloud forest canopy at the Treetopia Park
Cloud forest views at the Selvatura Park
tree in the cloud forest at the Selvatura Parkview of the cloud forest canopy at the Selvatura Park
Location and distance from Santa Elena (downtown Monteverde)
Both the Treetopia Park and the Selvatura Park sit on the northern outskirts of Santa Elena, the community that’s considered to be the “downtown” of the Monteverde area.
In addition, the entrances to the Treetopia Park and the Selvatura Park fall along the same road, the unnamed road that branches off from Road 619 (a main road into and out of Santa Elena from the north) to the northeast. From Santa Elena, the Treetopia Park is an approximate 10-minute drive. From Santa Elena, the Selvatura Park is an approximate 17-minute drive. Regardless of where you stay in the greater Monteverde area, the Treetopia Park and the Selvatura Park will be within a 40-minute drive.
Where to find the Treetopia Park’s Sky Walk Hanging Bridges
the Treetopia Park is northeast of Santa Elena (downtown Monteverde)
The Sky Walk Hanging Bridges are located on the property of the Treetopia Park. The Treetopia Park is northeast of Santa Elena (downtown Monteverde). It takes roughly 10 minutes to drive the 4-kilometer route from Santa Elena to the Treetopia Park.
Where to find the Selvatura Park’s Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges
the Selvatura Park is northeast of Santa Elena (downtown Monteverde)
The Treetop Walkways Hanging Bridges are located on the property of the Selvatura Park. The Selvatura Park is northeast of Santa Elena (downtown Monteverde). It takes roughly 17 minutes to drive the 6-kilometer route from Santa Elena to the Selvatura Park.
Road conditions (4×4 requirement) and parking
Both the Treetopia Park and the Selvatura Park are accessible by car. Unfortunately, neither park is reachable by public bus.
the unnamed road to the Treetopia Park and the Selvatura Park that branches off from Road 619the unnamed road to the Treetopia Park and the Selvatura Park that branches off from Road 619the narrow section of the unnamed road that travels between the Treetopia Park and the Selvatura Parkthe narrow section of the unnamed road that travels between the Treetopia Park and the Selvatura Park
Travel to the Treetopia Park does not require a 4×4 vehicle. When arriving from Santa Elena (downtown Monteverde), the first two kilometers of the drive are on Roads 606 and Road 619, two well-traveled roads into and out of the heart of Monteverde. After you turn off Road 619 onto the unnamed road signed for the Treetopia Park, the Selvatura Park, the Hidden Canopy Treehouses, and the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Biological Reserve, it’s a two-kilometer, low-grade uphill drive on a combined pressed-gravel and dirt road to the Treetopia Park.
Travel to the Selvatura Park does not require a 4×4 vehicle, but having one is recommended. When arriving from Santa Elena (downtown Monteverde), the first two kilometers of the drive are on Roads 606 and Road 619, two well-traveled roads into and out of the heart of Monteverde. After you turn off Road 619 onto the unnamed road signed for the Selvatura Park, the Treetopia Park, the Hidden Canopy Treehouses, and the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Biological Reserve, it’s a four-kilometer drive to the Selvatura Park. The first two kilometers of the drive (roughly to where you’ll encounter the entrance to the Treetopia Park), are relatively easy to drive. The last two kilometers (after you pass the entrance to the Treetopia Park but before you arrive at the entrance to the Selvatura Park) are the most challenging to drive. They explore uphill and downhill sections of a narrow, pressed-gravel and dirt road with curves, bumps, and potholes; be prepared to pull over to the side of the road and stop momentarily if a large vehicle, such as a tourist van, approaches because there isn’t always room for two vehicles to pass each other while each one is in motion.
Parking at the Treetopia Park
parking lot at the Treetopia Parkparking lot at the Treetopia Park
The Treetopia Park has a large parking lot and provides free parking. Because the Treetopia Park is less busy than the Selvatura Park, typically it is not difficult to find a parking space.
Parking at the Selvatura Park
parking lot at the Selvatura Parkparking lot at the Selvatura Park
The Selvatura Park has a large parking lot and provides free parking. Because the Selvatura Park is busier than the Treetopia Park, it can sometimes be difficult to find a parking space. Additional lots across the street and just down the road provide extra space to park.
Transportation services (hotel pick-ups and drop-offs)
If you don’t plan to rent a car in Costa Rica, you can use hired transportation to reach either park. Both the Treetopia Park and the Selvatura Park provide their own hired transportation services, which function as shared shuttle services (i.e., the transportation service is shared with other travelers and is not private to your travel group).
The Treetopia Park charges $12.00 USD per person plus tax to provide round-trip transportation to/from Monteverde hotels. Hotels that fall outside of the park’s definition of “Monteverde hotels” may be charged at a higher rate.
The Selvatura Park provides free round-trip transportation to/from Monteverde hotels with some, but not all, of their tours. Hotels that fall outside of the park’s definition of “Monteverde hotels” may be charged at a higher rate.
Restaurants and dining
Both the Treetopia Park and the Selvatura Park have a restaurant on-site. Although the restaurants cater to participants who engage in on-site park activities, such as hanging bridge tours, the establishments are open to non-participants (i.e., the general public).
Dining services provided by the Treetopia Park
the Hard Frog Cafe restaurant at the Treetopia Park
The main restaurant at the Treetopia Park is an informal, cafe-style eatery named the Hard Frog Cafe. You can find the establishment on the second floor of the Treetopia Park‘s central building (where you enter the park and find the park’s reception desk). Hanging bridge tours at the Treetopia Parkdo not automatically include a meal but you’re welcome to add one to your tour reservation in advance at the cost of $23.00 USD for a fast-food meal option (includes a fast-food plate and a cold drink, either a fruit drink, a carbonated drink, or a beer) or $38.00 USD for a full meal (includes a typical Costa Rican meal; a cold drink, so either a fruit drink, a carbonated drink, or a beer; a dessert, and a hot drink, so either a coffee or a tea) per person with tax already included. Alternatively, you may eat or drink at the restaurant on the day that you visit the park (without previously reserving a meal with your tour) by simply ordering what you’d like off the restaurant’s menu.
The Hard Frog Cafe typically operates between 7:00am and 4:00pm daily. The Treetopia Park posts their updated menus here.
A second, smaller cafe in the Treetopia Park sits atop the cloud forest and serves participants who ride the Treetopia Park’s Tree Tram Cableway, which stops at the cafe for a brief visit.
Dining services provided by the Selvatura Park
the El Jardin restaurant at the Selvatura Parkthe El Jardin restaurant at the Selvatura Park
The restaurant at the Selvatura Park is a rustic but somewhat classy restaurant named El Jardin. You can find the establishment across from the Selvatura Park‘s central building (where you enter the park and find the park’s reception desk) and up a path, just behind the parking lot. Hanging bridge tours at the Selvatura Parkdo not automatically include a meal but you’re welcome to dine at the on-site restaurant before or after you participate in any of the park’s activities if you wish. Food and drinks are ordered off the restaurant’s menu, which features soups, salads, sandwiches, pasta dishes, meat and fish plates, and desserts. Meal prices vary by order but range $14.00-40.00 USD per person plus tax.
El Jardin typically operates between 7:30am and 3:30pm daily. The Selvatura Park posts their updated menus here.
On-site tours and activities other than hanging bridges
Optional, additional tours and activities at the Treetopia Park
Tree Tram Cableway at the Treetopia ParkTree Tram Cableway at the Treetopia Parkmonkey bridge experienced during the Arboreal obstacle course at the Treetopia Parksafety demonstration for the Sky Trek Canopy Tour at the Treetopia Parkmonkey bridge experienced during the Arboreal obstacle course at the Treetopia Park80-feet freefall (called the Vertigo Drop) experienced during the Sky Trek Canopy Tour at the Treetopia ParkRicky; with a Sky Trek Canopy Tour guide at the Treetopia ParkRicky; monkey bridge experienced during the Arboreal obstacle course at the Treetopia Park
In addition to operating hanging bridge tours, the Treetopia Park also operates a canopy zip-lining tour called the Sky Trek Canopy Tour, aerial tram rides on their Tree Tram Cableway, and the on-site obstacle course called Arboreal, which features a zip-line bike ride, tree climbs, and rope-course-style “monkey bridges.”
Optional, additional tours and activities at the Selvatura Park
Nikki; Butterfly Garden at the Selvatura ParkSloth Habitat at the Selvatura ParkCanopy Tour at the Selvatura ParkCanopy Tour at the Selvatura ParkRicky; with a Canopy Tour guide at the Selvatura ParkNikki; Reptile and Amphibian Exhibit at the Selvatura ParkButterfly Garden at the Selvatura ParkRicky; Sloth Habitat at the Selvatura Park
In addition to operating hanging bridge tours, the Selvatura Park also operates a canopy zip-lining tour plainly called the Canopy Tour and sells tickets to its on-site wildlife exhibits, which include a Sloth Habitat, a Butterfly Garden, and a Reptile and Amphibian Exhibit.
Other on-site facilities and amenities
Both the Treetopia Park and the Selvatura Park provide a large entrance with bathrooms and a reception desk. Also, both parks sell souvenirs at a gift shop adjacent to the reception.
What else you’ll find at the Treetopia Park
Treetopia Park entranceTreetopia Park receptionTreetopia Park souvenir store
What else you’ll find at the Selvatura Park
Selvatura Park entranceSelvatura Park receptionSelvatura Park souvenir store
Do you have questions about either or both hanging bridge parks in Monteverde, want to know which hanging bridge park is the best for you to visit, or need help incorporating a hanging bridges tour 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
Treetopia Park or Selvatura Park: Which Monteverde Hanging Bridges Are The Best?
Description
Looking for the best Monteverde hanging bridges? We compare and contrast the Treetopia Park's Sky Walk bridges and the Selvatura Park's Treetop Walkway bridges.
