Best Parks with Hanging Bridges in Monteverde

I have been to all the parks with hanging bridges in Monteverde and sent thousands of customers to these parks. And one of the most frequent questions I get is, “which park has the best hanging bridges in Monteverde, Costa Rica?” 

I get that question dozens of times each week, so in this post, I will make a comparison to shed some light on this question by listing the pros and cons of each of these parks.

After reading this blog post, you will have all the data you need to decide which Monteverde Hanging Bridges Park is the best for you. Throughout the post, I will share the links to get your tickets online so you can secure your spots for this attraction, and you can also jump to the bottom of the page to find these links. 

Let’s dive in. 

Where are the best hanging bridges in Monteverde?

The best hanging bridges in Monteverde include the Treetop Walkways at Selvatura Park, the Monteverde Sky Walk at the Sky Adventures Monteverde Park, the Aventura Hanging Bridges at 100% Aventura, and the Monteverde Bridge at the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. 

You can use this quick guide to decide which one is best for you:

• Best Scenery? Book Selvatura’s Hanging Bridges
• More Wildlife? Book Aventura’s Hanging Bridges
• Best Balance Between Scenery and Wildlife? Book Sky Walk’s Hanging Bridges
• One Bridge but Many Trails to Hike? Visit the Monteverde Reserve

Selvatura Park features the most scenic hanging bridges in Monteverde, while Sky Adventures features the longest bridge in the country. On the other hand, 100% Aventura features a combination of a natural history tour with the experience of the hanging bridges (i.e., they include a tour guide with the entrance fee to the park). In contrast, the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve only features one bridge. 

Read more details on the above four parks to determine which is best for you. And before we start, let me clarify that in Monteverde, hanging bridges can also be called “canopy walkways,” “canopy tours,” “suspension bridges,” and “treetop walkways.” I will use “hanging bridges” for this article to avoid confusion.

Let’s begin with one of my favorites, Monteverde Sky Walk by Sky Adventures Monteverde. 

1. Skywalk Hanging Bridges at Sky Monteverde

One of my favorite places to visit the hanging bridges is Sky Walk by Sky Adventures Monteverde. Sky Walk has six bridges in total, and it features two things I like: the longest bridge in Costa Rica and two loops. The longest bridge is impressive; it’s a massive 236-meter (774 ft) bridge that connects two mountains and is a great place to take a selfie to share your adventures with your loved ones back home. 

The two loops are also an essential element of Sky Walk, as this is the only park with hanging bridges in Monteverde with this feature. The first loop contains only four bridges, while the larger loop goes through six bridges. The other parks with hanging bridges in Monteverde have only one trail, so you need to either finish the entire trail or turn around midway and go back if you can’t walk much. 

A small loop allows you to experience the hanging bridges without committing to a long walk, which can be helpful for families with young kids. One of the first times I visited this park, I went with my daughter, who was only two years old and couldn’t walk much, so we made the short loop, which only took us about an hour (as opposed to doing the entire walk which would have taken us about 2.5 hours). 

Therefore, I recommend the Monteverde Sky Walk to families with young kids and people with problems walking long distances. You can check real-time availability and get your tickets for Skywalk here. 

Sky Adventures is at 1,400 meters above sea level. This altitude is high enough to get amazing views over the canopy of the cloud forest yet low enough to be home to some wildlife, such as the Resplendent Quetzal.

Animals prefer lower altitudes where the forest is warmer. So as a general rule, the smaller the size, the more prominent animals will be. Sky Adventures is at an elevation where you can see some wildlife and still get amazing views.

Duration and Distance: Sky Walk is a light hike that takes approximately 1.5 to 2 hours to complete the 2.5 km (1.5 miles) trail course that combines six hanging bridges with nature trails. You can make a smaller loop with only four bridges and cut the duration to approximately one hour, which is recommended for families with smaller kids. 

Customer Review: 

The Sky Walk hanging bridges are a great feature of the park. The trail between the six bridges makes for a beautiful and relatively easy hike through the forest, filled with beautiful plants and birds. The suspension bridges themselves are modern and stable. Such a fun and exhilarating experience as you take in spectacular views on bridges extending 50 to 150 ft. above the forest” Kathleen, Google Review

Sky Walk Summary: 

• Six bridges on the trail of 2.5 km (1.5 miles).
• The longest bridge in Costa Rica (236 meters -774 feet).
• One bridge is 70m (230ft) above the ground.
• You can upgrade it to a guided tour for an additional fee.
• You can combine it with ziplining, aerial tram, and tree climbing.
• On-site restaurant.
• Requires Reservation.

2. Selvatura Hanging Bridges at Selvatura Monteverde

The next best option for Hanging Bridges is the Selvatura Hanging Bridges. Selvatura is situated next to the Santa Elena reserve, the highest elevation point in the cloud forest, which is good for views but not ideal for spotting wildlife.

Selvatura features eight hanging bridges and the best scenery in the area, as this park is the only site with hanging bridges built in the middle of a 100% virgin cloud forest. 

In contrast, Sky Adventures Sky Walk’s hanging bridges (the first park we reviewed above) are almost 100% virgin cloud forest, except a small part of the park is in a reforested area. And the 100% Aventura hanging bridges (coming up next) are situated primarily in secondary forests.

You should know, though, that Selvatura’s trails get a bit steep from time to time. The first time I visited the hanging bridges at this location, my daughter was only three years old, and she couldn’t keep up with the high altitude and the steep trails, so I ended up carrying her on my back for almost the entire course. It was not dramatic, and I was in pretty good shape. Plus, there were benches along the way where I caught my breath, but you should consider this if you’re traveling with young kids or older adults.  

 I recommend Selvatura’s Hanging Bridges to those in good shape looking for a more natural experience with exceptional scenery. Selvatura is my go-to place for hanging bridges when I want to connect deeply with nature. You can check real-time availability and get your tickets here. 

Duration and Distance: Selvatura Treetop Walkways should take about 1 to 2 hours to complete the 3 km (1.9 miles) course that combines eight hanging bridges with nature trails. There are benches along the route, so you can pause to get some rest in between. 

Customer Review: 

We did just Selvatura’s Hanging Bridges through the cloud forest over eight bridges in the tree crowns. It was beautiful, had lovely views, and was a completely different experience than when you walked on the ground of the cloud forest. We were fortunate to be there alone, which was an even better experience” Lenkya, Google Review.

Selvatura Hanging Bridges Summary: 

• Eight bridges on the trail of 3 km (1.9 miles)
• The longest bridge is 170 meters (560 feet).
• You can upgrade it to a guided tour for an additional fee.
• You can combine it with ziplining and other animal exhibits.
• On-site restaurant.
• Requires Reservation.

3. Aventura Hanging Bridges at Aventura Monteverde

The third option to live the hanging bridges experience in Monteverde is the Aventura Hanging Bridges. The 100% Aventura Monteverde Park is far from the other parks in the tropical rainforest, with different views and vegetation than the cloud forest.

“Aventura,” as locals call it, is situated in a reforested area, so the scenery is not spectacular. However, this location is better for spotting wildlife because it bridges the young forest (reforested areas around Monteverde) and the old forest (virgin Cloud Forest at the heart of Monteverde). 

Aventura includes a tour guide with an entrance fee to their hanging bridges to help improve your chances of spotting the local wildlife. 

Therefore, I recommend Aventura’s Hanging Bridges to those who prefer to sacrifice scenery to see more wildlife and learn about nature with a guide. However, I have to say that spotting wildlife is never guaranteed. *You can check real-time availability and get your tickets here. 

*Nature is unpredictable. Even though there are more opportunities to see wildlife at this location, no one can be sure how much wildlife will be present on a given tour. I also have to add that it is far easier to see wildlife in Monteverde on a night tour because 80% of the local animals come out at night instead of during the day. Click here to read more about the different night tours (a.k.a. night walks) available in Monteverde.

Duration and Distance: The guided tour at the Aventura Hanging Bridges will take 2 hours to complete the 3 km (1.9 miles) course that combines eight hanging bridges with nature trails. 

Aventura Hanging Bridges Summary: 

• 8 Bridges
• 3km (1.9 mi) Trail
• Naturalist Tour Guide Included
• Requires Reservation.

4. Hanging Bridge at the Monteverde Reserve

Bridge in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve – Monteverde, beautiful Cloud Forest in the north of Costa Rica

The fourth option is the hanging bridge at the Monteverde Biological Cloud Forest Reserve. The Monteverde Reserve is situated at the heart of the cloud forest and is the most natural park in the area. I had to mention this one as this place is very iconic, but bear in mind that it only has one hanging bridge and is relatively small.  

The Monteverde Reserve has many kilometers of trails, so it is a great choice to hike around, but it’s not a good option to see the forest from above the canopy of the trees, which is the experience of hanging bridges. 

For more information on the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, visit the article “why the Monteverde Cloud Forest is famous and popular worldwide.”

Visiting Monteverde’s Hanging Bridges with Kids

You can do the hanging bridges with kids, but there is a couple of things you should consider:

Parks do not offer babysitting services: This applies to all parks in Monteverde, not just the ones with hanging bridges, so keep this in mind when planning a visit with kids.

Most parks have stairs and ramps: This makes the way inaccessible for baby trolleys, so depending on your little ones, as well as on your physical condition, you will probably need an ergonomic carrier backpack. Many tourists with babies use them, and they might work for you, too. Just keep in mind the distances above and use your best judgment. 

Selvatura has benches along the trail: As I mentioned in my story above, when I went with my daughter when she was only two and a half, the benches saved my day. It took me about 2.5 hours to complete the course, which I would have done in about an hour going solo.

Aventura is more about the learning experience: The next time I went with my daughter, she was 5, and this time, we went to Aventura. As mentioned above, the Aventura Hanging Bridges is a guided walk to learn about the local flora and fauna, which is not very interesting for the average 5-year-old. She preferred to go at her own pace, stopping for a break when she felt like it, but we were in a tour group, so we couldn’t just stop whenever we wanted. 

As a result, the experience was not the best for either of us. I could not pay attention to the tour guide. And my daughter was not invested in the tour. In retrospect, I would have preferred to have gone independently rather than with a tour guide. 

Sky Walk features a short loop: As mentioned above, Sky Walk has two loops of trails with hanging bridges, which is an excellent option for families with small kids because you can make the first loop and see how you feel before deciding to go on for the second loop. The last time I went to the hanging bridges with my daughter, she was eight years old, and we went to Sky Walk. We had the best hanging bridges experience we’ve had so far this time. 

We made the short loop, we saw two Resplendent Quetzals, and by the time we had the option to either go on for the second loop or go back to reception, she’d had enough, so we made a conscious decision to end it there. Based on this experience, I would say that the best age to bring kids to the hanging bridges is around eight.

Monteverde’s Hanging Bridges by Customer Reviews

Finding online customer reviews specifically for hanging bridges in Monteverde is chaotic. The problem with TripAdvisor is that anyone can list tours, resell them and earn a commission. And TripAdvisor themselves are not good at reviewing and filtering those listings, so many offer the same services with different names.

On the other hand, Google listings do not evaluate services. They consider businesses as a whole, which is not beneficial when you are only interested in one specific service. 

For example, when writing this article, Google will display Selvatura’s overall rating (4.6 with 3,142 online reviews). However, Selvatura offers many services and experiences, such as ziplining tours, animal exhibits, nature photography, restaurant services, a souvenir shop, etc. So, you must read all the reviews to understand how customers rate Selvatura’s hanging bridges. 

The good news is that I already did this for you. I analyzed over 5,000 online customer reviews and filtered reviews down to those where the customers only rated the hanging bridges experiences. 

Here are the results: 

Sky Walk Takeaways: There were no 1-stars and 2-starts evaluations in 2022, only a few 4-starts, one 3-star, and 28 assessments with 5-stars. A significant number of high ratings came from travelers who recommended the guided tour. Many other high ratings were not counted on this report because they combined hanging bridges with the sky tram (an aerial tram ride not included with the hanging bridges), indicating that this service highlights Sky Adventures Park.

Selvatura Takeaways: Most low rates were due to the high entrance fee and low chances of spotting wildlife. Most high ratings came from travelers who indicated that the price tag was worth it, and they paid the extra cost to join a tour group with a local guide who helped them spot some wildlife. Many negative reviews also referred to how commercial and touristy Selvatura is, which is true. Selvatura has a large parking lot and is easily accessible by tourist buses, so it’s usually the top choice for travel agencies and cruisers, who send up to 1,000 visitors per day to this park during the high season from December to April.

*Aventura Takeaways: There were only three reviews in 2021, one of them was from a guide that works there, and another one was from a person whose pictures were from Selvatura, not from Aventura, so it was probably an incorrect evaluation. Anyone can add reviews to Google; there is no validation from Google, which is another challenge with online reviews. Even people who have never done a tour can log in to Google Maps and post a review on a service they never bought, but that is a deeper issue and a larger conversation. Going back to Aventura hanging bridges, there were more animal pictures than in Sky Walk and Selvatura hanging bridges.

Scenery & Wildlife Seen at Monteverde’s Hanging Bridges

Based on the 5,000 online customer reviews analyzed, the top two reasons people visit the hanging bridges in Monteverde are the scenery and the wildlife. The Monteverde hanging bridges provide a unique vantage point to see the forest from above the canopy of the trees and some of the local wildlife (primarily birds).

However, there are hanging bridge parks where the scenery is better and other parks where wildlife is more prominent. The following is a comparison chart to help you determine which hanging bridges park is best for what, based on online customer reviews, as well as my own experience having visited these sites multiple times:

Monteverde’s Hanging Bridges Entrance Fees

The following is a quick pre-tax price comparison arranged in descending order according to price.

Transportation changes depending on availability; sometimes, it’s included, and other times is not. So I will not include transportation fees on this table, but you can follow the links to get details on each park.

You can also use the links to check real-time availability, book, and get instant confirmation:

All Parks with Hanging Bridges in Monteverde Are Great

In conclusion, all four parks with hanging bridges in Monteverde offer unique experiences depending on your interests. 

Use this quick guide to make your choice:

• Best Scenery? Book Selvatura’s Hanging Bridges
• More Wildlife? Book Aventura’s Hanging Bridges
• Best Balance Between Scenery and Wildlife? Book Sky Walk Monteverde
• One Bridge but Many Trails to Hike? Visit the Monteverde Reserve

About the Author

Daniel Lalinde

I am the founder of Monteverde Tours Online. I live in Monteverde and love nature, adventure, and Mountain Biking. My partner and I love spending time doors and dining out in Monteverde. We have more than 30 years of combined experience in the area, and there is no park, coffee shop, or restaurant we haven’t tried at least once!

We love helping visitors, and connecting them with the different tours and activities to have a memorable experience in Monteverde.

If you need help planning things to do in the area, send us a message, and we will happily assist you!