MonteTours Blog

Where Are the Best Hanging Bridges in Arenal?

Many people visit Arenal to experience the hanging bridges. And if you’re planning to do the same but are unsure where the best hanging bridges are in Arenal, this post is for you.

I have been to all the parks with hanging bridges in Arenal, and in this article, I will discuss the top three nature parks with hanging bridges in Arenal.

Let’s dive in and find out which park has the best hanging bridges in Arenal for you.

Top 3 Best Parks with Hanging Bridges in Arenal

1. Arenal Mistico
2. Sky Adventures
3. Selvatura Park

There are two parks with hanging bridges in Arenal; Arenal Mistico Park and Sky Aventures Arenal Park. And there is the third park in Monteverde but still within driving distance from Arenal, Selvatura Park. 

Sky Adventures Arenal is only about 5 minutes from the Arenal Volcano National Park, while Mistico Park is about 15 minutes away. On the other hand, Selvatura Park is a 3-hour drive away from Arenal, but it was still worth a mention in this post as this is the best cloud forest site with hanging bridges in Costa Rica. 

Keep scrolling to find out how each option ranks against the other based on its pros and cons so that you can choose the one that suits you best while on your trip to Arenal. 

Let’s start by looking at each park in detail, and then I will compare them against each other in terms of pricing and customer reviews. 

1. Arenal Mistico: The Top 1 Best Park with Hanging Bridges in Arenal

Without a doubt, the best park with hanging bridges in Arenal is the Arenal Mistico Park, located about 15 minutes away from the Arenal Volcano National Park. Mistico Hanging Bridges feature the most extensive combination of bridges and nature trails in Costa Rica, with a course of 3.2 kilometers (2 miles) that includes nine regular (rigid) bridges, six hanging bridges, and a beautiful nature trail. 

The entrance fee for the Mistico Hanging Bridges includes a tour guide, who will help you spot and photograph wildlife using his high-definition spotting scope. I’ve been to all parks with hanging bridges in Costa Rica, and this place surprised me. You will learn much about the local flora and fauna, surrounded by beautiful, lush tropical rainforests. And on a clear day, you will also enjoy fantastic views of the volcano.

At the Mistico hanging bridges, the value for money is the best in Arenal. Prices change based on your age and the season when you visit Mistico park, but they’re usually $17 for kids under 10, $34 for teens under 18, and $44 for adults.

SEE MISTICO HANGING BRIDGES CURRENT PRICES AND AVAILABILITY.

2. Sky Adventures: Fantastic Park with Hanging Bridges and Ziplines in Arenal

The second-best park with hanging bridges in Arenal is the Sky Adventures Arenal Hanging Bridges, located about 5 minutes from the Arenal Volcano National Park. Sky Adventures features a self-guided walk on a 1.5 mile (2.5 km) beautiful nature trail with two hanging bridges and two viewpoints overlooking a beautiful 30-meter drop waterfall. And you can add to this walk with a two-hour exhilarating ziplining tour.

Families with kids looking for fun and adventure usually prefer Sky Adventures hanging bridges as they can experience walking on the hanging bridges along with ziplining. However, ziplining comes with an additional price aside from the entrance fee to the hanging bridges.

Prices for experiencing the hanging bridges walk (also known as Sky Walk Arenal) at Sky Adventures Arenal change based on your age and the season when you visit the park, but they’re usually $28 for kids under 11, $34 for teens under 18, and $41 for adults. On the other hand, adding the ziplining tour (known as Sky Trek Arenal) at Sky Adventures Arenal will increase the cost by $65, $79, and $93, respectively.

SEE SKY WALK ARENAL BRIDGES CURRENT PRICES AND AVAILABILITY.

3. Selvatura Park: The Top 1 Best Park with Hanging Bridges in Monteverde

Wait, this post was about Arenal, not Monteverde. Why are we including Selvatura Park as one of the best parks with hanging bridges in Arenal? I get it. Let me explain.

Even though the are about 3 hours from Arenal, it was still worth a mention in this article for two reasons. First, Selvatura Park is the country’s best cloud forest site for hanging bridges. And second, about 75% of tourists who visit Arenal also visit Monteverde. And often, their Arenal itinerary does not give them enough time to see hanging bridges in Arenal.

That’s why I added Selvatura Park as another option for hanging bridges. However, Selvatura is only an option if you are heading to Monteverde. Going from Arenal to visit the Selvatura hanging bridges to then returning to Arenal is doable but not recommended because the entire trip would take up a full day, and the road to Monteverde is very bumpy, which may cause back pain and nausea to some of those who do this roundtrip in a single day.

Nonetheless, if you’re traveling from Arenal to Monteverde, Selvatura Park offers the best cloud forest site for experiencing the hanging bridges in Costa Rica. Even if you go on the Mistico Arenal or Sky Adventures Arenal hanging bridges, I would still recommend visiting the Selvatura hanging bridges because flora and fauna found in Monteverde is very different from Arenal’s.

Monteverde features a cloud forest, where the clouds meet the mountains, whereas Arenal features a tropical rainforest, where there is more rain and no clouds. Think of it this way, Monteverde is the top of the mountain where the clouds form, and Arenal is the valley underneath the shadows where the rain falls. Even though some plants and animals can live in both environments, most of the ecosystem is entirely different in these two locations.

Selvatura hanging bridges feature a 2-mile (3.2-kilometer) hiking trail with eight hanging bridges inside the Monteverde Cloud Forest, the most popular cloud forest site in the world. Less than 2% of the world’s forest is a cloud forest, and as the temperatures rise around the globe, more of this pristine forest transforms into a rainforest.

The prices for Selvatura hanging bridges without a tour guide start at $35 for kids under 12, $45 for teens under 18, and $49 for adults. And you can go with a tour guide to learn about the local flora and fauna for an additional $30 per person.

SEE SELVATURA HANGING BRIDGES CURRENT PRICES AND AVAILABILITY.

Arenal Hanging Bridges Customer Reviews

Finding online customer reviews specifically for hanging bridges in Arenal 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 listings 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 showed that Selvatura had an overall rating of 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 get an idea of how customers rate Selvatura’s hanging bridges. 

The good news is that I already did this for you. I analyzed over 10,000 online customer reviews and filtered reviews down to those where the customers only rated the hanging bridges experiences. 

Here are the overall results based on each park’s rating, followed by critical takeaways exclusively looking at the hanging bridges experiences offered at these parks. 

Arenal Hanging Bridges Google Reviews 

Arenal Hanging Bridges TripAdvisor Reviews 

Arenal Hanging Bridges Customer Reviews Takeaways

Sky Adventures Hanging Bridges: There were no 1-stars and 2-starts evaluations in all of 2021 and the first half of 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.

I did not count many other high ratings on this report, mostly from families, because they combined hanging bridges with the zip lines. Therefore, it’s unclear whether they would have still rated the hanging bridges highly should they have experienced the bridges without the ziplines.

However, judging by what I read on those reviews, as well as anecdotal data after speaking with hundreds of families I have helped, there is a clear correlation between families who visit Sky Adventures Arenal to do both the hanging bridges (for a relaxed trip) and the ziplines (for the fun adrenaline rush).

Selvatura Hanging Bridges Takeaways: Most low ratings are due to the low chances of spotting wildlife. And that’s true. In the cloud forest, animals are more active during the night. Therefore it’s difficult to spot them during the day, especially from a hanging bridge above the canopy of the trees.

Many other negative reviews also referred to how commercial and touristy Selvatura is, which is also 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.

On the other hand, 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 (primarily birds as the other animals are usually asleep during the day).

Mistico Hanging Bridges Takeaways: With over 480 reviews exclusively for the experience of the hanging bridges and more than 80% rated as “excellent,” Mistico is the best-reviewed park with hanging bridges in the country.

There were only five 1-star reviews. Three came from tourists who went on the tour and didn’t see much wildlife, and the other two complained about the high price and low quality of the lunch service. From my experiences at Mistico, I agree that there isn’t much wildlife to see, even when you go with a tour guide, and the lunch is not worth it. You can find better lunch options for less at La Fortuna, a 15-minute drive from the park. And as for the wildlife, I think it’s best to keep your expectations low. After all, it’s a nature park, not a zoo.

On the other hand, the overwhelming majority of the reviews for Mistico hanging bridges are outstanding. They tell stories of families, couples, and solo travelers who loved the tour, the views, the passion of the tour guides, and the connection with nature. And I have to agree with them; I loved the place and the tour. We went with a guide named Carlos, who was enthusiastic and passionate about nature. He loves what he does for a living, and I loved that vibe.

Arenal Hanging Bridges Entrance Fees

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

It does not include transportation because that changes from park to park depending on availability; sometimes, they have it, 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 with flexible 24-hour cancellation policies to secure your spot today with no risks.

All Parks with Hanging Bridges in Arenal Are Great

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

Use this quick guide to make your choice:

• Best Scenery in Arenal: Mistico Hanging Bridges
• Best Scenery in Monteverde: Selvatura Hanging Bridges
• Best Balance Between Scenery and Adventure: Sky Walk Arenal
  

About the Author

Daniel Lalinde

I am the founder of MonteTours Costa Rica. I lived in Arenal and La Fortuna before I moved to Monteverde, and I often travel to Arenal and La Fortuna to visit my loved ones. I love nature, adventure, and mountain biking. My partner and I love spending time outdoors and dining out. And we have more than 30 years of combined experience traveling around Costa Rica.

We love helping visitors have a memorable experience in our country. If you need help planning your perfect trip to Costa Rica, send us a message, and we will happily assist you!