4 Cool Hanging Bridges in Monteverde You Need to Visit

The hanging bridges Monteverde offers are a great experience for people who want to relax and enjoy their time in Costa Rica.

They are also perfect for people of all ages and fitness levels who love to explore and have a bit of adventure in their travels.

We spent several months in Costa Rica during our Pan American Highway road trip, and Monteverde was one of our favorite places.

Little Man said walking the hanging bridges Monteverde was his favorite activity there, with waterfall hiking a possible tie, so don’t miss out on doing one of these!

The hanging bridges Monteverde offers are great for wandering both through and over the cloud forest at your own pace.

Reach out and touch the sky, and feel an indescribable sensation of freedom during your trek through the forest canopy.

The suspension bridges are the most advantageous viewpoint for viewing the beauty of the cloud forest in all its degrees and heights, allowing you to look for the endemic and iconic creatures that call the cloud forest their home.

Pro Tip: In Monteverde, hanging bridges can also be called “canopy walkways,” “canopy tours,” “suspension bridges,” and “treetop walkways.” To avoid confusion, I’ll just use “hanging bridges” for this post.

A Quick Guide to the Monteverde Hanging Bridges

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

Do You Want…
🐒 (Hopefully) More Wildlife? Book Aventura’s Hanging Bridges.
🌳 The Best Scenery? Book Selvatura’s Hanging Bridges.
🏞 Scenery & Wildlife Balanced? Book Sky Walk’s Hanging Bridges.
🚶 One Bridge Walk During a Forest Hike? Tour the Monteverde Reserve.

Details on Costa Rica’s Monteverde Hanging Bridges

The most scenic hanging bridges Monteverde offers are found at Selvatura Park, whereas Sky Adventures features the country’s longest bridge.

100% Aventura, on the other hand, offers a combination of a natural history tour and the experience of the hanging bridges Monteverde (i.e., with a tour guide included with entrance to the park).

The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve is different because it offers a single suspension bridge among its ground-based trails.

Sky Walk Hanging Bridges Monteverde

Location: Sky Adventures, Provincia de Puntarenas, Monteverde, 60109, Costa Rica
Hours: 8 am – 5 pm daily
Other Info: You can upgrade to guided tours for an additional fee. They also offer ziplining, an aerial tram, and tree climbing. An on-site restaurant is available.

👉 The three-bridge complex, also known as Sky Walk, has six bridges in total.

In its two different loops is the longest hanging bridge in Costa Rica. The spans are really big! One of them covers a distance of 287 meters (930 ft), which makes it longer than Niagara Falls.

The two loops are also important to Sky Walk since this is the only park with hanging bridges in Monteverde that features this feature.

The first loop has just four bridges, while the bigger loop passes through six more.

If you can’t walk far, the other parks with hanging bridges in Monteverde Costa Rica only have one trail, so you’ll either have to finish it or turn around and go back if you don’t feel capable of finishing it all.

Fun Fact: Sky Adventures Sky Walk’s hanging bridges Monteverde are almost 100% virgin cloud forest, except a small part of the park is in a reforested area.

Having a small loop gives you the flexibility to experience the hanging bridges Monteverde without committing to a long walk, which can be helpful for families with young kids.

If your kids can’t walk much, then just take the short loop which can be done in about an hour. Then if you’re still up for walking, you can do the other loop in about 90 more minutes.

Alternatively, you can take a lunch break before doing the long loop, or even just move on to another activity if your kiddos are too tired.

Sky Adventures Monteverde hanging bridges park is located up in the mountains, at 1,400 meters above sea level.

This altitude provides amazing views of the canopy of the cloud forest. The park is also home to some really unique wildlife, such as the Resplendent Quetzal.

Animals prefer warmer areas, which is why you will see more animals in lower altitudes. Sky Adventures is located in an area where you can still see some wildlife while enjoying the amazing views.

Duration and Distance

The Sky Walk is a relatively easy 1.5-2 hour stroll that runs for 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) along wooded areas and features six hanging bridges Monteverde with nature trails.

Make a shorter loop by only visiting four bridges, shaving off at least an hour of your trip, and it’s great for families on the go.

Selvatura Hanging Bridges Monteverde

Location: Selvatura Park, Puntarenas Province, Monteverde, Costa Rica
Hours: 7 am – 4 pm daily
Other Info: You can upgrade it to a guided tour for an additional fee, and you can combine your bridges tour with ziplining and other animal exhibits. There is also an on-site restaurant.

👉 Selvatura, also known as Treetop Walkways, is located near the Santa Elena reserve.

This is the highest elevation point in the cloud forest. It offers really spectacular views! They’re great for spotting wildlife, too.

While Selvatura has eight hanging bridges, it is the only park with hanging bridges Monteverde offers that are built in the middle of 100% virgin cloud forest.

You should know, though, that Selvatura’s trails get a bit steep from time to time. Smaller kids may not be able to keep up with the high altitude and the steep trails.

If this is the case, you may end up carrying them a fair amount of the way.

So if you do this, make sure your kids can handle it or that you’re in pretty decent shape to carry them.

There are benches along the way to catch your breath, but you should consider this if you’re traveling with young kids or even older adults.  

Duration and Distance

Selvatura Treetop Walkways should take you 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 take pauses to get some rest in between. 

Aventura Hanging Bridges Monteverde

Location: Carretera a Reserva de Monteverde, Provincia de Puntarenas, Santa Elena, Costa Rica
Hours: 7 am – 4 pm daily
Other Info: A Nature Guide is included in the entry price.

The 100% Aventura Monteverde Park is a bit further away from the other parks, with different views and vegetation than the cloud forest.

“Aventura,” as locals call it, is situated in a reforested area, also known as secondary forests, so the scenery is not as spectacular.

This location is good for spotting wildlife, though, because it connects young forests (reforested areas around Monteverde) with old forests (virgin Cloud Forest at the heart of Monteverde).

Pro Tip: For people who want to see more wildlife while sacrificing the best cloud forest scenery, I would advise Aventura’s Hanging Bridges.

The entrance to Aventura includes a tour guide who will show you the area’s hanging bridges in Monteverde, allowing you to improve your chances of seeing local animals.

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.

Hanging Bridge at Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve

Location: 8633+3P3, Carr. a Reserva de Monteverde, Provincia de Puntarenas, Monteverde, Costa Rica
Hours: 7 am – 4 pm daily
Other Info: Monteverde Hummingbird Gallery is next to the main entrance!

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.

This place is very iconic! However, it only has one hanging bridge, and it’s relatively small. It’s just the best-known cloud forest in Costa Rica.

Fun Fact: Monteverde National Cloud Forest is the basis for the name of the entire area. Although the actual town’s name is Santa Elena, not Monteverde.

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 the hanging bridges Monteverde offers. 

Tips for Visiting the Hanging Bridges in Monteverde with Kids

It is absolutely possible to experience the hanging bridges Monteverde offers with kids. And you should! However, there are a few things to consider before planning an excursion there.

☑️ 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 don’t have stairs and ramps: This makes the way inaccessible for strollers. Depending on your little ones, as well as on your physical condition, you will probably need an ergonomic carrier.

👉 I recommend the Tula Carrier for its durability and comfort. Plus it has different carriers that fit little ones from 7-60 pounds.

☑️ The hanging bridges in Monteverde are high above the ground. Some are 30 meters/100 feet tall. If your kid is scared of heights, hanging bridges may not be the best activity for your family.

What to Bring and Wear on a Hanging Bridges Tour

👍 As hanging bridges are located in the middle of the cloud forest, it is recommended to wear long pants and closed-toe shoes.

You will be walking on unpaved trails and hanging bridges, so comfortable shoes are a must.

👍 I also recommend bringing insect repellent, sunscreen, and a hat or a bandana to protect your face from the sun. And, of course, don’t forget your camera!

👍 Wear or bring a light jacket or rain coat. The hanging bridges in Monteverde are located in the cloud forest. The weather can be unpredictable.

So I recommend bringing a light jacket or a rain jacket, just in case. You can also buy one in town if necessary.

👍 Reusable water bottle. I recommend bringing a reusable water bottle to stay hydrated. Most hanging bridges don’t have drinking water fountains, so fill up your bottle before you arrive.

We actually prefer a water bladder instead of a water bottle since it takes up less room in our day bag as the water is consumed.

👍 Hiking daypack. I recommend bringing a small daypack with you on your hanging bridges tour. This will come in handy to carry your water bottle, snacks, and jacket.

👉 I love this water bladder day pack! I can pack daily essentials in it, too.

👍 Snacks. I recommend bringing some snacks with you, especially if you are visiting hanging bridges with kids.

Fresh fruit or granola bars are our go-to travel foods when we’re out on excursions. They’re filling, healthy, and don’t take up much space in my bag.

👍 First Aid kit. This is always a good idea, regardless of where you are going.

I like to travel with a small first aid kit that holds some bandages, antiseptic wipes, bug spray, and painkillers. You can find first aid kits online or at your local pharmacy.

Final Thoughts on Monteverde’ Hanging Bridges

To be fair, all the hanging bridges in Monteverde are pretty great. You won’t go wrong with any of the options on this list. It all just depends on what sort of experience you’d prefer to have. 

👉 If you still can’t decide, I recommend Sky Walk. They have the most flexible route options for distance and offer a good balance of scenic views and chances to see wildlife.

The hanging bridges in Monteverde are an excellent way to see the rainforest from a different perspective and spot some rare animals.

I hope this guide helped you decide which hanging bridges to visit during your trip to Monteverde!

Pro Tip: If you want to explore hanging bridges elsewhere on your Costa Rica trip, check out the Mistico hanging bridges in the Arenal volcano area or Mountain Top Park near Manuel Antonio.

If you have any questions about visiting hanging bridges in Monteverde, feel free to contact us!

FAQs for Visiting the Hanging Bridges in Monteverde

Do you still have questions about the Monteverde hanging bridges? Here are answers to some frequently asked questions we’ve gotten!

When is the Best Time to Visit the Hanging Bridges in Monteverde?

The hanging bridges are open year-round, but the best time to visit is during the dry season from December to April.

The hanging bridges are located in the rainforest, so it does rain frequently. However, during the dry season, there is less rain.

If you do visit during the rainy season, I recommend bringing a rain jacket.

How Much Does it Cost to Visit the Hanging Bridges in Monteverde?

The cost to visit hanging bridges in Monteverde is $35-$40 for adults and $25-$30 for kids. Depending on where you go, a guide may be included or a guide may cost an extra fee.

Some hanging bridges parks also offer other activities such as zip-lining, canopy tours, or hiking trails. These activities usually cost extra as well.

Do I Need a Guide to Visit the Hanging Bridges in Monteverde?

No, you do not need a guide to visit hanging bridges in Monteverde but you do for a coffee farm tour.

However, I recommend going with a guide, especially if you are visiting hanging bridges for the first time because they’re familiar with the area, can help you find hard-to-find-critters, and can provide assistance physically crossing the hanging bridges if needed.

If you do choose to go with a guide, I recommend booking your tour in advance. This way, you can be sure to get a spot on the tour.

Can I Visit the Hanging Bridges If I Have a Fear of Heights?

Yes, you can visit hanging bridges if you have a fear of heights. However, I recommend going with a guide so they can help you feel more comfortable.

Some hanging bridges are higher off the ground than others. If you are afraid of heights, I recommend visiting hanging bridges that are lower to the ground.

Choosing to visit the single hanging bridge in Monteverde National Cloud Forest may be your best bet.