We didn’t know much about Mistico Hanging Bridges Park before we went. We ended up liking it a lot more than we thought we would and definitely recommend adding it to your La Fortuna itinerary — especially if you’re into wildlife and being out in the jungle.
What is Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park?
Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park is a 2 mile (3.2 km) paved trail through the Costa Rican rainforest near the Arenal Volcano.
The trail has 10 regular bridges and 6 hanging bridges suspended up in the rainforest canopy. You walk through the jungle, cross the bridges and if you’re lucky — and we were very lucky — you see some incredible wildlife.
Where is Mistico Hanging Bridges Park?
The park is about 12.5 miles (20 kilometers) from La Fortuna — about a 20 minute drive on an easy paved road with parking right at the entrance.
It’s well signed and easy to find — just plug Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park into Google Maps (here is the exact address) and it’ll take you straight there.
You do not need a 4×4. The entire roadway is paved.
If you don’t have a car a taxi from La Fortuna will run you around $25 each way. A tour with transportation included is also a good option if you’d rather not drive.
Mistico Park is essentially surrounded by all of the most popular attractions in La Fortuna.
Arenal 1968 Trail — Mirador El Silencio borders the 1968 Trail property — so they’re essentially next to each other, maybe 5 minutes apart at most.
Do You Need a Tour Guide?
When you buy your tickets you will have the option of doing it self guided or with a tour group. We went completely self guided and it was perfect.
The trail is easy to follow and you don’t need anyone to walk you through it.
That said a guide could help with wildlife spotting since they know exactly where to look. We ended up benefiting from a guide from another group who spotted howler monkeys above us — so sometimes you just get lucky.
How Much Does it Cost?
$32 per person for self guided entry (as of May 2026). Prices can change so always confirm current pricing on the Mistico Park website before you go.
How Hard is the Trail?
Easy. The whole thing is paved. There are a couple of small inclines but nothing that should slow you down.
Budget about 2.5 hours to do the full loop comfortably. We arrived around 1pm and left around 4pm.
The Hanging Bridges
Honestly, cooler than I was expecting. There are 6 of them throughout the trail and I went in thinking they’d be a bit of a gimmick. They weren’t.
The moment that got me — stopping in the middle of a bridge and looking down. You suddenly realize just how high up in the rainforest canopy you are. It’s one of those moments that catches you off guard in the best way. Not scary at all. Just really, really cool.
Wildlife We Actually Saw
This is the best part. Here’s exactly what we spotted on our visit in early May:
Howler Monkeys — The highlight of the entire visit. We heard them before we saw them — that howl echoing through the jungle is something else. A guide from another group pointed them out and we counted 6-7 up in the trees. One was a baby. I could have stood there all day.
Spider Monkeys — Spotted in the same trees as the howler monkeys.
Toucan — At the end of the trail. Exactly as awesome as you’d imagine.
Coatimundis — On our way out we stumbled across a whole herd of them near the exit. Completely unbothered by people — climbing all over the trees, playing, fighting with each other. We stood and watched them for ages. I loved it. Such a fun unexpected end to the visit.
Crested Guan — Spotted in the same trees as the coatimundis on the way out.
Lizards — A few scattered throughout.
How Crowded Was It?
We went on a weekday afternoon in early May around 1pm and it was really quiet. Peaceful and easy to move at our own pace.
The website says morning is the best time to see wildlife. That’s probably true. But we went in the afternoon and still saw an incredible amount of animals — so don’t let that stop you if mornings aren’t your thing.
Important: Last entry is 3:50pm. If you’re doing an afternoon visit don’t cut it close.
Parking
There are two parking lots — a lower one and an upper one. We didn’t realize this when we went. If you park in the lower lot, you’ll need to walk up to the upper lot, which is where you buy tickets if you haven’t already purchased them in advance.
Tips Before You Go
- Self guided is completely fine — you don’t need a tour, however, a tour could be nice to help you spot wildlife.
- Last entry 3:50pm — plan around this
- Go slow and look up — most wildlife is in the canopy
- Stop on every hanging bridge and look down
- Wear comfortable shoes — it’s paved but you’ll walk 2 miles. I wore my Salomon’s here and they were perfect for Costa Rica!
- Bring a water bottle – they have a water bottle refill station at the entrance
- Budget 2.5 to 3 hours
Things to Do Near Mistico Hanging Bridges Park
One of the best things about Mistico’s location is how much is right around it. If you have a car you can easily combine it with several other top La Fortuna attractions in one day.
Lake Arenal — 5 minutes Mistico sits right next to the Lake Arenal dam. You drive right past it on your way there. It’s worth stopping to take in the views before or after your visit.
Mirador El Silencio — 10-15 minutes A beautiful hike with some of the closest and most dramatic views of Arenal Volcano you’ll find anywhere. It’s actually between La Fortuna and Mistico on the same road so it’s an easy add on. We did this hike on our trip and have a full guide on the blog.
Arenal 1968 Trail — 10-15 minutes Right next door to Mirador El Silencio. This trail takes you through the historic lava fields from the 1968 eruption. The views of the volcano are incredible.
Tabacon Hot Springs — 15-20 minutes One of the best hot springs experiences in La Fortuna — and one of our personal favorites from the whole trip. We have a full review on the blog. Read my full guide to visiting Tabacon Hot Springs here.
La Fortuna Waterfall — 30 minutes The most popular waterfall in Costa Rica and absolutely worth adding to your itinerary. Do Mistico in the morning and the waterfall in the afternoon — it’s a perfect full day. We have a full guide on the blog – read our La Fortuna Waterfall Guide here.
