HANGING BRIDGES · ARENAL · COSTA RICA
Hanging Bridges in the Arenal Rainforest
The Arenal hanging bridges take you up into the top layer of the rainforest near La Fortuna, Costa Rica, level with the tree crowns, with a view of Arenal Volcano on the way back. At our slow, naturalist pace the walk takes two to three hours. It is part of the Arenal Day Trip (from $450 per person, minimum 4) or the La Fortuna overnight.
A rainforest is stacked in layers, and almost everything worth seeing happens in the top one. From the ground you get trunks, leaf litter and a sore neck. The bridges take you up to where the forest is actually busy — level with the crowns, close enough to hear what is moving in them — and then hand you a view of a volcano on the way back. That is the whole idea, and it is a good one.
What is the Arenal hanging bridges walk like?
A loop of roughly three kilometres, part of it on packed forest path and part of it on suspension bridges strung between ridges. It takes two to three hours at our pace, which is slower than most, because the bridges are where you stop and look rather than where you hurry across.
The bridges are wide, floored with steel mesh, and have handrails on both sides. They move a little when you walk — that is the design, not a fault — and they are firm enough that people who dislike heights usually manage them once they have crossed the first one.
There are some slopes on the connecting paths. It is not flat, and if walking any distance is difficult for someone in your group, tell us their situation in advance and we will say honestly whether this will suit them.
The layer you never usually reach
Standing on a bridge puts you eye to eye with the crown of a tree that is thirty or forty metres tall, and that is where the day happens.
Toucans feed up here, and so do tanagers, honeycreepers and oropendolas. Howler monkeys move along the crowns rather than through the understorey. Sloths, when they are awake, are usually somewhere in this layer. Bromeliads and orchids that you would never notice from below sit at arm’s length, each one holding its own small pool of water and whatever lives in it.
Your guide carries a telescope, and on the bridges it earns its weight — a bird that is a speck from the ground becomes a photograph from up there.
Nothing is guaranteed. It is a forest, not an enclosure. But the odds at canopy level are simply better than the odds from the trail, and that is why this is the first thing we do on an Arenal day.
Will you see Arenal Volcano from the bridges?
The photographs you have seen show a perfect cone framed by rainforest, taken from the longest bridge. That view is real, and on a clear morning it is one of the best in the country.
It is also in cloud a great deal of the time. Arenal makes its own weather, and the summit spends much of the afternoon wrapped in it. Mornings are clearer, particularly in the dry months, which is another reason we start early rather than because we enjoy waking you before dawn.
If the volcano is hidden, the forest is not, and the walk is worth it either way. But we would rather tell you now than have you spend three and a half hours in a vehicle expecting a postcard.
Included in the day trip
Hanging bridges, sloths and a cacao farm in one long day from the coast, with lunch.
From $450 per person · private tour · minimum 4
Available on the overnight
Stay a night or two in La Fortuna and build your own days around this and everything else.
From $800 per person · one night
Frequently Asked Questions
I do not like heights. Can I still do this?
Most people who say that manage it, and say so afterwards with some pride. The bridges are wide, floored solid, and railed on both sides — it is nothing like a rope bridge. If you would rather not cross, the connecting paths let you walk part of the loop on the ground, and your guide will work that out with you on the day rather than in front of everyone.
How long and how hard is it?
Around three kilometres and two to three hours at our pace. Packed path with some slopes, no climbing. Anyone who walks comfortably for a couple of hours will be fine.
Will we see the volcano?
On a clear morning, yes, and it is spectacular. In cloud, no. Arenal generates its own weather and hides more often than the brochures suggest. Mornings are the better odds.
Is it suitable for children?
Yes, and children usually love it. Small children need to be held or carried on the bridges, which is easier said than done for three hours, so tell us their ages and we will advise honestly.
What should we bring?
Closed shoes with grip, a rain jacket regardless of the forecast, water, and insect repellent. Binoculars if you own them, though the guide’s telescope does most of the work. Leave the umbrella.
When do we have to cancel by?
Seventy-two hours before your tour begins, counted from the start time and not the day. Cancel before that and your deposit comes back in full.
Book direct with the operator
- We run these tours ourselves. No middleman, no reseller.
- Private from two people — no minimum group to fill, no strangers in your van.
- The price you see is the price you pay: taxes and door-to-door pickup included.
Walk it properly
The bridges take an hour if you rush them and half a morning if you do not. Tell us when you are here and how many of you there are, and we will tell you which of the two versions gives you the time you want.
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By the Guanadreams team, led by Miller Contreras — naturalist guide, born and raised in Guanacaste.