Suspension bridges swaying high in the rainforest canopy, overlooking dense jungle and crystal clear cascades. It all sounds very evocative, and a trip to the Mistico Hanging Bridges is on almost everyone’s La Fortuna itinerary. But should it be?
Well, I think that really depends. There’s a lot to love about the hanging bridges, but if we’re honest, there were also a few aspects of visiting Mistico Park that we were less keen on - one of which is the price. So is it really worth it?
We’re sharing exactly what to expect from a visit to the Mistico Hanging Bridges, as well as whether or not we thought it was worth the money.
Things to know before visiting the Mistico Hanging Bridges
1. It gets very, very busy
As the hanging bridges are one of the most popular tourist attractions in one of the most popular tourist towns in Costa Rica, then it probably comes as no surprise that it’s busy. However, we weren’t prepared for quite how busy it would be.
We made the mistake of visiting on a weekend though, which is something you should avoid if you’re looking for a bit of peace and serenity (unless you’re going to get there close to opening time).
We opted to go close to the last entry time on a Sunday afternoon, thinking that most people would not want to cut it this fine, and it therefore wouldn’t be too crowded.
Well that didn’t work out! What we actually experienced was something more like Disneyland. There were queues on all the hanging bridges, and rather than a serene rainforest experience, there was a lot of screaming and jumping up and down on the bridges.
Now I am sure if you come at 6 or 7am it’s going to be a whole different story, but if you don’t go early, then I would adjust your expectations when it comes to what the rainforest experience will actually be like.
2. The paths are not very natural….
There are pros and cons to this, as concreting the walkways makes it more accessible for people, which is a good thing. However, we’re used to dirt tracks which are more sympathetic to the environment, so the concrete paths were a bit of an eyesore and added to that theme park vibe.
The rainforest is utterly spectacular, but it definitely doesn’t feel as wild when there is so much concrete.
3. But the hanging bridges are lots of fun
I am a sucker for swing bridges, so I really enjoyed each of the six bridges. Well, I enjoyed the last few bridges which we got to ourselves as it was about to close, a lot more than the bumper to bumper bridges, but all were very pretty.
The pictures you see in this guide where the bridges look quiet are either taken at the very end of the day, or we waited for around 100 people to pass us and then quickly shot some pictures before the next queue formed.
Despite this, the views from the bridges are great, and we were lucky to even spot a couple of Spider monkeys high in the forest canopy.
4. If you’re nervous about swaying bridges, come very early
After walking over the first few bridges, I was surprised by how much they shook and swayed. I love this kind of thing, but Joe’s not a fan, and I know a lot of other people aren’t either. However, when we managed to get a bridge to ourselves, I realised it doesn’t move much at all. All the violent bouncing is from people walking, and sometimes jumping up and down on the bridges.
If you don’t like the sound of that, then come early and you shouldn’t have any problems.
5. Spotting wildlife is not a given
If you really want to spot wildlife, then you should take one of the guided tours, or at least come very early when it’s quiet. The forest canopy is dense and much of the wildlife in the area is very small, so it can be really hard to spot anything.
We were lucky that two monkeys crashed through the trees really loudly, so they were easy to see, but otherwise we only saw a few birds, and bats (right at the end of the day). Most people we spoke to didn’t see anything at all. I would look at wildlife here as a bonus and not a reason for doing the walk.
6. Guided tours won’t be for everyone
If you do take a guided tour, you are 100% guaranteed to see more wildlife, but it’s worth noting the tours move veeeery slowly. In order to spot all the wildlife that is generally well camouflaged, moving slowly is pretty much a necessity.
For us, much as we adore wildlife, moving so slowly is not really our thing and we prefer to take things at our own pace. If you have patience, and wildlife watching is your number one goal, then taking a guided tour will definitely enhance your experience.
7. If you take the short cuts, it’s really not worth it
The whole hanging bridges circuit is 3.7km long (including the detour to the waterfall). There are several points along the way you can take a shortcut back to the beginning again. However, the ones that we saw cut off some of the best parts of the trail. The first one didn’t even go over a hanging bridge!
I feel like if you’re going to do this, you may as well do a totally different and much cheaper rainforest walk, as at Mistico, you really are paying for the hanging bridges and to be honest, for the price, you want to go over all six of them.
8. Aim for a cloudy day
In my personal opinion, visiting on a cloudy day is going to be the most atmospheric. On the day we visited, we had cloud and rain predicted, but ended up with clear skies and sunshine for most of the walk! Although normally this would be a good thing, in a rainforest it isn’t actually the best weather.
Cloud and low hanging mist make everything look even more beautiful in a rainforest, and if you’re lucky enough to experience Mistico Hanging Bridges in this kind of weather, you are going to be in for a treat. It’s also nicer for photos because you don’t get dappled light which detracts from the detail of the picture.
As our walk continued, the sun did go much lower in the sky and this was a lot nicer, but honestly I’d go for what would traditionally be seen as ‘bad’ weather if you can.
The only thing you may not see in cloudy weather is Arenal Volcano, there is a viewpoint at the car park and from one of the hanging bridges.
But having said that, Arenal is so often under cloud when the surrounding area is glorious, so you never can tell anyway. We personally didn’t see Arenal at all from the trail as though we had sun, it was still stubbornly under cloud.
9. The paths are in great condition, but it’s not a flat walk
Overall the vast majority of people are going to think this walk is easy, but it does have a few little hills, and one rougher section of track if you want to do the short detour to the Blue Morpho Waterfall.
If you’re worried about the length of the trail, it’s worth coming early and taking your time, rather than taking the short cuts for the reasons mentioned above.
So was it worth it? The verdict
Adult entry to the Mistico Hanging Bridges is USD $30 (by the time you add tax on) for a self guided walk. It’s USD $42 plus tax for a guided group tour for adults.
Whether it’s worth it is a hard one to answer, but if you go when it’s busy like we did, then the answer is no - unless you really don’t mind crowds and a Disneyland like environment.
However, had we have gone first thing in the morning the experience would have been much more enjoyable. That said though, we’ve hiked many spectacular rainforests in Costa Rica, with much lower entry fees, so you really are paying for those six hanging bridges.
I think you’ll find it worth it if you don’t often hike and are looking for a well manicured trail, with the added fun of the swing bridges. Ditto if you have kids and want a family friendly walk.
If you hike a lot like us, then I think it’s 50:50 as to whether you’ll think it’s worth it.
I know I am slightly sitting on the fence with this one, but I hope this gives you enough information to help you decide if it will be worth it to you.
Extra info about the Mistico Hanging Bridges
The bridges
There are 16 bridges in total, six are hanging bridges.
The swing bridges are at these points along the trail: 1.2km, 1.6km, 1.8km, 2.2km, 3km and 3.6km (the last two will come sooner if you don’t do the detour to Blue Morpho Waterfall).
Opening hours and tours
First entry is 6am and last entry is 3.50pm daily (at time of writing). Technically you should be out the park by 5pm, but in theory we were later than this and no one came to chivy us along, so there’s a bit of leeway here.
There are a variety of tours, from guided nature walks, to birdwatching walks, a twilight walk and a night walk. As we only did the self guided walk, we can’t comment on the guided tours.
Getting there
Mistico Hanging Bridges are located around 20km and a 30 minute drive from La Fortuna. It’s paved all the way and there are several ginormous car parks, which are included in the entry fee. If you don’t have a rental car there are shuttles buses that can take you there, as well as taxis.
Where to stay in La Fortuna
Arenal Observatory Lodge
The Arenal Observatory is a pretty special place. The lodge has incredible views of the iconic Mount Arenal - even from the rooms!
The rooms are clean, comfortable and well away from the hustle and bustle of La Fortuna town.
It’s surrounded by nearly 900 acres of privately managed rainforest, there are walking trails and even a bird sanctuary on site.
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Apartamento Equipados RyA del Volcan
For those looking for a comfortable stay in a central location, this apartment is a great choice.
Apartamento Equipados RyA del Volcan is a short walk from the centre of La Fortuna, so you don’t have to worry about finding parking or paying for a taxi every time you go out for a meal.
The rooms are stylishly furnished, clean and have a small living area and kitchen for the times you don’t fancy eating out.
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