Mistico Hanging Bridges La Fortuna: Worth It?

In this post, I’ll share my thoughts on whether the Mistico Hanging Bridges in La Fortuna are worth it or not and my tips for how to make your visit worthwhile if you decide to go. 

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About the Mistico Hanging Bridges

The Mistico Hanging Bridges is a private nature park outside La Fortuna. 

Also known as Mistico Park, the Hanging Bridges La Fortuna, Arenal Hanging Bridges and MANY other names, this is one of the most popular things to do in La Fortuna. 

The park offers a series of hanging bridges, suspended high above the rainforest.

Standing over 50 metres (147 ft) above the forest floor looking down at layers upon layers of dense green foliage was a truly magical experience. 

The park features 16 bridges, 6 of these are hanging bridges. The longest bridge is 97 metres (368 ft), and the tallest is 55 metres (147 ft).

The other bridges vary in size and style, and whilst not as impressive as the huge suspension bridges, still offered some pretty amazing views. 

There is a 3.5 km (2.1 mi) circuit trail you follow around the park, connecting all the bridges. There are a couple of side attractions you’ll visit along the trail, like gardens, a waterfall and a cool tunnel bridge.

When you’re not on the bridges, the path is made of concrete. 

But with quite a steep price tag, hordes of other tourists and a far-from-natural vibe, are the Mistico Hanging Bridges worth it? 

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Are the La Fortuna hanging bridges worth it?

Before I get into the nitty gritty details of visiting the bridges, I want to give my take on this question. 

Are the Mistico Hanging Bridges worth it? For us, it was a big yes. 

BUT, there are some caveats to that answer…

We only loved Mistico Park as much as we did, because we went first thing in the morning as soon as they opened (6 am), and had the entire place to ourselves. 

Seriously, we didn’t have to share any of the bridges with anyone. It was spectacular. 

Because we were there so early, the sun was still coming up, and the cloud was hanging thick in the air right around the bridges. It was almost like the cloud forest in Monteverde.

I had to pinch myself, it was one of the most special things we saw in Costa Rica. 

We didn’t feel rushed at all, as there was no one waiting to get onto the bridges or pushing past us. The bridges weren’t rocking from other people walking on them ahead of us, and we could take as many photos as we wanted, and enjoy the views for as long as we liked, without interruption. 

By the time we walked off the last bridge back at the main entrance at 8 am, it was chaos. There were tour groups crowded around guides with telescopes, the car park was full and there were screaming whining children everywhere. 

It was my idea of a nightmare, and we couldn’t get out of there fast enough. I can 10000% confidently tell you I would have utterly hated the experience if I had to share it with that many other people. 

The nature of the park with its one-way trail and narrow bridges means that there is no avoiding the crowds. Everyone is walking in the same direction, everyone wants time alone to take photos on the bridges, people are pushy and large tour groups are stopping in the middle of everything. 

So did I think it was worth it? Yes, but ONLY if you can go early and beat the crowds. 

When Mistico Park IS worth it 👍🏼

• 🌅 When you GO EARLY – we visited on the first entry slot at 6 am and had the park to ourselves. We didn’t see another soul on the bridges, and that’s what made it so special.

• 🐒 When you aren’t hoping to see a lot of wildlife – there definitely is wildlife around here, so I don’t want you to think you won’t see anything. But given how much development has taken place to build the bridges, and how busy they get every day, I don’t think this is the best place to see wildlife. If that’s your priority, you’ll be disappointed. 

• ☁️ If you visit on a cloudy or misty day – you don’t want a bright sunny day. The bridges are even more moody and atmospheric when the cloud is hanging in the air, and the dense, humid rainforest is dripping with mist. 

When Mistico Park is NOT worth it 👎🏼

• ⏰ If you can’t arrive by 7:00 am – even earlier would be better, as their first entrance is 6 am. But I think if you can’t get in by the 7:00 am slot, I wouldn’t bother. The difference in the crowds between 6 am and 8 am was unbelievable. 

• 🔭 If you can only visit on a group tour – if a group tour is your only means of transport to the park, I would reconsider (unless the tour departs very early). You’ll feel even more crowded being part of a big group that you can’t escape. 

• 🦥 If this is taking the place of a wildlife tour – if you’ve only got the time (or the budget) for one paid experience, I wouldn’t choose this over a wildlife spotting tour. Whether that be a sloth tour in La Fortuna, or a guided hike in one of the other national parks around Costa Rica like Manuel Antonio, Cahuita or Corcovado. I don’t think you will see that much wildlife here, with or without a guide. 

🎟️ Book your Mistico Hanging Bridges ticket online in advance and secure the first 6:00 am slot

Our experience at the hanging bridges La Fortuna

Part of the reason we were able to have the experience we had at Mistico was that we were staying just across the road at Sangregado Lodge. 

It was a 5-minute walk from our bed to the park entrance, so we didn’t have to wake up that early to make it for the 6 am entry. 

We had already seen some cute agoutis and toucans before we made it into the park, so we started our morning with high spirits! 

We pre-booked our tickets online, which they advise is mandatory. It didn’t feel necessary when we were there, but I suppose when it’s really busy later in the day, it helps to keep things moving if everyone already has their ticket. 

We were the first ones inside the park, and even the staff were still getting ready for the day. 

The first hanging bridge isn’t until the fourth bridge, but from the get-go, the trail was amazing.

The forest was so dense it still felt dark in there. Even though the path was concrete, which didn’t feel as natural or authentic as we’d prefer for a hike, it was counteracted by how lush the park was. 

We spent the next two hours taking our time on the trail. I’m not going to recount every single bridge, that’s for you to discover while you’re there, but it felt other-worldly. 

We really took our time on the bridges, looking straight down below to the geometric patterns of the ferns from above. We listened to the water flowing through the river below, and the birds waking up for the day. Every now and then, the wind would blow through the valley and we watched the dense, low cloud flying over the forest. 

We didn’t have any views of Volcan Arenal because of the cloud, but we didn’t care! The fog and mist made the experience, and we knew we had plenty more opportunities to spot the looming cone (including from our balcony at Sangregado!). 

There is a small diversion about halfway through the trail to walk off the elevated path to a waterfall. Of course, we took it and it was a really pretty fall. We also loved the views looking up to the bridges from the ground. 

By the time we reached the final bridge, which is the longest at 97 metres (368 ft), we could hear the stirrings of reality, and the visitor centre was a hive of activity when we arrived back. 

It was the best way to start another day of adventures in La Fortuna, and we hadn’t even had breakfast yet! We headed straight to the Blue Hibiscus Restaurant just down the road, which was included in our stay at Sangregado Lodge. 

♨️ If you’re up for more early morning adventures to beat the crowds, we went to El Choyin free hot springs the following morning at 6 am and had a similar secluded experience.  

Practical information for visiting Mistico Park

Where are the Mistico Hanging Bridges

The Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges are located 30 minutes from downtown La Fortuna. 

How to get there

The easiest way is if you have a rental car and can drive yourself. Then you can go as early as you like. 

You don’t need a 4×4 to get here, the road is all paved. It’s quite steep, narrow and winding for the final stretch after the lake, but nothing too scary. There is a huge car park with free parking. 

If you don’t have a car, the EasyHop shuttle service includes a stop at Mistico Park. Their first shuttle of the day doesn’t leave La Fortuna until 7:20 am though, so you probably wouldn’t get there until at least 8 am. 

📣 April 2025 update: I believe EasyHop has unfortunately shut down. I would ask around town and at your accommodation if there is a similar type of shared shuttle service to the sights around La Fortuna. I know some hostels offer this and I think it’s an excellent way to get around without a car, without spending a fortune on taxis.

You can organise a taxi, but it would be upwards of $30 USD each way.

When to visit

Mistico Park’s official opening hours are Monday to Sunday from 6 am to 3:45 pm (last entry). I have read that you can stay in the park until around 5 pm before the staff come to round you up. 

Entry to the park is via a reserved time slot. You must pre-book (more on that in a sec), and you have to arrive for your allocated time slot. 

There is an entry slot every half hour from 6:00 am – 3:30 pm, plus an additional one at 3:45 pm, which is the final entry.

I am repeating myself again, but GO EARLY! Aim for one of the first three slots if you can (6:00, 6:30 or 7:00).

Mistico Hanging Bridges entrance fee

💰 The entry fee to the park, at the time of writing, is: 

• $32 USD for adults
• $26 USD for seniors (65 years and older)
• $21 USD for teenagers (11 – 18 years old)
• FREE for children (6 – 11 years old)

It was quite a pricey experience, and it was one of the most expensive activities we did in La Fortuna. But that’s why I wrote this post and I’m so adamant you follow our advice, to make sure you get the bang for your buck.

Buying tickets 

You have to pre-purchase your tickets online in advance and reserve your desired time slot. 

They limit the number of people entering during each time slot, so you must secure your place ahead of time, especially if you’re trying to get one of those coveted early slots. 

🎟️ Book your Mistico Hanging Bridges ticket online in advance here

Do you need a guide?

No, a guide is not mandatory at the hanging bridges in La Fortuna. You are allowed to walk the trail by yourself. 

Personally, I don’t think you need a guide for this experience at all. 

However, if you are really hoping to see some wildlife, a guide will be indispensable.  

Although it’s not the best place for it, I know there are animals around, and I’m sure we would have spotted a lot more of them had we hired a guide. 

If you do want to fork out for a guided tour, make sure the tour is early. The animals are way more active and visible in the morning before they get scared away by all the tourists and the noise. 

Mistico offers their own guided tours which you can book online here. However they don’t include transport, so it’s only suitable if you’ve got a vehicle to get to the park. 

If you want a guided tour that includes transport from La Fortuna, this is a great option. 

How long do you need at Mistico Park?

I think you need to allow around 2 hours to comfortably walk the whole 3.5 km (2.1 mi) trail. This allows plenty of time to stop along the way, enjoy the views, look for wildlife and take photos. 

Guided tours range from 1 – 3 hours depending on the tour. 

What to bring

You don’t need much for your visit to the hanging bridges La Fortuna. 

You need to wear close-toed shoes for the hike. Not because the trail is technical, but the chance of losing a flip-flop or sandal off the side of the bridge is real! 

It was quite cool when we visited early in the morning, and I wish I’d bought a light jacket. 

Otherwise, just water, something to take photos with and some kind of rain protection for you and/or your bag and electronics. 

Where to stay near Mistico Park

No matter where you stay in La Fortuna, the hanging bridges will still be easily accessible. 

However, there are a handful of accommodations directly around the park. 

I’ve mentioned we stayed at Sangregado Lodge which was amazing, but this part of La Fortuna in general was stunning and I would really recommend staying here if you’ve got a rental vehicle.

It was only a 30-minute drive to La Fortuna town, and even closer to other activities like the volcano and hot springs. It was such a lush area, it really felt like we were staying in the middle of the rainforest, not an urban town like La Fortuna. 

Our accommodation was kind of an activity on its own, being able to wildlife-watch from our balcony, be totally immersed in the forest and see the volcano whenever the cloud cleared. 

🏩 In addition to Sangregado, these accommodations are in the Mistico area: 

• 💰💰 Lost Iguana Resort (we had breakfast included here as Sangregado doesn’t have a restaurant, and it was gorgeous)
• 💰💰 Wellness Park
• 💰 Arenal Roca Suites

Final thoughts: Mistico Hanging Bridges La Fortuna

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