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Adventure…its everywhere in Costa Rica!
Just around the mountain from our hotel, outside La Fortuna, was a park full of adventure…Mistico Hanging Bridges Park.
The park’s main attraction is its swinging bridges, high above the rain forest, but the park also has other types of adventurous activities. Afraid of heights? You can stay closer to the ground…say, on horseback.
Mistico Hanging Bridges Park was once a vast area of farmland. At the beginning of the 20th century, the proprietors of the acreage, husband and wife, Landelina Rodriguez Sánchez and Adrian Castilla, realized the value of their land and its natural resources. Deciding to keep the wooded portion of the mountain intact, they decided to open the forest sanctuary to the public at the beginning of the 21st century. Development of the hanging bridges and trails followed which would allow visitors to enjoy the forest’s beauty comfortably and safely while protecting the flora and fauna.
As we arrived at the park, the rain was coming down at a steady rate, but it was to be expected…it is a rain forest after all and the area receives between 74 and 178 inches annually. Donning our rain jackets, we grabbed an umbrella, paid our admission and waiting for our admission time. (Admission times are spaced to avoid congestion on the trails and bridges).
By the time our admission time had arrived, the rain had stopped, leaving everything damp and fresh. We followed the wet paved trail into the park, admiring the delicate flowers and plants still covered in water droplets. Following the colorful map provided by the park, we first found ourselves in the Rufous Gardens, a level circuit with exquisite flowers, trees and places to rest and enjoy the view.
Leaving the gardens, we made our way on to the main trail, winding our way steadily up the mountainside, crossing a few fixed bridges along the way. A short time later, we found our way to the first hanging bridge. A bit of a back log had us waiting a while to pass over…workers monitor the bridge and allow a limited number to cross the bridge at one time. Unfortunately, there are those who are not as considerate of other’s time and paused one to many times to take selfies and pictures of the surrounding area.
Finally, we made our way as steadily as possible across the shaky span, marveling at the clouds swirling around the treetops. From the bridges and the higher parts of the trails, epiphyte plants, birds, mammals and butterflies can be observed up close. Some of the high altitude birds include the bell bird and the Emerald Toucanette, while at lower elevations, toucans and turkey hens can be spied along with migratory birds of prey during the months from November to February. High altitude trees include Yema Huevo, Cirri and Pilon trees and in the lower regions, Caobilla, Fruta Dorada and Maquenque trees. Keep an eye out for frogs, snakes, lizards and mammels such as kinkajous, raccoons, margays, ocelots, pumas, jaguars and tapirs.
The trail spans almost two miles and can be covered in about two hours. Six more hanging bridges are spaced out on the trail, along with a waterfall and viewing area and a tunnel. Each of the bridges vary in length and believe it or not, after the first bridge, the crowds thin. Maybe visitors decide that one is enough. Maybe they think they are too shaky or they run out of time, but at the end of the trail, the last few bridges have no one on them, allowing ample time to enjoy the views from the center of the bridge.
If the trail only whets your appetite for the area, there are many other tours and activities offered by Mistico Park such as horseback riding, and canyoneering in Spider Monkey Canyon. There is also a restaurant on the premises if you need a bite to eat between adventures!
There are other similar parks in Costa Rica offering hanging bridges and nature trails. Though we didn’t visit them and can not offer a comparison, we thoroughly enjoyed our time in Mistico. With so many things offered in the well-manicured park, I would definitely consider visiting again in the future and sampling the other offerings.
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Mistico Hanging Bridges Park
- https://misticopark.com/
- Address: 1.5 miles over the cobblestone road next to the Lake Arenal Dam in La Fortuna de San Carlos, Alajuela, Costa Rica
- Hours: 0730-1630, daily
- Admission: Hanging Bridges Self-Guided Tour, $26 per person. Natural History Walk, $38 per person. Birding Tour, $49 per person. Night Walk, $49 per person. Arenal Volcano Expedition, $75 per person. Spider Monkey Canyon, $75 per person. Paco’s Horses, $55 per person. Hours for each activity vary, check website.