This guide is for you if you want to walk through the rainforest canopy near Arenal without committing a full day. It covers what to decide before you book: which start time, whether you need a guide, how the bridges feel if you are uneasy with heights, and what to wear in a forest where it rains in most months.
Morning or afternoon
The tour runs at 07:00 or 13:00, and the choice matters more here than on most of our tours. Mistico Park opens at 06:00. The bigger groups tend to arrive from around 09:00, and noise sends animals deeper into the trees. On the 07:00 start you are on the trail before most of them, at the time of day when birds are most active. If wildlife is the point, that is the one to book.
The 13:00 start has its own reasons. It suits a late arrival in La Fortuna, a morning spent at the waterfall, or children who do not do early starts. The park's last entry is at 15:50, so you are well inside it, and the drive along the lake falls in the late afternoon.
Mornings are also usually clearer around Arenal, so the 07:00 start gives you the better chance of seeing the volcano from the bridges.
What the trail is like
The park is about 25 minutes from town, past the dam. The main trail is a loop of about 3 kilometres through around 250 hectares of mature forest, at roughly 600 metres above sea level. It crosses 16 bridges: ten short fixed ones and six that hang across the canopy. The longest is about 97 metres long and some 24 metres off the ground.
Most people take one and a half to two hours on the loop. There are some ups and downs, and the path can be wet, but it is a marked forest trail rather than a hike. The park also has a separate accessible route of about 2.4 kilometres, on a non-slip concrete surface with gentle slopes and no stairs. Ask at the entrance if anyone in your group uses a wheelchair or finds slopes hard.
Birds, sloths and the question of a guide
The park has a long list: more than 300 bird species, more than 700 kinds of plant, and frogs, snakes and lizards along the streams. Between November and February migrating birds of prey pass over, and the bridges give you an open view of the sky to watch them. Larger animals such as pumas and tapirs use the forest as a corridor, but you are very unlikely to see them.
The trail is marked and safe to walk on your own. A naturalist guide changes what you notice. A trained eye picks out the sloths, snakes and birds that most people walk straight past. We can arrange one at extra cost. If this is your only time in the forest canopy, it is worth it.
The dam and the lake
After the bridges you stop at the dam at the eastern end of Lake Arenal, with the volcano behind the water. The dam was finished in 1979 and roughly tripled the size of the natural lake behind it. Two villages, Arenal and Tronadora, now lie under the water, and their people were moved to higher ground. Today it is the largest lake in Costa Rica.
From the dam you drive a short way along the north shore to a viewpoint over the lake. From November to April strong, steady winds blow across it, and the western end draws windsurfers and kite surfers. Then you return to your hotel, or to the hot springs if you tell your driver on the day.
When to go
It can rain around Arenal at any time of year. Rain is most common in May and June and from September to November. January to April is usually the driest stretch. A rain jacket handles a wet forest, but only a clear morning gives you the volcano as well.
What to bring
- Shoes with grip. The path is often wet.
- A light rain jacket, whatever the month.
- Insect repellent and water.
- Binoculars, for the birds in the canopy.
- A card or local cash for the park entrance, which is paid separately.
Food and drinks are not included, so eat before or after in town.
Who it suits, and who should think twice
It suits families, slower walkers, birdwatchers and anyone who wants the forest without a long day. It is also an easy second outing if you have already seen the volcano park.
- A real fear of heights. The bridges are fine for most people who are not afraid of heights. If you are, you may find the six hanging ones hard. Talk to us before you book.
- You also want the waterfall and the volcano. The full day with the waterfall, the bridges and the volcano includes these same bridges, so you would not need both.
- Lava rather than canopy. The Arenal Volcano National Park half day takes you onto the old lava flows instead.
Our guide to day trips from La Fortuna compares all five.
Questions people ask
Is it worth it in the rain?
Yes, with a jacket and shoes with grip. The walk works in the rain if you are dressed for it. What you are most likely to lose is the view of the volcano.
Can we cancel?
Yes. Cancel up to 24 hours before pick-up and you are refunded in full. See our cancellation page.
Booking the half day
Choose the 07:00 start for birds and the view, or 13:00 for an easier morning, and decide whether you want a guide. The stops and what is included are on the Arenal Hanging Bridges and Lake Arenal private tour page, where you choose the size of your group and book.
