My husband and I headed over to the Arenal Hanging Bridges on a clear morning during our visit to the Arenal area of Costa Rica. A note to students – please make sure you bring a student ID or international student ID card with you if you go, b/c you get a 50% discount on your entrance ticket! Though my husband and I are both grad students we foolishly left our ID’s in our hotel locker, so we had to pay full price – aww :( Anyway, the AHB are AWESOME and worth the money, so we didn’t mind. These are a series of suspension bridges built across vast expanses of rainforest in the surroundings of the Arenal volcano area – so beautiful and you see so much tropical vegetation and wildlife! We spent at least 2 hours exploring. There are stretches that are quite a hike so you have to wear appropriate footwear, so be advised. But this is a must-see in the area, in my opinion!

My husband and I visited the Hanging Bridges June 1, 2007. We went early, around 8:00am, and we were the only ones on the trails. It was almost eerie! If we had it to do over again, we would have used a guide because we didn't see that much wildlife, and what we did see, we couldn't identify. We could hear plenty of animals and knew things were there, but we just didn't have the experience to spot them. That said, the trees, root sytstems, spectacular views, and lush surroundings were enough for us. The hike itself was fairly easy, but there is a pretty long uphill stretch that some may find strenuous. The hike took around an hour and half, but we would have spent longer if we had had the time. I think this would be a great family experience, and children would love it.

We were surprised at how much wildlife we saw on this hike at Arenal Hanging Bridges. We did not have a guide, but other people helped point out the wildlife, which included a sloth very near the bridge, howler monkeys, a green vine snake slithering up close, many birds, leaf-cutter ants, etc. The scenery and views from the bridges are spectuacular. The wildlife exceeded our expectations for a short walk in the rain forest.

The walk is about 3K. You start and end at the enterance. We arranged a guyided tour because the guides are very good at spotting animals and telling you about the plant life. We saw many crimson Parrots, Monkeys, Leaf cutter ants and squirrels and different birds including a Torgan sp?. Some parts are steep for those with disabilities but otherwise very relaxing for most.