Our first day in Arenal was jam-packed with activities. We did an 8 hour combination tour with Canoa Aventura that included Mistico Hanging Bridges, La Fortuna Waterfall, and the Trail of 1968. Mistico Park and the Arenal Hanging Bridges was our first stop.
While the main attraction of the park is its hanging bridges, the views of the volcano are stunning from the moment you step out of the parking lot. We were extremely fortunate to be there on a clear day. Our guides must have told us a dozen times that we were so lucky because the volcano is usually fogged in so most people don’t get to see all of it. But we had a beautiful clear day and though some clouds were lingering at the top of the volcano when we arrived, we had perfect views of it from the hanging bridges and at the end of our hike.
Our group of 16 headed out with our two guides. Although the park seemed busy near the entrance, the crowd thinned out once we got on the trail… or at least as much as is possible when there are 16 of you and you are your own crowd! Originally the guides had planned to split our group in two but decided that we would have more fun together and that they could manage the group with one guide in front and one in back. It worked perfectly.
Within minutes, our guide spotted a howler monkey in the trees. Although it was difficult to see, it was exciting to have our first wildlife spotting! That would be the only monkey we saw in the park (but there were many, many more monkeys in our future!) but we saw a large variety of birds during our hike. And everyone was fascinated by the Mimosa pudica, a tropical fern-like shrub that closes its leaves then you touch it. The boys loved brushing against the leaves and watching them close up. It definitely earned its nicknames of the sensitive plant, the sleepy plant, and the touch-me-not.
The main trail through the park is 3.2 km and is a fairly easy walk. The trail crosses 16 bridges, 6 of which are hanging and 10 of which are fixed. The bridges range in length from 5 feet to 368 feet and in height from 3 feet to 148 feet.
We passed through a pretty garden on our way to the bridges. The trail had some nice signs that provided information on the flora and fauna in the area. The trees were stunning and it was neat to feel as if we were walking through the treetops.
In addition to the informational nature signs along the path, each bridge had a sign with its name, height, and length. The Arenal hanging bridge is the main attraction in the park, as it is the highest bridge (at 148 feet off the ground) and boasts an amazing view of the volcano. This bridge, as well as a few of the other longer hanging bridges, has a maximum capacity of 15 people and there were employees at the entrance to the bridge enforcing the limit.
In between the bridges, our guides expertly spotted birds and other wildlife. Armed with spotting scopes, a keen eye, and a vast knowledge of the local wildlife, they spotted Strawberry Poison Dart Frogs, Rufous Motmots, a Rufous-tailed Jacamar, a Crested Owl, and a Turqoise-Browed Motmot. The motmots were the most abundant and easy to spot, and they have a really unique tail with two racket-like tips hanging down. (We also spotted a squirrel eating a nut, which was somehow as exciting for the boys as seeing poison dart frogs.)
You can buy a ticket and walk through the park without a guide, but I highly recommend one. We never would have spotted any of the wildlife above if not for the guide. They knew what to listen for and where to look. Aside from finding all of the wildlife for us, they were also extremely knowledgable about all the different species and we learned a lot from them.
We continued along the trail, crossing various bridges along the way, including one that appeared to be under repair. I don’t know if I feel better or worse that these guys were up there working while we were crossing the bridge. But I do appreciate that they keep up with maintenance and take on this risky work to keep the park visitors safe.
We finished the trail and came out to a perfect, unobstructed view of the volcano. The few clouds had cleared and we got a glimpse of the puffs of smoke coming from the top of the active volcano. It was truly a stunning site and we feel so lucky to have caught it on a perfect day.
