If you have only one full day in Monteverde and want to do and see as much as possible, then Selvatura Park is the best park we recommend you to visit.
This adventure eco-park has a variety of activities to enjoy, perfect for a day in the cloud forest. And since Selvatura Park sits at nearly 1600 meters (5250 feet) in elevation, you really get the cloud forest experience!
Below you can read all about our visit to Selvatura Park in Monteverde. We also have a video you can watch. If you’re interested in visiting Selvatura Park, please click here to fill out the form to reserve your pass!
Location of Selvatura Park
Selvatura Park is 6.7 kilometers (4.16 miles) from Santa Elena town in Monteverde and 150 kilometers (93 miles) from San Jose.
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How to Get There
You can use Google Maps, GPS or Waze to get to Santa Elena.
If you do not have a rental car, Selvatura Park offers transportation for free for those booking their packages. If you book individual activities, there will be an extra charge. There are no public buses to the park.
If you rented a car, you can drive to the park yourself. We do recommend a 4wd or high car to get to Selvatura Park because the road is unpaved with potholes and steep at some parts.
Parking is free.
This is the same road you will take to get to Bosque Nuboso Santa Elena. You can read more about Monteverde road conditions including the road to Selvatura Park.
From Santa Elena, Selvatura Park is about a 15-20 minute drive. From San Jose, it is about a 3.5-4 hour drive.
Hours
Selvatura Park is open everyday from 7 AM to 4 PM.
Selvatura Park Video
Below is a video of our visit to Selvatura Park.
You can see what the park is like and what all the activities are like!
Activities and Passes
Selvatura Park has hanging bridges, ziplining, butterfly garden, reptile and amphibian exhibit and sloth sanctuary center. You can choose to do whichever activities you want or book the day pass which includes all activities.
The park does get very crowded, especially during the high tourism season months which are December through April.
We highly recommend to make reservations in order to guarantee your spots, especially if you want to go ziplining or do a guided natural history walk.
Below I’ll go over all their activities so you can read more about them.
IMPORTANT: Due to the higher elevation, please have a jacket, long pants and closed toed shoes.
Selvatura Park Zipline
Their canopy tour consists of 13 cables, 15 platforms, 1 tarzan swing and 1 cable that is 1 km long that you can upgrade to Superman.
The Selvatura Park ziplining tour is hands down, one of the best in Costa Rica because of the stunning views, friendly staff and safety (they use Deltex wired carbon fiber technology which makes the cables quieter, more resistant and environmentally friendly).
As Selvatura Park sits quite high in elevation in the cloud forest, you truly feel like you are flying over the forest!
On our last trip, our group was rather large of about 40 people. We were joined by many families, with kids as young as 4 so the park is very family friendly.
All the little kids went with a guide but on the short cables, they went by themselves.
Ziplining in Monteverde is definitely one of the best things to do in Costa Rica!
There are three cables where you go in pairs and you have to go in pairs because the cables are so long, they need extra weight to make sure you get across! It was a ton of fun for Yeison and I to zipline together.
Before the last cable, you have the option to go on the tarzan swing. Although we didn’t go, all the kids went and it was so funny to watch them scream and swing high into the cloud forest.
The last cable is 1 kilometer and this is the one where you can upgrade to do it Superman style or you can go normal in pairs.
Yeison and I decided to do it normal style and go as a pair and WOW! You’re literally soaring over the cloud forest, feeling like a bird.
The views take your breath away as you zip over the canopy. All you see around you is cloud forest for miles and miles. It was such a great experience to zipline with Yeison over the cloud forest together!
If you want to do the last cable superman style, there is an extra fee to upgrade.
For adventure seekers looking for the ultimate thrill, definitely pay the extra fee because you WILL feel like superman and is worth every dollar for that experience!
I did the Superman during our second visit and holy smokes. It was INCREDIBLE! We went at the end of January so we had fantastic weather and I could see the cloud forest canopy tops, stretching for miles and miles on end!
Hanging Bridges (Guided or Non Guided)
After the zip line, we walked the hanging bridges on our own. If you have ever wanted to experience suspension bridges and walk so close to the tops of the forest canopy, this is the best way to do it. The bridges allow you to get so high up for views only birds get!
The trail is very nice as it well maintained and easy to walk. It is not dirt as they put down these concrete/brick paths.
This is great because even if it rains, your shoes don’t get super muddy as it’s not a full dirt path.
The bridges range from 170 to 560 feet and takes around 1.5 hours non guided. If you want to do a guided tour, they offer guided nature walks that takes around 3 hours.
On a guided tour, you have more options to see wildlife and you’ll learn more about the cloud forest.
Although it is difficult to see animals in the cloud forest because the forest is just so dense and the forest is so big, there are options to see monkeys, sloths, hummingbirds and even the Resplendant Quetzal.
If there are any two activities that you should do at Selvatura Park, in our opinion it’s the zipline and hanging bridges. It’s the perfect combination of adventure and nature!
Selvatura Park offers a package with ziplining and non guided hanging bridges – it is the Gold Pack.
Lunch
They have a restaurant where you can have lunch. They offer traditional Costa Rican lunch, coffee, juice and dessert. You can go to their restaurant and pay for lunch when you get there.
Butterfly Garden and Reptile Exhibition
Selvatura Park has a huge butterfly garden with over 30 different species. This tour comes with a guide and he showed us caterpillars, different cocoons for different butterflies and gave us general information about the main species in Costa Rica.
Next they took us to the reptile and amphibian exhibition. This part also included a guided tour in both Spanish and English.
Sloth Sanctuary
This is a new exhibit, their sloth sanctuary. They have around 10 two-fingered sloths that were transferred over from another center on the Caribbean side. These are sloths that were rescued (from injuries, abandonment, etc.) and now live permanently in the centers.
This is also a guided tour for visitors to learn more about sloths in Costa Rica. It was a great experience to see sloths up close and learn more about the animals and their environment.
Overall
Selvatura Park in Monteverde has one of the best ziplines in the area and also showcases the wildlife and nature in Costa Rica extremely well.
If you only have 1 full day in Monteverde, this is a great way to spend it!
If you have two days in Monteverde, the second day can be spent hiking at El Tigre Waterfalls or on a birdwatching tour!
Get our mini Monteverde itineraries in the link to see what we recommend for 1 ,2 ,3 and 4 days!
Book Your Selvatura Park Passes Below!
If you’re ready to make your reservation at Selvatura Park, fill out the form below to purchase your passes.
Jenny says
I am trying to decide between Selvatura, Treetopia (Sky Trek), and The Original Canopy Tour for ziplines. Monte Tours blog recommends Sky Trek bc he thinks it is safer with their automatic braking system, versus braking with a gloved hand which he says the others all use. We do have an 8 and 11 year old and wonder if it is hard for them to use a gloved hand for braking. Do you even need to brake much?
Sammi says
I know some people worry about braking which could be a concern if you’re a first timer or really scared of heights but I honestly don’t feel like it’s very difficult, I’ve seen kids of all ages on the Selvatura Park ziplines and you really don’t need to brake a ton like every single line, it could be like 2 or 3 the most and they always have a two part brake system so even if you don’t brake enough and come in a bit fast, they have a second braking system to stop you and then always a guide to catch you. But that’s just my personal opinion, there are some people who refuse to go on ones that don’t have an automatic brake system because they’re terrified of it, which is fine, as Treetopia does have the braking system where you don’t need to manually pull down on the cable.
Nettie says
Hi, we have 1 1/2 days in Sanata Elena (maybe a portion of another day on our way to Quepos) and love hiking and animals. Wondering if we could do El Tigre Waterfalls on our way from La Fortuna, in the afternoon after the drive down?
Then for our next full day…..I’m trying to decide if we should do hanging bridges in Selvatura Park (taking your suggestion for unguided) or Mistico in La Fortuna? If we do Selvatura, is it $55 for unguided and additional amount for any other activity ($77 add’l for ziplining and no combo discount?). If we do just the hanging bridges, what would you suggest for the afternoon?
We usually avoid tours of any kind and hike on our own but I realize this isn’t the US Natl Parks. 🙂 Wondering if we just hike Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve on our own and there’s a suspension bridge there–is the experience totally different than these other bridges?
Thanks so much for sharing your vast knowledge!!
Sammi says
Unfortunately it will not be possible to visit El Tigre Waterfalls in the afternoon on your drive from La Fortuna because they close at 130 PM.
There is a combo at Selvatura for Hanging Bridges unguided + Ziplining (called Gold) but they also have one that’s hanging bridges unguided + zipline + sloths and other combinations.
You can definitely do Monteverde Cloud Forest BIological Reserve on your own. They have maps at the trail head and the trails are very straightforward leading to viewpoints, a waterfall and the hanging bridge. But yes, this hanging bridge experience is completely different as it’s literally just one bridge. The hanging brides at Selvatura Park are a network of multiple bridges of different heights and lengths so you get a better hanging bridge experience.
Lisa Carr says
Loving your website! We are definitely doing the canopy tour. Deciding whether or not the hanging bridges is also necessary. Do you really see any different views than you see on the ziplining canopy tour? We will be doing El Tigre the next day so we will get to use more natural hanging bridges then. Thanks!
Sammi says
Yes, it’s a different experience to walk through the canopy tree tops than ziplining over them. Definitely recommend the hanging bridges. Also the forests are a bit different in the Selvatura Park forest and the El Tigre forest.
Julie says
Hi Sammi we are deciding between treetopia hanging bridges/zip line vs Selvatura Park, Monteverde Cloud Forest I’m confused isn’t all in the cloud forest?
Sammi says
Correct, both of these parks are in the cloud forest, Selvatura Park is a bit higher into the cloud forest than Treetopia. They are pretty much right next to each other
Julius Felipe says
We’re headed to Monteverde in early December. Since you’ve done all three, would you recommend 100% Adventura, Sky Adventures, or Selvatura for ziplining? Thank you.
Sammi says
I’d say for more extreme ziplining, 100% aventura because they have a crazy optional tarzan swing and two superman lines. For best views, either Sky or Selvatura. If you want more activities (sloths/butterflies/reptiles/amphibians), then Selvatura and you can do a full day with animals, ziplining and hanging bridges there. If you just want ziplining, either Sky or Selvatura, they are both great and the parks are right next to each other. Sky hanging bridges are nice too.
Isabel says
Hello Sammi,
We will be in Monteverde 12/26/23 and are interested in doing only Non-guided hanging bridges and zip lining. I understand the Gold package includes the Non-guided hanging bridges and zip lining; however in the website, the earliest entrance seems to be 8:30 for the hanging bridges. Do you know if there is a way to access the bridges as soon as the park opens at 7:00?
Thanks,
Isabel
Sammi says
Hi Isabel, yes it is possible to go to the park at 7 AM to walk the hanging bridges and then go ziplining at 830 AM. The time is for ziplining as that has to be scheduled, the non guided hanging bridges doesn’t need to be scheduled since no guide is booked.
Jon says
Hi Sammy!
With only one day in Monteverde, would you suggest only staying in the Selvatura Park, or it would be worth it to do the hanging bridges, and then go for a hike in the Reserva Bosque Nuboso? Considering we will be doing the Guachipelin full day pass later in the week!
Sammi says
If you have only one day, I’d stay at the park as Selvatura Park is higher in elevation and is in proper cloud forest (it is right below the Santa Elena Reserva Bosque Nuboso). To get the full experience you can go for a guided hanging bridges walk if you are interested in learning more or having the guide spot some birds. The hanging bridges over the cloud forest is incredible so unless you’re like super super into hiking, it’s not necessary to rush over to the other cloud forest reserve.
Lara Henry says
Hi! Looking for clarification on the cancelation policy. It is 100% refundable if canceled within 48 of booking it? Or 100% refundable if canceled at least 48 prior to the reserved date of activity?
If the latter… how far in advance do late January dates generally book up? I am a solo traveler, and have flexibility but also want to leave room to stay longer, leave earlier from proceeding destinations 🙂
Sammi says
It’s refundable if you cancel with at least 48 hours prior to your tour date and time. You can definitely wait for January like you don’t need to be booking it now. I’d recommend probably a week before your trip
Lynnette Craig says
Hey Sammi. We will be coming in January. Wanting to purchase the Gold package for 5 adults to do Ziplining and Hanging Bridges. We also have 1 adult who cannot do ziplining and will just want to do the hanging bridge tour. How far in advance for a January 14th, 2024 trip should we book? Is there a risk of it getting full at that time?
Thanks.
Sammi says
HI Lynette, January is high season but you still have some time as of now. I’d just recommend booking it before the end of the year or before Dec to guarantee your spots.
Sarah says
Hi again! We are getting super excited to arrive next week. A quick question about the weather — weather apps show rain all day every day in Monteverde. Is that likely? We’re trying to figure out if booking Selvatura ahead of time is worth it if it might be raining the whole time. Thank you so much, this site has been so so helpful.
Sammi says
In rainy season it will usually show rain all day but it’s not really true (unless there is a tropical storm/wave), it is usually on and off rains. For activities during rainy season, it’s best to book earlier in the mornings.
Sarah says
This site is so great! You’ve saved us so much research/planning already. I am wondering — we are coming at the end of August and staying for 4 nights in La Fortuna before heading over to Playa Hermosa for 4 nights. But we really want to see the Cloud Forest. Is there a tour that takes you from La Fortuna to Monteverde for the day or is that just too far for a day trip? Would it be better to change our last night in La Fortuna or our first night in Playa Hermosa to add a night in Monteverde? Thanks so much for your thoughts!
Sammi says
A day trip is in my opinion too long and not worth it. You could take out one night in Fortuna and one night in Hermosa to have two nights in Monteverde or take out just one night to have one night in Monteverde.
Sarah says
Thank you, Sammi, that’s what I suspected. Would you think, trip wise (we’re flying into and out of Liberia) that it would be easier to go to Monteverde first, then La Fortuna, and end in Hermosa? Thanks again for all this incredibly helpful info!
Sammi says
Sure, you can do it that way. Or La Fortuna – Monteverde – Hermosa.
Lara says
Is it possible to bring your own food into Selvatura? We are scheduled for the 7 hr full day experience, and I only see one restaurant.
Sammi says
No, you can bring food but you cannot bring it in or eat it inside the park. You will have to leave it in your car and then when you want to eat, leave the park, eat the food in the parking lot and then re-enter.
Weronika says
I see that 4×4 is recommended to get to the park. I will be driving Geely GX3, do you think I will make it without problems?
Sammi says
You should be OK as the Geely has a bit higher clearance, just go slow as it’s narrow in some parts with low curve visibility and some pot holes.
Dee says
The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve and Selvatura Park are too different places right? If so is it worth it to go to both if you have the time?
Sammi says
Correct they are two different places
David Moore says
Great website. If you book an all day pass can you choose to go on different activities as you go or are you limited to certain times? Can you skip some and is there a place to rest. Likewise if someone doesn’t want to go on the zipline can they just go to the Butterfly garden a second time. In other words how flexible is your day?
Thanks,
Dave
Sammi says
hi Dave, you can only go to the places that you purchase passes for, if you’re not sure what you want to do, you can purchase passes at the park. For ziplining, you should purchase passes beforehand to save your spaces but for like the butterfly garden/reptile exhibit/non guided hanging bridges , you can purchase them upon arrival. For guided hanging bridges, you have to purchase beforehand to guarantee your spots. The all day does include every activity they offer and they offer different times for the activities
Kathy Glenn says
Hi! I’m confused about whether lunch is included in any packages. The post and the comments says it is, but the lunch section says it no longer is. Is there any package where lunch is included.
We are travelling with 4 people who are interested in ziplining and all the other options, and 3 (elderly) who would like to see everything else but do not want to zipline. What do you recommend?
Also, each package lists a “tour time” of 2.5-5.5 hours. Are you only allowed to be in the park for that amount of time, or is that just an estimate for planning purposes?
Thanks for this blog. It has been very helpful!
Sammi says
Unfortunately they removed lunch for the passes in 2023 – it used to be included for some passes like the all day before but no more in 2023. You can purchase lunch on arrival. Lunch is not included in any passes any more.
You can stay later in the park, they give an estimated tour time so you can get an idea of how long it is so people can know like how long it’ll take to walk the hanging bridges, but for tour times like ziplining, you can’t like stay later ziplining, the zipline tour is as long as it is.
Vijai Adhi says
Very nice blog and most helpful in planning my trip. Quick Question what is the difference between Platinum and Diamond pass in Selvatura park.
Sammi says
The Platinum Pass includes ziplining, hanging bridges (non guided), butterfly garden and lunch. The Diamond Pass includes ziplining, hanging bridges (non guided) and butterfly garden.
Julie says
Hi There!
Thanks for all the tips! Our family is heading there next week! We will be traveling with a 2 (almost 3 yrs) and 5 year old. If we sign up for the Salvutura Park Tour, can the 2 year old go on the zip line with their parents?
Sammi says
No, the minimum age for the zipline at Selvatura Park is 4. Under 4 cannot do the canopy tour at all.
Charlie says
Hello,
I was wondering if it would out to hike Santa Elena Cloud Forrest in the morning and then visit Salvutura Park for zip lines and hanging bridges on the Gold pass in the afternoon?
Thanks,
Charlie
Sammi says
Yes you could do that, but I’d make sure you plan your day out well and arrive in time due to weather, so go in the morning around 8 AM to Santa Elena to hike a couple hours, and then head to Selvatura (you can get lunch at Selvatura)
Paul Christensen says
Hi,
Does the price for the all-day pack include taxes?
Best regards,
Paul
Sammi says
Yes the prices listed on our site includes taxes
Laura Cher says
Hi Sammy and Yeison,
I’m learning so much from your wonderful website! One question about Selvatura: I would be interested in all the nature activities without the zipline. I especially love birds, so I’m surprised I can’t find mention of how to include the hummingbird garden there in selecting activities to purchase. Am I missing something?
Thanks for all of your research and organized information,
Sammi says
I believe they removed their hummingbird garden for animal wellbeing reasons
Rose says
Where do you recommend staying if you want to stay a couple of days near Monteverde? We were planning on an Airbnb–but any tips would be great.
Sammi says
Hi Rose, you can check our hotel and Airbnb recommendations in our Monteverde, Costa Rica guide here!
sp says
This blog has been so helpful in planning my trip to Costa Rica in April! Quick question, I watched the video in this post and was wondering how you filmed it? Was it filmed with a GoPro? And if so, did you hold it or attach it to your helmet somehow? I have a GoPro and am not sure if I should bring my helmet mount or a grip to hold it for the zipline park. Thanks so much!
Sammi says
We used a Gopro and attached it to the helmet. You will need the helmet attachment (most places have the mount but you need the attachment).
Ashley says
Hi! Your blog has been so helpful in planning our visit to Costa Rica – THANK YOU!!! I have a quick question about the ziplining weight limit. My boyfriend weighs 240 and it seems the weight limit is 220. Will he be allowed to ride? Wasn’t sure how strict that limit is 🙁
Sammi says
Hi Ashley! They are pretty strict for the weight limit because it is a safety issue, but you should contact them to be 100% sure. One of my brother’s friends weight over the limit and he couldn’t do the tarzan swing.
Arleen Torres says
Hello Sammi! Thank you again for all the great info on selvatura! Is there a fee to get into the hanging bridges? If so, how much is it? Also, do you have to book a reservation for the humming bird gardens or can you pay as you go?- Than you
Sammi says
Hi Arleen, I recommend checking their website so you can see the different packages and prices they have. We booked a full day with everything included but you don’t have to if you don’t want to and when you check in, you can add activities if they have spots available.
Amy says
How far in advance would you say I should book tickets for family of 8 to 10 people? We are planning a trip for January 2019 and would like to do the full day package.
Sammi says
Hi Amy, I would book at least a month before. January is the start of our high tourism season so it gets quite busy and you will want to reserve your spots as soon as possible.
Amy says
Awesome! Thank you so much! We will book in closer to November just to be safe.
Sammi says
You’re welcome!
Sammi says
Hi Elesia, I’m glad the blog has been helpful! Regarding your question, those two are very hard to compare because they’re both popular and offer different things. Selvatura and Monteverde Cloud Forest are both really touristy and popular, if you want to visit a lesser crowded cloud forest for hiking, then I recommend going to Santa Elena or Children’s Eternal Rainforest. I wrote a guide on Santa Elena here: Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve and then here is our post comparing all three: Monteverde and Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve
Elesia says
Hello and love this site! Thank you for this gift to the many overwhelmed travelers trying to create the perfect vacation. How would you compare the zipline & bridges Selvatura Park tour versus self-guided trails in the Monteverde Forest Reserve? We want an authentic experience and not a touristy one. Are they equally good, but different? How crowded is it the second week of July?
Thank you!
Grace says
Hi, would you know if they would let my 5-year-old (turning 6 a week after our Costa Rica trip) do this zipline activity? Thanks!
Sammi says
Hi Grace, I think so. Their website says children are considered 4-12 years old.
CW says
We’ve booked the extreme package directly through Selvatura’s website. We got a confirmation number but no indication what time our tour starts? Do you know if there are different tour times? If so, what is the best time to go? Should we go directly to the park and just wait for the next available slot? I’ve send them an email and called them but haven’t gotten a response. So I’m hoping you can shed some light about the Selvatura logistics since you’ve done a tour with them and have recommended them. Do you also recommend wearing pants instead of shorts if the tour is in February? Thanks!!
Sammi says
Hi, I don’t remember exactly what time we went (we went in 2013) but it was early in the morning. Have you tried to contact them on Facebook? Companies in CR usually respond pretty fast on there. The cloud forest is quite cool so long pants is nice but it’s not absolutely necessary since you’ll be walking a lot.
Alison Budau says
Hi, thank you for your website, so much useful information for my upcoming trip to Costa Rica. We are going to Monteverde for 2 days (November 29 and 30) then going to La Fortuna/Arenal area for 5 days, followed by Manuel Antonio area for 5 days. What else do you recommend we do in Monteverde? Are we better to do ziplining in Monteverde or La Fortuna since we have more time there? Thanks!
Sammi says
Hi Alison! If you go ziplining, either MOnteverde or Fortuna are great places for it. We did Sky Trek in Arenal and Selvatura in Monteverde and both are super fun! Sky Trek also has one in Monteverde. I actually liked the Sky Trek zipline in Arenal better because you get incredible views of the rain forest, Arenal Lake and Arenal Volcano. I think the Monteverde cable is a bit longer, but either one is amazing. If you want a bit more adventure, you can also go bungee jumping in Monteverde. If you want to see more wildlife, take a night tour in Monteverde, you can see tons of wildlife that only come out at night and it’s easier to see the 2 toed sloths since they are more active at night. Or if you really like birds, take a bird watching tour as Monteverde is one of the best places to see the stunning Resplendent Quetzal and other birds that are only found at high elevations in the cloud forest. Have fun!
John Watson says
Hi there! My family and I are coming to Costa Rica right around New Year’s, and ziplining in Selvatura sounds like a blast. Would you recommend making reservations in advance? Does it fill up? Or can you just show up? Love your blog… thank you so much for all your help!
Sammi says
Hi John! I would definitely make reservations before hand, it is very busy during New Years as its peak season so you’ll want to reserve your spots! Have fun! Selvatura Park is awesome!
Tiffany says
Who do you recommend booking this adventure from?
Sammi says
Hi Tiffany you can book it from their website. Or, depending on where you will be in Costa Rica you can book it from the tour companies there. If you’re going to be in the Coco/Hermosa Guanacaste area, we have some recommendations for tour companies who do the Selvatura Park tour. Let us know!
Dusty says
That looks pretty cool
Patti says
That looks like so much fun – except for the those creepy crawly things!!
Sammi says
It was a ton of fun! I’m just glad that the insects were not alive and very much behind the glass. Some of them were mind-blowingly big!