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. You can first watch our video below to see what it’s like.
If you’re interested in visiting Selvatura Park, please click here to fill out the form to reserve your pass! .
Selvatura Park Video
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.
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 an extra charge per person. 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. 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.
Activities and Passes
Selvatura Park has hanging bridges, ziplining, butterfly garden, reptile and amphibian exhibit and a new natural ecological center with sloths. You can choose to do whichever activities you want or book the day pass which includes all activities.
You can book passes when you arrive at the park but during the busy months from December – April, we highly recommend booking beforehand so you can guarantee a spot. The park does get very crowded, especially holidays (Christmas, New Years, Easter), February, March, April and July.
Below I’ll go over all their activities so you can read more about them.
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 in February 2020, 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, it is an extra $12 + tax USD per person 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!
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 or brick paths (not sure how to describe it but you can see it in the photo below). This great is great because even if it rains, your shoes don’t get super muddy since it has these paths.
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 during breeding season (March – July).
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!
Lunch
They have a restaurant where you can have lunch (not included in any passes anymore, you have to pay for it separately). 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. Currently they have 14 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.
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!
What to Know About Selvatura Park in Monteverde
- Wear closed toe shoes. No flip flops or sandals with only 1 strap if you’re ziplining.
- It is colder and windier since you are very high in elevation at Selvatura Park so bring a jacket. A sweater and rainjacket is highly recommended. They have a gift shop with ponchos and sweaters in case you forget.
- They have a free parking lot.
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.
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!