Two of La Fortuna’s best wildlife mornings, combined into one easy day. You’ll start where so many great stories here start — scanning the treetops for a wild sloth, patiently, with a guide who knows exactly where to look. From there, one short transfer brings you to Mistico Park, where the ground drops away beneath 16 bridges strung through 250 hectares of rainforest, six of them suspended high above the canopy floor.
It’s all handled as one seamless morning — hotel pickup, transport throughout, and a certified naturalist guide at each stop. There’s a freshly made Costa Rican breakfast between the two, and fresh fruit waiting at the end — a full, unhurried morning built around two very different ways of meeting the same rainforest.
Your day starts with pickup from your hotel in the La Fortuna area, heading out toward the first of several wild observation areas where sloths are known to feed and rest. Rather than waiting in one spot, your guide reads the landscape as you go — scanning the canopy and known feeding trees for the small signs of movement that give a sloth away.
Then it happens: your guide slows, points into the treetops, and sets up the scope — and there it is, a wild sloth curled among the branches or slowly reaching for fresh leaves. With the morning’s wildlife watching behind you, a freshly made Costa Rican breakfast follows around 8:30–9:00 AM, the perfect pause before the second half of the day begins.
From there, a short transfer carries you to Mistico Park, 250 hectares of rainforest set between the lowlands and the highlands around Arenal. The elevation shift between the two zones is part of what makes the park so rich — home to howler and spider monkeys, coatis, and more sloths, alongside a wider corridor shared with rarer, more elusive residents.
Over 2 miles (3.2 km) of trail, you’ll cross 16 bridges in total, six of them true hanging bridges suspended above the forest floor — the longest stretches nearly 100 metres, with the highest lifting you tens of metres above the canopy below. Your guide leads the way, pointing out monkeys, coatis, toucans, and whatever else the forest offers that day, and helping with photos at the best viewpoints. Fresh fruit waits at the end, before the drive back to your hotel or Airbnb — you’ll be back by around noon.
Your guide collects you from your hotel in the La Fortuna area, typically around 6:00 AM. The exact time depends on where you’re staying.
Comfortable transportation carries you between several wild observation areas, where your guide sets up the scope and helps everyone get a clear, close view of any sloths in the area.
Once the sloth watching winds down, around 8:30–9:00 AM, you’ll enjoy a freshly made Costa Rican breakfast before continuing on.
A short drive brings you to Mistico Park, where your guide leads the way onto the trail.
Over about 2.5 hours, you’ll cover 2 miles (3.2 km) of trail and cross 16 bridges — six of them true hanging bridges — with your guide spotting wildlife, sharing details about the forest, and helping with photos throughout.
The walk ends with a fresh fruit break before you head back to the vehicle.
Your guide returns you to your hotel or Airbnb by around noon, roughly six hours after pickup.
From the moment you’re picked up, both halves of the day are organized as one seamless experience — hotel pickup, all the transport between stops, and a certified naturalist guide leading each part, spotting wildlife and helping with photos. There’s nothing to coordinate on your end and no second tour to arrange; you simply move from the morning’s sloth search to the bridges of Mistico Park and back.
The sloth portion is easy: short walks between observation areas, with the vehicle doing most of the work. Mistico Park asks a bit more — a well-maintained trail with a maximum grade of about 8%, considered medium effort, plus the experience of crossing suspension bridges, some well above the forest floor.
Every day is different, and you may be lucky enough to spot a sloth from either of Costa Rica’s two species during the morning’s search — and the bridges at Mistico Park often bring another chance, since sloths rest in the canopy there too. Howler, spider, and capuchin monkeys are common sights and sounds through the trees, along with white-nosed coatis investigating the forest floor near the trail. Overhead, watch for toucans, motmots, and hummingbirds, while red-eyed tree frogs and other small creatures turn up along the way. The park sits within a larger wildlife corridor, so more elusive residents — anteaters, ocelots, margays, even jaguars and pumas — are part of the story too, though the cats mostly move at night and daytime sightings are extremely rare.
This pairing suits travelers who want a full, memorable morning without managing two separate bookings — couples, families with older children, photographers, and anyone who’d rather see La Fortuna’s wildlife highlights in one well-guided day than split them across two trips out. Groups stay small, with up to twelve guests per guide, so everyone gets time at the scope and a clear view from the bridges.
Booked separately, the sloth tour and the Mistico hanging bridges each involve their own pickup and their own block of your itinerary. Together, they share one pickup and one booking, so you get both experiences without losing a second morning or afternoon to logistics — a natural fit if your time in La Fortuna is limited.
This combo can be booked as a private departure for parties of two or more travelers, with your own guide and vehicle for the day. Shared bookings of five or more adults can also be converted into a private tour on request.
Since the combo wraps up around lunchtime, there’s a natural window to eat at one of La Fortuna’s many restaurants before continuing your day. Many travelers pair this combo, on the same day but booked separately, with the Ecotermales Hot Springs & Meal Pass for an evening soak and dinner, or the North Fields Coffee & Chocolate Tour in the early-to-mid afternoon. For more adrenaline, the zipline and Tarzan swing at EcoGlide Arenal or an ATV Arenal Adventure both fit well into an afternoon slot.
Yes. The morning begins with the sloth-watching tour across several wild observation areas, followed by a transfer to Mistico Park for the guided hanging bridges walk — all organized as one seamless day, with a single pickup and everything handled for you.
The combo runs about six hours in total. Pickup is typically around 6:00 AM, though the exact time depends on where you’re staying, and you’ll be back at your hotel or Airbnb by around noon.
The bridges are engineered, fixed structures built for daily foot traffic, and your guide walks the whole route with you. The sloth portion involves only short, easy walks between observation areas; at Mistico Park, the trail covers 2 miles (3.2 km) with a maximum grade of about 8%, rated medium effort.
Yes — on every tour so far, sloths have been spotted. They’re wild, free-roaming animals, so no two mornings are quite the same, but your guide knows the observation areas where sloths reliably feed and rest, and works to bring each one into close, clear view.
Howler, spider, and capuchin monkeys are commonly seen or heard, along with white-nosed coatis and sometimes more sloths right from the bridges. Overhead, look for toucans, motmots, and hummingbirds, with red-eyed tree frogs and other small creatures along the trail. The park is also part of a larger wildlife corridor shared with elusive animals like ocelots, margays, and even pumas, though these are mostly active at night and daytime sightings are extremely rare.
Hotel pickup and return, a certified naturalist guide, transportation between both stops, Mistico Park entrance, umbrellas, a Costa Rican breakfast, fresh fruit, and water throughout.
Bring light, comfortable clothing, closed walking shoes or hiking boots, sun protection, insect repellent, and a camera. This is a rainforest, so the tour runs rain or shine — a passing shower is simply part of the experience, and umbrellas are provided if you need one.
Yes — the sloth-watching tour is also available on its own, in morning or afternoon departures. See the Sloth Tour in La Fortuna for full details.
The sloth portion is easy for nearly all ages. At Mistico Park, most travelers with a regular level of mobility manage the trail comfortably.
Breakfast, fresh fruit, and water are all included. Lunch isn’t — but the tour wraps up around lunchtime, so you’ll finish right when you’re ready to eat, with plenty of La Fortuna restaurants to choose from afterward or a meal back at your hotel.
Yes. Private departures are available for parties of two or more travelers, and shared bookings of five or more adults can also be converted into a private tour on request.
Groups are kept small, with a maximum of twelve guests per guide, and are often smaller. This keeps enough time at the spotting scope for everyone during the sloth watching, and a relaxed, unhurried pace across the bridges at Mistico Park.
| Ages | Price * |
|---|---|
| 0-5 | $ 0.00 USD |
| 6-11 | $ 67.57 USD |
| 12+ | $ 135.15 USD |
Tour includes
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