Saturday 15/10/2022 Mistico Park – Arenal Hanging Bridges
Tabacon, Provincia de Alajuela
COSTA RICA
Participants: Stephen Davies (Photos, Report), Sue Davies, Cal Stewart, Kerrie Stewart
This is a much more developed rainforest walk than El Silencio, which we completed yesterday. Here every step is on the fenced concrete path. There are about 16 bridges to cross which provide views through and above the forest canopy as well as passage across the creek gullies. We were to learn later that the fences were constructed using a steel skeleton over which chicken wire mesh was modelled to shape before several layers of concrete were moulded to form a continuous structure with no obvious joints. This must have taken a very long time to create! The end result was impressive and blended into the surrounding environment.
Max elevation: 695 m
Total climbing: 825 m
Total descent: -827 m
Average speed: 3.72 km/h
Total time: 03:37:07
Again we made an early start as in the afternoon there are generally more people out on the trails with you. We seem to be close to the slowest-moving group around but I know we are seeing a lot more than many others. By taking our time and constantly scanning our surroundings we are able to pick up birds flying between and behind trees and notice millipedes, well-camouflaged small spiders, stick insects and fungi, etc. We often hear a lot of people talking loudly well before they pass us and wait until they are gone again so we can hear the subtle sounds of the forest.
Forest giant
The numerous bridges on through Mistico Park gave us a great opportunity to observe the forest from above and along the canopy.
Not everything in the rainforest is seen, today provided the perfect example when deep into the walk we heard some commotion deep in the forest somewhere up the hill above us. A couple of people suggested that we were listening to howler monkeys (genus Alouatta), what do you think.
This was later confirmed by Juan Carlos our guide at Selvatura Park when I played him the recording.
White-nosed Coati (Nasua narica)
Whilst we were there we saw:
Molluscs: Sulfur Cone
Insects: Band-celled Sister butterfly
Birds: Slaty-tailed Trogon, Green Honeycreeper, Chestnut-mandibled toucan (aka Swainson’s toucan), Turkey Vulture
Mammals: White-nosed Coati and heard Howler Monkeys
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