Hi again samsangela! 🙂

Let me answer your question for you. To start, I should explain that you’re actually asking about two different things when you mention “Monteverde Cloud Forest” and “Sky Walk”. This is certainly not your fault. In my opinion, Costa Rica marketing is awfully confusing when it comes to discussion about Monteverde. Hopefully, I can help clear things up for you.

To confirm, Monteverde is a destination that is set in cloud forest (an ecosystem). Technically all of Monteverde, as well as a few other high-altitude destinations elsewhere in Costa Rica, belongs to cloud forest because it occupies a cloud forest ecosystem. Sometimes people talk about the Monteverde Cloud Forest as a specific place, like an attraction or park, when actually Monteverde–the destination–is the place itself. It just happens to be surrounded by cloud forest.

There’s also something called the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve, which is a specific attraction. This biological reserve is located in Monteverde. To confirm, both the biological reserve and the entire Monteverde destination are in cloud forest.

Here’s where things get confusing. Sometimes travelers think that they need to visit the biological reserve in order to experience the cloud forest. This isn’t correct. To visit the destination Monteverde is to visit the cloud forest. You’ll find a lot in Monteverde, including hotels, restaurants, tour offices, shops, and several cloud forest reserves. The most popular is the one you mention, which is the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve. Another popular one is the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Biological Reserve, but there are others, too.

The “Sky Walk” experience is the name that its owners, Sky Adventures, give to their hanging bridges experience. At Sky Adventures’s Monteverde Park, you can participate in several activities, such as ride an aerial tram (called the “Sky Tram”), go zip-lining (the tour is called “Sky Trek”), or hike through the forest crossing some hanging bridges along the way (this is what is known as the “Sky Walk”). While Sky Adventures’s Monteverde Park exists in the Monteverde vicinity, it is completely separate from the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve. These two attractions are about a 25-minute drive away from one another, at opposite ends of Monteverde. You can choose to visit one, both, or neither, but unfortunately, it is not possible to experience the Sky Walk from within the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve. With the limited time you’ll have in the Monteverde vicinity (on a day trip from Manuel Antonio), I’d recommend choosing one to visit.

If you decide to visit Sky Adventures’s Monteverde Park, you can drive directly to the park’s entrance and leave your vehicle in the on-site lot (parking is free). Here’s a map of where Sky Adventures’s Monteverde Park is located: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Sky+Adventures+Monteverde+Park/@10.3206258,-84.8122648,13.71z/data=!4m22!1m16!4m15!1m6!1m2!1s0x8fa0198755ec11cf:0xaf2fb8e79ee9ce66!2sMonteverde+Cloud+Forest+Biological+Preserve!2m2!1d-84.7956901!2d10.3026397!1m6!1m2!1s0x8fa0196a614ada01:0x25c1e2c7f70d6a4!2sMonteverde+Cloud+Forest+Preserve,+Parking+Lot.,+Provincia+de+Puntarenas,+Monteverde,+Costa+Rica!2m2!1d-84.8039516!2d10.300201!3e0!3m4!1s0x8fa01a4c1e4a35bf:0x7fdfe721a65a39d!8m2!3d10.3374649!4d-84.809947

If you decide to visit the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve, you can drive to the reserve’s official parking lot (you’ll need to pay to park in the lot) and take the complimentary shuttle service (it departs regularly from the parking lot) to the reserve’s entrance, less than a 5-minute drive up the road. Here’s a map of where the parking lot is located: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Monteverde+Cloud+Forest+Preserve,+Parking+Lot./@10.300219,-84.8045623,17.21z/data=!4m8!1m2!2m1!1sparking+near+Monteverde+Cloud+Forest+Biological+Preserve,+Carretera+a+Reserva+de+Monteverde,+Puntarenas+Province,+Monteverde,+Costa+Rica!3m4!1s0x0:0x25c1e2c7f70d6a4!8m2!3d10.300201!4d-84.8039516

Unfortunately due to COVID closures, I’m not familiar with a day tour to Monteverde from Manuel Antonio that’s operating right now. 🙁 As you note, you can make the drive in your own rental car, though.

Pura vida!

Hi Summer!

You’re right! I just checked Sky Adventures’s website, and they’ve removed the self-guided Sky Walk entrance fee booking option from there. It’s still available, though, so if you’re not interested in the guided tour option, I’d recommend reaching out to Sky Adventures via email to set up a self-guided visit with them that way. 🙂

Pura vida!