Like everyone has said, don’t park anywhere shady, don’t leave valuables visible in your car, and be aware of your surroundings. That being said, we had a great experience here. Easy parking right before the bridge. A man guided us to a close parking spot, but didn’t ask for money (we tipped him on our way out). There are people trying to sell things on and around the bridge. The crocodiles were out and basking so the top was definitely worth it. Saw the scarlet macaws flying also. Its. Very short stop (15 minutes) but worth it.

At times there can apparently be thousands of crocodiles in this stretch of the Rio Grande - but when I went there were just seven visible. It's interesting to see them in the wild, and worth a short stop. There's free parking just West of the Bridge, from where it is a 5 minute walk back to the bridge itself, with a number of souvenir shops and a couple of places to eat, including a useful coffee shop (though it lacked any decent cakes). But as a destination the nearby Parque Nacional de Carera is much more worthy of your time.

Quick stop traveling from the mountains to pacific coast. Our driver stopped and we had quick walk to the bridge. Lower tide was helpful because we could see the crocs laying on the sand. On the way home, water levels were high so no way they could be seen. There are plenty of shops for which I would imagine have bathrooms etc on the north side of the bridge. Only creepy thing, small area between guardrails and cement barrier where cars drive. There certainly is not a lot of protection from one misstep and slipping below to where the crocs are. With two smaller kids, it was pretty unnerving. Be on a look out for iguanas and monkeys in the trees nearby as well as macaws flying over head.

We stopped here along our drive from San Jose to Manuel Antonio. It was a great break for our 7 year old who had already been traveling for many hours. There is an obvious place to park along the right side when driving in this direction. We had read the reviews about car break ins, so out of an abundance of caution, we left an adult in the car and visited the bridge in shifts with our daughter, although I saw others place their items in the trunk and leave the car without incident. The sidewalk is narrow and the gaps in the fence are bigger than you would find in the US as noted by other reviewers, but I didn't find it that unnerving (although maybe would have with younger kids). In the rainy season, expect the river to be brown. It's really only about a 15 min stop, a great place to stretch your legs, and a fun introduction to the wildlife you'll see in CR if you're driving straight from the airport.

We stopped here on the way to Carara National Park. We saw several crocodile from the bridge. There is traffic on the bridge but both sides have safe walkways. We parked in a lot near the bridge and walked over. We paid the "guachiman" or informal car watchman a few dollars and our car was safe. It is a tourist destination so there were street vendors but not too pushy. For us, it was a fun short stop.

Crocodile Bridge is beautiful. The day we stopped all the crocs were in the water and not sunning up on the shore. But the views alone of the scenery and the river are breathtaking. Nice small eateries and gift shops. There are "Watch Men" there who will keep an eye on your car. We were nervous as we had all of our luggage with us. We gave the guy a little tip when we got out of our car and told him we'd give him a little more when we returned. We took all valuables with us in backpacks regardless. Great place to take a break on your drive.