Explore a misty cloudforest full of biodiversity and thrills in this 3 day Monteverde itinerary!
Our family recently spent three nights in the Monteverde area of Costa Rica, located in the Northern Zone not far from the famous Arenal Volcano. Between ziplining, cloud forest hiking, wildlife viewing, and cultural experiences, this stunning area has a ton to offer. Here is the three-day itinerary we took, where we stayed, and what we would do differently for an adults-only trip.
Why Visit Monteverde
Located at around 1400m elevation, Monteverde has a climate distinct from the rest of Costa Rica, with a cooler, misty atmosphere. Notably, this region is home to some of the world's rare cloud forests, a specific designation that only about 1% of the world's forests meet (a figure that has declined over time with the impact of deforestation and global warming). As these forests are perpetually drenched in low lying clouds, their moisture-rich environment fosters an abundance of biodiversity, and makes for a beautiful and unique hiking experience.
Costa Rica is reknowned for its success in reversing the heavy deforestation of the 1900s, having previously lost up to half of its rainforest. Since the 1990s, policy change, financial incentives to landowners, and the efforts of non-profit organizations have led to the restoration of over half of the land to forest cover. Eco-tourism plays a significant role in the country's ability to fund these efforts, and the Monteverde area continues to be a part of these reforestation initiatives.
Day 1: Arrive in Monteverde
Since we came to Monteverde from another region of Costa Rica on this particular trip, we arrived late in the day, so we spent our evening simply enjoying the beautiful valley views from our cabin. If your itinerary brings you to the area earlier in the day, consider a cultural experience such as taking a coffee, chocolate, and sugar cane farm tour, or visit a cheese farm. These tours are really interesting if you've never done one, to learn about where some of our food really comes from. You can also spend some time exploring the town of Santa Elena, which has tons of great restaurants and cafes.
There is no shortage of hotels to choose from in this area, many of which are clustered centrally around the town. We chose to stay a bit farther out at El Sol Monteverde, about a 10-minute drive from town. This is by far one of our favorite accomodations we have ever experienced. Rather than a hotel, El Sol is more of a bed and breakfast melded with a private cabin rental. With only six cabins on site, it felt peaceful and secluded, even though the property is just off the main road (route 606).
Since we were staying with 6 people in our group, we rented the largest cabin, Sun's Casita. With two bedrooms, a full kitchen, and a dining table, this vibrant and cozy cabin was perfect for our family. The stunning view from the cabin's back door was an added bonus, as we hadn't paid much attention to the views when we made our reservation. The other cabins that boast valley views are the Chalet in the Sun and the Magic Sun.
Tip: Many guided tours offer transportation from your lodging, but El Sol is outside the radius of some of these. If you don't plan on renting a car (or if scenery from your hotel is not an important factor), you may want to simplify your plans by staying nearer to Santa Elena (plus you'll have the added benefit of being able to walk to a number of restaurants or supermarkets).
Day 2: Hike the Cloud Forest
Since the main draw of Monteverde is getting to experience the cloud forest, plan to visit one of the reserves on your first full day. There are three cloud forest reserves: Monteverde (Reserva Biológica Bosque Nuboso Monteverde), Santa Elena (La Reserva Bosque Nuboso Santa Elena), and Children's Eternal Rainforest (Bosque Eternos de los Niños). Each has a variety of hiking trails of varying difficulty, all of which are under a few miles in length since these are located on private reserves. Monteverde is by far the most popular (meaning it can get pretty busy during peak season) and has a long suspension bridge with dramatic views. Children's Eternal Rainforest is probably the least visited and the largest of the reserves, making it best for hiking.
On this trip, we opted to visit the Santa Elena Reserve, which tends to be the wettest forest and is less crowded than Monteverde. Santa Elena is also less expensive than Monteverde and is free for kids up to 8 years old, which was a big plus.
Reserve entrance fees at Santa Elena for foreign visitors are $18/adult, $16/senior citizen, $12/student, and $9/child 8-12 years old. The natural history small group tour starts at $25 for children and up to $35 for regular adult.
As we arrived at the reserve, the weather was immediately much colder and wetter than it had been just 20 minutes before when we loaded into the rental car at our cabin. The receptionist at El Sol did tell us to expect different weather for every 100m of elevation change. You will defiinitely want to pack rain gear and some warmer layers.
The rain drizzled lightly as we walked into the forest, but we actually ended up catching Santa Elena on a pretty clear day, with the sun soon shining through the mist. Our guides told us that on some days, they can't see more than 10m ahead due to the heavy fog. We weren't prepared for the strong winds that day that still left us pretty chilly despite the sun.
We booked the guided tour, which ran about two hours. We were led along both paved and unpaved trails, and to a tower viewpoint with amazing views. You can see Arenal Volcano if the weather is clear enough, but this is rare. The walk was fairly easy but with some muddy climbs that left us glad we chose our hiking boots.
While our guides were great, the tour was honestly a little slow for my taste. It held the kids' interest until the last 20 minutes or so. But we learned a ton about a variety different types of flowers and plants, and our guides pointed out a bit of wildlife we otherwise would not have seen, like this tarantula. (Keep in mind that the cloud forest is not the best for mammal and bird sightings due to the dense jungle and chilly weather.) We left after the tour for lunch in town then spent some time relaxing at the cabin.
Tip: If you're visiting Santa Elena without kids, I would still recommend the guided tour, but I would plan to spend the full day at the reserve so you can spend the rest of the day exploring the trails. There is a cafe on the reserve for lunch.
Day 3: Ziplining, Hanging Bridges, and Guided Night Walk
Costa Rica has many great ziplining options. In the Monteverde area alone, there are at least six different zipline operators. Because I planned on taking my 9-year-old son, we opted to go to Treetopia park, which is generally thought of as the safest option for kids with its simple braking system. The zip line included 7 stations that crisscross the valley below for some spectacular views. One of the best views was actually from the cable car on the way up the mountain. It was a clear day and we had a perfect view of Arenal Volcano.
My son was a little nervous at first but the guides were incredibly attentive and reassuring, and after the first zipline, he couldn't wait to do the rest. Due to weight requirements, he and I were tandem for five of the ziplines and for the last line (2526 ft [750 m] long), everyone was required to have a tandem partner. The activity finished with an optional 80 ft (24 m) straight drop, which was a thrilling end to the tour.
Tip: The zipline at Selvatura ecopark also has fantastic reviews and includes a superman line and Tarzan swing. Selvatura, like Treetopia, has a hanging bridges trail, but also has a sloth sanctuary and butterfly and reptilian exhibits. We went to Selvatura only to visit the sloth sanctuary and felt it was overpriced for what it was, but if you're doing the other activities at Selvatura, you'll bundle activities for a better price, and I think the sloth visit would be worth it in that case.
While we ziplined at Treetopia, the rest of our group went on the hanging bridges trail (known as SkyWalk). We again opted for a small group guided tour, but unlike our experience with the Santa Elena guide, this tour covered a lot of ground, with our tour taking us across five of the six bridges. As the bridges take you among the treetops, you can get a great view of the forest and a variety of views. The guide showed our group a former quetzal nest, but the birds had been gone for some time. There is a good chance of spotting sloths here, and we happened to see one just a few meters away from one of the bridges.
Tip: The best time to see quetzal in Costa Rica is from February to June, during mating season.
If you're able, we highly recommend taking a guided night tour at least once in Costa Rica. This gives you an entirely different look at the wildlife than you'll have during the day. There a number of options among the reserves, but instead of booking one of the more popular tours like Monteverde Reserve, we took a tour with the small, family-run company of Oktari Monteverde. Located just on the outskirts of town, this is more conveniently located than the other options, and your guide will take you through the forest just adjacent to their building. Oktari is actively working on restoring forest on what was previously used as farmland, so it was nice knowing the tour fees go toward that effort.
We saw a number of frogs of different species, a viper trying to find its way down from the top of a tree, a scorpion, sleeping birds, and a number of frogs and insects. This tour was worth every penny, without being overcrowded with tour groups (we only had a group of five plus our guide, with no one else walking around this area of the forest). As a bonus, its an easy walk into town for dinner before or after the tour, depending on your booked time.
Day 4: Depart
If you have time in the morning on your departure day, it's a great time to fit in a cultural experience, such as a farm tour or cooking class. Or you can simply enjoy a leisurely breakfast and take in the valley views before you head on to the next leg of your itinerary.
Other Things to See and Do
- Hike El Tigre Waterfalls - north of Santa Elena, this is a challenging hike that takes hikers along several dramatic waterfalls and bridges with beautiful views. Located on private property, the entrance fee is a bit steep at $33/person, so bring your lunch and make a day of it.
- Take this cooking class to learn how to make Costa Rican bread.
- Bird watch at Curi Cancha Reserve.
- Other adventure ecoparks in the area (aside from Selvatura and Treetopia, mentioned above) are 100% Aventura, Sky Adventures, and The Original Canopy Tour. and Extremo Park.
- There is a guided two-day hike from La Fortuna (the town at the base of Arenal Volcano) to Monteverde that we would love to do sometime when we're there without the kids.
General Tips for a Monteverde Visit
- Weather apps are meaningless here because there is no weather station in the area. Our forecast was for constant rain and thunderstorms, yet we only had a light drizzle on our departure day (other than in Santa Elena Reserve, where its always raining).
- Route 606 is fairly easy to drive as it is fully paved, albeit with some potholes and tight turns. North of Santa Elena, the road that takes you to Selvatura, Santa Elena Reserve, and Treetopia is not paved and makes for quite a bumpy ride with a couple of steeper sections. While it wasn't all that bad, I would recommend a 4x4 vehicle during the rainy season if you plan on visiting this area by car.
- Like other parts of Costa Rica, there is a distanct rainy season, from May to November. Traveling right at the end of November this trip worked out perfectly. We had very little rain, though pretty high winds (which we learned tend to harken the oncoming dry season).
- If you are coming from or going to an international airport after Monteverde, we'd recommend booking your flight out of the airport in Guanacaste (LIR), as it's a small, convenient airport and easy to reach from route 1.
Budgeting
- Reserve entrance fees go to not-for-profit organizations focused on conservation and reforestation, so we generally feel good about the money spent here; but the costs definitely add up, especially for a family. While we gained a lot from our tour guides, it is not an absolute necessity and you can fully enjoy the beauty of the trails on your own. It just depends on what your priorities are with your visit.
- As we mentioned above, Santa Elena Reserve is free for kids under 8, while Monteverde and Children's Eternal Rainforest reserves are free for kids under 6 years. The Monteverde Reserve also charges a $5 parking fee.
- Save on meals by picking up groceries at the supermarket in Santa Elena. Since it's a tourist area, many of the restaurants in town are on the pricey side, but you can still find local sodas scattered around town that offer amazing Costa Rican food at good prices.
Where to Stay in Monteverde
We would stay at El Sol again in a heartbeat, but here are a few other options nearer to the town of Santa Elena, which will be more convenient if you don't have a car.
1. Koora Monteverde Luxury
A small, boutique 5-star hotel with on-site restaurant and bar. Koora is surrounded by vegetation so feels secluded even though it's only about a 30 minute walk into the center of town, but there are several restaurants within a shorter distance. A cooked-to-order breakfast is included.
2. Hotel con Corazón Monteverde Mid-Range
Hotel con Corazón is a socially-conscious impact hotel with locations in Mexico, Nicaragua, and most recently in Costa Rica. This hotel donates 75% of profits into local education. The Monteverde location was just opened this earlier this year and boasts beautiful, modern rooms, complimentary access, and is just a few minute walk to downtown.
3. La Guayaba Monteverde Budget
A small bed and breakfast conveniently located a 5 minute walk from town center. The rooms are clean and updated, some with moutanin views, and there is a spacious dining terrance. Rates are as low as $68 and a continental breakfast is included.
Monteverde Itinerary for Adults Only
- Day 0-1: Head to Monteverde after visiting La Fortuna and Arenal Volcano for a few days. Drive, take a private transfer, or embark on a two day hike. Stop in town to pick up groceries if you'd like. Stay at El Sol's Magic Sun cabin and enjoy an amazing dinner delivered to your room.
- Day 2: Spend the full day hiking Santa Elena after a guided tour in the morning to learn about the flora and fauna. Enjoy dinner in Santa Elena at El Jardín Restaurant (reservations recommended; request a table on the terrace) or a soda for a more casual and inepenxive option.
- Day 3: Hike El Tigre Waterfalls and bring a lunch to enjoy among the views; or spend the day at Selvatura ziplining, hiking, and visiting the sloth sanctuary...or add a day to the itinerary and do both! Dinner at Otocuma Bar & Restaurant (reservations recommended).
- Day 4: Take the bread-making class at 10am before your departure for the next leg of your trip.
Final Thoughts
Monteverde offers a dense, misty jungle rich in biodiversity set on a beautiful, serene mountainous backdrop. If you have the time, a few days in Monteverde is easily added to our one week Costa Rican itinerary, giving you a visit to beaches, volcano, and cloud forest all in one trip. Check out our other posts for more things to do in Costa Rica and how more tips on how to plan a family trip there.