Monteverde

the could forest of montverde Costa Rica
In 1983 a National Geographic article described Monteverde (translated Green Mountain) as the perfect place to catch a glimpse of the Resplendent Quetzal, a beautiful bird of paradise. From that moment on hordes of eco-tourists arrived in the small Quaker village, ready to take in its birdwatching attractions and its famous Cloud Forest. Monteverde is all about hiking the surrounding cloud forest and there isn’t much nightlife aside from taking an evening hike by torchlight. However, this quite mountain town is still a quiet mountain town despite the price increased. Try the coffee here and zip line through the jungle. Monteverde is one of my favorite places in Costa Rica and despite it’s popularity is worth the visit.

Costa Rica Travel Resources

Buying a Travel Backpack
Finding Cheap Accommodation
Buying Travel Insurance
Costa Rica’s Caribbean Coast
Getting Lost in a Jungle
Cahuita National Park (Video)

Costs in Monteverde

  • Hostel Prices: Prices start at around 3090 Colones per night for a room with shared bathroom, while 10,300 Colones gets you a single room including bathroom and breakfast.
  • Budget Hotel Prices: Hotel prices start at 10,300 Colones per night, which will get you breakfast and a private bathroom.
  • Average Cost of Food: Food in a “soda” restaurants will typically cost 1500 Colones for a typical dish. Main courses in most budget restaurants costing around 5150 Colones. The popular tourist restaurants cost around 10,000 colones per meal.
  • Cost of Internet: Most accommodation and restaurants have wireless internet.
  • Transportation Costs: Traveling by bus from San José will cost 2060 Colones with trips around the Monteverde area itself costing 1030 Colones to the Cloud Forest from Santa Elena. A taxi from Santa Elena to the Cloud Forest Reserve will typically cost 3500 Colones.

Things to do in Monteverde

  • Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. The cloud forest is Monteverde’s most popular tourist attraction and the main reason people come here to visit. The area is home to the world’s largest orchid collection, big jungle cats, thousands of species of plants, and insects as well as over 400 species of bird.
  • Canopy tours. The best way to see the cloud forest is to walk its suspension bridges and take a zipline on a canopy tour. The SkyWalk+Trek tour is the best with the ziplines of over 2500feet, observation towers and walking platforms which offer a less hair-raising way to see the rainforest. They make for a good tour combination and is the one I did. There are a few operators doing the same thing now.
  • Monteverde Music Festival. The festival is held in January and February each year with events taking place on Thursday to Saturday. For $10 USD, you’ll get to experience classical, jazz and Latin music at the Bromelias Music Garden and Monteverde Institute. The festival is said to be one of the best in Central America and all proceeds go towards teaching music and arts in local schools.
  • Horse Riding tours. Take a horseback riding tour of the trails near the Cloud Forest or the Arenal volcano for a less tiring way to get up close with the sugar canes, coffee plantations, canyons and wildlife. Take a sunset tour to watch the sun set over the Gulf of Nicoya.
  • Hiking. The Cloud Forest is obviously a great place to go hiking, but for a less crowded trek, head to the nearby Santa Elena Reserve. More than 12km of trails are available with varying difficulty, also, the Santa Elena Reserve is higher than Monteverde so arguably offers a better view of the Arenal Volcano in the distance and attracts more birds to its sunnier spots.
  • Wildlife watching. Monteverde is a birdwatchers paradise and although there are over 400 species in the area, most tourists crave a sighting of the Resplendent Quetzal. The Cloud Forest’s dense and humid conditions can make it difficult to spot small mammals scurrying about but outside of the forest you’re likely to see (or hear!) howler monkeys, sloths and squirrels.
  • Coffee & Sugar tours. There are several tour options for those looking for a glimpse into the practices and processes of harvesting coffee and sugar cane in the region, with the El Trapiche tour being amongst the best. You’ll get a ride in an ox-drawn cart and depending upon the season, you may even get to pick a bushel of raw coffee beans. Meanwhile, back at the farmhouse you can see how the raw materials are then turned into a variety of final products such as cane liquor, raw sugar, and roasted coffee.
  • Monteverde Serpentarium. Home to over 40 species including venomous and non-venomous snakes, poisonous frogs, toads, lizards and turtles, this is the place to go if you’re captivated by cold blooded creatures. Located in the Cloud Forest, the Serpentarium is a nice little addition to a day’s zipping or skywalking. Guided tours cost no extra and very informative.
  • Butterfly Garden. Situated between Santa Elena and the Cloud Forest is the Monteverde Butterfly Garden, one of the region’s most popular attractions. Consisting of four separate butterfly gardens, a medicinal plant garden and a leaf cutter ant colony, there’s quite a lot to see for the 4600 Colones entrance fee. Be sure not to miss the ant colony as the sight of the critters carrying leaves to and fro is pretty cool!

Budget Tips for Monteverde

  • Student Discount. As in most parts of Costa Rica, the tourist attractions offer student discount if you show them a valid student ID when paying.
  • Camp. With such amazing surroundings it’d be a shame not to spend a night out in the open so save on hostel accommodation by pitching a tent at La Colina lodge for just 2575 Colones per night.
  • Public bus. Public buses from San José cost just 2000 Colones, this offers a great saving on the cost of private shuttle buses which although more comfortable, are 18,000 Colones.
Other Destinations in Costa Rica

Arenal Manuel Antonio Puerto Viejo San Jose Tortuguero Tamarindo