Monteverde, Costa Rica: travel guide
Misty cloud-forest mountain town in the Cordillera de Tilarán (Puntarenas), world-famous for canopy zip-lines, hanging bridges and biodiverse cloud-forest reserves.
- Country
- Costa Rica
- Currency
- CRC
- Time zone
- America/Costa_Rica
Top places to visit in Monteverde
El Tigre Waterfalls
Waterfall · 4.9 rating · about 4 h · entry USD 40
A strenuous circuit hike past a chain of waterfalls and suspension bridges southwest of Santa Elena.
Curi-Cancha Reserve
Wildlife · 4.6 rating · about 2.5 h · entry USD 25
Private reserve prized as one of the best spots for quetzals and open-forest wildlife.
Café Monteverde Coffee Tour
Cultural · 4.9 rating · about 1.5 h · entry USD 35
Cooperative coffee tour tracing sustainable, shade-grown beans through the mill.
Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve
Wildlife · about 3 h · entry USD 29
The legendary misty cloud-forest reserve, a birding and biodiversity mecca famed for the resplendent quetzal.
Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve
Nature · about 2.5 h · entry USD 18
Community-run cloud-forest reserve with quieter trails and volcano views on clear days.
Selvatura Park
Nature · about 2.5 h · entry USD 50
Adventure park with a hanging-bridges trail, long zip-lines and sloth, butterfly and hummingbird exhibits.
Sky Adventures Monteverde (Sky Walk)
Nature · about 2 h · entry USD 39
Six hanging bridges, a tram and zip-lines through the cloud-forest canopy, including a 236 m span.
Monteverde Butterfly Gardens
Wildlife · about 1.5 h · entry USD 20
Four habitat gardens showcasing native butterflies plus an insect and arthropod exhibit.
Monteverde Frog Pond (Ranario)
Wildlife · about 1 h · entry USD 18
Living exhibit of Costa Rica's colourful frogs, best visited on a guided night tour.
Jardín de Orquídeas (Orchid Garden)
Nature · about 1 h · entry USD 12
Compact garden in Santa Elena displaying 400+ orchid species, including some of the world's smallest.
Don Juan Coffee & Chocolate Tour
Cultural · 4.8 rating · about 2.5 h · entry USD 40
Working-farm tour covering coffee, chocolate and sugarcane from crop to cup.
CASEM Artisan Co-op
Market · 4.5 rating · about 0.5 h
Women's craft cooperative selling embroidery, textiles and Monteverde artwork.
Things to do
- Selvatura Zip-line Canopy Tour Adventure · 2.5 h · from USD 55 per person
- Monteverde Hanging Bridges Tour Nature · 2 h · from USD 40 per person
- Monteverde Night Walk Wildlife · 2 h · from USD 28 per person
- Coffee, Chocolate & Sugarcane Tour Food · 2.5 h · from USD 40 per person
- Cloud Forest Guided Birdwalk Wildlife · 3 h · from USD 60 per person
- Monteverde Horseback Riding Adventure · 2 h · from USD 50 per person
Day trips and tours
- Monteverde Canopy & Cloud Forest Day 8 h · from USD 130
Where to stay in Monteverde
- Santa Elena Town about CRC 60 per night
Main village with budget hostels, sodas, tour offices and the bus terminal.
- Cerro Plano about CRC 120 per night
Midway on the road to the reserve with mid-range hotels, restaurants and wildlife exhibits.
Hotels
- Hotel Poco a Poco 3-star · USD 110 to USD 160 per night
- Pensión Santa Elena 1-star · USD 14 to USD 55 per night
- Monteverde Country Lodge 3-star · USD 90 to USD 140 per night
- Hotel Belmar 4-star · USD 180 to USD 320 per night
Where to eat
- Restaurante Tramonti Italian, Pizza · about USD 18 per person
- Sabor Tico Costa Rican · about USD 10 per person
- Taco Taco Mexican · about USD 9 per person
- Stella's Bakery Cafe, Bakery · about USD 10 per person
- Morphos Restaurant International, Costa Rican · about USD 16 per person
- Restaurante Tico y Rico Costa Rican · about USD 10 per person
Getting around
- Car Rental Self main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
- Shuttle main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
- Taxi main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
- Walking
Every city has walking. 2.5 km ceiling is a placeholder default, not a researched per-city figure -- Singapore is sheltered and air-conditioned, Bangkok often has no pavement.