pura vida passENES

Things to do in Monteverde

40 places and 38 secret spots in Monteverde, with start times, how long each takes, prices as published and practical tips.

Tours & Adventure

  • 100% Aventura CanopyTours & Adventure · from $45Family-owned Costa Rican canopy park with a long superman zipline (site says 1,590 m), a Mega Tarzan swing and a guided hanging-bridge walk.
  • Canyoning Monteverde (Finca Modelo Ecológica)Tours & Adventure · from $65Family-run farm offering waterfall rappelling down six waterfalls (tallest 40 m) with fixed safety cables, plus tree climbing and a night walk.
  • Don Juan Tours Monteverde (coffee, chocolate, sugar cane)Tours & AdventureFamily farm tour that walks you through coffee, cacao and sugar cane with tastings, plus night-walk combos.
  • Monteverde Extremo ParkTours & Adventure · from $45.20Adrenaline park above the cloud forest with a long canopy line, a 143 m bungee jump (billed as Central America's highest) and a Tarzan swing.
  • Selvatura ParkTours & Adventure · takes 1 h–2.5 h · from $13.50Large cloud forest adventure park near Santa Elena with ziplines, hanging bridges and wildlife exhibits.
  • The Original Canopy Tour MonteverdeTours & Adventure · takes 2 h–2.5 h · from $80Monteverde's original zipline tour since 1994, run in small groups and including a climb inside a giant hollow fig tree.
  • Treetopia ParkTours & Adventure · from $49Cloud-forest adventure park (also known as Sky Adventures Monteverde) with a gondola tram, zipline, six hanging bridges and a tree-climbing course, on nearly 300 acres with only a small part developed.

Food & Coffee

  • Boca2 CaféFood & CoffeeBright little café on a plant-filled patio with bagel sandwiches, quesadillas, smoothies and good coffee.
  • Choco Café Restaurante y CafeteríaFood & CoffeeCozy restaurant and coffee shop in Santa Elena (13 years in business) built around Costa Rican coffee and cacao, with salads, salmon, pastries and craft beer.
  • El Trapiche TourFood & CoffeeFamily farm (opened to visitors in 2005) where you see coffee, cacao and sugar cane and taste each product, then make a cane sweet yourself.
  • Jiménez Bakery & Coffee ShopFood & CoffeeLocal bakery and coffee shop that opens at 5 am, with pastries, savory enchiladas, burgers and well-liked mochas.
  • Kapi Kapi RestauranteFood & CoffeeA hilltop restaurant just outside Santa Elena with long views over the green hills, known for thin-crust pizza at lunch and a more upscale dinner menu with pasta and Costa Rican dishes.
  • Monteverde Brewing CompanyFood & Coffee · from $39Local brewpub next to the brewery, pouring its own craft beers (Sirena Dorada, Red Tapir and more) with patacones, wings and hummus.
  • Orchid Coffee & RestaurantFood & CoffeeCozy café with a terrace next to the Orchid Garden, known for handmade cakes, crepes, paninis and a long breakfast list.
  • Pizzería e Ristorante TramontiFood & CoffeeFamily-run Italian restaurant since 1993 (founded by an Italian and Costa Rican couple), with a wood-fired oven, house-made ravioli and lasagna and a glass-and-timber dining room above the valley.
  • Raulito's Pollo AsadoFood & CoffeeSimple outdoor stand in central Santa Elena known for juicy rotisserie chicken with cassava at low prices.
  • Restaurante Don LuisFood & CoffeeFamily grill in Cerro Plano (since 2013) with beef dry-aged in a glass case in the dining room, plus pizza, seafood and a daily 2x1 happy hour.
  • Restaurante La Cuchara de la Abuela (CASEM)Food & CoffeeCooperative-run kitchen at CASEM, the women's craft co-op, serving typical plates and handmade corn tortillas.
  • Restaurante Mar & TierraFood & CoffeeWell-reviewed sit-down restaurant in central Santa Elena with a wide menu (paella, pasta, seafood and meat) and attentive service; groups should reserve.
  • Restaurante Sabor TicoFood & CoffeeLong-running typical Costa Rican restaurant in the Plaza Monteverde shopping center, across from the sports plaza.
  • Restaurante Tico y RicoFood & CoffeeDowntown Santa Elena restaurant serving homemade Costa Rican food in generous portions, from hearty breakfasts to casados and chifrijo, open from early morning to night.
  • San Lucas Treetop Dining ExperienceFood & Coffee · from $172Special-occasion tasting-menu dinner served in glass pods high in the cloud-forest canopy, built around Costa Rican ingredients and the sunset.
  • San Luis Coffee Tour (Café de San Luis)Food & CoffeeSmall community coffee tour on the Ramírez-Brenes family farm in San Luis: eight coffee varieties, orchids, fruit trees and a tasting of coffee with the family's own pastries.
  • Stella's Monteverde Bakery & CaféFood & CoffeeBakery opened in 1992 by English-born Stella Wallace, now a breakfast and lunch café across from the CASEM crafts co-op, using local cheeses and house bread.
  • The Open Kitchen MonteverdeFood & CoffeeBright, glass-walled all-day café in Santa Elena serving Mediterranean and Middle Eastern plates (shakshuka, falafel, Turkish burek) with Costa Rican coffee and big breakfasts.
  • Tree House RestaurantFood & CoffeeSanta Elena's best-known restaurant is built around a giant ficus tree whose branches run through the dining room.

Stays

Parks & Wildlife

  • Finca Lantana Night and Bird ToursParks & WildlifePrivate biological corridor in the middle of Monteverde with small guided night, bird and natural-history walks.
  • Frog Pond of Monteverde (Ranario)Parks & WildlifeA frog house in Santa Elena with more than 25 species of frogs, toads and other amphibians in terrariums built to mimic their habitats.
  • Kinkajou Night WalkParks & Wildlife · from $35Family-run guided night hike through a private forest corridor to spot frogs, snakes, tarantulas and other nocturnal wildlife.
  • Monteverde Butterfly GardensParks & Wildlife · from $6Guided garden visit with butterflies in four habitats, a nature center of live insects and arachnids and a leaf-cutter ant colony.
  • Santuario Ecológico MonteverdeParks & WildlifeFamily-run private forest reserve with guided day and night walks (monkeys, coatis, agoutis, sleepy mammals), self-guided trails, cooking classes and a coffee experience.
  • The Bat JungleParks & WildlifeIndoor bat exhibit designed by bat biologist Dr.
  • Valle Escondido Nature ReserveParks & Wildlife · from $8Family-run 17-hectare reserve with trails, wooden platforms over a ravine and waterfall views, plus one of Monteverde's first night tours.

Sodas & Local Food

  • Soda La AmistadSodas & Local FoodFamily-run soda on a side street in Santa Elena with generous casados, soups and ribs at local prices.
  • Soda La SalvaditaSodas & Local FoodA small family soda in Santa Elena serving traditional Costa Rican food; its tamales are said to be among the best in town, usually at breakfast but often available at lunch too.
  • Soda Shangri-LaSodas & Local FoodTiny family-run roadside soda with homemade Costa Rican food at low prices: casados, empanadas, fried chicken and fresh fruit juices, served with a lot of friendliness.
  • Trapiche Vásquez at Restaurante FloridaSodas & Local Food · from $5A family roadside soda on the dirt road between Tilarán and Monteverde where the owner has run sugar-cane demos for years: you help feed the trapiche, taste fresh cane juice plain or with orange or ginger, and see how tapa de dulce is boiled and molded.

Secret spots in Monteverde

  • Monteverde Cloud Forest ReserveTrail · about $26The reserve that put Monteverde on the map: moss-dripping trails, a long suspension bridge through the canopy and a real shot at spotting a resplendent quetzal.
  • Curi-Cancha ReserveTrail · about $20A private reserve of cloud forest and old pasture that birders swear by: wide, gentle trails, giant strangler figs and good odds of quetzals, agoutis and coatis.
  • Hummingbird Feeders at Café ColibríNature spot · FreeFeeders outside a small café by the reserve entrance draw swarms of hummingbirds: violet sabrewings, brilliants and woodstars buzzing inches from your face.
  • Monteverde Cheese Factory ShopLocal shop · FreeThe dairy founded by Monteverde's Quaker settlers in 1953 still sells its cheeses at the factory shop, along with ice cream in flavors like coffee, soursop and macadamia.
  • Santa Elena Cloud Forest ReserveTrail · about $16A community-run reserve, higher and mistier than Monteverde's, whose entry fees support the local high school.
  • Santa Elena Town CenterLandmark · FreeThe compact hub of Monteverde life: a small cobbled triangle where the main roads meet, packed with tour desks, cafes, bakeries, a supermarket and the bus stops for the reserves.
  • Bajo del Tigre (Children's Eternal Rainforest)Trail · about $19The walk-in gateway to the Children's Eternal Rainforest, a reserve started with money raised by schoolkids around the world.
  • Caburé ChocolatesLocal shop · FreeA family chocolatier in Monteverde making bean-to-bar chocolate and Argentine-style truffles; the café counter makes a sweet stop between hikes.
  • Café Monteverde Coffee CenterLocal shop · FreeA cozy coffee bar and shop serving beans from small Monteverde farms, with a giant mosaic coffee-cup sculpture right next to it.
  • CASEM Women's Artisan CooperativeLocal shop · FreeA non-profit shop run by a cooperative of local women artisans, selling embroidery, wood carvings and forest-themed crafts made around Santa Elena and Monteverde.
  • Cerro Pinocho ViewpointViewpoint · about $3A small picnic lookout on a ridge west of Santa Elena with a wide, almost all-round view over the Gulf of Nicoya and the ridges below; reviewers call it one of the best sunset spots around.
  • Cerro Plano Sunset ViewpointViewpoint · FreeA roadside lookout in Cerro Plano where the hills fall away toward the Gulf of Nicoya; locals gather here to watch the sun sink into the Pacific haze.
  • El Tigre WaterfallsWaterfall · about $29A jungle gorge with several waterfalls and a string of hanging bridges, hiked on a muddy loop across private land; the first fall is the most photogenic.
  • La Ventana Continental Divide LookoutViewpoint · about $26A windy deck right on the Continental Divide inside the Monteverde reserve, looking down the Caribbean slope on one side while the clouds pour over the ridge from the other.
  • Mirador San LuisViewpoint · Free · hidden gemA small platform with benches above the San Luis valley, looking out to the Gulf of Nicoya and the Pacific.
  • Mirador Valle Escondido PreserveViewpointA viewpoint near Monteverde, Costa Rica, popular at sunset.
  • Monteverde Orchid GardenNature spot · about $18A small garden in the middle of Santa Elena with hundreds of orchid species, including some of the tiniest in the world, shown with a magnifying glass on a short guided walk.
  • Monteverde Waterfall (Catarata Los Murciélagos)Waterfall · about $7A short, steep trail with rustic bridges, right in town, leads to a 10-meter waterfall and a cold pool you're allowed to swim in.
  • San Luis Waterfall (Finca Ecológica San Luis)Waterfall · about $20 · hidden gemA tall waterfall in the San Luis valley reached on a muddy trail across a private finca; visitors also mention a natural swimming hole, coatis and plenty of birds.
  • Arenal Volcano Lookout beyond Santa Elena Reserve (sunrise pasture)Viewpoint · Free · hidden gemPast the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve, the dirt road toward San Gerardo tops out on the continental divide at an open, treeless pasture.
  • Arenal Volcano Roadside LookoutViewpoint · Free · hidden gemA pull-off north of Santa Elena where Arenal Volcano rises over the cloud-forest ridges on clear mornings; one of the roadside stops with a view on the way to San Gerardo.
  • Catarata Ángel Gabriel (and La Cueva)Waterfall · hidden gem~40 m waterfall with river pools; a cave stop on the same trail.
  • Cerro Amigos Summit HikeTrail · Free · hidden gemAt about 1,840 m, the highest point around Monteverde: a steep, free climb up an old service road to a summit of antennas, with views to Arenal Volcano and the Gulf of Nicoya when the clouds part.
  • Cuesta Blanca Sunset Viewpoint (El Milano)Viewpoint · Free · hidden gemA ridge-top lookout on the western edge of Santa Elena along Route 606, facing the lowlands of Guanacaste and the Gulf of Nicoya.
  • Ficus Root Bridge (Puente Ficus)Nature spot · about $2 · hidden gemA strangler fig whose roots have grown into a living bridge over a little stream, tucked away on a private property near the center of Santa Elena.
  • Micelio Studio & Art GalleryLocal shop · FreeA small independent art studio and gallery in the middle of Santa Elena, with local paintings and handmade pieces; a calm browse away from the souvenir strip.
  • Mirador Los OlivosViewpointA viewpoint near Monteverde, Costa Rica, popular at sunset.
  • Monteverde Farmers Market (Feria del Agricultor)Local shop · FreeA small farmers' market at the Monteverde shopping center, next to Banco Popular, with local produce and homemade goods, often cheaper than the supermarket.
  • Reserva Biológica Alberto Manuel BrenesNature spotA biological reserve near San Ramón run by the University of Costa Rica, protecting tropical forest.
  • San Gerardo Station (Children's Eternal Rainforest)Park · hidden gemA field station on a grassy ridge in the northern sector of the Children's Eternal Rainforest, with trails through mossy forest and views over the cloud forest toward the Arenal side; far quieter than the reserves near Santa Elena.
  • San Gerardo WaterfallWaterfall · hidden gemA slender waterfall in cloud forest near the San Gerardo field station of the Children's Eternal Rainforest, reached on a signed path through quiet forest far from the main-reserve crowds.
  • Selvatura ParkParkSelvatura is an adventure park and nature centre in Monteverde, in the Cordillera de Tilarán.
  • Giant Ficus Tree (south of the Cheese Factory)Nature spot · Free · hidden gemA huge strangler fig in a patch of woods south of the cheese factory; you can climb a short way up among its buttress roots before the upper section is closed off.
  • Mirador Don VirgilioViewpoint · hidden gemA viewpoint near Guacimal, Puntarenas province.
  • Mirador El CallaoViewpoint · hidden gemA viewpoint near Guacimal, Puntarenas province.
  • Plataforma mirador de Altos de San Luis, MonteverdeViewpoint · hidden gemA viewpoint near Santa Elena, Puntarenas province.
  • Route 606 Gulf of Nicoya LookoutViewpoint · Free · hidden gemA pull-off on the winding Route 606 descent from Monteverde, where the mountainside opens up over farmland all the way to the Gulf of Nicoya.
  • Selvatura HangingbridgesTrail · hidden gemA trail near Tronadora, Guanacaste province.