Cerro Pinocho Viewpoint
Viewpoint · Monteverde
A 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.
- Cost
- about $3
- Time there
- 1 h
- Best time
- sunset
- Kids
- 5 / 10
- View
- 9 / 10
- Crowds
- 3 / 10
- Swimming
- 0 / 10
- Effort
- 3 / 10
- Location
- 10.30393, -84.85263 — Google Maps
- Ratings
- 4.8 on Google (280)
Tip
Bring cash for the small landowner entrance fee (roughly US$2-4) and arrive an hour before sunset; simple picnics can be arranged on site for a little extra.
Be careful
The last stretch is a gravel road that gets slick in rain; don't leave valuables visible in the parked car.
Getting there
Gravel road from Cañitas; a car with good ground clearance is recommended, 4x4 in the rainy season.
Places nearby
- 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.
- Soda La AmistadSodas & Local FoodFamily-run soda on a side street in Santa Elena with generous casados, soups and ribs at local prices.
- 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.
- 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.
- Boca2 CaféFood & CoffeeBright little café on a plant-filled patio with bagel sandwiches, quesadillas, smoothies and good coffee.
- 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.
Sources: OpenStreetMap node/9165821717 · https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/9165821717 · https://wanderlog.com/place/details/2078462/cerro-pinocho · https://travelfeed.com/@mibreit-photo/monteverde-photography-guide