Discovering Monte Verde Cloud Forest (days 2, 3 and 4 of our 15-day self-guided trip to Costa Rica).
A day exploring Monte Verde Cloud Forest in Costa Rica.
Visiting Monteverde Cloud Forest
Arenal to Monteverde
A convenient, and reasonably priced, shuttle service that I’d found, took us by minibus-boat-minibus to our next destination – Santa Elena, the village near Monteverde rainforest. The scenery was stunning crossing Lake Arenal with the majestic volcano as a backdrop.
Alternatively you can catch the bus via Tilarán, around the lake through rural farmland, a scenic but time consuming journey. Horse-riding around the lake is another interesting possibility.
Santa Elena
The wood cabin complex we’d chosen, the Monteverde Hostel Lodge in Santa Elena was once again brilliant. Like most others, hot water meant a Costa Rican ‘suicide shower’… a showerhead with an electrical element that is okay as long as you don’t tamper with it! The large kitchen was communal with complimentary coffee, and a fridge to store our fruit and lager, etc.
On our travels Juan and I prefer ensuite accommodation when possible, but most hostels and budget hotels offer shared dormitories for backpackers at minimal rates.
Adventure Activities
Fortunately, the weather was fine and dry, ideal for adventure activities -Santa Elena is a cloud forest area which means a misty wet and coolish climate. Aventura Canopy Tour picked us up from our hotel for the short drive to the adventure park.
It was awesome… the ‘canopy’ as they call it, includes the longest zip-line in Latin America spanning 1590 metres, flying like a bird high above the green valleys with homesteads looking so tiny far below, and finishes with a Tarzan swing (may sound silly or hazardous, but it’s a real thrill and doesn’t hurt, I promise!).
Monteverde Cloud Forest
We spent a whole day walking the misty trails at the Monteverde Cloud Forest Park…it was magical, it was refreshing, and I even saw the elusive Quetzal, the sapphire-coloured CR national bird! There’s a convenient public bus service between Santa Elena village and the reserve.
With the entrance fee you’re given a map and a ranger will advise you about the trails, distances, times, difficulty, etc. Just some of the highlights include long wobbly ‘sky bridges hanging across the ravines, a waterfall gushing through the foliage, and the panoramic views from a vantage point above the clouds towards the Gulf of Nicoya and Playa Santa Teresa on Costa Rica’s Pacific Coast.
Eating Out in Santa Elena
The best places to eat are usually where the locals go and Soda La Salvadita is one of these rare gems, a neat little restaurant that serves home cooking at its best (opposite Santa Elena School). I loved the chicken fillet with fresh avocado sauce, and the creamy mango smoothie.
If you’re looking for somewhere more sophisticated or unusual, try the unique Tree House Restaurant & Cafe – it’s actually in the branches of an enormous tree!
Alternative Itineraries in Costa Rica
The hardest part of this holiday was working out the itinerary ‘cos you can’t do Costa Rica in two weeks, three maybe but two no!
I decided to leave out Guanacaste region and the Nicoya peninsula altogether… the volcanoes, nature reserves and ocean resorts. Most regretfully, there wasn’t time to visit Montezuma and to relax by the seaside for a couple of days in the boho village that everyone says is an absolute must-see.
Monteverde is only 225km away from Rivas across the Nicaraguan border. If you are travelling for longer and thinking of backpacking Nicaragua, the easiest way to get there is by shared shuttle which takes about four hours or so. The early morning public bus to Liberia and onward international coach is another option.
Continuing around Costa Rica
Our next destination is Manuel Antonio National Park down on the Pacific Coast. Costa Rica’s most famous nature reserve has well marked nature trails where sloths hide shyly in the trees, colonies of playful monkeys and coaties, and the most gorgeous soft sandy beaches.
Manuel Antonio National Park (Costa Rica)
Visting Manuel Antonio National Park in Costa Rica. Our 2 week Costa Rica Itinerary: Days 10 and 11.
A convenient minibus shuttle took us from Monteverde Cloud Forests straight down to Manuel Antonio National Park on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast, another must-see destination…
Discovering Costa Rica: Related Posts
Read about the fabulous places we visited on our travels through Costa Rica:
- Cahuita and the Caribbean Coast
- Tortuguero Waterways
- Arenal Volcano and La Fortuna
- Monteverde Cloud Forest
- Manuel Antonio National Park
- Uvita and Ballena Marino (Pacific Coast)
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