Top 42 things to do and attractions in Santa Elena

We had the absolute sweetest tour guide, Erin, I think. You could really feel that she was passionate about all the insects and she could answer all of our questions. It made the experience so much better. The butterflies in themselves were also beautiful and we loved learning about them. Highly recommended taking a trip here.

One of my fave activities in Monteverde! The volunteer staff are very knowledgeable and passionate about entomology and everything butterflies! The tour starts with an interesting info section on a variety of native insects, then you are lead through 4 butterfly enclosures. With your ticket, you can continue to wander around the enclosures after the guided tour at your leisure, and also return later the same day if desired :)

Great place to see butterflies and learn a lot about them (and other insects)! Best is to visit in the morning and on a sunny day, the butterflies are a lot more active. After buying a ticket you can always come back for "free" another day.

Great experience, my daughter loved it and was so thankful we did it. Staff was super friendly, knowledgeable, and answered any and all questions. Beautiful place with lots to see. Our guide was in no rush and we spent more than the alotted hour. Once you pay, you can also go back after the tour to see anything you may have missed!

We had a lovely morning learning all sorts of stuff and seeing all the pretty butterflies. Kennedy was very knowledgeable and walked at a nice pace. I have a previous back injury and wasn’t sure how much I could do but was able to do the whole tour.

We loved our stop here. Our guide endeared me to beetles & roaches, which I consider to be quite a feat. Seeing them & the tarantulas was very cool but the butterflies remained the stars of the show. It’s so magical to be in the same space as them flying, swooping and gliding around.

One of the nicest experiences we had while visiting Monteverde- Lia and Elise were a joy to listen to and their energy and enthusiasm were contagious! Lots of love!

Small, but full of information. Great for groups of 6 or less. Take a quick self-guided tour for little kids to watch the bats, or spend an hour+ with a full guided tour and a long stay if you are someone who really wants to learn and appreciate the unique experience. Some small themed souvenirs available ($3-20).

This is a very unique experience. The "Bat Jungle" itself is not very large, but the experience is really cool. Being able to see bats up close and take pictures with no fear of actual bat contact. Great information about bats. Very cheap admission. Worth a quick stop.

The only tropical bat rescue center in the world. A lot of information on display plus you get to see 7 species of cute little bats.

This is my third time coming to the bat jungle, and it does not disappoint. It’s a small place, but the people who work there truly bring passion and knowledge to the establishment - and I leave having learned something new every time. The bat room is great - being able to see the little bat families sleeping and feeding is such a privilege. Thank you again for such a great experience!

Incredible educational information and easy to understand. Facility bat population decreaaed after Hurricane Nathan in 2017. The living space appears adequate for the smaller population. It does not appear that they are actively receiving injured bats because their baby bats are not surviving due to inbreeding.

Bats were amazing!!! But unfortunately it was closed with no notice when we arrived. Supposed to be open at 10 but when we arrived no one was around. Came back at 12 for the next tour but again no one was there. Eventually we got in and did a self guided tour (which was still great) but sad not to learn more about the animals from a professional.

We went for a walk along Rachel & Dwight Crandell Memorial footpath around 5pm and came across two men from The Bat Jungle setting up nets across the path. We assumed we could duck under the nets and keep going but they really didn't want us around and told us the whole reserve was now closed to the public. Given that they run a bat zoo to attract the paying public I am concerned they are capturing bats. Their web page advertises that you can watch mother bats give birth and nurse babies in front of your eyes. I find this distasteful to lure visitors with this idea that bats that could be born in the wild are born here for your enjoyment. I added photos of the vehicle that belonged to the guys using the nets in the reserve. I honestly don't understand how this is different from a for profit zoo in the guise of research.

A fun place to visit if you want to see some frogs after a day of walking. You should visit around 18:00 because that is when the frogs become active. If you buy a ticket a tour with guide and flashlights is included. We did the tour with about 8 other people. The frogs are in different terraria with a lot of plants so you need your flashlight and the guide to spot them. The guide could tell a lot about the frogs and there were plenty of picture opportunities. It takes about 1 hour for the complete walk-around. The ticket also includes a later visit during the day to see the frogs you could not see during your first visit. It is a fun activity, although a bit expensive for the time it takes.

I loved it. Lots of gorgeous frogs. If you go I would advise getting on a tour because they can point out even the tiny frogs to you and give you a lot more information. The exhibit itself is well populated but still small so without the tour it would be a very quick visit. It’s is $20 each which is pricey but if you like animals I think it’s worth the price. Highly recommend.

We visited on a Sunday afternoon. The insect room was a great way to start the outing before seeing the frogs. Very hospitable and passionate staff, I highly recommend getting the guided tour to get all the fun facts and help find the frogs easier (no extra cost!) they mentioned a night tour they offer as well that we will add to our next Costa Rica itinerary!

We waffled on whether or not to buy tickets because they felt a little expensive, but our kids really wanted to go. It ended up being amazing. You definitely want to take the free tour - the guide, Pablo, was full of info, and was so helpful in actually finding the frogs. We wouldn’t have found many without him. The ticket lets you get back in a second time, so we returned at 7pm as Pablo said they’d be more active. He was right! Had a great time watching the frogs, as well as spotting all sorts of insects (scorpions and rhinoceros katydids among the highlights).

$20USD per person and a wonderful experience. I recommend doing it with a guide, as ours was super enthusiastic and we learned a lot from him. A surprisingly great experience. Your ticket gets you free re entry within the week, as many of the frogs are nocturnal and you’re encouraged to come back in the evening to see them in action.

GO AT NIGHT! Unfortunately, there were no available guides for when we came. However, there was an employee who was capable of pointing out the frogs for us. We went at 6:00 during a rainstorm, so all the frogs were awake and active! It was pretty expensive for what it was, we had a good time and we were the only ones there. The frogs looked well taken care of, however, I was worried about the singular koi fish in that pond. There was NOT ENOUGH water for the poor thing to properly swim.

Great experience! We arrived right before 6 pm and had a fantastic tour! We didn't need flashlights and saw every frog in each area. We learned a lot. The kids were recounting all the facts they learned in the car when leaving. Great frog tour and I love that we can come back again during the day to see the few day time frogs that were sleeping.

Our private guide, Lucia, was very nice and knowledgeable. It is a beautiful forest environment. We did not see a lot of wildlife, but that just happens sometimes. We did get a good scope view of a tarantula. Our tour started at eight in the morning and the trails were not busy. You might have to start a little earlier to see much wildlife. Note that the road to get there is very, very rough and takes about 25 minutes from the town.

Gorgeous, well maintained trails! Seriously better sign posted than some of US national park trails we’ve been on. A good first day hiking outing to warm you up for more challenging hikes (e.g. El Tigre waterfall, another I’d highly recommend). We did the blue trail, took about 1.5 hrs, there was a tree fallen right at the half way point but it didn’t take long to go around and take the shortcut through. We didn’t pay to enter, had lovely staff out front to answer questions and recommend trails. Nature abounds, we didn’t see many animals but I’m sure a guide would be able to point plenty out. Also a decent size parking lot if you drive!

On the continental divide between the Pacific and Carribean it offers tremendous views in both directions. There are several trails and a basic but good gift shop. Our guided tour introduced us to the cloud forest and it's ecology.

We had a fantastic tour with Orlando, who was super knowledgeable! This is definitely not the place to spot loads of animals due to the dense jungle, but the cloud forest experience is very unique compared to all the other well-known national parks at lower levels. Orlando did show us a hummingbird nest though! Well worth the trip.

There are five types of trails to choose from, with varying the length and time. We took the blue trail - the advertised time was 2.5 hours but we finished in one hour. We do walk faster than average people though. We went on a rainy day. The trails weren’t particularly muddy because they were paved with small rocks. It could be slippery at some parts because of the wet fallen leaves on the ground. The park felt less maintained compared to the other cloud forest parks. Some signs were a bit confusing. They could have put more signs along the trails to indicate where people are at the entire journey. Overall it was an easy hike. There weren’t more exciting things to see other than immersing yourself in the cloud forest. Ticket is USD 18.

Very nice reserve where we got to see quetzals 😱 and some other birds and a lot of wild life. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and nice and included one free coffee or tea!

Magical forest that has excellently well maintained trails to hike through. A lookout tower near the highest point of the Reserve gave amazing views of the surrounding area. The blue trail was particularly nice - quieter than the others and you can really immerse yourself in the forest.

I have nothing more to add that hasn’t been shared by hundreds of other reviewers but suffice it to say that this is a sacred place that you HAVE to visit if you are in Monte Verde. I did the suspension bridge tour and it was phenomenal. Didn’t see a lot of wildlife but the rainforest / jungle is sacred and awe-inspiring. The restaurant “El Jardín” was pretty good too but don’t get the burger. Just go for the Casado!

Selvatura is seriously overpriced. We only went in so our viewers could see what it’s actually like, and it turned out to be a disappointment. The experience doesn’t match the price at all. If it were 15 USD per person, I’d say fine. But for this price? Absolutely not worth it. The problem is simple: as long as people keep paying, nothing will change. If fewer visitors went, they would eventually have to admit the prices are too high. But many still pay because “if not here, then where”… and that keeps the cycle going. My honest recommendation: don’t go. Our channel:Spotlight To Me

The park was nice! We did the hanging bridges and the butterfly sanctuary and we’re not disappointed by either. Our only complaint is the cost; we booked in advance through a travel agency for the hanging bridges and they didn’t offer any combo packages so we had to pay full price for the butterfly garden. Also even though we did a guided walk through the bridges, we were not allowed to walk through them after unless we paid the full entry fee again. A little disappointing but still beautiful!

We visited Selvatura Park mainly for the famous canopy tours, which were every bit as amazing as promised. Soaring over the cloud forest is something we’ll be talking about for years. But what really surprised us was how much we loved the butterfly sanctuary. It’s the one part most people seem to skip, which is a real shame because watching the whole transformation from caterpillar to butterfly up close is simply magical. We wandered among hundreds of butterflies in all shapes and colors, even spotting a few just emerging from their chrysalises. It felt like stepping into a living storybook. We also stopped by the sloth sanctuary, which was peaceful and heartwarming. Seeing these gentle creatures slowly do their thing (mostly nap and snack) was oddly soothing. Selvatura might be famous for the adrenaline, but don’t miss the quieter corners — they made our day even more special. Highly recommend taking the time to explore it all.

This beautiful place is definitely worth visiting. There are plenty of activities to choose from, and you can either drive yourself or arrange for a pickup and drop-off. Don’t forget to bring a rain jacket, as there’s food available on-site in case you need a snack.

Staff is very friendly. The walking tour with the 8 hanging bridges was beautiful. Zip lining was phenomenal.

We did the zipline and hanging bridges combo. Amazing morning soaring through the trees. All the staff was very helpful and friendly and made us feel very safe, they did a thorough safety briefing and guided us well throughout the zip lining. It seems they have the most individual zip lines of all the parks in Monteverde - 13 in total and a Tarzan swing in addition. If you’re really adventurous you can also do one of the zip lines in a hanging pose called superman. There is a bit of hiking and stairs involved so basic level of fitness would be useful. The hanging bridges 3km trail was beautiful with 9 hanging bridges spread throughout the cloud forest, we saw some (humming)birds but not much else in the way of wildlife - a guide may be useful for this. There are lockers on the property - you can take your phone for pictures if you have a pocket that closes for the zipline. They take photos of you as well but those cost 20USD I think. Only negative would be the price, it’s a lot of money but we found it worth the experience in the end!

We hiked around for three hours with no guide. This was our third day in Monteverde and we had learned about wildlife and plants from other tours we had done so the guide was an unnecessary expense for us. We saw lots of cool plants and some bugs mostly. Heard many birds and saw them flying too quickly to identify but still thoroughly enjoyed ourselves!!

Wonderful experience We went without guide and still saw plenty of animals! We also saw the famous quetzal! And we received plenty of amazing explanations from the gardener who was taking care of the garden in the beginning of the park.

Our guide Koky was amazing!! We did a 3 hr walk starting at 8:30a. He could name and imitate every bird call we heard and was full of amazing facts and stories about the area. Also had an amazing scope to make sure everyone could see.

The Curicancha Reserve in Monteverde is an absolute must-do if you are in this region of Costa Rica. It’s a protected forest that has been left to evolve naturally, and walking through it feels like stepping into another world. The biodiversity here is simply incredible – both flora and fauna. I highly recommend going with a guide, ideally in a small group to fully appreciate the experience. I did both a day tour and a night tour, and each was extraordinary. During the day, you can admire the towering centenary trees, unique plants, reptiles, and a wide variety of birds. At night, the forest comes alive with creatures you would never see otherwise: tarantulas with orange knees, lizards, snakes, scorpions, and countless insects. The highlight of my visit was spotting the extremely rare Oilbird, a species that only comes to Costa Rica every three years to feed on a local endemic avocado tree. Even our guide, David (who was outstanding), had only seen it twice in eight years – it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience! The reserve is also family-friendly. I visited with my two children (6 and 9 years old), and we always felt safe. The trails are wide, well-maintained, and secure, while still allowing you to be fully immersed in nature. If you love wildlife, this is one of the best places to connect with Costa Rica’s natural beauty. The entrance price is very fair considering the richness of what you experience. Curicancha is simply unforgettable – highly recommended!

Excellent night tour! We had a very good guide, named Dauner, who spotted a lot of wild live we would never have seen ourselves. Birds, spiders, frogs, snakes. We received the photos he made that night.

My family and I did the night walk today and it was wonderful! Being deep in the forest was really cool and we had a really great guide! Thank you Dauner! 🙏🏼 We saw a really beautiful orange and black tarantula, a huge caterpillar, a couple of scorpions, a bird, a couple of bats, butterflies, lightning bugs and learned so much about the cloud forest and animals. This is an absolute must tour to do. You’ll really enjoy it.

This wasn’t where we planned to do our night tour but we are so pleased we made that mistake as it was by far the best tour we did on our trip!! Our guide, Dauner, was phenomenal - his infectious enthusiasm was only matched by his extensive knowledge. It was as if we gave him a wish list of what we hoped to see and he ticked them all off and many many more. He also took photos with his own camera and scope that he shared with us afterwards. Such a special evening - he had our teenage boys hooked on his every word and we were all excited to see what he would find next!

I wish I could give more than 5 stars! Our group adored our wonderful server Erick and bartender Daniel. They made us feel like royalty. The food was exceptional and paired perfectly with the knowledge we learned of Costa Rica and it's culture! It was interactive, insightful, and delicious! We were also surprised with a fun celebration for our 6 year wedding anniversary! This was on our first day visiting Costa Rica, and it truly set the standard for our trip! I cannot recommend this experience enough! Worth it, book it, enjoy it!

Such a fun experience! We did the 9 course dinner with one of the cocktail pairings and another wine pairing for a honeymoon celebration dinner. Some of the food and drinks are better than others, but it is a really fun dinner and they have done a great job making it a once in a lifetime experience. We loved the “passport” through the different regions of Costa Rica (each course is supposed to represent a different region) and they did a little magic trick at the end (no spoilers!). It is pricey ($515 for the dinner for 2 + the wine and cocktail pairings) and don’t expect the same quality of food you might in like NYC or another big food city, but it is a really unique experience we both thoroughly enjoyed for a fancier meal.

The location, view, atmosphere, and presentation are absolutely impeccable. Service was excellent - special thanks to Fabio, who truly elevated the evening. A few dishes stood out and were genuinely enjoyable, though others fell short, particularly the oysters, which didn’t meet the standard expected of a place like this. The Brut we ordered also lacked quality and tasted rather cheap. Overall, we had a pleasant evening and I would still recommend visiting for the ambiance and service. That said, the value for money is somewhat debatable.

The location and the private pod you get are fantastic. The 6 courses rating menu we had was a journey around Costa Rica. The food was amazingly good, if this was in Europe it would have a Michelin star. The staff were great. I cannot recommend this place enough.

San Lucas Treetop Dining in Monteverde is pure magic. This isn’t just dinner—it’s a deeply immersive culinary journey through the diverse regions and flavors of Costa Rica. My fiance and I chose the 9-course sunset tasting menu ($172 per person/tax & tip included), and it instantly became one of our Top 3 dining experiences worldwide. First things first—this is an exclusive experience. San Lucas only serves 8 or 9 private glass pods per sunset slot, so reservations are a must. Sunset experience is a 9 course menu whereas Lunch and Late Dinner sittings can be 6 or 9. They are very punctual, and for good reason: the timing of each course and the sunset seating are all carefully choreographed. We unfortunately had a misty/cloudy evening so we didn't witness the sunset in full effect, but spectacular regardless. When you arrive, you’ll be greeted at the gates where your reservation is confirmed, then whisked away in a golf cart past the property’s gates and up through a beautiful, forested complex. It already feels like something special before you even sit down. Once seated in your pod (perched among the trees), your specialized server/guide introduces the surprise menu—each course inspired by a different region of Costa Rica and created using seasonal, local ingredients. Ours was led by Jeffrey, who went above and beyond to make our engagement celebration memorable. He explained each regional course with warmth and passion, and even gave us a ride back afterward to meet our taxi. Truly exceptional service. Our 9-course experience included: 🍞 1. Beginning the Journey – Artisanal breads, mushroom butter, agua de sapo sphere 🌊 2. Puntarenas: The Rich Coast – Smoked fish & piangua ceviche, oysters, tuna caldosa, naranjilla juice 🌽 3. Guanacaste: Pujagua Corn – Pork empanada with chicasquil, lemon gel, and ancestral corn 🌴 4. Limón: Mekatelyu sometin – Scallops with coconut air and Caribbean sauce ⛰ 5. Cartago: Mountains and Volcanoes – Confit potatoes with duck magret and Emmental cheese (my personal favorite) 🏙 6. San José: Where Cultures Blend – NY Strip with avocado cream, kale, puffed rice, and plantain (a close second) 🍍 7. Heredia: Farmer’s Market – Pineapple, lime sorbet, ginger, coconut water 🎃 8. Alajuela: Mangos and Nicknames – Squash dessert with caramelized pecans and sugar cane honey 💛 9. Monteverde: Golden Treasure – A sweet final bite to complete the journey Each dish is a work of art, and Jeffrey shared the cultural and culinary stories behind the ingredients—turning the meal into an exploration of Costa Rica itself. The cocktails are also fantastic. We tried a rich Old Fashioned, the bold and herbal Golden Toad Poison, and a perfectly balanced Spicy Margarita. Highly recommend adding the drink experience. They offer pescetarian, vegetarian, and vegan versions of the menu as well, but note: dietary restrictions must be communicated in advance due to the surprise format and nature of the dishes. 💡 Final tips: Arrive on time—everything is timed and limited Choose the sunset seating if you can Ask for Jeffrey—he’s phenomenal Be ready to slow down, savor, and be surprised San Lucas Treetop Dining is not just a meal—it’s a celebration of Costa Rica’s soul. If you’re in Monteverde, do not miss this experience.

What a unique experience. A private glass pod in a tree house on the side of a mountain is pretty spectacular. I ended up dining alone as I tacked an additional day onto a business trip and my partner was not here and the team made it extra nice for me with a very friendly and engaging service by Jeffrey, who was just fantastic. All 9 courses were so unique and told a true Costa Rican story all along the way with very beautiful presentation and very unique flavors. I was very impressed with the entire experience as it was very well thought out, easy to book, easy to execute. It did take the roughly 2.5+ hours so it’s a full on experience and hope to come back some day. Thanks to you all for a great experience to end my final night in Monteverde before a bunch of business meetings. It was very special, including the exploding chocolate at the beginning and the magic trick at the end ;)

I really wanted to like this place. I had heard so many great things and came in with high expectations. Unfortunately, it just didn’t deliver. We went with the prix fixe menu and splurged on their top bottle of champagne, Dom Pérignon. At that level, you’d expect attentive service, or at the very least, that the server would pour our drinks. Instead, I found myself getting up repeatedly to refill glasses for my wife and me. The food was beautifully plated, and you could tell there was an attempt at fine dining flair. But taste-wise, it fell flat. It lacked depth, flavor, and soul. Inspiring? Maybe in presentation. Satisfying? Not quite. The vibe of the place was great, it’s stylish and lively, and to be fair, the staff was friendly. But great service requires more than a smile. For the price, it simply isn’t worth it. This felt more like an experience crafted for hype than for true quality. I left feeling disappointed and unsatisfied.

We arrived at around 8:45 to the place and had little trouble getting set out on the walk. The sights were interesting, as I had never been in Costa Rica before and had never been on a nightwalk. Being in the dark with nothing more than a flashlight and the neighboring flashlights of those around me filled me with adrenaline, but I also had my reasons to post such a low rating. The tour guide, whose name I don't remember, was nice and funny throughout the hike, but as we continued there was less and less to see. More and more there'd be periods of silence and no animals worth seeing, and those worth seeing were only allowed to be seen in groups that decreased in number (because the tour guide said so). He'd say "come in groups of five or six," and there were twelve of our travel group. But as we went on he asked for smaller and smaller numbers when looking at an animal. While someone saw a cool animal everyone else was left standing on the trail in the dark with their flashlights. Of course, there were good things that came from the nightwalk, such as I got to have a stickbug climb up my arm, but it also had its issues. I'm neutral on recommending this place. If you see a lot of animals, it's luck. Not convenience.

We had a great night tour with Pablo as a great - It was great! We saw varoius animals and both we and our kids enjoyed Pablos company - and will highly recommend the tour

This was one of the highlights of our time in Central America. We got to see armadillos, kinkajous, tarantulas, wild pigs, frogs and sleeping birds. Our guide, Rodrigo, was extremely knowledgeable and provided some brilliant insights into the animals. He was great. I would highly recommend this tour for anyone looking to do a night walk in Monteverde. Also, as an added bonus, the majority of funds goes towards continuing conservation efforts in the reserve. 10/10.

Amazing tour! I ended up being the only one on my tour because a bus of 5 others was delayed. My guide Greivin was an absolute ninja at finding wildlife on the El Establo trails. Very fun tour!

Such a good time. You can tell the guides really wanted to find wildlife for us and they did a great job!!! The sunset view and hummingbirds were an unexpected great perk !

Overall, the night walk tour was decent. The guide highly notes that wildlife is unpredictable and we might not see anything at all. So I think I was lucky to see the snake, various insects, female tarantulas, and a sleeping bird. It was great that our guide was happy to take close ups of the animals with a special light so the animals aren't a blurry mess. The reason I took a star off was because flashlight provided wasn't good and barely lit 3 feet in front of me. I had to rely on other people's flashlights to see anything at the distance - which was practically everything... It seemed like there were more people on the tours that they didn't have enough to provide to everyone so they took out old flashlights... Additionally, Our guide was focused on answering our groups questions and didn't bother to be on the look out. On one hand, it was great that he was enthusiastic to provide information but, on the other hand, I felt like he could have been more vigilant on animal watching... My partner and I came back to the trail the next day before sunset. We saw even less wildlife but it was interesting to see the path and location in the daylight. The sunset was just beautiful. We had a little snack at the Night Walk Tour building and a Coati friend came by to say hello.

We had a spectacular time. Leo was our guide and did an amazing job and was so informative on all the wildlife we had got to see. We had seen olingo, kinjogou, tarantula, praying mantis, baby viper so sleeping birds it was great and the sunset from the location is honestly out of the world.

This was located within walking distance from our lodge. It does get a lot of people to see the colorful sunset, so finding a parking spot can be difficult. You have to get there early, may about 15-30 minutes before sunset. There are a few benches, which also get occupied quickly. We did witness a colorful sunset, but there is construction equipment and some debris that mar the foreground of the picture. That's why I rated it at 4 stars.

Walking in the clouds is not a euphemism here. This Preserve has amazing trails that are easy to follow. Many are accessible for any hiker.

Truly a beautiful view. A little further back from that view point is a cool look out with a balcony.

Cerro Amigos is very difficult hike, but so rewarding!

Beautiful spot, you can see the gulf of nicoya from here. A couple benches available but people we just sitting along the green

Nice view point with benches. Great to walk towards here from the center, people watching, Seeing houses and life of local folks.

View was nice. There were benches and good parking.

Super cool ficus tree that you can climb and take photos with. There are also howler moneys that you can spot so closely. Very short walk down a pretty well maintained stair path. We did access a trail from the other side and were able to complete a loop!

This is a really nice spot! It’s really not a hike, more a 15min walk. We saw some monkeys on the way and spend 30mins exploring the area underneath the ficus, by the water. Overall short but sweet stop. Bring cash to put in the box at the entrance.

We walked up to the trailhead and there was no attendant. However y here was a little box next to the trailhead where they wanted you to leave a donation or pay via the honor system. It’s an extremely short walk back to the tree root. As soon as we walked back we heard and saw monkeys jumping in the trees above.

Quick and easy stop to see amazing roots. There’s a donation box at the top of the stairs and a bathroom. Very short walk down some stairs and you’ll see the ficus roots. They also have some benches if you wanted to have lunch/snack. Parking lot available.

There are two entry points to the ficus root bridge, separated by less than 100 ft. The one pinpointed here is "free" in the sense that it doesn't require a donation but is not marked and is a little harder to get to. It's to the right of a red and white house. Once you arrive at the river, cross it and follow it downstream. You might have to cross another time or two to find a walkable path to the tree, which is about no more than 300 ft away. You'll find yourself at the foot of the tree where you can see the entire full face of the bridge. Now if you want to find a better marked and maintained route to the tree, venture into the private lot about 50 ft to the right of the previously mentioned unmarked trail. The private lot houses large construction vehicles and commercial trucks, so you can't park there. Anyhow, look for a sign on the left with "Raiz." There's a donation box where you should drop in some coin to help the landowner's efforts to maintain the path for public use. From there, just follow the path down to the top of the bridge. Cross it at your own risk! There's not much to hang on to and can be super sketchy if damp! Hope that helps! Whichever path you take, have fun, be respectful to the landowner and others sharing your experience, and pura vida!

Cool short little trail and only took a couple minutes to reach the tree. It was easy to visit on our way out of Monteverde

The ficus tree with the root bridge is on public property, but the sign to "Ficus La Raiz" will take you to a man who will ask you for money to pass. There is a free path just 15 meters up the road from the sign. The free trail starts as a narrow dirt path that leads to the stream. Then turn right and follow the stream for a minute or two until you reach the tree. You can cross the stream twice via conveniently placed rocks.

If you’re looking for a magical and unforgettable experience in nature, the Hummingbird Gallery is an absolute must-visit. Tucked away in a lush, tranquil setting, this place feels like stepping into another world. The moment you arrive, you’re greeted by the soft hum of wings and the glittering flashes of color from dozens of hummingbirds darting through the air. The staff here are incredibly welcoming and knowledgeable, ready to share fascinating facts about the species you see. They’ve created a space that is both peaceful and respectful of the birds’ natural environment. Fresh feeders are set up around the garden, attracting a variety of hummingbirds that are so close, you can watch their delicate wings in incredible detail. The gallery itself features beautiful photography, handcrafted art, and souvenirs inspired by local wildlife. The coffee served here is rich and flavorful, making it the perfect companion while you sit on the patio and watch the birds. It’s not a large attraction, but that’s part of its charm—you feel like you’re part of an intimate and serene moment in nature. Bring a camera with a good zoom lens if you can; you’ll want to capture these little jewels in flight. Overall, the Hummingbird Gallery is a peaceful, inspiring stop that will leave you feeling connected to the beauty of the natural world. Highly recommended!

Loved spending time here sitting on the bench photographing the hummingbirds, there are so many just whizzing around everywhere. The shop has a lot of cute souvenirs and the cafe has good snacks and coffee!

It’s a gift shop with a patio with a few humming bird feeders. I saw a variety of hummingbirds. We enjoyed the gift shop. Not the best prices around but everything seemed to be of high quality.

Go for the hummingbirds. Well worth the trip to see them and I'd recommend checking out the cafe. The souvenir shop prices are higher than any other spot we visited in town. Would recommend doing your souvenir shopping in town the coming here to see the Hummingbirds. This store tried to charge my mom $25 for 8 postcard stamps.

It is SO cool to see the hummingbirds up close like this — BUT, I don’t think it’s good for the birds to drink sugar water when they should be pollinating?

No better opportunity to cross some of Costa Rica's many hummingbird species off your Life List. I stood by the feeder and recorded for close to 45 minutes. Got some extremely close encounters as the fitted about. The gift shop is very nice also.

Amazing place if you want to see lots of hummingbirds!

Wow! This place is amazing. We tried every beer and every beer was good!! Service was great. Ros was so informative and friendly. Definitely recommend this place in Monte Verde. I had the vegetarian wings, so good, my husband had a burger and said it was very good.

Chill vibes, excellent food and exquisite beers. I was debating between sirena dorada and Tita Marita. Sirena dorada blew my mind. Super light and flavorful. My partner ordered the OG: Mi tata and it was great as well. As appetizers we order the edamame, to die for, and the chili poppers (incredibly tasteful). As entree we order the Mi tata sandwich and the Texas burger. Exceeded our expectations. It was so, so good. Definitely coming back!!!

The food was really good and we really enjoyed it. My daughter got the watermelon smoothie with water and it was amazing. The beer was also amazing.The vibe was so giving. If you are going for a lively but calm vibe then this is a go to option. The service was also really good. Everybody was smiling all the time. They were also super nice and patient. I really recommend coming here. We loved everything about this place.

We went here to have an early afternoon meal, and it didn’t disappoint. My wife and I both had the house burger with no extras, and it didn’t need any. It was a generous size and had excellent flavour. The fries were also delicious. We don’t really drink beer, but the owner brought us a small sample to taste. It was a very nice gesture, and the owner gave us great service. The fruit smoothies we ordered were also fantastic - not too sweet. Highly recommended if you’re in the area.

John and Allan were amazing! We sat at the bar and they explained all of the beers to us. Service was friendly and fast. Beers were delicious. I didn’t eat but food looked and smelled amazing. Allan was also very patient with letting us practice our Spanish which was very much appreciated. Highly recommend and will be back next time I’m in Monteverde!

Erick was amazingly helpful and friendly. Our wings/alitas were delicious. Great vibe and all of our beer was terrific. Definitely stop in.

FOLKS WITH FOOD ALLERGIES, BE AWARE. The beers at Monteverde Brewing were decent, but we had a disappointing experience with the food labeling. My wife, who is gluten-free, ordered the edamame listed as a “no gluten” item on the menu. The dish arrived tasting like soy sauce, which often contains gluten. She asked the server if the dish had gluten, and the server assured her it did not—but out of an abundance of caution, she requested to see the bottle of soy sauce. It turned out the soy sauce used did have gluten despite the gluten-free label. She couldn’t eat it, and while the waitress removed it from the table, we were still charged for it at first. After some pushback, they did take it off the bill. Food allergies are very serious, and menu items need to be labeled accurately—misleading information can easily lead to much bigger issues.

We went there to grab coffee before going to the cloud forest. Seeing all the hummingbirds just outside was a great unique experience. They are just so beautiful. Make sure to keep your distance. You don’t have to buy things at the coffee place to enjoy the hummingbirds. We got coffee and passion fruit cake, which we enjoyed. Staff was very nice.

Highly recommend for humming bird lovers. My husband and I went around 8:30 am and stayed there until 10 am. Hot chocolate was delicious and warmed us on the drizzly cold morning. The buzzer they gave us added convenience as we got to watch the birds while waiting for the drink. The hummingbird feeder was not filled yet in the beginning (gift shop lady came to fil it around 9am), and the hummingbirds were READY to eat. They are not shy and will land on you, especially if you wear red/yellow tops prior to feeders getting refilled. I was slightly worried since there are some negative reviews. We felt like the price was fair (3000 for 2 cups of hot chocolate and we paid the similar price in town), and gift shop price was not too bad since another shop was selling same ground coffee for more. It was not cheap, but nothing in Monteverde is cheap, unfortunately. There were no pastries, so I can't comment on that. We were told the family that owns the shop had to fight the regulations against placing hummingbird feeders. That's the reason this is the only spot for crazy hummingbird bird frenzy.

Must visit if in Monteverde. The abundance of hummingbirds at an arms reach us you enchanted with the beautiful nature of these unique creatures. Easy to enjoy the view of birds with delicious empanadas and quiche… with truly delicious coffee.

I didn’t try the cafe but if you want a close up hummingbird experience this place is perfect. Many hummingbirds of different colours are attracted to the feeders and the flowers around. Since they’re using feeders it’s much easier to get really nice photos of the hummingbirds and get a close up look. My friend who went to the cafe really enjoyed their drink and snack

A lot of people stop just to see the hummingbirds here. I highly recommend stopping in for coffee and a snack. The coffee is excellent and prepared very nicely. The snacks are delicious. I really enjoyed their passionfruit cake. Come early for the best selection.

very good coffee and morning snacks. i totally recommend trying the place. they have a good mockingbirds coming over. very relaxed and chilled spot

Cute and delicious cafe. We enjoyed our meal and drinks on the patio and saw a coati.

It’s a ficus tree bridge. Amazing nature. It isn’t a hike just walk for 1 minute. The fog rolled in as we arrived and it was mystical

Interesting tree! There is a walk that it seems they are making that makes it a longer jungle walk. Entry is via a honesty box but when it’s busy they might have someone there. You might be lucky to see wildlife. We actually saw a large snake (2-3m long) fighting a squirrel for about 20 minutes! Very crazy

Truely an extra ordinary tree. Easyto visit when in the ville of Anotonio. Be aware the steps don are steep buut asssistance is at hand with handrails.

Easy to access walking distance from town. Beautiful nature with the trees, butterflies, dragonflies etc if you sit quietly enough. Nice trickling stream. Happy to pay the USD$2/pp as the track and stairs are extremely well maintained for walking. Not wheelchair accessible. It is what you make it - the photos in the reviews are all there is (stream and trees) to look at, however if you take a book and sit on the benches or picnic tables for a while it’s quite peaceful and calming to observe the nature and wonders of the tree. Previous comments mentioned rude people in the booth, we didn’t have that experience today, we were greeted by a very friendly local and paid in local currency

Another great site to see and it was free. Supposedly there’s a donation box but we couldn’t find it. It’s on private property but apparently you can go in. The white gate is open, just park outside of it. We were so excited to see our first coatis here! We saw a family of 5. So cute! The hike is very short. We came in the late afternoon. Lots of shade and could be a bit dark. Still made it for great photos. It’s truly amazing and magical here.

This site is on someone property. The owner has made stairs down, placed gravel so you don’t slip & made small sitting areas. He does ask a small fee… worth it considering you are going onto his property. The Ficus root bridge is really neat to see! We really enjoyed it!

Owner is very friendly. Please make a small contribution as he is building a nice path and quaint seating areas to rest, it is his private property and he is kind enough to share this unique, natural treasure. The tree roots themselves are phenomenal and look like a bridge out of Lord of the Rings!

Spectacular! Absolutely worth two dollars per person to make it to the family property at the end of the road and sit on their hill with the benches. You can see all around. We arrived at 4:30 and we were one of the first. Enjoy!

Wow. Although I must admit that the drive out here was along what seemed like old river beds and the main picnic area was a climb, the end result was totally worth it. Incredible views, a cool breeze and peaceful vibe made it a quite unique experience. There is a running water toilet facility here and plenty of parking.

This is really a great spot. You have an outstanding 360° view and it is a great spot for viewing a sunset. When you drive there, you can stop at the road and watch the sunset from there, but I think its definitely worth it to drive to this spot. Its private property so you have to pay 2$ or 1000Colones to the family that lives there, but they made this place really beautiful with some benches etc. The spot is up on a hill.

Our visit to Cerro Pinocho to take in an unreal sunset view was just incredible. I was a bit hesitant with some reviews saying to just stop on the road before getting there or pretty inaccessible to get to . . it's not a smooth road by any means but was not as bad as I was expecting. The amount of work the owner has put into making this a welcoming place for sunset moments makes me think the $2 entry fee is more about covering the costs of the upkeep and just making this as accessible as possible for visitors. Highly recommend this stop . . . it truly is a once in a lifetime kind of 360 video

Amazing view at this private hilltop. Beware though, the roads to get here are treacherous (worse than the roads to get to Monteverde from La Fortuna) but you’ll be rewarded if you push through and go slow - recommend using low gear for the second half of the way. Cost is 1000c pp in cash and there’s several benches you can sit/relax. There’s a short walk up the hill to get to the top view point.

You can park along the road here anywhere and sit and enjoy this beautiful sunset view. Not sure why this wasn't a recommendation of any hosts or reviews online, this view is breathtaking. You will need AWD and some ground clearance to get here.

Amazing views. Don’t drive up all the way though and pay for parking. Stop 2 mins before the endpoint and park on the side. Still great views and it’s what the locals do

I opted to visit Finca Ecologica San Luis whilst staying in Monteverde, and it was well worth a visit. Entry was $20 each, which wasn’t too bad considering the average cost of private reserves and national parks. The highlight of the visit was definitely the birdwatching area. There were so many different birds I lost count, my favourite being the beautiful hummingbirds. There are various trails to explore, most connecting with each other at various points. The trails are well signposted and there is a site map too that is in various places. The trails are very natural, so you’ll need a certain level of fitness and good shoes to make it around the site. Overall, it was a lovely place to spend a few hours exploring, with an abundance of wildlife to keep your eyes out for.

We went here on a birding tour and loved the property and saw some amazing birds. We had lunch which was very fresh and they made ours vegan/vegetarian. The juice was some of the best I’ve ever had and the people were very friendly. Their puppy Pinto was adorable too! The drive is intense though and you definitely need a 4x4

My girlfriend and I are novice birders and we were encouraged to visit Finca Ecológica San Luis during our stay in Monteverde. The grounds were beautiful and there were birds everywhere. With the help of our knowledgeable and extremely enthusiastic guide Raul, we were able to identify over 35 different species. The family and team at the Finca are lovely people and we were also able to enjoy a nice breakfast with them during our visit.

We visit several times a year. Do yourself a favor and order Zelmi’s Pizza when you check in and enjoy it when you return. Consider bringing a swimsuit or…

Before posting this review, having just returned from our week's vacation to Monteverde and coming here to Finca almost every day of our trip (for just a couple of hours early morning or before they closed), I read the 1 star reviews. I was curious why anyone would give this place a bad review. I will address those bad reviews first with my own comments. Yes, the road in is quite poor, like many roads in Costa Rica. This road is not maintained by the people of this reserve, it even has a university campus on this road. It is wildly unfair to criticize the owners of this reserve for the state of the road they are on. This isn't a zoo, wildlife don't owe you a personal showing. Yes, it is possible to come here and see very little, even with the feeders. On hot, sunny days, there will be less wildlife activity. Of all the days we went, the coldest and rainiest day was the best day for wildlife viewing. Giving this place a poor review because the wildlife didn't come out for you is incredibly unfair and screams entitlement. The price. $20 USD per day is totally fair to me. Anyone who complains about this price is being selfish. This property is massive and the owners do their best to keep it maintained themselves. This is their livelihood! Instead of complaining about the price, you should be thankful they have opened this exceptional property so that you may get the chance to see some of Costa Rica's brilliant wildlife. As for our experience, we highly recommend! We stayed in an airbnb about 10 minutes from here towards Monteverde. As previously mentioned, we came almost every day in the early or late hours to watch, listen and photograph whatever came by. Myself and my two friends, often didn't want to leave. The anticipation of what might come by kept us quite content. We saw plenty of birds, many of which we had never seen before (this was my 6th trip to this wonderful country), as well as an agouti and the capuchin monkey would announce itself by screaming before making a brief appearance climbing through the trees. The family that owns and runs this place are so lovely! We had beverages and pizza at their little cafe and it was excellent 👌 The two brothers were so knowledgeable, friendly and accommodating. Although sometimes we struggled to communicate (our poor Spanish, they had much better English than our Spanish), they were very happy to point out birds, take us and show us birds we missed sitting in the bird blinds, and tell us who was making what calls. It was very obvious that they love this property very much and have a genuine love and appreciation for the species making their property home. Their enthusiasm and passion was very evident. During our time there we met many other fellow birders traveling in the area and even a couple students at the university campus down the road. We enjoyed our time here VERY much. All attached photos were taken by me while we were at this reserve.

A taxi driver in Monteverde noticed that I was trying to spot birds from the cab and told me I needed to check out this place. He was right! I went the morning before heading to the next location on our trip so I only regret not knowing about it sooner. It was the rainiest day on the trip and we only had an hour to spend there before an appointment. Such nice guys working there, and from what I saw of the site it was gorgeous and well maintained. I only had time to hang out around the feeding area and even just that was such a treat. If (when) I return to Costa Rica I want to spend so much time there, it was one of my favorite experiences of the trip. Also my friend ordered some pizza and it was great!

This is the best of Costa Rica for both extraordinary wildlife and spectacular people. The farm is a steep drive down from Monteverde and worth every meter of the journey (and the views along the way aren’t terrible!). Entrance is $20 and Manuel was available to help us identity birds and look through his scope. The birds come in abundance and color to eat the bananas that are left out for them, and the viewing areas are comfortable with shading and seating. As few of the species we saw on our visit included Lessons Motmot, Squirrel Cuckoo, Chachalaca, keel billed toucan, emerald toucanet, baltimores oriole, montezuma oropendola, red headed barber, crimson collared tanager, blue grey tanager, plain tanager, yellow throated euphonia, kiskgee, black and white warbler, and more! In addition to the hides, there was an impressive network of trails with phenomenal views and a variety of vegetation. We saw two other people during our two hours there, and will reminisce about this day for the rest of our lives. The family run conservation project also offered a cafe, camping and accommodation. We didn’t have time to do everything, but would undoubtedly return. If you like birds, don’t like crowds, and want to visit a gem, this is it.

Absolutely loved this tour. Our guide was amazing and taught us a lot about coffee and plants. We also saw monkeys and a lot of birds. Coffee was amazing and we were really happy to support a nice local family!!

Whilst in Monteverde I visited El Cafetal Coffee Tour, and it was one of the highlights of our visit. Our guide was very friendly and extremely knowledgeable, discussing everything from the history of coffee in Costa Rica to the local flowers, fruits and animals. The site is beautiful, and completely not how I imagined a coffee plantation. You learn so much during the 2-hour tour, and not just about coffee. You’re shown the traditional methods of roasting coffee, as well as the modern methods too. You finish with a couple of cups of the coffee produced on the plantation, and it was absolutely delicious. Overall, the whole experience was fantastic and I’d highly recommend you book a visit if you’re in the area.

I love supporting local family businesses! It's a family business, growing organically, working with other local families and trying to do it all sustainably. It's moving to learn about the challenges and struggles the families face. It gives us a glimpse into other's lives. As traveller's, we are so incredibly blessed and fortunate to have such experiences. The tour is conducted by a local woman because she speaks English. She is very knowledgeable! There is a lot of info shared on this tour. There is not much walking and we didn't go up and down slopes on the farm. There was just a small amount of climbing steps. They offer 2 kinds of coffee to try with some tasty cookies. The coffee are natural and honey (both are methods of processing beans you will learn about). Driving tip: I couldn't believe how steep this road is for quite a few km. My fear of getting back up the hill was unwarranted but my rental is a new car. The road was decent for the most part, based upon CR standards! I also worried about gas. There is none available so have enough not to stress about it.

Lovely and educational! I had no idea how coffee was produced and learned a lot about both the plant and process - including the role that government plays, impacts of climate change, how local businesses work together, etc. Also the coffee itself was amazing and we bought many, many bags of the honey roasted beans. Highly recommend!

Loved it that it was owned by a local family. The site felt very organic, like enjoying coffee at a family's backyard. Reminded so much of memories of my grandma making coffee. The tour was informative and learned a lot of the process of cultivating coffee to the moment you take a sip from your cup.

Amazing coffee tour with a knowledgeable guide at an authentic farm with a lot of focus on sustainability. You should definitely go here if you like coffee or would like to get more acquainted about the sustainable coffee process from farm to bean to coffee.

It was amazing! Small family busines, we were really happy to support them by our visit. We learned a lot during the tour and the guide answered all our questions. Highly recommend

This was exhilarating, fun, and safe. The guides are excellent and did an amazing job with their photography! Very memorable experience and worth every penny. I would recommend this to anyone who is physically able!

We had great fun, friendly staff was in full control of safety, but still felt as if we were abseiling as pros (to be)! Great waterfalls, Chronos the dog was a paid actor who gave us the confidence to walk and jump down the incredible waterfalls. You will get totally wet (so swim shorts and shirt would be my advice) , not cold, bring old shoes with a good sole and grip to deal with pointy and slippery stones in the river and falls. Steep walk back up with a great smile and Chronos in the lead needs some form of physical shape. And they sent a lot of pictures of us without additional costs

The canyoning repelling tour was great, six waterfalls at a good pace, and with proper safety equipment. You feel safe and in control and it's nice knowing you have a backup belayer. I booked it only a day in advance and I was able to don the entire tour solo with only the guides, which I preferred anyways. I would highly recommend this!

We booked this tour while in Monteverde and it was amazing. It is a smaller family owned business and they rock it. Junior and Darnell were wonderful. We felt super safe and they walked us through everything, including providing instructions while in the waterfalls. This adventure is definitely not an easy challenge and has difficult parts. You will also get soaked! So much fun though!

Such an amazing experience for all skill/fitness levels. The guides and staff are all outstanding. I’m a pretty serious climber and was really appreciative of the safety measures for both the tree climbing and canyoning - you are always on a redundant belay system and the guides were super cool about tailoring it to my whole group’s individual abilities. This is easily my top recommendation for Monteverde.

Great experience! We went in May and for the price of 65 per person, we were able to get 2-3 hours of canyoning depending on everyone's skill level! Was a great experience and the water was still warm during our time there! Our guides were great at their job and they made the experience very enjoyable.

This was really cool! The family that runs it is really nice and did a great job. I’ll admit I wasn’t sure about it at first because it’s a pretty small family business but they know what they’re doing. The views in the canyon were great and of course being in a waterfall is a neat experience. They took photos for us and charged $20 for them (cash or PayPal) which is a great price imo. It took 5 days to get the pictures but they did say it can take up to a week.

Beautiful place to go away from all and relax.

(Translated by Google) A nice place to see the sunsets (Original) Un lugar lindo para ver los atardeceres

(Translated by Google) I recommend this place to see the Gulf of Nicoya and spectacular sunsets, it is on the side of the road (Original) Les recomiendo este lugar para ver el golfo de Nicoya y unos atardeceres espectaculares, esta a la orilla de la carretera

(Translated by Google) Very nice place (Original) Muy bonito lugar

Did this your first thing in the morning. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and we learned so many interesting facts. Unfortunately I do not remember his name he was a younger gentleman with blue hair. I couldn’t believe how small some of the orchids are. It was a nice slow paced walk with breaks to learn about the orchids. So many beautiful orchids!!

This is not to be missed. This has been 40 plus years in the making. The tour is well worth it. Many Orchids only bloom for a short amount of time, allowing you to see rare and exotic species.

Andres was a font of knowledge on all things orchid. His explanations were very clear and interesting and sprinkled with anecdotes. His passion for the subject was obvious and the whole family came out delighted with the visit. We can all now recognise orchids and have been doing so since the visit.

A must-stop for any orchid fan, and probably still pretty cool for everyone else. Wonderfully grown native orchids, and a small central room containing some non-native species. Pretty small, you could easily walk through in a few minutes if you're not looking around, but take your time and you'll make endless discoveries.

Great spot walkable from town center. We did a walk in tour in English but the combined us with a Spanish couple so everything was repeated twice which lost the momentum. Guide knowledgeable and took care to explain everything. We saw two flowers that were one day only blooms, photos attached.

I highly recommend this tour. It was incredibly educational and the price was reasonable. I learned a lot and was surprised by how small the orchids could be. They were absolutely beautiful.

This tour was so interesting, and I’m very glad I took it! I learned so much about orchids and plants local to the region from Andrés. I hope to be back again to see different orchids in bloom :)

We visited the park in mid-December on a weekday and nearly had the place to ourselves. Our 8 year old did great on the zip lines but they were a little too much for our 5 year old daughter and she decided to opt out when we got to the taller zip lines up top. My wife and oldest son loved their experience! The tram to the top is fun for all ages and there is some wildlife to see! The suspension bridges and Sky Trail were fun, relaxing and tranquil. It was great to hear the wind in the trees and the birds singing in the background. We didn’t find it overly expensive or overpriced. We drove up on our own and the drive was fun winding up the mountain. We went out of our way to come here and felt it was 100% worth the effort and time.

Exactly what you’d expect from the photos on their website, I was not disappointed. The bicycle zip line was pretty short and uneventful, but it was such a small part of my visit that I still loved my experience and I’ll give this a 5 star review. P.s the hanging bridge hike was an unexpected gem! I highly recommend it, and the trails are very well maintained. It’s not that physically exhausting at all

We had a great time. We did the hanging bridges & tree tram. As someone with a bad back/sciatica I was able to take my time and rest in areas for the hanging bridges. It had beautiful views and well maintained walkways. We even got to see a capuchin monkey right after the first bridge. Then we rode up on the tram. It was windy & cloudy but still beautiful. Highly recommend the restaurant there it was delicious & great service.

No easy to get to but worth the drive, the ropes course, zip line and brige hike were exciting and we maintained. Beautiful views and extremely friendly staff, small café and gift shop

Treetopia was great! Sebastian was our guide for the hanging bridges tour, he was fantastic. He taught us so much & was hilarious too! We also did ziplining and all the guys helping us were awesome. I was terrified to zipline because I’m very afraid of heights but they were all very kind & reassuring! Definitely worth pushing yourself out of your comfort zone if you’re on the fence!

We had a blast on the tree tram! This is a great way to get into the mountains when you’re traveling with little ones who don’t want to walk 🤪 the tram ride is about ten minutes long and there’s a little cafe at the top. It’s expensive but felt worth the trip! We also used the shuttle service which felt convenient. I’m not sure how much the local taxi fare would be, but the convenience felt worth it to us.

We had an absolute blast! So much fun, breathtaking views, and the incredible feeling of flying over the trees was unforgettable. The staff was fantastic — very safety-conscious and super friendly, which made us feel completely at ease. This experience is 100% worth it. Highly recommend for families or anyone looking for adventure and beauty all in one! 🌿💚✨

This was a blast! It was also fairly priced! We did a Chocolate, Coffee and Night Tour. Our guide, Jorge, took our three person group through the tour. He was incredibly knowledgeable, and we had great conversation. He worked very hard to find us animals on the fun night tour. He found us loads of insects, a tarantula, a frog, a beautiful green and blue bird, and a honey bear! The coffee after the tour was delicious and he even helped us call a taxi. The trail is moderately easy to hike if you are okay with just a flashlight.

Super! I loved the day tour for cacao, coffee and sugar cane. We were only 2 so the tour felt like we were really on a private tour. We loved the guide (Davy?) wish was 100% knowledgeable and friendly. Of course coffee and particularly to me chocolate are delicious. I totally recommend the tour.

Excellent tour guides in Monte Verde. Henrique was dynamic and fun! We learned alot and he would get answers when he did not know the answer. Our teenage daughter thoroughly enjoyed this tour too! We had alot of fun and recommend the 3-1 tour, plus we decided at the last minute to do the night Tour as we had so much fun on the 3-1 Tour, Alberto & Marion were great, they worked hard to find us a scorpion, frogs, a sloth, lots of insect sightings, I highly recommend!

We did the 4 in 1 package. We did the coffee, chocolate, and sugar cane tour at 8am and went back there at 6pm for the night walk tour. Mario did our coffee tour. Mario was very patient with our two kids, funny, knowledgeable, and nice. The tour was a lot of fun and two hours flew by. It was great to learn how coffee, chocolate, and sugarcane are processed. It was a nice gesture for them to offer free coffee, hot chocolate, and free bananas! The night walk was also fun. Marcelo was our guide. We got pretty lucky and saw a viper and sloth. Marcelo did not waste any time. He was very genuine trying to find as many things as possible for us. He had a great sense of humor and was also patient with our kids. I think the 4 in 1 package was a deal considering a night walk costs $35-45pp. I highly recommend this place.

Did the 3-part coffee, chocolate, and night tour with Jorge. So fun. Jorge was a great guide and very knowledgeable. The chocolate part of the tour was amazing. I am typically not a hot coffee person (cold brew all the way), but their hot coffee is A++. Didn’t see too much on the night tour, but had a lot of fun anyway!

We loved, loved, loved our tour of the Coffee, Cacao, and Sugar plantation. Enrique made our visit very memorable and informative. Our tour group was small; just my wife and I. The staff there is amazing. We left early to attend a market, but then found out it didn't open for another two hours, so we decided to see if we could take our tour an hour early. No problemo. They took us in and made us feel at home. We started with some free coffee and chocolate samples. Our guides were great. We then followed Enrique around the grounds (no pun intended) learning about how coffee and cacao are grown and harvested. I think my favorite part though was when we crushed the water out of the sugar cane and drank it mixed with a fresh lime. Sooooo good! God bless. We will come back again when we visit.

We booked the 3 in 1 tour and had a wonderful time! Our guide was so knowledgeable and able to answer all questions. It was super interactive and we really enjoyed walking across the farm and listening to his stories. There is do much to try and the chocolate and coffee were both amazing. It was also my first time trying sugar cane juice and seeing how Labour intensive production is. Highly recommend!

A beautiful place. We visited with a very knowledgeable guide whose English was excellent. As was his knowledge of the forest, it's history, and the wildlife. We felt very honored to see the Bell Bird - apparently only 300 pairs remain in the world and we saw 3 on one branch. Plenty of beautiful birds to admire (and I'm not normally a bird watcher) plus the guide provided binoculars. We also spotted "mafia" monkeys, and huge troop of Coati and many different types and colour of butterfly. Oh, and a tarantula! Would highly recommend, the place was super quiet and the staff seemed genuinely grateful for our visit. Hopefully the forest can continue to expand and help to save more precious animals and plants. Loved every minute of our visit.

Glad to say I got to see part of the Children’s Eternal Rainforest, but I have some mild regrets about spending the last day of my trip here. The area is fairly small, with only a few miles of trails. I was not lucky enough to see any wildlife (to be fair, I was warned on arrival that there was no guarantee of wildlife sightings, nor are there hanging bridges or waterfalls). The views from the few lookout points were decent, but all in all, given this was just a few dollars less than the Monteverde Cloud Forest, I wish I’d returned there for a second day since there was a lot more to see and far more trails there.

Great. Just smaller compared to other places. Can do the full hike in about 1-1.5h. Beautiful and very different than the rainforests and supporting an incredible cause.

We saw so much! Nothing is guaranteed, but it's all in there. Our best reserve trail experience in Monteverde.

We did the evening tour and it was absolutely fantastic. Guillermo was an incredible guide, so knowledgeable, and we were able to spot all kinds of insects, birds, and mammals. At the end we even saw an owl and an armadillo. 10000% recommended

We did a night walk tour with Marvin as our guide. He was great, very knowledgeable, and educational. He seemed to have a gentle personality and cared about the forest and wildlife. As with any nature hole you never know what you might see, we saw some sleeping birds, a snake, a tarantula and a bat feeding which Marvin said was only his third time seeing, kinda rare to capture.

Went on a solo hike in the evening. The "bonk" birds kept following me throughout the whole park. I didn't realize the significance of how special they are until I met my bird guide a day later. I was lucky enough to take a phone photo (no binoculars!). It's mostly forested, so no views except if you hike to the view point. I found the area very relaxing but worthwhile adventure. It took me two hours to do the outskirts of the whole park, but I went at a fast pace. One of the map photos is wrong (it's El tigre waterfalls, which you NEED to do!!), but I can't delete it from my review.

The owners daughter gave us a fabulous tour and knew every detail of the coffee process. The highlight of our tour was the little shelter where we were able to squeeze our own sugar cane juice and try it in various ways like with lime, as moonshine, and as a syrup. The grounds are very well maintained and the coffee was delicious

What an amazing experience!!! Freddy (father) and Jafeth (son) were such a delight. This family run farm / tour was one of the highlights of our trip. They took us through their farm, and demonstrated step by step how their coffee is hand picked, how the best beans are selected, all the different roasting methods and finally, the final product. All this with some bonus surprises throughout...and coffee tasting, of course. If you are looking for a coffee tour (specifically focused on coffee, and a bit of sugarcane), I could not recommend this enough. Wonderful experience!!!! I'm looking forward to drinking their fantastic coffee once we get home!

Family run business... you get to see how coffee is grown and processed from bean to cup. Lovely snacks served with samples of coffee at the end of the tour. Really enjoyed our visit.

Great little coffee tour with super nice guid. It was just a group of 6 so a really nice experience, we got the juice from sugar cane and mixed with lime juice which was lovely, also tried the local split it and of course the coffee. Would recommend this trip to anyone.

Jareth was very knowledgeable with her family's business and passed along great information on the coffee making process, sugar cane, seasons and the many fruit varieties on their farm. The snacks, cane juice and coffee tasting were delicious and relaxing and the resident cats were friends that made it feel like home. Well worth the visit!

What an incredible coffee experience with Jafeth and Freddie at their family-owned farm! These third-generation coffee farmers didn't just show us around - they shared their family's legacy and passion for coffee cultivation that spans generations. The 2.5-hour tour was absolutely delightful, offering so much more than I expected. Watching their eyes light up while explaining how they cultivate their 100% Arabica beans, you could really feel their deep connection to the land and their craft. The way they wove together the history of coffee, from its global origins to its journey to Costa Rica, made the experience both educational and fascinating. But it wasn't just about coffee! They treated us to some amazing homegrown treats - fresh sugarcane, house-made rum, and sugarcane honey that added such a special touch to the experience. The grand finale was a thoughtful coffee tasting session, complete with homemade banana bread and local snacks that perfectly complemented the coffee's flavors. This isn't your typical tourist attraction - it's a genuine, heartfelt glimpse into a family's dedication to their craft. Jafeth and Freddie's knowledge, hospitality, and obvious pride in their heritage made this tour an absolute highlight of our trip. If you're looking for an authentic coffee experience that combines education, fun, and delicious treats, don't miss this gem!

We had a very interesting Coffee Tour at this family owned coffee plantage. Interactive tour with different things to taste like some fruits, sugarcane water (and also an alcoholic shot) and of course coffee!

This was a fantastic experience! We saw so many nocturnal creatures- frogs, tarantula, spiders, insects, sleeping birds including toucans, nesting birds and more. Our guide Johannes was fantastic. He would just plop his tripod down, point to somewhere up in the tree and voila! there was a toucan. Unbelievable!! Pitch black night, we could even see the Milky Way with our naked eyes. Highly recommend!

Just did fabulous tour with Emmanuel of Monte Tours and he’s a frog expert. But of course we also saw scorpion, tarantula, porcupine, sloths, and walking stick! Very legit

Sergio was an awesome guide. He was able to find different animals in difficult conditions (heavy rain!) Thunderstorm at the beginning, waited 40 mins to be sure it was safe.

We had a great experience with the Don Rodolfo's Night Tour. Our guide, Hernan, was really friendly and ready to answer any questions about the fauna and flora we saw on the trail, which included sloths, spiders, lizards, scorpions and endemic birds. It was great learning a bit more about Monteverde from those who live in the community and know it the best.

Amazing tour and our guide was amazing. He knew so much and spotted animals we would never have found on our own. He also took amazing pictures with my phone.

Our tour guide, Dio was a wealth of information. We saw a number of interesting spiders, insects, sleeping birds, frogs, lizards and even an armadillo.

Diogenes, our guide, was knowledgeable and friendly! At one point another guide came over to let him know that they had spotted a sloth, so we were able to see the sloth AND her baby! We learned a lot about the flora, fauna, and even a bit about the local history. Diogenes is also an excellent photographer, and got us some great photos to remember the trip by.

We had a great experience here while trying all their beers. They are definitely not as hoppy/bitter as beers in the US, but that's fine by me! It's a beautiful location and will definitely come back. Highly recommend!

Small little brewery with a nice variety of beer styles in tap. The saison Kolsch were solid. Friendly service, outdoor seating and some indoor. We ordered a Ceviche, a fried plantain (burnt to a crisp) which came with a strawberry puree which was definitely off, and another side dish, all three terrible none of us could eat them. The brewery is in a nice park-like setting with wildlife. Come for beer but skip the food.

Incredible! Highly recommend! We had dinner and beers, and it was fantastic! Beers were delicious, and food was gourmet. Djan was such a nice guy who made us feel at home!

Amazing spot with stunning views of a lake. We saw toucans and other birds whilst enjoying the view. The server was very friendly and gave us taster samples. We had the aurora pale ale as it was more to our taste. We would have liked a little more choice. A little pricey but worth it for the view. Nice walk up from town but prepared for some steep hills.

A great find, where we enjoyed delicious food and Chris’s great hospitality. We hadn’t understood that they closed at 7pm. Chris was the perfect host and made no fuss at all when we were still there an hour later. Very polite and friendly - he looked after us all brilliantly.

Beautiful setting and delicious food. Sweet gato named Panda came by for a nuzzle. The beer was good too. We had a flat tire when we arrived and our server was so helpful.

Excellent cocktails and beers, with a lovely view. Great spot to rest after a good hike, don’t miss this place. One thing to remember, keep your mosquito repellent within reach if you are planning to sit outdoors to enjoy the beautiful view.

Another fantastic location to relax and enjoy the stunning view. The road is quite steep and not suitable for the faint-hearted. ;-) Be sure to grab a drink and head over. Early morning or sunset are the best times, as long as it’s not raining.

This is just a small pull off point with a platform and a couple of benches at the side of a bit of a scary road, but the view is one of the best in the area, especially around sunset. It's one of the only free things to do in the Monte Verde area. Note that the sun actually sets behind a ridge from this point.

One of the most beautiful views one can see.

A few benches to sit off and small area to pull off the road. You can see everything up here - mountains, green hills, waterfalls, clouds moving over the forest. Very cool.

An amazing sunset viewpoint if you are in Santa Elena/Monteverde area. Ample parking for 3-4 vehicles on the side. There are benches at the viewpoint. Although the road in San Luis are very poor and you would need a good vehicle with proper traction to checkout this viewpoint.

Great new look out spot over the Pacific Ocean (golf of Nicoya) and the San Luis valley as well as the Monteverde Cloud Forest. Location on a very steep road called "La Trocha" without parking. So only go by foot there are hop off the car for a quick picture.

The view in the mountains were beautiful. If your into narrow and bumpy roads it is worth the trip. Took most of the day. Went from north side of the lake Arenal to the mountains of south side of Lake Arenal.

We did not wait for the guided tour, which likely contributed to our feeling that we had paid too much for a relatively small number of exhibits. If you plan to attend, sticking around for the tour may help you get more for your money.

A very interesting snake and reptile exhibit. It was pretty cool seeing these snakes up close. It really made us realize how easily we could have walked right by any number of these snakes while hiking in the cloud forest. We were in the exhibit for about 30 minutes, which kind of makes the entrance fees a little steep. It was cool though.

A little bit small but good, clean; took us about 30 mins to view everything comfortably. Had a variety of frogs, turtles, and snakes. Not a lot of lizards. Friendly staff. $15 US per person allows you two visits, so you can always come back if time is tight or if you want to.

Lots of snakes, frogs, and other reptiles to see in this small facility. Staff were very knowledgeable and helpful. There are guided tours which I would recommend as the is limited information to read during the self guided tour. A little pricy, $16 USD per person, but the tours are included and the staff said we could come back over a couple days if the tour times did not work.

As usual in Sky Adventures, the attention was amazing. Nice place to spend some time between other tours. Small place with amazing animals to see. If you have a hour to spend before another activity, this is the place.

A guide is included in the price. Very pretty reptiles, friendly folks.

Small but friendly staff. Bit expensive. Should be a tourist and a tico price. That would generate more business

Our guide was amazing; he was super knowledgeable & friendly! There is a fair bit of incline walking for this tour so keep that in mind when you decide what to wear. Boots & long pants definitely recommended. We did the whole hike in pouring rain but still got to see a good amount of animals & insects!

Nice trails but go with a good meteo or you won’t see much and animals will be sheltered. Full jaguar trail is nice but goes up and down a lot.

Really enjoyed this place, we wanted to get a quick hike before a long drive and this was perfect for the morning. It only took just over an hour to do the full loop. Much steeper than Monteverde so be aware. We saw lots of bird at the very beginning. It’s short, but worth it! If you knew more about birding you probably be able to see lots more than us, but we saw about 5 different species and a few animals as well.

This is a wonderful organization to support. Their main concern is conservation and education, which is quite different from many of the tourist companies. We had a wonderful guide named Orlando. He was clearly passionate about nature and helped us spot many native species. It was absolutely worth the $30-35 per person, because everything supports the non profit. You can walk the beautiful trails without a guide for $16, but you won't have the benefit of a telescope and great information. I recommend a morning walk around 10am. They have books and other small things for sale, or you can make a donation.

Beautiful.I felt amazing after this hike. We saw monkeys, agutí, spider monkeys and HUGE butterflies (not to mention incredible flora). Could be rough hike for some, the way back is steep and uphill- my legs were tired. Probably not accessible for most mobility devices. The person attending the desk at the beginning of the hike was very polite and knowledgeable.

We had an incredible guide who shared valuable information about Costa Rica's history and environmental movement. We were fortunate enough to see a male resplendent quetzal! A fairly easy hike that is filled with bird songs. There is a small waterfall and suspension bridge. We are so grateful that this land has been preserved for future generations. And we admire and appreciate Costa Rica's commitment to a sustainable future

Incredible hike, such beautiful viewpoints and we’ve seen so many different animals. The host was so helpful and kind, we felt like we were really experiencing a hidden gem. This is Costa Rica’s largest reserve but it’s a non profit and less known about. The ticket price is reasonable and it all goes back to the rainforest. Highly recommend coming here!

My favorite park in CR and i've done a couple of them! The cloud forest has such a unique and calming vibe to it. You can really hear, smell and feel the nature!

We visited the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve during our trip to Costa Rica in January of 2025. We did the 2.5 hour general guided tour which was conducted in English. Our guide Ariel was a local expert who knew where to look, the names of the animals and plants we saw and really brought the cloud forest to a new level for us. Without Ariel, we would have had a beautiful hike and seen many plants, birds and other animals - but would ahve missed many more and not learned about this amazing reserve and its biodiversity.

$16 for a nature walk. Should have been free or $5. No great views or wildlife (like Manuel Antonio) but TONS of bugs so pack your bug spray and reapply. We offered ours to everyone we saw on the trail. Good if you wanna get some exercise and fresh air.

Really peaceful and beautiful area to hike in the cloud forest without massive crowds. Tons of birds during our hike!

Beautiful cloud forest. We booked a tour but I'd say you don't need one for the day time. We might have had a better time exploring at our own pace, doing one of the long trails. Pretty cool to go up the watchtower and see... clouds.

Very nice trails and not many people. Cloud forest was beautiful!

(Translated by Google) It's a very pretty park, even though we hardly encountered any animals (a few capybaras), even after walking for over four hours along the various trails. At the paid parking lot, we pay the entrance fee, and a shuttle takes us to the park. (Original) Très joli parc, même si nous n avons presque pas croisé d animaux( quelques capibaras), même en marchant plus de 4 hs sur les différents sentiers. Sur le parking payant, on paye l entree, et une navette nous monte au parc.

(Translated by Google) Beautiful Parish Community (Original) Hermosa Comunidad Parroquial

One of the greatest tours we did in Costa Rica. Our tourguide Guillermo knew so much about the coffee and explained a lot during the walk around the coffee plantation. He also has a dog as mascot that follows the tour! The farm puts a lot of thought into the sustainability of the farm. Their workers are also paid more than usual. During the tour you see the whole process of plant to roasted coffeebean. Afterwards you do a taste test with some chocolate. We also added the lunch at the farm, it was an amazing casado and we can certainly recommend to do this. In the shop you can also buy the coffeebeans, or order them online for worldwide shipping. This is a great tour you should not miss out on.

It was the best tour we’ve ever taken! Our guide Daniel was very knowledgeable and we enjoyed every minute of the tour. We learned a lot about coffee growing and processing. Very child friendly, they can do lots of things hands on! The shop is very nice, the coffee is well worth the price! It’s about 10$ per 250g, very good quality and different processing methods.

Really interesting time spent here. We learned so much about what was involved to produce just one cup of coffee, the manual labour and most of all the impact on the environment of coffee growing. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and enthusiastic despite doing the same thing over and over all day. Educational, enlightening and entertaining. Well worth the price and time.

Nice walk through the coffee fields with a very knowledgeable guide. got to learn about the process of growing coffee plants and the hufe amount of work it takes to preserve the ground and soil quality Got to taste 5 different styles of coffee roasts and drying techniques

This is the premier coffee tour in all of Costa Rica, and if you can get Evelyn to lead the tour, you will be in for a treat, especially if you love coffee. But before you go, you must go to their in town (Santa Elena) coffee shop and try all their different styles of making coffee. This way you’ll understand the processes and you may anticipate the taste at the end of the tour. We really enjoyed learning the entire process of how coffee is grown from farm to table. It was amazing and gave us a real appreciation of the hard work this plantation puts forth to make coffee a wonderful experience. Evelyn took the time to answer all our questions to better understand sustainable coffee production. And you must stay for the wonderful lunch they serve right from their farm itself. Thank you Cafe Monteverde and Evelyn for an unforgettable experience.

Really enjoyable, informative coffee tour! Our guide was super knowledgeable. It was really cool to see and experience the differences between processing methods (washed/honey/natural), then taste the results of those differences at the end (tasting session) with the chorreador (traditional Costa Rican coffee prep method). Brought home a bag of delicious honey process medium roast that made some great cappuccinos/cortados.

We had a coffee tour with Sergio. He was very knowledgeable regarding the whole process from „seed to cup“ and passionate about the sustainability of coffee farms. During the tour we learned a lot how they try to create coffee beans while not destroying nature. If you are interested in any of this and taste great coffee, you are at the right place :)

A beautiful park with trails of varying difficulty. We hiked out to the waterfall and thought it was worth it. Trails were very well marked with maps posted along the way. We saw a lot of leaf cutter ants and tiny frogs by the lake but not much other wildlife. We were there in the afternoon. Words of caution: bring socks to borrow the tall rubber boots available for free to prevent ant bites and the drive is not for the faint of heart. It was steep uphill and downhill, low and 4x4 came in handy. Really glad we made the drive from Chachagua.

It’s a lovely walk. We didn’t see a lot of wildlife except at the entrance where we met a beautiful motmot who had decided the handicap sign was his perch. He was there on the way in and out. Enjoyed the trails and very happy to support the cause.

We went to the Children’s Eternal Rainforest as we’d left it too late to go to the national park and I have to say, we felt lucky it worked out that way! It was so quiet and peaceful with beautiful paths and a great lookout point. Well worth doing the Jaguar trail if you can, as it’s more wild and that is where we saw Cappuchin monkeys and agouti, however, it is more challenging and quite steep up and down. The park closes at 5pm, but we were allowed to stay at the lookout point by reception for sunset. I think it might be one of the best places for sunset in the area!

The most beautiful national park I saw in Costa Rica. It's very pristine and original with countless beautiful plants and animals to see. It is fortunately also hardly visited by people, which I really enjoyed as you were even better able to look for birds and other animals. We started at he Pocosol station, which was a bit tricky to reach due to the road conditions but it was definitely worth it. You will be able to see a very huge waterfall, places of volcanic activity, a beautiful lake and much more.

Great secluded hike deep in the rainforest. The drive to get there is rough and as of 07/2019 Google Maps takes you the wrong way. There should be new yellow signs every couple KM on the road. 4x4 recommended. Waterfall view at the end of the hike is great

El Burrito hike. Mau was our guide. Very good hike and you meet a local farmer who lives on the hillside at the end for fruit and coffee. Great experience.

Amazing undisturbed research station in the childrens eternal rainforest We were helped by an extremely polite person at the station. To find our our way around. We saw a hotspring. Thanks to another post we took the northern route as suggested and it was fine. 4x4 needed.

What a great tour. Our guide Jesus was excellent and took his time explaining and showing us different animals. We saw sloths, large spiders, scorpions and even the Lara viper. His expertise in finding the smallest creatures was astonishing. The frog he found under 1 inch. Thank you for a great time and definitely recommend

Dennis was our guide and was very passionate. He was energetic and knowledgeable. He made the most out of night walk. We enjoyed it very much. We even got to see a sloth moving! Muchas gracias

Jason was our guide. His English was great and he was knowledgeable. However he walked very fast (while going uphill) so the older people in the group had a hard time keeping up. He also spent so much time showing us insects (even ants) and telling us all the facts about them that when we finally got to the cool stuff (viper, sloth, toucan) it felt rushed and we didn't get any info about them. We also mentioned that we were very excited to see a frog, but it seemed he didn't even try to find them. We went in knowing that you don't always get to see everything because it depends on the animals themselves, but we could hear frogs all over the place but didn't see a single one.

We booked a private tour just about a few hours before the tour startet. Very easy Communication via WhatsApp. Our guide Chris was the perfect fit for us. He knew a lot and found a lot of different animals.

We had a great time on our night tour- saw a lot of amazing critters and learned a lot of cool information. Joel was amazing!

Had an incredible night tour with wildlife refuge. Our tour guide was Antonio and he was exceptional. I have no idea how he managed to spot some many animals and insects, but we saw so much and was honestly one of the best parts of our trip. Was slightly nervous about spiders and snakes in the dark, but Antonio was excellent, led the way and pointed out everything for us and made sure if was safe. We managed to see kinkajoo, racoon, glass frog (and egg cluster), a green frog with red eyes (but not the red-eyed tree frog), side-striped palm pit viper, sleeping humming bird, walking stick insect, katydid (green and brown) and tarantula. Completely different experience to daytime tours. If you have time and money, I'd recommend doing a night tour and 100% with wildlife refuge. Thanks Antonio

we had a lovely guided tour from jesus and saw snakes, cool bugs, some sloths, birds, snakes and even heard a mysterious thumping noise coming from the jungle. jesus was great and very knowledgeable and passionate about the wildlife!! would absolutely come back again :)

This was my second time staying here and this place has certainly changed… not sure if there is new ownership. The staff is super friendly and the views are nice, which is why I’m leaving three stars. However, communal spaces are fairly limited so sunset gatherings are extremely loud with all the kids playing in the prime sunset viewing area. As I was sitting in the chairs trying to enjoy the view, I got hit in the head by a soccer ball due to how small the viewing area is… Rooms are nice, but for the amount of space you get - it’s extremely overpriced even for Costa Rica. I highly recommend staying in other areas of monteverde and visiting the trails at this property and then leaving. While the space has promise of tranquility … there is none, which is not the norm for Monteverde.

Stayed for 1 night, food, rooms and facilities were amazing. Relaxing views of the mountain vista. Nature trails around estate with waterfalls. Farm to table restaurant served delicious food. Breakfast included. Staff were so so helpful and attentive. Kid friendly with games and activities. Not far from town.

Nice location in Monteverde with access to many fantastic tour spots. Not giving this hotel great marks for a number of reasons. One is that there was ongoing construction right behind our room. This meant that at sunrise (6:00 am) construction vehicles were driving past our room and the sound of hammers and sawing destroyed the ambience of the place until sunset. The property has nice hiking trails but the most interesting ones were closed off during our visit (2nd week November). Lastly the lack of heat or A/C makes these room very inhospitable. This is a cloud forest with 100% humidity and there is no way to dry yourself or your clothes. Cold and wet at night makes it difficult to sleep. I hung up wool socks inside for days but they did not dry. The restaurant is also outside and it is difficult to escape the cold and damp of the environment. Look for a more modern accommodation if you visit Monteverdi.

Beautiful hotel and friendly staff. The jungle garden is amazing. The rooms were nice but small. The food is organic which was not really my taste, the pizzas and cocktails were tasty. The breakfast was simple, but ends early which caused a big row and shortage of food towards the end of the breakfast.

Had a lovely stay here in 2024. Enjoyed walking the trails, visiting the nearby preserves and exploring the region. The rooms were really nice. Breakfast on the deck was a great way to start the days of our visit!

We went for dinner and had an absolutely phenomenal meal. Ceviche was incredible. My husband had the Cahuita Catch and loved it. I had the lamb loin, which was cooked to perfection. They were very accommodating of gluten-free/dairy-free. Hot toddies were the drink special and did not disappoint!

Truly recommend staying here or at least coming to the restaurant. I stayed here & took the permaculture tour. The tour was great and talked about different sustainable practices you can implement at home as well as demonstrating some of the practices they use on site. The staff is friendly & helpful. Saw lots of birds, monkeys, & agoutis. I walked all the trails & the views are incredible, lots of different viewpoints and options for different skill level. The waterfall views were great. The food was very good as well, a lot of it is fresh from their gardens.

We visited Santuario Ecologico to attend a cooking class. Our host was such a delight. He led us through his family's property, telling us all about the conservation efforts as we gathered ingredients for our cooking experience. Together, we prepared the ingredients to make a delicious and healthy lunch. Absolute joy of an experience.

We took a cooking class (with vegan adjustments), and it was fantastic! The garden is beautiful, and the experience was so much more than just a cooking class — it was educational, engaging, and fun, with great vibes thanks to Chris. Highly recommended!

We did the afternoon coffee tour and it was the best tour we took in Costa Rica. As well as being unbelievably knowledgeable, Chris is such a warm person and his enthusiasm for the land around him was infectious. We left having sampled some incredible coffee, gained a lot of knowledge, and also having been moved by Chris and his family’s approach to life and the world around him - it was a wonderful experience. Definitely give them a visit while you’re in Santa Elena!

You cannot miss visiting this place and learning about coffee with Chris, he’s extremely knowledgeable and friendly. We had an amazing time with him tasting coffee. I will definitely be back. Beautiful land full of birds ✨

Gorgeous hike! We saw capuchin monkeys too! We tried to follow the yellow trail but managed to get lost somehow so just be careful with the signs! But amazing morning. So peaceful.

We had an amazing time at Santuario Ecologico. We were adjusting to the timezone and this was the perfect place to ‘land’ in Costa Rica. A spacious room in the most beautiful surrounding. A beautiful forest that is maintained by the lovely family, who made us feel so welcome in their home. We enjoyed a beautiful coffee ceremony with Chris that we will not soon forget. Recommendation: book their night tour, lovely guide!

The coffee ritual was an experience! Chris patiently showed us around the grounds, where we saw the growing and drying processes and learned more about composting. Of course, we also sampled coffee and experimented with various tweaks and brewing apparatuses before choosing our preferred parameters to make the best coffee and culminate the adventure. Oh, and the banana bread was delicious. 😋

The tour was lovely! The guide and the operators at the farm are very nice people and the horses are comfortable for any level of riding. We walked both in the jungle and in the fields, tasted fresh fruits that grow in the area and learned a lot about the area and Monte Verde. We heard and saw animals, especially birds. recommend going in the morning before everything is covered in clouds.

We did the night tour and absolutely loved it! Our guide Chris made us feel at ease and kept us engaged with a bunch of questions and fun facts about the animals and insects we were seeing. We were lucky enough to see multiple species of birds, three toucans(!!!), a tarantula, two different frogs and scorpions. Was a little hesitant at first, but ended up absolutely loving the night tour, would do it again and would definitely recommend!

Had such an amazing ride. Horses were well trained and scenery was beautiful. Would definitely ride again. Guide was very kind and offered to take many pictures of us. Had a great time 10/10.

We had an amazing time at El Tesoro Nocturno!!!!! Just from the very beginning we felt the magic of this place. Surrounded 360' by pure nature with a breathtaking atmosphere. We knew we were in for a trip of our lifetime. From the starting point to the very last step we where amazed how many animals were around us. We dont have enough words to thank Roy our amazing Nature guide and his son for their professionalism, and patience with our kids. For showing so many interesting things we would probably would have missed on our own, from birds, mammals, insects and our very favorite all the varieties of frogs. We even got to see snakes! Thank you so much, you made our trip to Costa Rica!!!!!! 🇨🇷 We will certainly be back with friends and family next year. Just the most wonderful experience at night in the beautiful area of Monteverde.

We did a night walk with Brandon. Absolute recommendation!! He is so passionate about nature and will find you the most small and big beautiful animals!

El Tesoro opened just a couple of months ago, so everything is nice and new here, and well organized. It's outside of Monteverde, and not overrun by tourists. For us, this meant the chance to call just 2 hours ahead and still find a night tour available, with a guide who showed us all the local fauna, and flora, too. One of the nicer things the guide mentioned was that they do not bring in animals, displacing them just to please the tourists. So we didn't see any sloths, but we did see many gorgeous birds (they look like balls of feathers when they're asleep!), including the regular tucán and the emerald one (so hard to spot at night!), an orange collared trogon, a rare sunbittern, and others I can't remember the names of. We glimpsed a huge tarantula in her nest, shying away from our flashlights. Tiny frogs and big grasshoppers, stick insects, both with and without wings... Many other insects whose names escape me. And we ran after an olingo which darted so fast on the higher branches! Being in the tropical forest at night was magical. A great experience, totally recommended! More practical info: bring a raincoat, it rained a little while we were walking. I ended up using my phone's flashlight as backup, as the tiny flashlights from the guide were too weak for my eyes. But my husband had no trouble with his. And the guide had a really powerful one that lit up anything we needed. He also had a scope that allowed us to take close up pictures of the animals in the trees. Sneakers rather than sandals are a good idea, in my opinion. We didn't see any snakes, but they're a possibility.

The tour was great , the horses were super friendly and sweet. We saw moneys and tucans during the trip. We heavily recommend this tour

Gorgeous gallery for art made locally in Monteverde! Absolutely beautiful art and a great way to support local- definitely worth the visit when you’re in Monteverde. And check out the mural outside!

Great art and original drawings. It is really worth a visit and you can buy excellent souvenirs!

Awesome place filled with local artists and reasonably priced art, including stickers, bathing suits, prints and more! Definitely a good souvenir place

Beautiful shop. Ferlander's paintings are unique and the atmosphere very welcoming. It's a must if you're in Monteverde.

A beautiful place! The hummingbird paintings are shiny and massive and colorful, I loved looking at them all, and the prices are very reasonable

this place has the coolest art and the colors to the eye are so magical i loved the whole experience and the vibe. its small and quiet with art covering the whole place everyone should take a stop by to check it out !!!!!

We were greeted by staff as soon as we stepped into the building then when making purchases were supported with knowledge throughout our choices. Overall was a lovely experience!