The 21 best things to do with kids in Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve

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!

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.

The lady at the front desk was super knowledgeable and was very passionate about her work and what they do to help the bats. We visited in off peak time (2pm, in between feedings), and there was no wait at all. $15 to tour during feeding time with a tour guide. $7.50 for a self guided tour. The bats were adorable, and we had a blast here. A hidden gem!!

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.

Small exhibit with about 35-40 bars (all frugivorous and nectivorous) in an enclosure. Good education component and low cost ($7pp without guided tour). They only do feedings twice a day with later one at 3p and costing a little more. Worth a stop.

Loved this place. You can walk in and see 50 or so bats of different species flying around and eating. There's also informational exhibits that are very interesting. This organization is doing very important work for bats and entire ecosystems. Drop by and support them if you can.

The receptionist explained each and everything minutely with patience. The zip lines guides were very kind and helpful. Oscar and his colleague explained everything properly during zip lining. Oscar also agreed to my decision of doing the superman pose at the last moment. Everything went very well and I enjoyed. The hanging bridges were awesome!! I got beautiful photographs taken by photographer as well!

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!

We did the canopy tour here and it was an amazing experience. We decided to do it here because this tour goes through the primary cloud forest, something most other tours don’t have. The views were amazing while flying through the forest. You leave with quite a big group but after a few tracks the group gets spread more and you don’t have to wait too long. The staff is very friendly and works very quick so that everything runs smoothly. They follow all safety protocols and we never saw anything dangerous happen, the gear is in good condition. The Tarzan Swing is included in the price but you have to pay extra for the Superman. The long track over a canton is very cool, it takes at least a minute and during that time you can really enjoy the views. The tour is quite expensive but it is definitely something you should do in Costa Rica!

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.

Zip lines we're great! Very helpful and friendly staff. Bridges and wildlife was meh. I suspect the Zipline traffic, bridges, and noise has driven out most of the birds and animals that would typically be there. Reduce your expectations if you want to see animals out in the wild.

This was a wonderful experience, despite the wind and the rain and the poor weather conditions. We did the 13 leg zip line and the sloth sanctuary. We came back the next day and did the hanging bridges and it was a little bit clearer day. I enjoyed all of the activities, even being thrust into a windy cold storm at fast speeds. The guides made you feel safe and secure. The slots were clean and well taken care of and it was beautiful to see them up close in person. The hanging bridges was a very nice experience as well. Recommend doing the whole park pass!!! Just do it!!!!

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 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.

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!

Very educational and loved the opportunity to see the butterflies up close. As a little bonus you also get to see some tarantulas and other bugs.

This was one of the best things we did in Costa Rica. And it's all down to Jayden and Lea. These guides were brilliant with my three very curious kids. They were so patient and engaging and helped them overcome their fear of insects. I would recommend this tour wholeheartedly, especially to families, it's very informative in a fun way!

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).

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.

Absolutely loved this place! Did not care about frogs at all before but now my partner is absolutely obsessed. I would entirely recommend allowing time for two visits - one in the day and one at night. This allowed us to see all bar 2 species of frog on display in the exhibit awake! They were awesome and, after reading previous reviews, we made a game of who could spot the most which definitely made it more fun! Some really make it hard but you can always ask staff for help, too! The insect section is more like small artistic displays of dead insects and neither section has much information but if you want to see a variety of frogs and have some fun (especially if it’s raining) then I totally recommend! We would do again 💯

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.

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!

Our tour guide, Catherine, was amazing! We had a blast on the tour making chocolate, virgin mojitos, and learning about coffee. If you *just* want to know about coffee production, this might not be for you. But, if you want to know more about chocolate, sugar, and coffee production, I *highly* recommend this tour!

We enjoyed this tour a great deal. Diego our guide, was very informative and made sure we had an amazing experience. Our family agreed that this was one of the best tours in Costa Rica! Learning about sugar cane, chocolate, and coffee was lovely. As a bonus we were served delectable treats at end of our tour. This family owned and operated business is top notch!

Such an interesting tour that includes more than what I think other surrounding tours offer (coffee, sugar cane, and cocoa). The tour guides are all very enthusiastic and kind. Our group size was small which I think helped make for a nicer experience. Arranging transportation to and from my hostel through them was simple and well worth it. Definitely recommend!

This was an excellent tour made better by Henry our guide, who showed really passion and energy, plus a few jokes. We saw and heard all about the coffee production process, plus sugar cane and chocolate. Would highly recommend.

This was a wonderful experience. We learned so much about coffee and sugar cane. Daniel was a magnificent tour guide. And the complementary coffee and lemonade was amazing!! I highly recommend it. We went with our 8 month old baby and everyone was very nice to her. The gif shop has good prices.

Guide very knowledgeable We saw lots of wildlife Traditional costa rican coffee/ chocolate farmers, with generations of experience Hands on demonstrations Memorable tour Worth the money Much cheaper if you contact them directly for tickets!!

Beautiful family run coffee tour in Monteverde, Costa Rica. Amazing setting, friendly and knowledgeable guide, and really delicious coffee, chocolate and sugar cane. Gift store at the end where you can purchase bags of coffee as well. Highly recommend!

Jeffrey was our guide and absolutely made the experience so fun for everyone and memorable. I would recommend the tour and Jeffrey to anyone ! He was incredibly knowledgeable not just about the products but the history of the country, the wildlife, and so much more . He was so attentive to each guest throughout the tour .

Decent food but nothing to write home about. Our hotel recommended we check this spot out. We got the vegetarian and chicken Casado. They were both well prepared. The view is okay- we were there on a hot day for lunch and the sun really beats in through the windows making it a bit hot.

Big place with beautiful views. I would t come here for the food but more so for a drink to enjoy the view. Staff was friendly. They have parking. Food was average and a bit disappointing. I got the vegetarian Casado and was expecting to have a more traditional kind of cheese but it was a basic cheddar kind of cheese. Beans were very watery too. Salad was just ok. Soursop drink was good. It seems like big binders come here with their groups.

Very good food and nice restaurant. We sat outside and while it was too cloudy to see much of a view, we did see lots of birds and some butterflies. It was a nice time!

We visited more than once, because everything we had was excellent! Their burgers are huge and juicy, their casados satisfied even our picky kids, and their caramel roll and Morpho coffee dessert were simply fabulous. Plus the interior design and the balcony, absolutely our favorite place for lunch in Monteverde.

Cool restaurant - outside seating to watch the sunset. Indoor seating as well. Upstairs seating very nice - I like the bench seating along the wall. Big windows to see the sun as it goes down.

The food and service is great! We ate here a couple of times and loved everything. I got steak one day and the chicken burger the next. Their frozen watermelon and lemonade were my favorite drinks.

Came for dinner with a tour group. Service was Fantastic!!! Beef tenderloin with mushroom sauce was delish and while the turimsu was great, my friends said the vanilla ice cream was to die for. Beautiful scenery when the clouds aren't so heavy. Great spot for sunset viewing if the weather cooperates.

We had a lovely evening at Tico y Rico. The food was delicious and very filling, for a great price. We had two cocktails, which were really good. Our waiter Sebastian was really friendly and very helpful. A really friendly and happy atmosphere. We would definitely recommend

Great place for tourists to eat, waiter is polite and warm, speaks clear English and is easy to understand. Good is good, portion size is appropriate for the price, and service is fairly quick. The food, atmosphere, and presentation is a little more upscale than local places off the tourist downtown.

Bad food and bad service. One guy doing all the work, 3 people standing in the back doing nothing, no one at the host stand. (4/9/2025) I don’t know what my plate was called but none of it was good. Tortilla was stale, rice was basically stale, pork aka “cerdo” (not cerdo) was 4 small pieces of dry meat with some bbq sauce on top. Didn’t bother trying the salad based on how old the plantain tasted. My friend got a pasta and he had one bite and threw it away. Picture shows why.

The mix seafood rice is undercooked and very hard; I even found a plastic piece in my juice. I told the waiter these problems and he didn’t even say a “sorry”. we asked the waiter to help us to cut our coconut three times without any actions. No to mention, when asking for recommendations, the waiter just said I don’t know. Food is not very cooked and service is very disappointing.

Wow, great place right in town. Prices are reasonable, slightly less than similar restaurants that cater to tourists. I had the fish tacos, which were amazing!

We had a wonderful supper at Tico y Rico. Food was delicious, tried the Caribbean rice and beans with chicken. Sebastian was our server, very friendly and attentive.

Descent food options. Didn’t Order traditional Costa Rican food but everything we ordered was delicious. The server was very patient explaining the menu. Rosemary garlic sauce was so delicious. The steak was cooked perfectly and the soursop juice is such a nice addition to our mea.

Had a great time at El Sapo for dinner! The food was delicious and the service was top notch. Gabriel was friendly and treated us very well the whole time we were there. It was also a nice surprise that there was a Costa Rican traditional dance performance when we were there. Overall we had a really nice experience at El Sapo. Highly recommended!

This restaurant was recommended for us so we booked a table for my husband’s birthday dinner. Even if I stressed that it is a birthday party, the restaurant did no effort to offer any surprise treat for him, not even a candle in the cake. We were seated in the corridor with harsh lighting instead of cozy main hall. Food was nothing special but pricey. My husband is a good cook and commented that his risotto wasn’t as good as he makes himself. The waiters were all over the place, maybe they had extra personnel or something. PS: My previous negative review was deleted from Google so it seems to me that the positive reviews are because the reviews are manipulated. This is why I repost this.

Beautiful my renovated hotel and restaurant. Lush greenery and clean manicured setting. Restaurant’s Menu on Google is not accurate. Per Google $15, actual $27 for same gnocchi. We noticed it was a lot different and higher priced; another couple there decided to not order after finding out the menu change a few days ago. I’ve been to Costa Rica 40 times and not seen such an expensive menu $23-30 per item for lunch (it’s high for san diego as well). I would recommend this place for a drink and relaxing experience away from town. However, Charging white table cloth prices for lunch without exceptional service or quality makes the 80% price increase unsubstantiated.

My wife and I came to El Sapo Restaurant in late September during the "slow season" We, unfortunately, could only dine during the cocktail hour as we had arranged travel, however, the excellent service and food makes us want to stay at the hotel for a future visit and get the full dinner experience. The Mocktails by Robert were fantastic! I highly recommend the Pizote! My wife was a little chilly while we were dining, and Dorian didn't hesitate to setup a fire pit directly next to our table to keep her warm, he is an excellent and attentive waiter. The sunset view from our table was something that no picture could do justice showing and was of the best sunsets in September for sure! If you are thinking of visiting Monteverde, make a reservation here and you won't be disappointed! Thank you to the staff for making our short dining experience great!

We had a wonderful anniversary dinner! Food was delicious and Adonay was a wonderful server — very informative, helpful, and attentive. Excellent service. Very pretty ambience. We had the ribs and steak and cheesecake. All of it was delicious! Gracias Pura Vida

This restaurant is absolutely outstanding. We had multiple dinners and breakfasts here during our stay at the Senda Monteverde hotel, and every single one was one of the best meals we ever had. In the morning, their hot chocolate is excellent, and their selection of breakfast items didn't disappoint. Dinner was incredible. The roasted vegetables and roasted cabbage were surprisingly two of the best things I've eaten in a while, and you can add grilled chicken for extra protein. The tuna appetizer with avocado was to die for, and even their starter rolls were delicious. Anyway, you can certainly find restaurants in the little town, but you don't have to venture far from the hotel to have a top notch Costa Rican meal!

We arrived at 8pm and were almost turned away at the door as we didn’t have reservations and they close at 9:15. They graciously let us in. It’s located next to a hotel. Their cocktail drinks were refreshing and contained fresh muddled herbs. They provided free table bread which was warmed, seasoned, soft, and extra delicious with the side of fresh salsa. Every plate had a culinary presentation to the dish! The flavors had depth and thought with fresh ingredients! Portions appeared a bit small but we still ended up being pretty content. The Senda Pork Ribs, St. Louis ribs, was extremely tender and had a great fusion of flavors. The side salad was refreshing. The downfall was the side of cassava fries were very bland. The Pepper Steak was seasoned superbly and the pepper sauce was SO good. The steak was cooked a little too under but all the sides delivered! For dessert, we ordered the brownie. The vanilla ice cream might have been the best ice cream I’ve had on my trip. The vanilla flavor really pops and complimented the richness of the brownie. However, the brownie itself was a little lackluster and on the drier side. The ice cream was its saving grace. Definitely come by as I thought it was one of the better meals we had on our trip! 5 drinks, 4 entrees, dessert $185USD

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! 🌿💚✨

Great place to bring kids. It lasts about 40 minutes depending on how fast you can spot the creatures. The price includes 2 visits, a day trip and night trip assuming you visit during the day first. I would recommend visiting again in the evening as the snakes are more active at night.

Super fun. A bit small but it was a great visit. People are really knowable and friendly. They are bilingual most of of them but even then it's interesting to hear their information in Spanish too. Great place. My son loved the snake skins.

This spot was pretty interesting and the young man that gave the presentation did an outstanding job.

Very cool animals they showcased. Not a very flashy or informative tour but the snakes and other reptiles are cool.

Really cool place i you want to know more about all the snakes, toads, frogs and lizards! The adult ticket is avout 14$ but it gets you an admission twice, so yoh can visit the place in the evening and during the day. Very cool! I would improve the guided tour presentation to just a talk while people are watching the species.

We were staying close to this place and we were able to come and see the animals in the morning and at night. It's a small place but our 4 year-old is into snakes and he loved it. Friendly and helpful staff.

It is set up like your typical aquarium. You can see up close the local reptiles and frogs but I would of rather spent my money and time elsewhere. The only perk is that you are allowed to come back with your ticket at night to see the frogs and snakes in action.

Small part of the jungle that seems bigger than it is due to be winding paths. But an enjoyable way to spend 1.5 to 2hrs. Since it's nature you can't guarantee what you will spot each night. Sometimes it could be nothing and other times you might see everything. We came during rainy season and our guide was able to pinpoint a number of insects and animals we would have completely missed without their help. We saw a couple of pit vipers, multiple kinkajou, stick insects, glass frog, baby scorpion, daddy long legs, various spiders, a few sleeping birds, a possum, Moths and butterflies. Various bugs. We did occasionally interact with other groups either by crossing their paths or when guides shared the location of certain animals they had found so that other groups could get a chance to see. Our guide provided example photos of the animals we saw on their phone and also informed us about them, from their breeding habits to what they eat and when. They also made sure our group of 5 all saw each animal before they moved to the next spot. They can provide flashlights if required although if you have some good quality ones, I suggest using your own.

We enjoyed our night walk tour, we were able to see scorpions, tarantulas, sloths, snakes and other insects. The price was good and we were able to see lots of animals. Our guide was eager to spot the animals and made sure that everyone got to see. We even got free pick up and drop off!

Fantastic night hike. Our guide Flavian was great at finding the animals and often pointed them out to the other guides. He also was able to call the kinkajou which was incredible to see. It ran super fast but we were able to get pictures. Highly recommend coming here for a night hike and request Flavian if you do!

This guided tour was a ton of fun! Our guide Joaquin was friendly and worked hard to make sure we a lot of wildlife and we certainly did, from the elusive kinkajou to sleeping toucans, tarantulas, scorpions, snakes, frogs, and bioluminescent fungus. Highly recommend while in Monteverde!

This adventure was one of the most incredible experiences I've ever had! Our guide was phenomenal, making the journey even more unforgettable!

Joaquin was the GOAT! Everyone got a flashlight, clear instructions on the what to do and expect. We saw; Ocelots (very special), Sloths, Kinkajou, Possum, Tarantulas, Vipers, Mot Mots, Tucan. Really fun activity 10/10 recommend.

We had an incredible tour with Favian (?) as our guide. I was a little nervous taking our 5 year old daughter but Favian was able to show us so many different creatures we would never have noticed while also keeping our group safe. Favian seemed particularly good at making kinkajou sounds which we did get to see as well as scorpions, a tarantula, mot mot birds, frogs, an eyelash viper, a green viper and stick bugs. We even thought about doing another tour the next night had we not been limited on time.

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 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 staff at the entrance are super friendly and helpful. The trails are well marked and a nice walk. It's good that they are trying to save the rainforest they own. We did see some animals, birds and insects but no monkeys or sloths.

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

Finca is the best place in Monteverde for wildlife watching. The guides are perfect. I didn’t use a guide, but they were there anyway, pointing out what they could see and hear—for everyone, really :). It’s a lovely family-run business where it’s all up to you. We saw agoutis, coatis, three types of toucans, and many other bird species—at least 40 species in just one hour. A stunning white falcon, even a few species of butterflies, and there’s a natural swimming pool, so don’t forget your swimsuit! After heavy rain, the path can get muddy, like it was for us, but it rained for three days straight. Otherwise, everything was perfect. Beautiful views. In the end, the owner came to thank us and shook our hands. For me, it’s the best spot for birdwatching and photography—the longer you stay, the more you see, and you just don’t want to leave :). The road by car is fine. Parking is free. You can order coffee, chocolate, and even food there—they have a great selection!

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!

Lovely trails and great fun to cross the suspension bridge! In November it didn't seem too busy and we only queued for a little bit to get in. However, $26 is a bit steep considering 2 of the trails were closed when we visited. Don't go expecting to see animals because you probably won't. (But we did see a massive tarantula)

Hyped up tour. Did not see anything during the day. Hike is good

We visited Monteverde cloud forest reserve (June 2024). The weather was perfect that day but, despite this, we found it disappointing for several reasons. To start, the ticket booth is slow and disorganized, with unecessary long queues that waste time. After paying, you get a receipt with a trail they "recommend" (at the entrance you hear it is actually assigned) to each visiting group, which you must follow. Once the initial trail is done, all other trails can be visited (BUT NOTE: they only indicated this upon asking). Despite it being low/shoulder season, it was crowded, and noisy, so we can only imagine it being worse in high season. We did not purchase a guided service but feel sorry for those we came across who paid for one because some of the guides we overheard were telling tourists completely incorrect names and facts about plants and animals. Even if we did not pay for it we found it cheeky - if people pay for a guided service, the minimum expectation is correct information! We tried to stay as far as possible from large guided groups and this way saw several mammals and birds, including quetzal (which I also note can be seen elsewhere and we had seen in other parts of CR as well), but after exiting and chatting with other visitors we concluded we saw far more fauna and parts of the cloud forest reserve than those in guided groups. Lastly, the reserve has a parking area with shuttles, and all is included in a $5 parking fee. Shuttles are supposed to go every 10 minutes but in reality it is closer to 20-30 minutes. To make matters worse, one of the drivers from the official shuttle service was asking extra money to bring people to the parking area, with no receipt in return. We refused to do this and reported this where we had paid parking, as well as where our car was. They confirmed any payment would involve a receipt in return, and that the driver acted wrong (he probably just wanted to make extra $ from tourists), but who knows if they'll do anything about it because when I told him I would report what he was doing he just laughed. Overall, and after visiting several other reserves and parks in CR, Monteverde was unremarkable in comparison. The entrance price is higher than any other reserve or park we visited in CR, and it certainly does not come close to any national park (all of which were far more interesting, had more fauna, and were cheaper). It is also more expensive than other reserves in the same area - for instance, Santa Elena is $10 cheaper per person, less crowded, and generally more favored by visitors (see other tripadvisor posts). If you still want to visit Monteverde, I'd recommend no guide (unless you don't mind inaccurate information) and parking on the road near the actual entrance for free (many did so, there was plenty of space, and no need to wait eternally for a shuttle nor deal with a driver who wants to make easy extra money from tourists). Extra tip: best part of that area is the colibri cafe, which is right by the entrance to monteverde, around the area where people park for free, and you dont need to pay the cloud forest ticket to enter it to see the free beautiful birds that are seemingly always there.

This is the official parking lot for the preserve. It’s a small fee, but it’s safer if you are leaving anything in the car than parking on the road higher up. There’s a shuttle service that’s relatively quick.

Reserving a guided tour on the website was not a great e-commerce experience and when we got there apparently we still had to pay an admission fee. That said, parking, taking the shuttle were easy, and the park itself well worth the visit. The guide was great and pointed out lots of birds, etc. and educating on the habitat. We didn't see any mammals. The hike up to the clouded continental divide didn't take too long and was the highlight.

Really good trails. Not difficulty and very pretty with some cool wild life.

Staff here are very rude, so impuntual, we were waiting for the bus more than 20 minutes, and when we complain to the park administration they were worse, it is better to leave your car at the entrance of the park, it is very safe.

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

Amazing tour! We saw so many birds with George: Toucan, Quetzal (two of them in one day), lots is hummingbirds, etc. He is very knowledgeable about birds and nature in general so any questions he will be ready to answer. Very well spoken English as well and everything is really well communicated and explained. If you have a car, he can also take you to other spots in monteverde for bird sightseeing. Highly recommend you book the tour with George, it’s really worth it!

This was our first trip to Costa Rica and we went on several guided tours. We met up with George for the Monteverde Cloud Forest Tour and had a wonderful time! George was the BEST GUIDE by far. George is very passionate and knowledgeable of the ecosystem in the reserve. He would point out the small intricacies and interrelationships between the Flora and Fauna. We walked away with a better understanding of this fragile ecosystem. George is an awesome Steward of the forest and we are very happy to call him a mentor and friend. Thanks George!

We enjoyed our walk in the cloud forest with Jorge. He is knowledgeable and a wonderful guide who provides interesting insight.. both historical and the science of the forest. It was an enlightening and enjoyable experience for our group. We recommend it highly!

Went on a private Birdwatching tour with George of the Cloudforest as my first ever and had a wonderful time. George is incredibly personable as well as passionate and skilled at what he does. He was able to spot birds with ease and always gave educational info about each and every one, he also educated me on several special plants in the area that we passed by. if you want to see birds in Costa Rica, George is an amazing guide to do it with. and I feel that I left Monteverde with a new friend for life. Thank you George!

(Translated by Google) It's a shame that they are going to build and you won't be able to have this spot to see sunsets. (Original) Lastima que ya van a construir y no se podrá tener este spot para ver atardeceres

(Translated by Google) Incredible (Original) Increible

(Translated by Google) Excellent place. (Original) Excelente lugar.