A Swift Guide To Visiting Monteverde

An Overview of Monteverde

Widely considered the greatest access point to the famous cloud forests of Costa Rica, Monteverde is built like a mountain ski village in a tropical setting. The town is roughly four-hours north from the Central Valley and remains one of the world’s prominent ecotourism destinations. The various hiking trails, mountain paths, verdant cloud forests and incredible range of wildlife makes this one of the most beautiful places to visit in Costa Rica.

Advice While Visiting Monteverde

Visitors can Monteverde via public bus from San Jose via the 7-10 Terminal (bus station). Tickets can be purchased online or at the gate for roughly $6.00 USD.  It’s roughly a five hour bus ride with a single pit-stop before reaching the town.  These pit-stops are rather expensive and not comfortable, so it’s recommend to pack one’s own food and water.

It’s possible to walk to Monteverde from the main Santa Elena bus terminal. This route requires about an hour.  For visitors with their own vehicles, there’s parking nearby which requires payment before taking a shuttle the rest of the distance.  Monteverde gets busy very quickly.  Rides (shuttles direct) from Santa Elena downtown to Monte Verde are roughly $10 USD.

There is ample parking near Santa Elena Reserve Forest for those who drive.  Shuttles can also be found, but they must be booked in advance. 

Rain is pervasive throughout Costa Rica in this season.   Bringing waterproof equipment (such as a watertight day bag or hiking boots) is recommended.  Umbrellas in the forest are practically useless due to the narrowness of paths.

Tap water in Monteverde is drinkable since most of it steps from pure freshwater mountain reservoirs.

Points of Interest in Monteverde

Café Monteverde Coffee Shop

This is a great little internet café with decent WIFI, great coffee, and decent pastries located in the town’s center.

Zuccaro Coffee and Bakery

This is another excellent café location, known for a great series of pick-up pastries.

Tree House Restaurant

Located in the town center of Monteverde, this is an eatery on the second floor near an immense tree to give patrons the impression of eating in the canopy. It can get crowded and the food is somewhat average.

Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Preserve

The Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Preserve is a stunning biological preserve with educational plaques scattered throughout the hiking area.  The entire park is constantly wreathed in a thicket of clouds, mists and dense forests.

Cerro Plano Viewpoint

This is rather dramatic viewpoint overlooking the local valley. It can easily be visited when heading towards the cloud forests outside town.

Chilling Giant of Monteverde

An immense sculpture created from upcycled debris, this giant can be found just outside the Cloud Forest reserve near a parking lot. The creation was formed by sculptor Gabriel Muñoz Ramírez.

Monteverde Hummingbird Gallery

Found just outside the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Preserve, this is a wonderful gallery crammed with beautiful art pieces of hummingbirds. The galley also serves as a wildlife observation area, with actual hummingbirds frequenting the feeders just outside.

Monteverde Art House Gallery

This small roadside art gallery provides a nice glimpse into the local art culture, with a tiny garden and roadside swing just outside.

La Reserva Bosque Nuboso Santa Elena

While Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Preserve is the main tourist attraction for cloud forests, La Reserva Bosque Nuboso Santa Elena is just as impressive. It’s another cloud forest preservation site, usually less visited by tourists with denser woods and a better chance of seeing wildlife.

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