3 Days In Monteverde Costa Rica Itinerary

Planning your 3 Days In Monteverde Itinerary? Let us help you design a perfect visit packed with amazing cloud forest experiences!

Monteverde is one of the world’s finest ecotourism destinations. Translated into English as ‘Green Mountain’, it’s 1,400 m (4,600 ft) above sea level, in a lush, misty spot.

National Geographic describes Monteverde as “the jewel in the crown of cloud forests”.  And having been here, we are certainly in agreement with that!

There’s a huge number of things to do in Monteverde! With so much of the activity outdoors, it can be a bit overwhelming to decide how best to organise your time.   

The goal of this post is to share a 3-day Monteverde itinerary that showcases the best on offer together with places to stay and eat that we love. Use this to help you select what fits your Costa Rica trip dreams and pack it into a 3 amazing day stay.

Where Is Monteverde

Monteverde is located in Costa Rica’s central northwest highlands. 

Spread over mountain slopes of the Cordillera de Tilaran, it’s part of the Puntarenas and Alajuela provinces.  It is also at the centre of the country’s continental divide. 

The little town of Santa Elena, just outside the cloud forest, is a tourist hotspot. With a variety of restaurants and tours; and cool, refreshing weather, this is the perfect base for 3 Days in Monteverde.

How to get to Monteverde

It can be tricky trying to figure out how to get to Monteverde so here are the main options.

From Major Airports: 

There are two international airports in Costa Rica, San Jose (SJO) and Liberia (LIR). 

Driving from San José (SJO) takes around 4-4.5 hours and from Liberia (LIR) approximately 3-3.5 hours. 

➡️ Check here for Availability and Prices Of Flights to Costa Rica

If you don’t want to drive yourself from the airport, there are a range of shuttle transfer options available.   

➡️Check out Airport Transfer Shuttle Options

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By Road:

From San Jose airport, drive on Ruta Nacional Primaria 27. Then take Ruta Nacional Treciaria 606 to Monteverde (Santa Elena).  

From La Fortuna to Monteverde, the distance is 108km (67 miles). You follow a twisty but paved, scenic route northwest around Lake Arenal to Tilarán. Next switch to the back roads that bring you to Santa Elena.  

After this point expect rough unpaved sections and lots of potholes. Plan for 3-4 hours driving, with a stop en route. 

The last few miles may take around 20 minutes as you navigate around these uneven surfaces. Don’t let that put you off – it’s all part of the adventure. If you are travelling during the rainy season, we suggest a 4×4 vehicle. 

If you are planning to visit Monteverde as part of a longer trip, our Costa Rica Road Trip Itinerary has more tips on driving.

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By Ferry Boat

If you don’t have a rental car and are already in La Fortuna, a fun way of getting to Monteverde is to take the La Fortuna/Arenal to Monteverde Taxi/Boat/Taxi. 

Pick-up is from your La Fortuna/Arenal hotel to Lake Arenal. From here you will take a ferry across the water. On the other side of the lake, continue by minibus/van to your accommodation in Monteverde.

Things To Do In Monteverde – 3 Day Itinerary

Imagine whizzing on a zipline over the cloud forest and seeking out kinkajous on a night walk.  How about traversing canopies and hanging bridges and hiking in the mountains through a biological reserve?

Try spotting howler monkeys jumping between trees, and discovering new plants and shrubs in the undergrowth or in an orchid garden.  Then there’s delicious Costa Rican coffee to enjoy as you soak in misty views.

You could pack a few of these activities into a 2-day/1-night stay. But from our experience, we recommend a minimum of 3 full days/nights in Monteverde.   

Day 1: Explore Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve

Established 54 years ago in 1974, the Monteverde Cloud Forest extends to over 35,089 acres. It’s home to over 100 species of mammals, 400 species of birds, and 1,200 species of amphibians and reptiles. 

With over 8 miles (13km) of trails, explore the forest with or without a guide.  We recommend booking a guided tour as the knowledge of the experts and their ability to spot wildlife is remarkable. 

Look out for birds, mammals, and butterflies along with learning about the forest trees and plants. Trails within the reserve are well maintained.  You’ll also cross several cool hanging bridges on the route.

There are three main tours on offer: we loved the early morning Natural History Tour.  Daytime tour costs include a day pass charge of $26pp.

• Natural History Tour (2 ½ -3 hours) – 07:30 or 11:30 or 13:30; $49pp 
• Bird Watching Tour (6 hours) – 06:00; $90pp
• Night Tour (1-1½ hours) – 18:00; $25pp

Book your Nature Tour Ticket in Advance or enquire on options at your hotel when you arrive.

If you want to stay in the preserve after your guided tour and hike independently, let your hotel know so they can adjust return transportation accordingly.    

See our FAQ for more information on the 10 trails within the forest and how long it takes to walk them. Download a PDF version of Monteverde Trail Map here.

📍Hummingbird Gallery and Cafe Colibri

After your activities, head to the cafe just at the entrance. The coffee and pastries are delicious here, but what everyone comes to see are the hummingbirds. 

The terrace is been set up with various bird feeders and has many trees and shrubs. These tiny birds are masters of flight. Watch them hover and zoom in every direction that takes their fancy.  Quite mesmerising! 

There’s always wildlife around the reserve so you never know what to expect.  Look out for the howler monkeys in the trees.  We were lucky enough to see a whole family of them.

📍Check Out Santa Elena Town

Depending on how long you stay at the reserve, you will likely have time to get to know Santa Elena, the main town in the Monteverde region.  

You’ll find a range of shops from quality gift and souvenir stores to local supermarkets. It’s fun pottering around these checking out local foods and coffees.

For a small town, there are many cafes and restaurants, banks, tour operators, a bus station, a gas station, and a medical center.  Santa Elena is very walkable – everything is close together.  

As evening approaches, drop into The Jungle for Happy Hour before dinner in town.

Day 2: A Day At Selvatura Adventure Park

Monteverde offers canopy tours involving ziplines, hanging bridges, Tarzan swings, and wildlife sanctuaries.  Whichever park you choose, they are great fun. Plan to spend a full day in one.  

We recommend Selvatura Park for its variety and value.  Set amongst 850 acres of protected forest and bordering the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, it’s a short drive (20 minutes/7 km) from Santa Elena. 

Ideally, visit the park during the shoulder season. At times, we were the only group on the hanging bridges. Bring water as the shop selection is expensive.  

📍Selvatura Tours & Activities – With 6 different tours and 10 packages on offer, choose from a range of adventures.

• 13 zipline cables including a 1km one,
• 15 platforms and a Tarzan Swing cover a distance of 2.2miles,
• 3km Treetop walkways with 8 hanging bridges,
• A hummingbird garden, butterfly garden, and amphibian exhibit,
• A sloth habitat sanctuary.

If you visit as a group, it’s not a problem to choose different packages. The on-site reservation staff are excellent and align timings to ensure you do some activities together.

📍Zip-lining. Our highlight of the day at Selvatura was ziplining. It’s so well set up!

The guides on the canopy ziplining are excellent, encouraging you to face your fear. This helps when tackling the ‘Tarzan Swing’ or flying like Superman face down over the forest!  The ‘Superman’ ride has a small price supplement. 

Safety is a key factor.  Checks are made constantly and because you are in small groups, maximum time is given to your zipline experience.  

📍Sloth Sanctuary – although we loved seeing sloths in more natural surroundings around Costa Rica, our visit to this sanctuary was worthwhile.

The sloth residents are here because they have suffered injuries and cannot return to the wild.

Depending on how long you stay at the park, enjoy the remainder of your day relaxing around Santa Elena, or back at your hotel.  

Camino Verde B&B (where we have stayed) has a shared balcony area. This is a great spot to admire the forest, enjoy a glass of wine, and share the day’s stories with fellow travellers. 

For evening dinner, scroll down for favourite places to Eat in Monteverde. 

Day 3: Coffee Farms, Orchids & Night Forest Walks

For your final day, why not visit a coffee farm, marvel at orchids, and as darkness falls, head back to the forest.

📍Take A Coffee Tour of Monteverde

Start your day in town at one of Santa Elena’s coffee shops – we love Cafe Monteverde. Enjoy delicious coffee and pastries here and check out the quality products to purchase in their small shop. 

There are several guided coffee tours on offer from Santa Elena, taking you out to the coffee farms. Learn about the process from seed to cup and enjoy tasting different blends. 

Below are recommended tours lasting around 2 hours and priced from $35 – $45.  Transportation is usually extra but shop around for the best deal.  

• Monteverde Coffee Tour can be booked online and this 6th generation farming family offer a warm welcome to all.
• El Pueblo Coffee Tour operates a similar tour 8km from Santa Elena. 
• 3 In 1 Coffee Tour offers a ‘3 in 1’ tour covering processes of sugar cane, chocolate, and coffee making from Santa Elena. 

📍Visit Monteverde Orchid Garden

If you have seen enough critters, and done your fill of hiking and bird spotting, head to Monteverde’s ‘Jardin De Orquideas’. This garden in Santa Elena has over 450 species of sweet-smelling orchids and around 300m of accessible trails. 

Tours are included in your entrance but if you prefer, just wander around on your own. There are no set tour times but if you book ahead, you are allocated a time when you arrive.  Waiting time for a tour is up to 20 minutes. 

📍Be Brave – Take a Night Forest Tour

For an early evening activity, before a later dinner (or after an early one!), book a Kinkajou Night Tour.

These are popular because 80% of the cloud forest creatures are nocturnal.

Other local companies like Santa Maria Night Walk and Wildlife Refuge Monteverde offer smaller group tours with the latter having a maximum group size of 6 people. 

➡️Monteverde Night Forest Walk Tour – Check availability and costs here.

Expert guides point out active wildlife ranging from snakes, spiders, sloths, possums, and kinkajous.  Remember, you are seeing animals in the wild.

Over 90 minutes, you walk mainly in single file on a narrow path, often twisty and sloping.  Guides communicate with each other by radio so if something is spotted by another group, information can be shared.

At times, even with a group of 8 people, it can be tricky to gather around to hear and see everything.  And at night, some animals move so quickly! 

Tours continue even in wet weather. Despite being soaked on our return, it was worth it to see scorpions, snakes, frogs, sloths, kinkajous, possums, and spiders!  Honestly, the guides are talented at spotting as much as they do. 

More Incredible Activities around Monteverde

If you are staying longer in Monteverde, there is so much more to do and see. 

We’ve listed several other activities for you to pick and choose from from full to half-day tours.  Ask your hotel for suggestions as there may also be an event or festival going on in the area during your stay.  

📍Enjoy Another Canopy Tour.  

Other popular canopy tour parks in the Monteverde area include Aventura 100%, which has similar activities to Selvatura without wildlife options. Or if bungee jumping is your thing, check out Monteverde Extreme. 

The Original Canopy Tour, also close to Santa Elena, has canopy tours of 10 zip lines. If you are short on time and don’t want to spend a full day at a park tours here last around 2-2 ½ hours. 

If you are looking for a gentler way to enjoy the forest, TreeTopia Park offers a ‘TreeTram’ ride by cable car.  You can enjoy this as a single experience lasting around an hour or combine it with other activities in the park such as a hanging bridges walk. 

📍Hike Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve

 

Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve at 765 acres, is much smaller and quieter than the Monteverde Forest we visit on Day 1 of this itinerary.  Entrance includes access to the Reserve, Observation tower, and Orchid Garden.  

No prior reservation is required if you choose to do a self-guided hike.  The shortest trail is less than 0.5km and the longest one is 4.8km.  

Horse Riding, a Cheese Factory and Waterfalls

📍Go Horse Riding

Trek through nature trails viewing the Gulf of Nicoya.  Suitable for all levels.   Book in advance. The stable is located 6 km from Santa Elena – Google Maps Link to Equus Horseback Riding.

📍Visit Monteverde Cheese Factory 

Around 3 km south of Santa Elena is the Monteverde Cheese Factory. Although it no longer runs tours, look through the glass windows and see how the cheese is being made. Go to the factory store where you can, not only, buy cheese but also milkshakes and ice-cream!  

If you drive down to the factory, stop off at the Monteverde Waterfall either on the way there or back.  A short trail hike of around 20minutes will take you to the falls and pool.  Enjoy a swim here in peaceful surroundings.  No entrance fees.  

📍Swim and Hike at El Tigre Waterfalls

If you enjoy waterfalls and want more of a reserve park set-up, head to El Tigre, around 10km north of Santa Elena.  Here you can book onto a self guided 8km hike which includes four waterfalls and ten bridges. 

Where To Stay In Monteverde

It’s easy to get around the Monteverde area without much driving. Choose a hotel with secure parking and you can avoid any stress about where to leave your car overnight. Most tours include transport too.

📍 Camino Verde Bed and Breakfast – only a few minutes walk from town, this is a relaxed place to stay. The staff are extremely helpful and will arrange tours, transfers and help with driving directions to your next destination.

Standard Rooms are small but well set up and the balcony next to the breakfast area is a perfect place to sit and enjoy mountain views.

📍Tityra Lodge– cabin style lodge a little further out of town. A low key location to relax at. The family own an adjacent coffee farm so perhaps tour it during your stay. Enjoy several walking trails from the lodge.

📍 Koora Monteverde a Cloud Forest Hotel by Sandglass – if you’re after a luxury stay experience, book yourself into this beautifully designed hotel with incredible terrace views in a lush forest setting.

Choose from a suite in the main building or a bungalow for more privacy. 

Places to Eat in Monteverde

Here are a few great places to try during your stay in Monteverde.

Morpho’s Restaurant – with 2 locations their latest restaurant has stunning views over Monteverde valley and offers a mix of local and international food.

Taco Tacos – great lunch spot with a tasty Mexican menu. Relaxed atmosphere.

Restaurante Tree House in central Santa Elena is named after a massive tree that grows up through the floors of the building. With live music and good food, it’s a lovely spot to relax after a day of activity.

San Lucas Tree Top Dining – if you are after foodie luxury, in a glass box which is suspended 50 ft above the ground and surrounded by trees, this is where to come. Reservations for this 7-course delight are essential!

FAQs

Monteverde is a top ecotourism destination in Costa Rica known for its lush cloud forests, diverse wildlife and many outdoor activities.  Ranked by Costa Ricans as one of the country’s seven wonders, it is increasingly popular with travellers from all corners of the world.  

Here are common questions that people ask about visiting Monteverde in Costa Rica and our answers to these.

Does Monteverde have a town?

Monteverde is not a town but a tiny ‘village’ on the edge of a cloud forest.  It was originally a farming community founded by the Quakers in 1951.  Today it is not a village in the traditional sense of the word as there is no main road or town centre. 

Instead, Monteverde refers to the whole zone or region covering a sprawling chain of villages, farms and  nature reserves.  This includes the Cloud Forest Reserve.  

So whilst it is often considered as a town, the main town in the Monteverde area is Santa Elena.

How long does it take to walk Monteverde Cloud Forest?

There is no set time for how long it takes to walk the Monteverde Cloud Forest as it depends on how many trails you intend to cover.  The official website lists 10 trails ranging from less than 0.2 miles to 1.2 miles (2km).  

Together these add up to 13km of marked maintained trails. The three most popular hikes which all around 2km and take about 1.5 hours each are:

• Sender Bosque Nuboso (Cloud Forest Trail);
• the El Camino (The Road), a favourite of bird watchers, and
• Sendaro El Rio (River Trail) leading to a waterfall.

What is special about Monteverde?

Referred to as ‘the jewel in the crown of cloud forest reserves’ by National Geographic, is enough of an accolade to realise that Monteverde is not your average reserve. 

It’s a rare ecosystem and home to thousands of plant species including over 500 orchid varieties. 

In addition, it is the habitat of a diverse range of insects and animals including jaguars, ocelots, tapirs, howler monkeys and the rarely sighted spectacular green winged and tailed quetzal bird.  The plethora of nature here is incredible. 

What should I wear in Monteverde?  

You aren’t guaranteed dry weather in Monteverde because you are in the mountains.   Even in the drier season from February to May, you can experience mist and light rain. 

Generally it is mild with temperatures ranging between 20 and 25 celsius in the day then dropping off at night. Overall, it’s cooler compared to the lowlands of Costa Rica. 

As well as a rain jacket, bring quick drying clothes for Monteverde including hiking trousers, base layers, thick socks and a light sweater/fleece.  Sturdy waterproof hiking shoes are a must.  Dress is generally casual in the evenings. 

 

Wrap Up

In our view, the Monteverde region is a must-see area to visit when coming to Costa Rica.  

With its unique access to the lush high-elevation cloud forest, an incredibly diverse ecosystem with thousands of plant species, not to mention mammals, reptiles, birds and amphibians, hanging bridges, trails, waterfalls, it is a nature’s paradise.  

This is also a great spot to arrive at after exploring ideally 3 Days In La Fortuna and Arenal or before moving onto the beach. Why not include 4 Days at Playa Grande near Tamarindo.

We hope our 3 Day Itinerary for Monteverde helps you to plan a trip with a perfect mix of nature and above the clouds adventures.