5 Awesome Things to do in Monteverde, Costa Rica

Monteverde, Costa Rica seemed very touristy. It did. More so than the other towns we visited in Costa Rica. I’m assuming the locals don’t go zip lining every day or take night hikes with tour guides. While touristy places are not always my favorite, this town IS worth a short visit. I’ve compiled the 5 things to do in Monteverde if you make your way to this small town.

What makes Monteverde so unique is the cloud forest. Cloud forests only account for 1% of the world’s woodland. From what I learned, the cloud/fog covers the forest, creating dampness and moisture, and allowing for unique plants and animals to thrive.

Quick Tips

It is MUCH cooler in Monteverde than other areas of Costa Rica (average temp in the 60s and very windy at times). You go for the cloud forest, but that equals rain. Bring a rain jacket and warmer clothes. Tours cost quite a bit here ($30-$100). If you’re on a budget, pick and choose which ones you really want to do to avoid spending too much money.

How to Get There

Monteverde is relatively easy to get to. If you are coming from La Fortuna/Arenal, arrange transport through wherever you’re staying or through a tour operator to take a van-boat-van. Cost should be $20+ and this covers the entire trip. A van will pick you up and drive you to Lake Arenal, where you will board the boat. After a scenic ride across the lake, you will get in another van (they’ll tell you which one)  that will take you to Monteverde. The whole trip takes around 3 hours. If you are coming from elsewhere, check a bus schedule. Buses come in and out of Monteverde daily.

Things to Do

1.       Climb a ficus tree.

This was my favorite part of Monteverde because it was self-adventure and free. These trees are basically jungle gyms, and you’re rewarded with a great view at the top.

Me climbing the ficus tree

2.       Go on a night hike.

Of the things to do in Monteverde, I thought this sounded lame. Really? I need a guide to walk me through a forest? Yes. The whole point is that they know where and how to look for animals. I thought my younger years of eyeing frogs to catch qualified me to spot rainforest animals, but I was so wrong. I would have seen zero animals. Thanks to our tour guide, we saw toucans, a tarantula, monkeys, frogs, snakes, and a sloth. After seeing a viper, I was grateful to not be blindly tromping around at night by myself. We went with Kinkajou night tours. As an added bonus, our guide was hilarious.

Red Eyed Tree Frog during our night tour

3.       Do a hike.

You have options. You can hike at Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve, Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve, or you can do a hanging bridge hike. We did a hanging bridge hike because 90% of the wildlife is found in the top of the rainforest. We, unfortunately, did not see many animals, but it was amazing to be up in the trees. If I could do it over, I would opt for a guided tour at a park, so that I could hopefully see cute animals.  All these options offer buses to get you there.

One of the many hanging bridges

4.       Go zip-lining.

Don’t judge me, but I didn’t do this when I was there. I had done canyoning/rappelling down waterfalls in Arenal and had already had my hang-by-a-rope fix. We heard that zip-lining here was fantastic, though. Here is a great guide on the best options for this.

5.       Drink coffee.

Costa Rica’s coffee is amazing. We used our time in Monteverde to relax and didn’t fill our days. We spent time drinking coffee, looking up at the cloud forest, and being grateful for where we were. If drinking coffee isn’t enough for you, take a coffee tour. 

Moments of peace can be just as important on trips as the ones spent seeing it all.

There is a reason Monteverde is so touristy. The cloud forest is so unique that it draws people to it from all over the world. This does mean there are plenty of things to do in Monteverde. We went from Monteverde to Montezuma, the perfect beach town. If you want to follow our path, read about Montezuma here.

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