Monteverde & Around

Spread out on the slopes of the Cordillera de Tilarán, this area is a sprawling chain of villages, farms and nature reserves. The biggest population center – the village of Santa Elena – runs seamlessly uphill into next-door neighbor Cerro Plano and then tiny Monteverde, which borders its namesake reserve.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Reserva Santa Elena

    Reserva Santa Elena

    Monteverde & Around

    The exquisitely misty 310-hectare Reserva Santa Elena offers a completely different cloud forest experience from Monteverde. Cutting through the veiled…

  • Costa Rica, Puntarenas province, Monteverde, Butterfly Garden

    Butterfly Garden

    Monteverde & Santa Elena

    Head here for everything you ever wanted to know about butterflies. There are four gardens representing different habitats; they're home to more than 40…

  • El Arbol Hueco

    El Arbol Hueco

    Monteverde & Santa Elena

    There's no sign, no website, and last we checked, nobody was collecting any money for this delightful roadside attraction. It's simply a hollowed-out fig…

  • Ranario

    Ranario

    Monteverde & Santa Elena

    Returning to its former glory as the Ranario, or Frog Pond (it's changed names a few times), this place also features an insect house. The frogs are still…

  • Ladys Slipper (Cypripedium calceolus) orchid.

    Jardín de Orquídeas

    Monteverde & Santa Elena

    This sweet-smelling garden in Santa Elena has shady trails winding past more than 500 types of orchids. On your guided tour, you’ll see such rarities as…

  • Eyelash Viper, Bothriechis schlegelii, in tree, Costa Rica

    Herpetarium Adventure

    Monteverde & Santa Elena

    For those who prefer their reptiles under glass (or at least behind it), a guide will show you around and introduce you to more than 50 species of…

  • Friends Meeting House

    Friends Meeting House

    Monteverde & Santa Elena

    This simple meeting house in Monteverde is the ‘church’ of the American Society of Friends, or the Quakers, who first settled this area and committed to…

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Plan with a local

Articles

Latest stories from Monteverde & Around

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Wildlife & Nature

In pursuit of pura vida: peaceful escapes in Costa Rica

May 29, 2019 • 5 min read

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Go Beyond

Monteverde & Around and beyond

Beyond Monteverde & Around
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