Established in 1972, the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve has largely been considered as one of Costa Rica’s most treasured places.
This 4,000 hectare (9884 acre) private reserve protects a very delicate and sadly diminishing ecosystem: the tropical cloud forests.
In this post, we will help you plan your visit to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve in Monteverde.
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Location
Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve is about 6 kilometers (3.5 miles) from downtown Santa Elena, a 15 minute drive.
Getting to Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve
The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve is open every day from 730 AM to 4 PM. This excludes the guided night walk tours, which takes place after sunset at 530 PM.
You can find the reserve on Google Maps as “Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Preserve.”
Driving
A high clearance car is highly recommended in the dry season to get to Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. A 4×4 is highly recommended in the rainy season.
Dry season months are from December through April. Rainy season months are May through November. Read more about Costa Rica weather here.
Check out our Costa Rica car rental discount to save some $$.
The Visitor Center: Parking and Shuttle
IMPORTANT: All visitors to the cloud forest must check in at the Harriot Powell Visitor Center FIRST. You can purchase park tickets here for self guided walks or collect the the tickets if you already bought tickets online.
The only exception are those who booked the night tour, they go directly to the reserve entrance.
The dedicated parking lot for Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve is at the Harriot Powell Visitor Center, about 1 mile (1.7 km) to the reserve entrance.
The name of the reserve parking lot on Google Maps is “Parqueo Reserva Monteverde cloud Forest.” This is where every visitor must check in, in order to enter the reserve.
From this parking lot, they will shuttle you to the reserve entrance. The shuttle comes every 15 minutes from 730 AM to 245 PM. Parking costs $5 USD.
Return from the reserve to the parking lot is every 15 minutes from 745 AM to 430 PM.
Important: Some people still park on the side of the road near the reserve entrance. We do not recommend this as it blocks the road and it is not secure. Please be a responsible tourist and use the dedicated secure parking lot and shuttle.
Without A Car
There are a few ways to get to Monteverde Cloud Forest reserve if you do not have a rental car.
Tour: For a more enriching experience, book a Monteverde Cloud Forest guided tour with park tickets, transportation and bilingual guide included.
Taxi/Uber: There are lots of taxis in Santa Elena town center and around – look for the red taxis. We also saw a few Ubers during the day. Make sure to coordinate with them the time to pick you up.
Shared shuttle: Descubre Monteverde offers round trip shared shuttles from Santa Elena (hotels and meeting points) to the reserve. Can book via Whatsapp +506 6403 1805 and pay in cash or book on the website home page.
Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve Hours
The reserve is open everyday from 730 AM to 4 PM with the exception of the Monteverde Cloud Forest night tour clients, as the tour starts at 545 PM.
Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve Park Tickets
The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve trail ticket for foreigners is $29 USD per person and $16 USD per child ages 6-11. Children 0-5 are free.
Park tickets can be purchased online on the Monteverde Cloud Forest website.
They offer park tickets for 3 circuits and you can only purchase tickets for the trail you want to hike. You must also choose the time you want to go and you will be not allowed in if you are late.
If you want to visit more than one trail, you must purchase a ticket for each trail. So if you want to hike all 3, the total price will be $87 USD per adult which is very expensive.
Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve Trails
There are three different trails: Essence Trail, Continental Divide and Heart of the Forest Trail.
Continental Divide Trail
The Continental Divide Trail is the longest in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, at 4 kilometers (2.5 miles), taking around 2.5 hours.
We took this trail to go to the viewpoint of the Continental divide, first via Sendero Nubloso to the La Ventana view point.
The trails are very well maintained and outlined and signage is excellent so it’s easy to find your way around.
This trail takes you to the viewpoint of the Continental divide where you can see the Pacific and Caribbean. Sendero Nubloso turns into sendero la Ventana.
The views at Sendero la Ventana are incredible. You can peek over to the side of the trail and look over the entire cloud forest reserve!
This is a view of the Caribbean side overlooking the forests.
This is a view towards the Pacific side.
Along the way, we ran into a couple of coatis on the trail.
About halfway through the trail, there are a lot of steps and it gets a bit steep.
You’ll come upon a short hanging bridge, a nice spot to rest and look around.
The bridge is not super long or high up so if you’re scared of heights, it is not too bad. The view is really nice and it can only hold up to 10 people. Don’t run or jump on the bridge.
Essence Trail
The Essence Trail is the easiest trail in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. It’s only 1.4 kilometers (.9 miles), taking about 1 hour.
This trail is great for those short on time, those who are not big in walking and those with younger kids or older adults with limited mobility.
The trail has really cool and very big ficus trees.
The end of this trail at Sendero Cuecha, has a small but pretty waterfall.
We didn’t see a ton of wildlife since we went by ourselves. We heard a lot of birds, saw a few hummingbirds and ran into a couple coatis.
Heart of the Forest Trail
The second trail is 2.8 kilometers long (1.7 miles) and takes about 1.5 hours. This trail has a little bit of the Continental Divide trail but it does not go to the view point.
It includes the hanging bridge and it is an easy to moderate walk.
Monteverde Cloud Forest Guided Vs Non Guided Walk
You can do either a guided or non guided walk through the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve.
We have done both and I recommend a guided Monteverde Cloud Forest tour for anyone who wants to learn more about the cloud forest.
Also, if you love trees, orchids, flowers, moss and that kind of nature, definitely book a guided walk for more informative and enriching experience.
We have done a Monteverde Cloud Forest guided day tour twice and both times were very interesting and informative. We saw a Resplendant Quetzal on our second guided walk which was really exciting!
Non Guided Walk
On a non-guided walk, we enjoyed walking at our own pace. Luckily we had great weather, so during our self guided walk, we soaked in all the views and took a lot of photos.
However, we didn’t see any wildlife even though we heard so many birds. I’m sure we missed a lot of animals and birds that a guide would have pointed out. But since the weather was so good, we loved walking on our own.
If you’re more interested in walking at your own pace and learning about the flora and fauna is not a priority, a self guided walk is fine. I recommend this especially if you’re visiting during the driest months like March and April.
If you’re visiting in the rainier months like June and August through December, then I highly recommend a guided Monteverde Cloud Forest tour even if it’s not your first priority.
Instead of getting disappointed that all it’s rainy and cloudy and that you can’t see anything, you’ll have a guide who can enrich your experience and point out things you’d definitely miss in the rain.
One of our guided walks was in December and it rained almost the whole time. But our guide was absolutely fantastic at pointing out the little things and giving us fascinating information.
We still enjoyed it a lot and didn’t feel like we wasted money. He also had such sharp eyes that he saw a Resplendant Quetzal in the rain!
Weather
The weather is very comfortable in dry season (December – April) with day time temperatures in the high 70s° F (25° C). There may be the occasional spring shower.
The driest month is generally February and March. In December, January and February, it can be very very windy.
During the rainy season (May through December), temperatures drop a bit. At night, it may go down to around 14° C (57° F).
Mornings and afternoons are generally still clear in the rainy season, even though there may be a bit of a drizzle. It generally rains hard late afternoons, evenings and nights.
The rainiest month is October and it can rain from morning to night, on and off. Be prepared!
What to Wear to Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve
Comfortable walking clothes like lightweight hiking pants or leggings. I personally recommend long pants, instead of shorts.
Bring a rain jacket shell, no matter what time of year you visit. We always bring our North Face Venture Jackets, just in case.
Good walking shoes or hiking shoes. If you visit during the rainy season, trails may be a bit muddy. Jason wore his waterproof Salomon trail running shoes. I wore my Salomon hiking shoes.
No sandals, flip flops, adventure sandals or flimsy sneakers. I saw a girl with Converse Chuck Taylors low tops once and her shoes got soo muddy and soggy since it was raining.
A hat or visor and sunscreen. In the dry season, it does get very sunny.
Hiking backpack or comfortable walking pack. In the rainy season, make sure your backpack is waterproof or you need to bring a rain cover.
Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve Services
- There is a cafeteria and bathrooms at the entrance.
- No bathrooms inside the actual reserve on the trails. Only at the entrance.
- Stay on the trail and do not feed the wildlife.
- Mosquito repellent is not necessary but there are a lot of little gnats. Cover up or use a light repellent.
- If you are late and miss your time slot, they will not let you in.
- If you want to do more than one trail, you have to buy a ticket for each trail.
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Costa Rica Vacation Checklist
- First time to Costa Rica? Read our First Time in Costa Rica guide.
- Read our How to Get Around Costa Rica guide to find the best transportation method for you.
- Get our detailed Costa Rica Packing List and check our Mytanfeet Amazon storefront for our personal recommendations.
- Check our Costa Rica destinations map and Costa Rica restaurant map
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Christine Dyer says
How to just purchase entrance fee to cloud forest
Sammi says
You can buy in person or on their website
Ben says
Hi Sammi
Can the shuttle tickets be reserved online? Tried googling for Monteverde Info Center but the page looks like it’s run by a company and not the local/provincial authorities. Also can’t find a location within Santa Elena downtown that is “Monteverde Info Center” but there’s one INFOCENTER MONTEVERDE quite a distance away southwards.
Sammi says
Your hotel should be able to reserve them for you, on Google Maps, the info center is called Monteverde Chamber of Tourism
Ben says
thanks, Sammy; I’m staying in AirBnBs though so will probably have to go down to the office myself
Patty says
Hi!
Do you recommend a closed toe sandal such as KEENS, a goretex running trail tennis shoe or a hiking boot style shoe for visiting Monteverde in April? Which would you recommend as a first choice?
Is a sweatshirt/hoodie and a raincoat to wear over a good option for Monteverde?
Thank you!! ☀️
Sammi says
Trail running shoes are fine for Monteverde, I would not take a closed toed sandal like KEEN since depending on which reserve you’re going to, it can rain and be a bit chilly. You will need warmer clothes in Monteverde
Debra says
Hello,
Is it chilly in January in Monteverde cloud forest? What shoes are good?
And what shoes for river rafting?
Bridges?
Zipline?
Thank you!
Sammi says
January in Costa Rica is the start of dry season so it’s not chilly, temperatures can be around 70°F or 21° C during the day. But it can still rain or sprinkle so make sure to wear closed toed shoes, long pants, and bring a rain jacket. January can also be windy which may make it feel cooler at night. Best shoes in Monteverde would be like trail running shoes or good sneakers/walking shoes.
Patty says
Hi!
We will be in Monteverde for 2 days. We want to go to AT LEAST ONE of the cloud forests, we want to walk on the hanging bridges and we definitely want to to the zip lines. Our kids are ages 10 and 13. What do you recommend so that we can do and see the most while visiting for two days?
Which area has the most zip lines/best zip lines?
Thank you!! ☀️
Sammi says
I would visit Selvatura Park or Sky Adventures Monteverde
Patty says
Hi!
Do you recommend a guided day tour or guided night tour? Which is your personal recommendation and favorite? Thanks!
Sammi says
Yes, you can read about it in our post Monteverde night walk
Mary says
Hello and thank you for your informative blog.
I know you said that they can take cash at the entrance, but do you know if the entrance requires a reservation? Thanks!
Sammi says
No, you can purchase tickets directly at the ticket office the day you visit
Andres says
Hello,
Love your blog and it’s been so useful when planning my trip for early December! So I was thinking of doing the Cloud Forest Bio Reserve in the morning and books the Selvatura Gold pack (zipline and bridge) for 1 pm. Do you recommend it or do you think it’s too much?
Sammi says
That is fine, just go early to the reserve so you have plenty of time in the reserve
Nicole and Max says
Hi, I see on this info page in the video your guide was from ThreeBrothers Tours. Would you recommend them for a Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve Tour or should we go through the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve? Thanks in advance for your opinion.
Sammi says
Both are great so whichever works for you, the Three Brothers are our personal favorite guides in the area
Dashing Eric says
Hi Is it safe to leave your luggage and belongings in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve parking lot while in the park ?
Sammi says
We never really recommend it, but you can park in the official parking lot of Monteverde, take the bus up to the entrance and the official parking lot does have a guard there. Try to make sure that all your belongings are as hidden as possible and don’t leave any valuables in the car while you’re in the park just to be safer.
Laura R says
We are planning a trip mid-June 2021. We will have a rental car and plan to drive to the reserve. Any thoughts on availability of guides at the park this June? And are these guides as good as the advertised $65/person tours that can be booked online?
Sammi says
You can book a guide on the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve’s website, I recommend to do this to secure your guide since they have limited availability.