Not sure what to do in Monteverde? Check out our list of incredible things to do in Monteverde! We’ve visited multiple times and it’s an incredible destination for hiking, birding and adventure.
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Extreme Ziplining
Did you know Monteverde is known as the birth place of the zipline? Now there are a handful of ziplines in Monteverde that will fulfill any extreme adventurer’s adrenaline needs!
Not only can you zipline over the cloud forests at Selvatura Park or Treetopia, you can also bungee jump 143 meters into the forest, tarzan swing 45 meters down or superman zipline 2 kilometers. Whichever one you choose, your excitement level will be through the roof!
The superman ziplines at 100% Aventura are hands down the most exciting and fun ziplines we’ve ever done.
If you love adventure and are looking for an exciting activity, this is definitely one of the best things to do in Monteverde and worth every penny!
See Resplendant Quetzals
National Geographic named Monteverde as the best place in the world to see Resplendant Quetzal, a stunning bird in the trogon family. For many years, the Quetzal’s immense beauty with iridescent green feathers and a long slender tail has captured the hearts of many, even becoming the national bird of Guatemala and name of their national currency.
As these birds live in high elevations mostly in cloud forests, Monteverde is one of the best places to see them. During mating season (about February – June ish), it is common to see males dancing and flashing their vibrant colors to impress females.
To see the Quetzals, you should go with a guide. Though these birds are colorful, they are small and can be difficult to see in the trees. In our personal experience, the best place to see these birds is in Curi Cancha Reserve as it is more open. We saw 5 Resplendant Quetzals in one tree in March!
You can also see toucans, hummingbirds and many other birds in the reserve, so we highly recommend going with a guide. Plus they carry telescopes which you can use to take pictures with your cell phone with!
On a budget? Check out our cheap and free things to do in Monteverde post.
Hike the Cloud Forest
The tropical cloud forests are one of the most amazing places in Costa Rica. Since there are only a few countries where these forests exist, it’s also one of the most spectacular places in the world. As these forests sit more than1500 meters (5000 feet) above sea level, the vegetation is completely different. You won’t feel like you’re in a tropical country at all!
There are 2 cloud forest reserves in Monteverde: Monteverde and Santa Elena and then there is the biggest private reserve in Costa Rica that protects rainforest and transition forest: Children’s Eternal Rain Forest.
The most popular one is Monteverde but our favorite is Santa Elena. Less people, higher in elevation, more mossy and cloudy. It truly feels like you’re walking through a fairytale! Children’s Eternal Rain Forest (Bajos del Tigre) station is not quite in the true cloud forest, it is more like a transition forest so it is drier than the other two.
There are trails of varying lengths and beautiful view points in each reserve so no matter which one you go to, it’ll be a great experience. You can read our guide to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserves to see which one is right for you.
Walk the Hanging Bridges
Monteverde owes a large part of its popularity to the hanging bridges in the cloud forest. Get up high in the forest canopy by way of these bridges which range up to 800 feet long and 2400 feet in altitude (240 meters to 730 meters).
Three of the Monteverde adventure parks have their own hanging bridges: 100% Aventura, Treetopia and Selvatura Park. The Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve has one long one but if you want a long trail with more hanging bridges, visit one of the three above. This is one of the best things to do with kids in Monteverde since the hanging bridges aren’t long, the infrastructure is excellent and they can see the forest from a different perspective.
Personally, we love the hanging bridges at Treetopia and Selvatura Park. They have around 8 bridges ranging from 170 to 560 feet offering absolutely incredible views of the cloud forest because those parks are higher in elevation and in the proper cloud forest.
Go on a Coffee Tour
Thanks to the altitude and climate, Monteverde produces excellent high quality coffee. In fact, it’s one of my favorite coffees in Costa Rica! There are several coffee tours you can do in the area such as San Luis, Don Juan and El Trapiche.
All are great but are quite different. San Luis is a small family owned plantation, Don Juan is bigger and El Trapiche offers a combination tour of sugar cane, cacao and coffee.
The best part of booking a coffee tour is not only learning about the process of coffee, but being able to sample and buy the plantation’s best coffee.
Monteverde Night Walk
Experience the cloud forest when the sun goes down on a guided night walk in Monteverde. It’s a must for nature and animal lovers as you’ll get to learn about the forest life after dark and see the many creatures of the night such as insects, snakes, frogs and more!
It’s a fun and educational experience and you get another perspective of the forest which not many people get.
El Tigre Waterfalls Monteverde Hike
Hiking lovers can’t miss this epic hike at El Tigre Waterfalls. The 8 kilometer (5 mile) long trail goes deep into the rainforest, passing 6-8 waterfalls on a network of many hanging bridges over rivers and through canyons.
You can either hike the entire 8 kilometers or you can hike 5 kilometers and then take a 4×4 truck or horseback ride the last 3 kilometers. They also offer a fun zipline bike!
More Fun Things to Do in Monteverde
These are our favorite things to do in Monteverde but you can also go horseback riding, go canyoning at Finca Modelo or visit the orchid garden.
What to Do If You Have Only 1 or 2 Full Days in Monteverde
Here are some ideas for Monteverde itineraries. Remember you can book your Monteverde Tours in the link!
1 Full Day in Monteverde
We recommend to visit one of the nature parks because you can experience the best of Monteverde all in one day: ziplining, hanging bridges and cloud forest. We personally recommend Selvatura Park for those who want to experience the most because they have ziplining, hanging bridges, a butterfly and hummingbird garden, a sloth center, a reptile and amphibian exhibit and a restaurant. Get the most bang for your buck at Selvatura Park!
For those who want more extreme adventure, Xtremo and 100% Aventura are great choices because they have bungee jumping, an extreme tarzan swing and superman cables. Definitely more for adrenaline junkies!
2 Full Days in Monteverde
On day 2, we recommend to do a cloud forest hike or a birding tour, or both! We did Curi Cancha Reserve in the morning for a birding tour and then hiked Bosque Nuboso Santa Elena by ourselves in the afternoon. You can also go to Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve.
Another idea is to do a guided walk of the cloud forest in the morning, coffee tour in the afternoon and then night walk. Another option is to spend the morning at El Tigre Waterfalls and then the afternoon checking out town or doing a coffee tour.
Read about other things to do in Costa Rica below!
Things to do in Dominical & Uvita
Things to do in La Fortuna/Arenal
Costa Rica Vacation Checklist
- First time to Costa Rica? Read our First Time in Costa Rica guide.
- Not sure how to move around Costa Rica? Read our How to Get Around Costa Rica guide to find the best transportation method for you.
- Click the link to get our detailed Costa Rica Packing List so you know what essential items to bring.
- Do not forget to purchase Travel Insurance for your trip to Costa Rica.
- Stay connected by purchasing a prepaid SIM Card in Costa Rica.
- Save money with Mytanfeet Deals for tours and hotels. Save more money with our Costa Rica Car Rental Discount.
Dwight H. says
We just returned from a 9 day trip, with just a day and a half in Monte Verde. We were there at the end of July. Did Selvatura Park for a full day. Took in all they had offer. We felt like it was the best overall represenation of things to do in the area. The weather was mostly overcast, but we didn’t run into any rain until just after we left @ 3:15. Zipline is amazing. Last segement is 1 km long!
Spent next morning at Curi Cancha reserve, as we’ve become beginning “bird people” Got on a guided tour here, and strongly recommend it. Our guide was very knowledgeble, and found things we’d have never seen in a million years on our own. He was an amazing photographer, using my iphone with his telescope. He’d even use one persons phone for the light, and mine to take fantastic picture of the smallest things, and they turned our great. I’d Airdrop the pictures to everyone else in the group that wanted it. Saw a couple different kinds of Toucans, a Mot Mot, a few Quetzels, a pit viper, and amazing orchids and mushrooms, among others. Very easy walk. Had a good weather day. Only a couple very light sprinkles while we were there.
Sarah says
I have 1 day in Monteverde and bought tickets to hike El Tigre. It looked amazing! Have you gone there? I haven’t seen any mention of it in your blogs. I was just wondering. I enjoy your blogs, hopeful tips and advice.:) We have a 4 hr time slot booked with lunch.
Sammi says
We are actually going this week so I’ll be posting about it soon! You can also see live stories of it on our Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/mytanfeet
Patty says
If we have booked Sky Adventures for their 3 activities…ziplining, sky tram and guided hanging bridges walk do you recommend going to the hanging bridges in Selvatura or anywhere else in Monteverde as well? Thanks!
Sammi says
Sure, you can check this specific post for things to do in Monteverde.
April says
Thank you for all the information on Costa Rica. I love all your sights. Do you know what days the Monteverde farmer’s market is open?
Sammi says
Not sure if it has changed due to COVID but Friday from 10 AM to 5 PM
Heather says
Thanks for your blog post! We are planning on spending two days in Monteverde at the end of March – the first day we’re going ziplining (so excited!) and the second day we plan on birdwatching and wandering around in Curi Cancha and one of the cloud forest reserves, though we haven’t quite decided which one yet. We would like to get a guide to help spot birds and other wildlife, but due to our budget, we probably will only get a guide for one of these places.
If you had to choose, would you recommend a guide for Curi Cancha or for one of the cloud forest reserves? Which one would you do in the morning? We were planning on Curi Cancha in the morning and then the cloud forest, but we’re open to suggestions. Thanks in advance for any advice.
Sammi says
If you want to see birds, get a guide for Curi Cancha. That is a great place for birdwatching and go in the morning when birds are more active.
Jessica says
Hi! Where is the Cerro Plano View Point located? Thanks for all the great info on Costa Rica!!
Sammi says
It’s on the main road in front of the CPI Spanish school, there are some benches along the sidewalk.
Claudio says
Hi! Thank you so much for your website! It has been so useful for our trip in Costa Rica 🙂
Sammi says
I’m glad to hear that Claudio! Thanks for your feedback.
Ginette Bourque says
Hi, we love to bird watch and want to do a hanging brige hike with a guide in one afternoon in december. (Going to Curri Cancha in the morning with a guide). Which park do you suggest? A hummingbird galery would be a bonus…. Does Sky adventures sky walk have one? I know Salvatura has one but … that guided tour is so expensive…
Sammi says
Sky also has hanging bridges too and they also offer guided walks.
Jessica Ton says
Hi, thanks for all the info! Once inside the forest, we can access the hanging bridges? There’s no need to book tours in order to go on the hanging bridges? Thanks!:)
Sammi says
Hi Jessica, the hanging bridges are only inside the adventure parks like Selvatura or Sky. Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve only has 2 short hanging bridge. If you want to do the hanging bridges walk, you will need to buy tickets to them at the parks.
Arleen says
I live your Costa Rica blog it has answered many of my questions. Thank you so much! Now for the skywalk tour, do you recommend any tour groups? We had used jacamar for Arenal and La fortana, do they have tours available in Monte verde also?
Sammi says
Hi Arleen, Jacamar only operates in La Fortuna. For Monteverde tours, you can book directly with the park like SkyTrek for it. If you want to do other tours like night walks, birdwatching, etc. we recommend Three Brothers Tours in Monteverde, they’re our favorite for birdwatching and nature walks.