Arenal and Monteverde are two of the most popular destinations in Costa Rica but visitors are often confused as to which one to visit as they seem similar. These are the questions we get all the time about Arenal and Monteverde.
Should I visit Monteverde or Arenal? Is Monteverde worth it? What’s the difference between Monteverde and Arenal?
In this post, I’ll explain the differences between the two, a estimated budget, top things to do and other details to help you decide which one to visit.
And if you can, we highly recommend visiting both!
This post has affiliate links which we may earn a small commission from if you choose to purchase, at no extra cost to you. Any prices listed in this post may not reflect current prices of present. It is the readers responsibility to research and consult for current pricing. Prices are quoted in USD and are an estimate.
Monteverde or Arenal? A Detailed Look
At a glance, here are the reasons why to visit Monteverde or Arenal and what they’re known for. Below we will go into detail.
Monteverde: Birdwatching, hiking, adventure zipline, a bit cheaper, tropical cloud forests, mountains, hanging bridges, less luxury hotels, more mountain lodges. This area is around 1200-1600 meters in elevation (~4000 – 5200 feet).
Arenal: More luxury hotels, more mammals, amphibians and reptiles, more touristic, doesn’t require a 4×4, more things to do, very family friendly, tropical rainforest, known for hot springs, more water activities, easier to get to. ~800 meters in elevation (2700 feet). ~100 meters in La Fortuna town.
When it comes down to it, both offer excellent outdoor adventure and experiences and are great destinations for first time Costa Rica travelers.
Location of Monteverde and Arenal
Here is a map with the locations of both places.
Monteverde
Monteverde sits in the Tilaran mountain rage, about 1300 meters (~4000 feet) in elevation.
Santa Elena is the main town and tourism hub in Monteverde. It is where the bus station, banks, restaurants, hostels and tour operator offices are located.
Monteverde is most famous for cloud forests, birdwatching and ziplining.
Arenal
Arenal is what majority tourists call the area of Arenal Volcano and La Fortuna. La Fortuna is the main tourism hub and town, just 20 minutes away from the famous Arenal Volcano.
This area is known as the Northern Lowlands. Elevation at La Fortuna is around 200 meters (650 feet).
Driving Times from the Airport
Both Monteverde and Arenal are about a 3-3.5 hour drive from the Liberia (Guanacaste) International Airport and the San Jose International Airport.
Road Conditions
Monteverde
The roads in and around Monteverde are not in the best shape and not as good as the roads to Arenal. For the most comfort and safety, you should rent a high clearance car in the dry months of February, March and April and 4wd in rainy season, especially the months of September and October. Read more about Costa Rica weather here.
There are a few ways to get to Monteverde from San Jose and Liberia. The two main routes are Route 145 (Las Juntas) which is closer to Guanacaste and Route 606 (Sardinal) closer to San Jose. Both routes become steep, curvy and narrow once you start going up the mountain.
You can check our Monteverde road conditions post for photos and information on both.
There is one paved road through Santa Elena town but all roads to the cloud forest, wildlife reserves, San Luis and outside the center of town are unpaved and have lots of potholes.
Arenal
Arenal has for the most part, all paved roads. The only unpaved roads are to the national park and some hotels but it is nothing bad. You do not need a 4×4 or4wd for Arenal.
You can see what the route from Guanacaste to Arenal and San Jose to Arenal is like in our post.
Renting a car for your Costa Rica trip? Get our car rental discount!
How to Get There
Monteverde
You can drive, take a shuttle or a public bus to Monteverde. Monteverde does not have a local airport or car rental offices so you need to rent your car before Monteverde or pay a hefty delivery charge to get your car delivered to Monteverde from the closest office which is in La Fortuna.
Shuttle: Shared shuttles from San Jose and Liberia are around $59 USD per person. Private shuttles are around $200-250 USD for 1-4 people from San Jose and Liberia.
Bus: There are direct buses from San Jose to Monteverde, leaving at 6:30 AM and 2:30 PM from Transportes Tilaran bus station, 12 Ave 7-9. It takes about 5 hours and costs 2,680 colones.
From Liberia, you will need to take a bus from Liberia to Canas, Canas to Tilaran, Tilaran to Monteverde. The bus from Liberia to Canas takes 2 hours and there is one every half an hour from 8:30 – 3 PM. The bus from Canas to Tilaran leave at 6, 730, 815, 9, 1030, 12, 1 PM, 1:50 PM, 2:35 PM, 3:15 PM, 4PM and 6 PM. From Tilaran to Monteverde there are buses at 4 AM, 8:30 AM, 12:30 PM and 5 PM for 1500 colones.
Arenal
You can drive, fly, take a shuttle or the public bus to Arenal.
- Shuttle: Shared shuttles from San Jose and Liberia are around $59 USD per person. Private shuttles are around $220 USD for 1-6 people from both San Jose and Liberia.
- Public Bus: There is a bus from San Jose to Arenal at 6:15 AM, 8:40 AM and 11:30 AM leaving from Ave 7-9, calle 12 with San Carlos Auto Transportes, it costs around 2,500 colones and takes 4 hours. From Liberia, you will need to take the bus to Cañas, Tilaran and then to La Fortuna.
- Flying: Book a local flight to fly to the La Fortuna airport. A one way ticket from San Jose to Fortuna is around $80 USD per passenger depending on the season.
Interconnections
You can also book some tours as an interconnection. For example, the company we work with for the Pacuare white water rafting tours offer transportation from San Jose, La Fortuna and Puerto Viejo.
So that means you can get picked up in one place and get dropped off in one of the other three destinations. Instead of sitting on a bus all day, why not get picked up in San Jose, go white water rafting and then get dropped off in La Fortuna! Book your Pacuare rafting tour and get a discount here!
La Fortuna to Monteverde by Car and Vice Versa
You can drive from Arenal to Monteverde and vice versa. This road is mostly gravel with some paved sections. In rainy season, it can have a lot of pot holes. This route takes around 3 hours.
La Fortuna to Monteverde Jeep Boat Taxi
A fun way to get from La Fortuna to Monteverde and vice versa is by the taxi-boat-taxi. You will get picked at your hotel, take a 2 hour boat ride across Lake Arenal and get dropped off at your hotel. This costs around $50 USD per person and takes 3 hours. They have one in the morning and in the afternoon. Contact us to book your taxi boat taxi from La Fortuna – Monteverde or vice versa.
Weather
Monteverde
Since Monteverde is in high elevation, it is much colder and rains often. It does experience the dry and rainy season though. Dry season is about December – April and rainy is May to November. However, it can still rain during dry season!
Monteverde average temperature is around 25° Celsius (77° F) in the dry season during the day. At night, it goes down to around 16° C (60° F). In rainy season, the average temperature is around 22° C (low 70s° F) during the day. It can get chilly at night if it’s raining hard and windy.
In January, February and March, it can get very windy in Monteverde. It does experience typical dry and rainy season, however it is very normal in the dry season to get light sprinkles in the morning and afternoons and it can still rain in December and January.
Arenal
Arenal is hotter, more humid and experiences typical dry and rainy climate. Average daytime temperature in dry season are around 29° C (84° F). The hottest months are March and April.
It can rain very hard in La Fortuna during rainy season, especially September and October. The temperature doesn’t vary too much between dry and rainy season in Arenal. Being tropical rainforest, it can rain any time of the year however, even during the dry season months so always come prepared.
What to Bring
Monteverde
Long pants, a sweater and rain jacket are necessary for Monteverde, no matter what time of year you visit. Closed toed hiking shoes are also highly recommended. There are many clothing stores in Santa Elena if you forgot a jacket.
Arenal
For dry season, you can wear shorts and short sleeve shirts. A rain jacket and waterproof backpack are necessary for rainy season. You will need to bring sunscreen and mosquito repellent for Arenal.
Hiking sandals or water shoes are necessary if you are doing activities like rafting, horseback riding, tubing, or visiting the waterfall. For volcano or hanging bridges hike, you should have completely closed shoes.
For more in-depth tips, check out our Costa Rica packing list.
Personal tip: We always bring our waterproof backpacks and a rainjacket shell for both destinations no matter the time of year.
Type of Forest
Monteverde
Monteverde has tropical cloud forests due to the high elevation of 1200-1600 meters. This type of forest is characterized by persistent cloud cover, normally at canopy level. They are extremely vulnerable to climate change and it is said that cloud forests will disappear.
Costa Rica is one of the countries in the world that still has healthy protected cloud forests. Monteverde also has shade or transition forest, which is like in between tropical rainforest and tropical cloud forest.
Monteverde has 3 cloud forest reserves: Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve, Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve and the Children’s Eternal Rain Forest. Not sure which one to visit? Check our guide to the Monteverde Cloud Forests.
Cloud forests are incredibly important because they are home to many birds and plants that are only found in this type of ecosystem. Monteverde has been named one of the best places in the world to see the Resplendant Quetzal because of the abundance of protected cloud forest.
Arenal
Arenal has both tropical primary and secondary tropical rain forest.
Most of the forest in the national park is restored secondary forest as it was destroyed by the 1968 volcanic eruption.
Tourist Services
Monteverde
Though smaller, Monteverde has everything for tourists like a bank, ATM, pharmacies, bus station, supermarkets and stores. It does not have car rental companies and a local airport. The roads around Monteverde are slowly improving but the unpaved roads up to the cloud forests and the mountain range kind of add on to the adventurous, rural feel of Monteverde.
Arenal
Arenal is one of the most visited places in Costa Rica and it has everything. Though this area is very touristy, majority of the businesses in this area are owned by Costa Ricans and you can still get a good feel of a local town. La Fortuna has some of the best infrastructure for tourists in Costa Rica.
Estimated Cost for Visiting
Monteverde
You can travel cheap in Monteverde. There are many hostels and the bus is easily accessible. A bed in a dorm is around $15 USD a night and there are more cheap eats in downtown. A luxury hotel room can cost around $300 USD a night for two people.
The most expensive thing about Monteverde is the adventure park passes. The passes can run up to $190 USD per adult for an all day combo tour. Entrance fees to the cloud forests are around $25 USD per person per reserve.
If you’re on a budget, make sure to read our post “Cheap and free things to do in Monteverde” for free spots!
Arenal
Arenal can be a lot more expensive if you want it to be. It has everything from $20 USD a night per bed to $850 USD a night for 2 people! So how much you spend depends on what kind of vacation you are looking for.
As for tours, guided tours run from $45-300 USD per person. Since there are more things to do in Arenal, you’ll most likely be booking more tours. There are some free spots though and cheap activities such as the free swimming holes in La Fortuna.
Things to do/Top Attractions
Monteverde
Ziplining: Monteverde is famous for ziplining. The best ones are Treetopia and Selvatura Park as those are the only two that actually go over the cloud forest. Xtremo and 100% Aventura have more extreme ziplines with tarzan swing and bungee jumping.
Monteverde does not have as many ziplining tours as Arenal but the ones they have are more extreme.
Hiking: The cloud forests were nominated as one of the wonders of Costa Rica and is a must see for hiking. The most popular cloud forest hikes are in the Monteverde and Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserves. Another popular hike is the El Tigre Waterfalls hike which takes you over rivers to see waterfalls.
Birdwatching: Named as the best place in the world to see Resplendant Quezals, this is a must for bird lovers. During the months of February – Julyish, it is common to see Quetzals in one tree as it is their mating season. Visit Curi-Cancha Wildlife Refuge for the best birding.
You can read about other things to do in Monteverde here.
Arenal
- Ziplining: Our favorite ziplining tour is Sky Adventures in Arenal. You get an amazing view of the volcano, lake and rain forest! Another fun one is Arenal Mundo Aventura as their zipline tour goes over La Fortuna waterfall. Arenal Canopy Adventure is excellent for families and first timers. La Fortuna has many more ziplining tours of various levels than Monteverde.
- Canyoning: Canyoning in Arenal is the best in La Fortuna because you go deep into the rain forest. Also, the water temperature is not that cold and it feels very refreshing in the hot and humid forest.
- Hot springs: Take a dip in the natural volcanic water in the many hot spring facilities in Arenal. You can read about the various Arenal hot springs here.
- Arenal Volcano National Park: Hike the lava trails in the national park to see the remnants of the 1968 eruption and views of the volcano and lake.
Since Arenal has more activities with Lake Arenal, rain forest and volcano nearby, there are so many fun things to do nearby. We personally love the Rio Frio safari float, La Fortuna waterfall and hanging bridges. Read more about our favorite things to do in Arenal here.
We also have a discount for tours in La Fortuna! Get the La Fortuna tour discount here.
Wildlife
Monteverde
Monteverde is best for bird watching. There are mammals in Monteverde but less than Arenal due to the colder climate. For example, only 2-fingered sloths live in Monteverde, 3-fingered sloths do not live in Monteverde.
For birding, there are a lot of unique birds in Monteverde that only live in high elevations.
There are also less snakes and frogs in Monteverde because of the colder climate.
Arenal
Since Arenal is lower in elevation, has rain forest and is more humid, you will find more mammals, tropical birds, reptiles and amphibians.
In the national park and hanging bridges, you can see more frogs, pit viper snakes.
Hotels
Monteverde
Monteverde has around 50+ hotels in the area with more rustic lodges, country inns and family run B&Bs. You will find just a few luxury hotels in Monteverde.
Some of the luxury high end hotels are Hotel Belmar, Monteverde Lodge & Gardens, Senda Monteverde and the El Establo Hotel. There are a bunch of hostels and digital nomad lodging like Selina Monteverde and Pension Santa Elena.
Need a hotel in Monteverde? Use our 5% promo code “mytanfeet” to save $$ at the following hotels: Hotel Poco a Poco, Monteverde Country Lodge and Sibu Lodge. Each has their own on-site restaurant, are close to town and have cozy rooms of all sizes and arrangements. Mid range lodges with good service, friendly staff and yummy food.
Monteverde hotels are generally cheaper than the La Fortuna hotels. There are also many Airbnbs and vacation rentals.
Arenal
Arenal has 100+ in the entire area. With some of the most luxurious hotels in Costa Rica, it’s perfect for luxury travelers or honeymooners.
The most luxurious hotels in this area are the Springs Resort, Tabacon, Nayara Gardens, Nayara Tented Camp, Nayara Springs adults only, The Royal Corin adults only, Amor Arenal adult friendly and Arenal Kioro which are anywhere from $300-900 USD a night. Many of these luxury hotels around the volcano are tailored towards romantic getaways.
In La Fortuna downtown, there are more mid range to budget hotels and hostels. The further away from town you get and closer to the volcano, are the nicer higher end hotels as they have a better view of Arenal Volcano.
If you’re on a strict budget, pick a hotel in La Fortuna town as those are cheaper. Some good ones are Hotel Las Colinas and Secreto La Fortuna.
You can also find eco-lodges in Arenal. Our favorite is the Arenal Observatory Lodge which is the closest hotel to the volcano.
Additionally, there are many vacation rentals and Airbnbs in the area.
Food
Both Monteverde and La Fortuna have excellent restaurants. La Fortuna definitely has more variety, Monteverde has better coffee. You can find cheap eats and fine dining in both places. Both destinations offer farm tours. We did a farm tour and cooking class in La Fortuna and did a farm tour in Monteverde for sugar cane, cacao and coffee.
Sample Itinerary
Typically, people spend 1-2 nights in Monteverde and 3-4 nights in La Fortuna. This is simply because Arenal is a bigger area and has more things to do. Most people go to Arenal first and then make their way to Monteverde. You can check out our 5 day Monteverde and Arenal itinerary here for more ideas.
Day 1-4: Arenal
Spend 3 days in La Fortuna, embarking on various adventures, seeing wildlife and enjoying the hot springs. Since many activities are half day activities, take advantage of your time in La Fortuna to experience as much as possible. An idea for activities can be like this:
Day 1: Canyoning in the morning, safari float in the afternoon.
Day 2: Relax at the hotel, check out La Fortuna town. Hot springs at night.
Day 3: Hanging bridges, La Fortuna waterfall, Volcano hike.
Some hotels have their own hot springs which mean you can enjoy and bathe in the warm volcanic waters every night.
Remember to get our La Fortuna tours discount!
Day 5 and 6: Monteverde
If you have only one full day in Monteverde, most people go to the parks to do ziplining, hanging bridges or horseback riding. For us, the perfect way to experience Monteverde is do to a birdwatching guided tour at Curi Cancha Reserve in the morning and hike Santa Elena Cloud Forest in the afternoon.
Then if you want the best of Monteverde in one day, Selvatura Park is the best! Get the all day pass to zipline, walk their hanging bridges, visit their butterfly garden, learn about sloths and see the reptiles.
Book your Monteverde tours here!
Who Should Visit?
Monteverde
If you love birds, hiking and cool weather, Monteverde is for you.
But keep in mind that you will probably need a high clearance SUV or 4wd which is more expensive to rent. So if you’re on a budget, consider taking a shared shuttle/bus and do the taxi-boat-taxi from Arenal instead.
Although some people don’t have the time to visit both, Monteverde is absolutely worth it, even for two nights. The cloud forests are incredibly unique and may disappear in this century so it’s worth making the trip to see the cloud forests. Monteverde is popular with Europeans, Asians, birders, seniors, school groups and backpackers.
For me, one night is just too quick and isn’t enough time to really experience Monteverde. Plus, with all the driving and travel time just to get there, you will want to stay longer.
Arenal
For first time visitors who want an easy destination to visit in Costa Rica, La Fortuna and Arenal is the better choice. It’s easier to get to, has more lodging options, better roads and more activities. Arenal is popular with Americans and Canadians and you will see lots of school groups in La Fortuna.
Thanks to its easy access and very good tourist infrastructure, Arenal is one of the best places for first time visitors to Costa Rica. You’ll find it on nearly all of the planned tour groups.
Looking for itineraries that have Arenal and Monteverde? Check these out!
2 week Costa Rica itinerary Caribbean and Pacific: Visits Tortuguero, Arenal, Monteverde and Guanacaste.
Two week Costa Rica itinerary: Visits Arenal, Monteverde, Santa Teresa and Playas del Coco
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.
Kendra says
This has been SO helpful to plan my trip. Thank you! Quick question:
My sister and I (38 and 45 years old) are traveling to Costa Rica for the first time in late Feb/Early march for about 7 days/6 nights. We are not big kids people and also not millionaires. We’d like to be close to nature with a bit of luxury and relaxation – maybe no more than $300/night for a hotel. Think a spa treatment but also wanting to go for hikes and see as much nature as possible! (Not massively interested in zip lining but would try it once) Being by the beach for a day would be great, but not the main purpose for us (jungle/rainforest is more our vibe!)
Do you have an itinerary that’s geared more towards adults? I’m assuming Arenal for 3 nights, Monteverde for 2 nights and 1 day at the beach somewhere? I don’t want to overdo it and rush, but also know this is likely our one and only trip to CR!
Thank you!
Sammi says
Hi Kendra, sure you can check all our Costa Rica Itineraries . You can do your plan, if you’ll be flying out of Guanacaste Airport, you can spend your last night at a nearby beach such as Playa Panama, Playa Hermosa or Playas Del Coco since they’re only about 30 minutes to the airport
Greg Tannen says
Hi Sammi!
Your website is wonderful – we just discovered it as we research a trip to Costa Rica!
We’ll be in San Jose for work, but we have from July 31-August 4th to have a side trip with our 6 year-old son, who is a bird lover. I automatically would think Monteverde for him…but I am worried about getting there and the rain. Is Arenal also a good birding location? Also, would that be too much time in either place?
Thanks very much!
Greg
Sammi says
You can go to Monteverde but there are actually many nice birding places closer to San Jose, like Braulio Carrillo (Rainforest Adventures Park is about 45 min from San Jose and its a nice park with birding, hiking trails, zipline and aerial tram) and some people even go to Hotel bougainvillea in Heredia to bird since they have a really big botanical garden with lots of beautiful birds, the hotel offers day passes for non hotel guests and their gardens are well laid out and you can enjoy their property and the restaurant. Being with a 6 year old, that would be a really nice and easy way to do some birding for him.
Greg Tannen says
Thanks so much!! The San Jose options sound great to do while there, so we appreciate it! We are going to be in San Jose for 5 days, and then do Monteverde for 4. Would you recommend anything in Monteverde for fun/birding with a 6 year old? We’re staying at the Hotel Belmar. And do we need to make reservations in advance? Thanks again – your website is amazing!
Sammi says
Hi Greg, we’ve sent you an email with more information
ozzy says
Hi Sami, thank you for your wonderful blog, all the information about Costa Rica is so invaluable!
We are thinking of travelling with our 2 teenage sons (14 and 16 years old) end of this July. We are planning to stay 4 nights in La Fortuna, 2 in Monteverde, and not sure whether we should do Manuel Antionio, Tortuguero or a beach town for the last part of our trip? I am also concerned of the weather, does rain prevent some activities to be done? For 2 teenage boys who love adventure do you recommend rafting or canyoning?
Sammi says
Hi Ozzy, we sent you an email but I’d recommend Manuel Antonio, there are a lot of fun outdoor activities, restaurants, fishing and shops that will be nice for two teen boys, here is our sample itinerary that goes to Fortuna, Monteverde and Manuel Antonio: https://mytanfeet.com/costa-rica-travel-tips/costa-rica-11-days-itinerary/
Victoria says
Your website is wonderful in helping me plan my Costa Rica trip!
If I decide to Zipline in Arenal and Monteverde, do both places provide lockers for me to store my stuff? If so, do we go back to the tour entrance to get our things?
I think the Monteverde blog said that but I wasn’t sure if that was the case for Arenal as well. Thank you.
Sammi says
It will depend on which zipline park you go to, but generally they offer lockers for clients (some charge, some are free).
Victoria says
Thank you! It looks like it’s Sky Tram and Sky Trek for both places so we shall see.
Sammi says
Oh yes, then I believe Sky Adventures (Arenal) should offer lockers to guests.
Stacy Ross says
We’re staying in Brasilito next week and booked 2 nights at the Tabacon Hot Springs in the middle of our trip. I read your amazing tips on traveling from Liberia to Arenal with a stop at Rio Celeste, which is our plan. On our way back to Brasilito we were thinking of stopping in Monteverde. Do you have a recommendation on the best way to travel from Arenal to Monteverde and ultimately back to Brasilito?
Sammi says
It is not difficult, just drive from La Fortuna – Monteverde and then Monteverde to Brasilito via Route 145.
Amanda says
I’m planning our trip to Costa Rica. I want to see it all, but limited time. We will have 4 kids-youngest being 7. We like adventure, exploring, seeing things we haven’t before. We love the beach, but that isn’t the highlight of this trip. We were thinking Monteverde and LaFortuna and also like Manuel Antionio. Any suggestions? Is Monteverde and LaFortuna going to see the same things? I want the most for our time and don’t want to miss a thing ! We also, like non-touristy as much as possible. Which I understand is hard when you are coming to see all the things that have been advertised for an area!
Sammi says
Hi Amanda, I’d check out the first itinerary in this post that goes to San Jose – La Fortuna and Manuel Antonio. If you have more days, you can do one or two nights in Monteverde after La Fortuna Costa Rica 1 week family itinerary
Dovana says
Hello,
thank you so much for such useful information.
Me and my boyfriend coming to Costa Rica at july and we have 7 days, 6 nights. We want to see La Fortuna – Monteverde – Jaco – Quepos – Manuel Antonio and then go back to San Jose on airport. so what do you recommended? is it silly to stay in each place 1-2 nights?
beacuse is it july do we expected a rainy days?
Sammi says
Hi Dovana, honestly that’s a bit much for only 7 days, to stay just 1-2 nights in each place is very rushed and you won’t be able to get to do or see much. I’d pick just two destinations for a 1 week itinerary, here is a sample: Costa Rica 1 week family itinerary (The La Fortuna and Manuel Antonio one)
Rick says
Hi Sammy, super helpful/empowering blog!
I am planning an 11 day trip in March with wife + 2 teen daughters. We love to balance beach and adventures. Not knowing much about the foreign land of Costa Rica and being a bit fearful of unknowns, I was initially planning on staying in Tamarindo for beach and then hiring tour companies for 1-2 excursions.
After researching your blogs, I am entertaining idea of renting SUV and spreading our 11 days throughout La Fortunate, Monteverde, Rincon and a Tamarindo. We traditionally love ocean/beaches, zip lining, whitewater, ATVing, and anything new (mud baths, hot springs, waterfalls, volcanos, cloud forests). I have 4 days set in Tamarindo out of the 11 but I am interested to learn if it is cost effective to rent a vehicle and hop around the volcanos and rainforests for 6-7 days. what would you suggest to get best Costa Rican experience? If driving, where would you start/end?
Any wisdom/tricks would appreciated. Thanks!
Sammi says
I would definitely rent a car, all those places are popular tourist places and lots of tourists drive those routes. Or if you don’t want to drive, then I would recommend a private shuttle for your family. If you would like quotes for both the car and private shuttles, you can contact us for prices so you can compare
Blue says
Hi Sammi,
Love your blog!
We are going to Costa Rica this July. Our kids are somewhat timid but still would like to try ziplining.
Would Arenal or Monteverde be better for an easier, slower, less extreme ziplining experience?
And which operators would you recommend for this type of ziplining?
Thank you!
Sammi says
La Fortuna (Arenal) has many more ziplining tours of varying levels so for kids who are a bit nervous, I’d pick one in La Fortuna. We work with a tour operator that runs an extremely family friendly zipline – it’s exciting enough with an optional tarzan swing for those who want more excitement but not too crazy, here is our video on it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ULHDNtNmCg
We also offer a small discount for it which you can get here: https://mytanfeet.com/special-deals/la-fortuna-arenal-tours-discount/