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!
Monteverde or Arenal? A Detailed Look
At a glance, here are the reasons why to visit Monteverde or Arenal. Below we will go into detail.
Monteverde: Better birdwatching, better hiking, less touristic, requires a 4×4, cheaper, unique cloud forests, more extreme ziplining, hanging bridges, limited lodging options.
Arenal: More luxury hotels, more mammals and reptiles, more touristic, doesn’t require a 4×4, more adventure, hot springs, easier to get to.
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. As of Augsut 2021, it is now officialyl it’s own canton.
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 4×4 or 4wd for Monteverde.
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 roads are steep, curvy and narrow.
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 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 (~$175-200) 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.
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 $60 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 16-8 C (60 F). In rainy season, the average temperature is around 22 Celsius (low 70s) during the day. It can get chilly at night if it’s raining hard and windy. It is very normal in the dry season to get light sprinkles in the morning and afternoons.
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.
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 are the best for Arenal since those shoes are great for activities such as ziplining, hiking, rafting, hanging bridges, etc.
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. 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 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 rain forest.
Most of the forest in the national park is restored secondary forest as it was destroyed by the 1968 eruption.
Tourist Services
Monteverde
Though smaller, Monteverde has everything for tourists except car rental companies and a local airport. Since roads are not paved and it is still considered a rural part of Costa Rica, it has not developed too much beyond that.
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.
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.
If you’re on a budget, make sure to read our post “5 free things to do in Monteverde” for free spots!
Arenal
Arenal can be a lot more expensive. It has everything from $10 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 $45-289 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 their ziplining. The best ones are SkyTrek 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 do. The most popular cloud forest hikes are in the Monteverde and Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserves.
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. La Fortuna has many more ziplining tours of various levels than Monteverde.
- Canyoning: Canyoning in Arenal is the best because you go deep into the rain forest. The water temperature is not that cold.
- 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 the lake, rain forest and volcano, 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, no 3-fingered sloths.
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, birds 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 nicer hotels are Hotel Belmar, Monteverde Lodge & Gardens, Senda Monteverde, the El Establo Hotel and Hotel Poco a Poco. For budget, there are a bunch of hostels in Santa Elena town for cheap lodging like Selina Monteverde, Sleepers Sleep and Pension Santa Elena.
Monteverde hotels are generally cheaper than the La Fortuna hotels. There are also many Airbnbs and vacation rentals.
Arenal
Arenal has around 100 hotels in the entire area. With some of the most luxurious hotels in Costa Rica, it’s perfect for luxury travelers or honeymooners.
The most high end hotels in this area are the Springs Resort, Tabacon, Nayara and Kioro which are anywhere from $300-900 USD a night. Many of these luxury hotels around the volcano are tailored towards romantic getaways.
Then there are cheap hostels in La Fortuna town like Selina La Fortuna or Arenal Container Hostel. Around the Arenal Volcano, you’ll find mid to high range hotels.
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 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.
Sample Itinerary
Typically, people spend 1-2 nights in Monteverde and 2-3 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 or check out La Fortuna town. Hot springs at night.
Day 3: Hanging bridges, La Fortuna waterfall, Volcano hike.
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 hummingbird garden, learn about sloths and see the reptiles.
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 4×4 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.
Arenal
If you’re looking for a romance and luxury, Arenal is the better choice. If you love adventure and don’t mind touristic destinations, then Arenal is also the better choice. Arenal is also better for families since there are more accommodation options, more amenities and family friendly 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 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 Ricaitinerary: Visits Arenal, Monteverde, Santa Teresa and Playas del Coco
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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/
Caroline Cockman says
Hi! Thank you for the amazing blog!!
We have have 5 nights (4 full days) to play with and wondering if we should book Finca Luna Nueva which appears to be equidistant to LaFortuna for hot springs/adventures and Monteverde for cloud forests.
Alternately, we could divide our days and book separate accommodations in each town. Thoughts?
Our next stop will be Manuel Antonio. We are a family of 4 with two preteens!
Sammi says
If you’re renting a car, you can stay at the lodge but if you’re not renting a car, I’d pick a hotel that’s more central to either Fortuna or MOnteverde
randy kirschmann says
Hola,
Your blog has been invaluable in planning my first trip to CR, thank you so much.
So… I have basically 2 days around Arenal (and one evening). I know Arenal volcano is a must see, and I’d like to hit La Fortuna waterfall and Tabacon hotsprings. Can I (or should I) try and fit Monteverde cloud forest into that time also?
I’ll be headed to the coast (Papagayo) after that, for 3 days. I’d like to see Rincon and Rio Celeste waterfall during that time, besides some beaches.
I know its a lot, but this may be the only time I get to see Costa Rica, and I want to make the most of the trip. Your input would be GREATLY APPRECIATED.
Muchas Gracias, Randy
Sammi says
For just 2 days, I’d stay in La Fortuna and enjoy that area.
You can visit Rio Celeste on the drive from La Fortuna – Papagayo.
Valerie Monge says
Hello, thank you so much for your information. We will be staying in Nosara at Playa Guiones in mid June. We would like to travel from there to Arenal/Monteverde for about three nights. I would prefer to stay in one hotel but I’m not sure how far or difficult it is to get from Arenal to Monteverde. We prefer beautiful nature more than exciting tours, though one zip line might be fun for the teens. Thanks.
Soudipta says
Hi Sami,
Great blog post. My wife and I are planning a trip this December to Costa Rica for 9 days. We were thinking of Monte Verde, Arenal and Manuel Antonio. Just wanted your guidance wrt to the Arenal / Monte Verde part. How many days would you recommend spending there. Also should we stay just near Arenal and make day trips to Monte Verde or spend couple of days in Arenal and couple in Monte Verde seperately.
Thanks,
Soudipta
Sammi says
Hi, you can check out our Monteverde and Arenal itinerary post
kolina macrury says
Hi Sammi,
Thank you so much for all the information that your blog provides – it has been invaluable in my trip planning. My husband and I are going to be traveling in mid January, from La Fortuna to Monteverde along hwy 142 to hwy 145 to hwy 606. We will then be traveling to the Liberia Airport and I am wondering if we should travel through Juntas on hwy 145 to hwy 1 or if we should travel back the way we came on hwy 145 to hwy 142 to hwy 1. I am not sure if the road conditions are similar for these two routes. We will have a 4WD Acura.
Thanks so much
Sammi says
You can perfectly go through ROute 145 to Route 1
Tina says
Hi! Do you know if there are any day tours over to Monteverde from Arenal? We are staying in Arenal but would be interested in a day tour and then go back to our hotel in Arenal. Is that possible?
Sammi says
Hi Tina, yes actually our partner in La Fortuna does day tours, can you please send us an email on our Contact Mytanfeet form and we’ll give you more information.
Peter says
Wife and I starting to plan for next April. Zeroing in on Corcovado/Drake Bay, La Fortuna, and Monteverde. Q1 – can we take a bus from La Fortuna to Monteverde? Was planning on renting a vehicle for the entirety, just not a 4WD.
Are all 3 doable over 8-10 days?
Sammi says
For La Fortuna – Monteverde I recommend to do the taxi-boat-taxi. Way more fun than a bus because there are no direct buses. You will have to go La Fortuna – Tilaran – Santa Elena. Taxi boat across Lake Arenal is more fun
Michelle says
Hi! Love your blog. We are coming to Costa Rica for a week in April. Unfortunately, I have to do some remote work for the first 3 days so thought it would be best to spend those 3 days by a beach, planning for Manuel Antonio but open to other suggestions, where we can hang out at the beach in between work (rather than La Fortuna where there are more active adventures). I’ve seen 7d trips usually going from La Fortuna, then Monteverde, then a beach somewhere like Manuel Antonio. What do you think of doing that trip in the reverse? Is the drive that much worse going backwards? If so, would you recommend just skipping the 1.5 days in Monteverde and going straight to La Fortuna for the last 4 days of the trip? Or if you had to plan a beach/relaxing/remote work, followed by “best of Costa Rica” 1 week trip, how would you do it?
Thanks!
Sammi says
You can definitely go to Manuel Antonio first.
Tara says
Hey there! Absolutely love your articles and really appreciate all of your hard work.
It looks like Sky Adventures in Monteverde has zips, as well as bridges through the cloud forest. Do you recommend doing the bridges there or at the separate Monteverde Cloud Forest reserve?
Thank you for your help!
Sammi says
Definitely bridges at Selvatura Park, Monteverde cloud forest reserve only has 1 bridge and its not as impressive as Selvaturas.
michelle laccetti says
Hi,
I am staying in Fortuna for 3 nights and want to do a day trip to monteverde. Is that doable? I want to book a zip lining tour along with a coffee and chocolate tour but now I am rethinking if I should just look for those same tours in Fortuna.
Thanks!
Sammi says
You can, there are tour companies who offer 1 day trips to Monteverde but it’s expensive ($200 USD+). And you can do a zipline, coffee and chocolate tour in La Fortuna.
Debbie Sklazeski says
Hi Sammi, thanks for this blog its been very helpful. My hubby and I are planning our 3rd trip for two weeks to Costa Rica in Feb 2021. We have stayed in Drake Bay(loved it), Cabo Matapalo, Manuel Antonio, Santa Teresa, Jaco(on our way to Drake Bay) and Nosara (saw some turtles)on our first two times there. We love the wildlife and the beaches put prefer more of the local scene than the touristy places. We are thinking of driving(renting a 4×4) to Puerto Jimenez for 2 or 3 nights for some hiking. Is that long enough there or should we stay another night or two. Any recommendations for hiking or things to see around there? We will stay a few nights in the Cabo Matapalo area also and then we haven’t been to Arenal or Monteverde and wonder if we should do both or how long we would need at each place if we went. I believe we will be flying into Liberia. Any other places we should consider along our way. We have hiked to Nauyaca Waterfall and saw the Whale tail in Uvita. In Drake Bay we did a night tour and a hike through the Corcovado to the Sirena Ranger Station and also snorkelling at Cano Island. I usually try to pick some clean out of the way B&B or small hotel to stay in ( love it when they are surrounded by jungle and wildlife). Any thoughts or ideas of what we should do or where we should stay with be greatly appreciated. We love Costa Rica so can’t wait to get there. Thanks for your time!
Sammi says
I definitely recommend Arenal and Monteverde, depending on how much time you have in Costa Rica, a lot of people stay many 2-3 nights in Arenal and 1-2 nights in Monteverde but if you have more time and want to explore a bit more of the areas and take it slower, I’d say 3-4 nights in Arenal and 2-3 in Monteverde since there are a lot of things to do in both places.
Shea says
This has been the most resourceful blog I have yet found!!! Thank you fir laying out the side by side comparison of Arenal and Monteverde…. while I initially was going to choose one…. now I believe we must do both!!!
I’d like to ask your opinion… we are flying in/out of Liberia. Would it be best to start in Fortuna for 3 nights, Monteverde for 1, or vice versa prior to traveling to Tamarindo for the beach the remaining 3 nights
The drive time is nearly the same from Arenal and Monte Verde to Tamarindo. Is there a preference you think ? We would like to either hire private car or take shared shuttle. What are your thoughts ?
Sammi says
Hi Shea, either one is fine, most people like to do La Fortuna – Monteverde – Tamarindo.
You can do private or shared, shared is more budget friendly but is more restrictive in times and drop off/pick up locations. Private is more expensive (for small groups, couples or solo travelers) but you can ask the driver to stop whenever for food, bathroom, photos, etc. and you get the whole vehicle to yourself. For La Fortuna – Monteverde (or vice versa whichever you choose), the taxi-boat-taxi is a nice option.
Surbhi says
Hi,
Thank you so much for a wonderful website with so much valuable information …. 🙂
We are planning to visit CR in the month of March and we just have 5 days , we will be landing early in the day at san Jose and are planning to go to La Fortuna. we are planning to reach Aernol by 3:00 PM , the same day as we land.
1) we are planning on spending 2 days in Aernol .. Friday and Saturday
** is it sufficient ?
** is there any possibility of doing some activity the same day as we reach ?
2) we are planning on leaving to Montverde on Sunday Morning
** will we be able to watch the cloud forest on Sunday ? That is the only thing we want to see there …
3) we have to go to San Jose on Monday or Sunday night , one of or friend has a flight to catch … then we are planning on going to Manuel Antonio on the same day after dropping him off and then spending Monday and Tuesday in Manuel Antonio and Jaco and the in Tuesday Fly back…
**Do you think this plan will work for us ..
** will love to hear any suggestions that you can give from you personal experience .
Awaiting you reply .. 🙂
THANK YOU 🙂 🙂 🙂
Sammi says
Hello,
Most places close around 4 PM (like the national park) in La Fortuna so you could go to the hot springs that night. I would spend that afternoon just settling in your hotel, checking out town, maybe go to hot springs. The cloud forest reserves and adventure parks in Monteverde are open everyday and close at 4 PM (check the adventure parks, not sure when they close, maybe a bit later).
It’ll be a lot of driving but doable. Just make sure to map out your route beforehand so you don’t waste time in case you get lost or something.
JAMES COURVILLE says
What does one do with cameras and backpacks while doing the zip line tours?
Sammi says
The parks usually have lockers or a storage area.
Song Gotiangco says
Hello Sammi! We’d exchanged some messages before but can’t find them 🙁 We are a week out from coming Tamarindo and super excited! Trying to choose between Monteverde or Arenal for a day trip (zip lining, hanging bridge and maybe hot spring). Looks like it will take about 4 hours to drive from Tamarindo to either Monteverde or Arenal? Which would you recommend? Will it be too hard to do a day trip? Should we spend a night in either Monteverde or Arenal? We have reserved an SUV from Adobe, so I think we will be ok to drive to Monteverde? Please advise 🙂 Thank you!
Sammi says
Hi Song! I would personally recommend La Fortuna. It’s an easier drive than to Monteverde and they have hot springs (Monteverde doesn’t). That is a pretty long day trip since it is about 4 hours one way so if you can, I would stay a night since it’s a loooong drive. You’d need to leave really early if you want to do hanging bridges, ziplining and hot springs without rushing since ziplining and hanging bridges takes about 2 hours each. Remember that Mistico Hanging Bridges closes at 4 PM, usually the last zipline at Sky Adventures (if you go there) is at 3 PM (and most ziplines also have a last slot at around 3 PM).
Doreen Merkel says
Would you recommend starting in Monteverde, then Arenal or vice versa? We are staying the first night in San Jose because we get in later in the day. Plan to get up early and travel either to La Fortuna or Monteverde.
Sammi says
I’d go to Fortuna first, the drive is much easier than going to Monteverde. From Monteverde, you will get off at the Inter Americana highway from the mountain and from then it’s just going south down until you exit off to the Costanera Sur to Uvita.
Doreen Merkel says
We will have 8 full days in Costa Rica not counting our two travel days. Is it realistic to do Arenal area, Monteverde and Uvita area/Cano Island snorkeling in that time frame or would it be better to just do Arenal and Uvita area? We want to see all of the things, but also want time to relax and enjoy the area and not be driving frantically to the next destination.
Sammi says
Hi Doreen! With 8 full days you can do Arenal, Monteverde and Uvita. You could just stay two nights in Monteverde (1 full day), you don’t need to stay too much longer. There are more things to do in La Fortuna and Uvita and you could do a one day adventure in Monteverde at one of the parks.
Amanda says
Thank you so much for all the information! We are planning a 9 day trip in May and want to see Monteverde, La Fortuna, and Manuel Antonio. Planning to fly into SJO. If we do ride share from airport to La Fortuna, taxi boat taxi to Monteverde—could you advise the best way to get from Monteverde to Manuel Antonio? Ultimately deciding whether we need a rental car or not while on our trip. Thanks!!!
Sammi says
If you’re not renting a car, you can get a shared shuttle (cheaper) or a private shuttle from Monteverde to MA.
Sammi says
Hi Catherine, you can definitely do that itinerary actually without a car. You can take shared shuttles for all your routes and Monteverde – Arenal, you can do the taxi-boat-taxi (you take a boat across Lake Arenal).
This is a very popular and common itinerary and for 14 days I think you can do it comfortably. For example, you can stay 3 days in Manuel Antonio, 2 in Monteverde, 3 in Arenal and the last 4 days in Tamarindo or however long you want to stay at each destination. To be honest, you can just have 1-2 full days in Monteverde and that’s plenty there. You can also do 2 days in Arenal and add more beach time if you want.
MA – Monteverde is the longest day, it’s about a 5 hour shuttle. Then Monteverde – Arenal via boat is 3 hours, Arenal to Tamarindo is 4. Monteverde Cloud Forests are really the only place to see actual cloud forest and it’s most easily accessible and popular. There are a only a couple of other places that have cloud forests in high elevation in Costa Rica but are way harder to get to like San Gerardo de Doto.
catherine says
Hi Sami,
Thank you for your wonderful blog which has been of so much help for planning my trip.
I am leaving for 14 days mid-may, flying in & out in SJO.
My first stop will be Manuel Antonio and my last stop will be Tamarindo.
I was initially planning on doing: MA-Monteverde-Arenal-Tamarindo but since I’m not renting a car, I doubt that we will travel far too much if I follow this itinerary.
So I am looking to skip monteverde or arenal.
Following your article, I think we are better off going to Arenal but are there any forests similar to the monteverde cloud forest in MA or is it really something unique to Monteverde?
Thanks so much !
Lena says
Sami, your blog and information about Costa Rica is so invaluable! Thank you so much for putting all this together.
I have 3 hopefully “quick” questions for you, when you have a chance. I realize these will vary greatly based on personal preferences, but I’d love to hear just your first impression/gut instinct on these given your experience with life in and different parts of Costa Rica:
1. Would you recommend visiting Arenal in December or March, for a 1 month long stay?
2. Would you recommend staying on the north side in the Neuvo Arenal area or south side, Tronadora area, for a 1 month long stay?
3. And finally if you had to pick Ocotal/Coco area OR Arenal area for the month of December, for 1 month long stay, which would you recommend?
Thank you so much in advance!
Sammi says
Hi Lena, it really does depend on personal preference since you’re comparing beach to rain forest so it’s hard to pick one over another since some people want beach, some people want the rain forest/volcano. Both are great places but if you feel more inclined to one over the other, I’d stay there instead. Arenal in December versus March isn’t too much of a difference except March is drier, December is the transition month into dry season so it may still be cloudy in the beginning of the month. As for where to stay in Arenal, it also depends if you have a car. Nuevo Arenal is pretty far from everything – supermarkets, banks, etc. Its a beautiful area but you’re kind of awkwardly in between La Fortuna and Tilaran but if you have a car, then it won’t really matter which area you are in since you can drive to get around.