Monteverde Activities: Reserves and Parks

October 30, 2026

The Valley at a Glance

Monteverde and the town of Santa Elena sit on the Cordillera de Tilarán in Puntarenas Province, at roughly 1,400 to 1,700 m. The weather is cool, misty and windy, and the area is inland. Most visitors spend their days on forest trails, hanging bridges, ziplines and guided night walks. Costa Rica’s main traveller risk is petty theft, so keep valuables out of sight in parked cars.

Cloud Forest Reserves

Four separate organisations run the main walking areas, and no joint ticket covers them.

Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve. Day passes ended in December 2025. Each ticket is one marked circuit in one time slot, booked online at cloudforestmonteverde.com . The Essence Trail is 1.4 km (about 1 hour), Heart of the Forest is 2.8 km (about 1.5 hours, with the hanging bridge) and the Continental Divide Trail is 4.1 km (about 2.5 hours, ending at the La Ventana viewpoint). Expect about $29 per circuit for foreign adults and about $16 for children 5 to 11.
Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve. A 310 ha reserve with 12 km of trails and a 13 m observation tower. The 2026 self-guided adult rate is 10,000 colones, about $22. It opens 7am to 4pm, with last entry at 3pm. See reservasantaelena.org .
Bajo del Tigre. The visitor sector of the Children’s Eternal Rainforest in Cerro Plano, with 4.5 km of trails. The 2026 self-guided adult rate is $18. Details are at acmcr.org .
Curi-Cancha. A family-owned private refuge of 83 ha with 7 to 8 km of trails and 200+ bird species. Self-guided entry is $25 for adults and $15 for children 5 to 20, and it opens 7am to 3pm.

Night Walks

Night walks run at about $30 to $35 at the operators that post rates. The Preserve’s walk starts from 6pm and lasts about 2.5 hours, with a maximum of 10 people and guiding in English. Bajo del Tigre leaves daily at 5:30pm for $30 (hotel transport is $8 extra, and bookings need two people). Curi-Cancha runs from 5:30 to 7:30pm for $35 with a maximum of 9. Nights are 12 to 14 C, so bring layers. Animals are shy and mostly nocturnal, so sightings are possible but never guaranteed. Photograph without flash.

Bridges, Ziplines and the Cableway

Selvatura Park: 8 hanging bridges from 55 to 157 m long (about $49) and a 13-line canopy tour (about $80). Posted prices add 13 percent tax and fees.
Treetopia Park (formerly Sky Adventures Monteverde): Sky Walk $49, Tree Tram cableway $59, Sky Trek zipline $99.
Monteverde Extremo Park: in La Cruz de Abangares, with a $10 transport option from Monteverde. It offers a 143 m bungee jump and a canopy tour of about 4 km.

Check age and weight limits with each operator. Zip-lining is often excluded from travel insurance, so check your cover before booking.

Gardens and Farms

The Monteverde Orchid Garden in Santa Elena opens 9am to 5pm daily with a guided tour included. The Monteverde Butterfly Gardens charge $20 for adults and run guided tours from 9am to 3:30pm. For coffee, Don Juan Tours and Cafe Monteverde Farm and Roastery both run farm tours.

Practical Tips

Prices here are in US dollars unless marked; about 450 colones equal $1. Cards and dollars are widely accepted.
Route 606 into Monteverde is mostly paved and a normal car manages it. It is steep, winding and unlit, so avoid driving at night.
Umbrellas are not allowed in the Preserve, so pack a rain jacket.
Never feed or touch wildlife.

Compare guided options on GetYourGuide .