Monteverde: Budget Travel Guide, Santa Elena, Costa Rica

Most people visiting Monteverde are likely to actually stay in or near to the town of Santa Elena. This area is home to more popular national parks and cloud forests. Santa Elena is located in the mountains and has a cooler climate than La Fortuna and coastal areas. We found it again to be a very touristic place, with many hotels, hostels and restaurants catering mostly for tourists.

Plan how you’re going to get to Monteverde Cloud Forest, Santa Elena Reserve or other nearby attractions as Uber doesn’t work here. You can either take a taxi or a shared shuttle, most hotels and hostels should be able to arrange this for you. The shared shuttle is cheaper than getting a taxi, but you are slightly limited by the set departure and return times. The shuttle usually leaves Santa Elena town every hour or so but it’s best to double check these times with your hotel/hostel. Shuttle transport does need to be arranged in advance, ideally the night before and not 5 minutes beforehand.

Cottage Private Ensuite – this quaint little one-bedroom bungalow, slightly outside the town centre but within easy walking distance of restaurants and supermarkets, was the perfect place to rest after a long day hiking the trails at Monteverde Cloud Forest. With its own functional kitchen and dining table, we made use of the place to host a family dinner with Dan’s dad. The nearby area is residential so no annoying disturbances during the night or eager travellers making noise early in the morning. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).