Monteverde Lodge & Gardens

Made famous by a group of Quakers from Alabama, looking for a peaceful country to settle in the late 1940s, Monteverde is located approximately 4 hours from San Jose; the first 2 hours are on the Pan-American Highway heading north towards the Province of Guanacaste and Liberia. The final 35 kilometers are north winding your way up the mountain side to the dairy, agricultural and tourism community of Monteverde. The Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve is just a 15 minute drive from the lodge and is what most guests come to see. The abundance of the Resplendant Quetzal attracted guests hoping to see this extraordinarily beautiful bird and the disappearance of the Golden Toad put Monteverde on the world conservation map naming it the “canary in the mines” of global warming. The lesser known Santa Elena Reserve is a cloud forest that should not be missed. Its higher elevation makes it cooler with more wind you often hike in the clouds, giving you a real sense of a Cloud Forest. The Santa Elena Reserve sits on the Caribbean Slope and has an extensive trail system covering patches of secondary forest as well as extensive areas of primary forest. Depending on your interest the trail system offers short, intermediate and long hikes. Monteverde Lodge & Gardens sits on a bluff and is mostly surrounded by forest. The grounds, a combination of landscaped gardens and free growing forest comes right up to our doorstep, the creek that runs below can be heard from your room. Within walking distance (10 minutes) from the town of Santa Elena you have access to coffee shops, art galleries, bakeries, local shops and churches. You are also a short taxi ride from a growing number of attractions including a Butterfly Garden, a Bat Jungle and a chocolate micro factory. The Lodge is located within a short distance of the two well-known reserves the Santa Elena Reserve is a 20 minute drive and the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve is a 15 minute drive. There are detailed descriptions of both and a comparison chart on the site.

In May of 2012 Costa Rica Expeditions began working with a talented young Chef named Federico Barrantes. His official title is Executive Chef and he works with the kitchens at both Monteverde Lodge and its sister property, Tortuga Lodge and Gardens, located on the Caribbean Coast. Federico spends time at both lodges, working to help the local cooks perfect their craft. He used to teach French and by all accounts that experience has carried over to his cooking instructions. In our case the ability to teach is almost as important as inspiration as a chef. We were very fortunate to find someone who has both. Our local cooks come from humble backgrounds and have very little worldly knowledge of food. What they have learned has been taught by Federico and the different people that have come through our lodges in the never ending quest to delight our guests at meal times. Monteverde´s restaurant El Jardín is open to the public and looks out over the garden below. The unifying similarity behind the eclectic menu is Federico´s skill at weaving the tastes and smells of tropical ingredients and traditional Costa Rican recipes into his dishes. Breakfast is included with the room, but do not expect a typical hotel buffet. Our breakfasts are special; they include not only fresh local fruit but also a hearty base to power you through a morning of exploration in the cloud forest. Upon request picnic baskets and romantic garden lunches or dinners are available.

The primary attraction of the Monteverde region is the Cloud Forest. This is a high elevation forest defined by trees with thick sturdy trunks and a tight canopy buffeted by the winds which blow in the clouds. Activities in the area are defined by exploring this forest and looking for wildlife. This involves hiking, at the length and pace of your choice. A lot of people do it on their own and see very little. A Naturalist Guide will greatly increase the number of sightings and also the quality of the view. Our guides carry telescopes which make it much easier to see birds that are way up in the trees. Guests mostly book half day hikes but some opt for a full day hike and a sack lunch. The day consists mostly of looking for birds and learning about the environment. It’s likely that the trail will include a stop and a discussion about conservation and the impact of preserving the forest going forward or not. In our opinion, Monteverde is also the best place in Costa Rica to go horseback riding and the butterfly garden and bat jungle are fun, especially when kids are involved. When visiting the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, if you’re up for the hike you can see the Continental Divide, a place where water that falls on one side ends up in the Pacific Ocean and water that falls on the other ends up in the Atlantic Ocean. We normally recommend that our guests visit one of the two reserves or both if they have the time and like to hike. For resting between activities, or for the more relaxed traveler, Monteverde Lodge & Gardens is a great place to take your time and enjoy your surroundings. Rooms are cozy and at night the fireplace in the bar area is always lit. During the day the garden is a great place to sit and read, meditate, bird watch, talk. There are normally mixed flocks of birds in the yard going about their business, while the stream in the garden makes its music. Daily visitors to the gardens include the Coatimundi, Agouti, White Faced Capuchin monkey and the sloth. Monteverde Lodge has been designed to enhance and encourage the travelers’ interaction with the remarkable environment that surrounds it. We have a staff of the best and most experienced guides who are available to lead private or group tours.

To make requests for specific accessibility needs, complete the “Special or Accessibility Requests” section of “Trip Preferences” when you book your hotel.

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on hotel policy.

Government-issued photo identification and a credit card or cash deposit are required at check-in for incidental charges.

Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges. Special requests cannot be guaranteed.

No elevators

All guests staying in hotel guestrooms must be registered with the hotel.