ISLAND GUIDE
The tours and day trips worth booking.
The 8 top-rated things to do in Monteverde — the boat trips, beach days, volcano hikes and old-town wanders worth building a day around, with real prices and who to book each one with.
Wide, engineered hanging bridges in Monteverde’s cloud forest. Self-paced 3 km loop, family-friendly, book ahead, rain-ready.
Most Popular“The view is beautiful but for my taste it was not worth the money, maybe if you do the walk with a guide it is beter. I didn’t see any animals and for me the walk was really easy. I would like a little more adventure. In the end i’m happy to spend my money…”
Extreme ziplining in Monteverde with a Superman cable, Tarzan swing, and bungee plunge over the cloud forest. 2–3 hours.
“The team was professional. The approach road is gravel based, narrow and with steep incline. I would recommend not taking your own vehicle and relying on the pickup location.”
Monteverde Selvatura Gold Package: 13 zipline cables with optional Tarzan Swing and a 3km hanging-bridge walk, ~4 hours.
“This was a wonderful experience! Ziplining was the highlight of my trip. The guides were all great. One thing to note, we did the Mistico hanging bridges in La Fortuna as well. They were both similar experiences, I would recommend doing only one or the either if you’re on a budget”
Monteverde Wildlife Refuge at night. Small-group guided walk (6 or 8 PM), flashlights provided, and real chances at frogs, insects, and mammals.
“A well spent 2 hours. The knowledge of our local guide was astounding. His trained eye was remarkable. It gives you some idea of how much wildlife we are surrounded by, but untrained almost impossible to see. Another plus of this tour, you are welcome to return to the trails the next day! With a…”
Spot quetzals and hummingbirds on a 2.5-hour Monteverde cloud forest tour with a small group guide, optics, and Fogden photos.
“Mauricio was our guide. He told us a lot about flora in the forest; he was very knowledgeable and a nice guy. We saw an Agouti, small lizard, white faced monkey (for a split second) and a sloth. To be honest I think we could have gotten binoculars and done the tour on our own…”
See 30+ butterfly species plus live insects and arachnids in Monteverde’s gardens with a guided walk and great photo chances.
“It was amazing! Our guide was really informed, fun and created a fantastic tour for me and my family. We would recommend this to anyone going to Monteverde!”
Visit Arenal’s Butterfly Conservatory near El Castillo for a guided rainforest regeneration lesson, life-cycle exhibits, and tons of butterflies.
“This was an absolutely brilliant experience. It was educational and extremely enjoyable. The volunteers were very knowledgeable and enthusiastic.”
Monteverde Selvatura combo: guided canopy tour, hanging bridges, and a butterfly garden, with hotel transport and strong safety focus.
“The long zip lines are great fun, but I did feel rushed through and I’ve been to better places where you have time to take a video or photo of your partner coming down the zip. I was shuffled off on to the next zip before he’d even arrived on the platform on a number…”
Every archipelago, and the best of each island in it.
