How To Make A Day Trip To Monteverde From La Fortuna / Arenal (Or Vice Versa)

We’re heading to Monte Verde and I’ll be posting a report on my blog.

Thank you for this. We are planning to come to CR for a week and have 3 days at the beach, 3 days in La Fortuna, and 1 day in San Jose. We were planning to take a day trip to Monteverde, but you may have just saved us what is likely to be a VERY long day with 2 kids and some arguing to boot. Thanks for your honest opinions.

Travelers to Costa Rica have no idea until they actually experience this. We did a whirlwind tour of CR, which suits our traveling style. We stayed a couple of nights in Tortuguero, a couple in La Fortuna, one night in Monteverde, and a couple of nights in Manuel Antonio. We happen to like road trips, so we enjoyed the long, albeit bumpy roads that gave us a chance to see more of beautiful Costa Rica. As much as we loved all of the places, we fell in love with Monteverde. One 24 hour period was not enough time for us to adequately explore the area, but we are happy we made the trip. For us it worked to take the taxi-boat-taxi to Monteverde and take a 1:00 shuttle the next day to our next location. That gave us time to take a night tour and take another tour the next morning, and also allowed time to try some restaurants and see the famous strangler fig and the town of Santa Elena. I cannot imagine trying to do the trip in one day. I would have felt very disappointed. As it is, 24 hours was not quite enough time to make us truly satisfied, but at least we know where we are going when we return.

You saved the day!! Thank you. This is such a helpful response. I will be in CR in February with my husband and 3 kids (8,10,12). I have been to CR in the past and went to coast, Arenal, and Monteverde, but given the logistics, price, and time frame, it makes more sense for us to prioritize which would be the best destination. Since we live in the Hamptons in NY near the ocean, we decided on La Fortunate but was contemplating Monteverde too–whether day trip or 2 days. Your blog about one vs the other was also so helpful. Given my kids’ ages and the need for TLC at the end of the day, we decided to stay in La Fortuna the entire time where we can hike, springs, horseback ride, do zip line and hanging brideges and stay at great place, Leaves and Lizards. I feel so good having read your blog. Thank you!!!

We are in Costa Rica from a Saturday to a Saturday, but we leave to go home at 12:30pm from Liberia so we will not be able to use that day for activities. We are thinking to arrive in La Fortuna around 2pm the first Saturday and stay the night and then Sunday explore the volcano. Then on Monday, were thinking to driving to Monteverde at 6am and explore once we get there around 11am until sunset and stay 1 night.
Then on Tuesday morning, get up and explore until 12pm and drive to Tamarindo for the reminder of the trip. Are we crazy to make this our itinerary?

Would you recommend going to Monteverde for just one night? I have planned a one day/night stop there between Arenal and Manuel Antonio. I would leave Arenal early in the morning to have as much time in Monteverde as possible. Thanks for your insight.

hey, thanks for your info!
do you think its feasible to visit Monteverde and Arenal volcano the same day?
if yes, which detailed itinerary or connections would you recommend?
same questions if 2 days to do both and be in the late evening in San Jose?

thanks!

Hello,
We are meeting up with the group late at night at Arenal and do not have Monteverde in the group itinerary. We are staying in Arenal for 4 nights.
We will be traveling from Playa Flamengo and have a “free” day. We were wondering if we can go to Monteverde , do Cloud Forest Hike and then go to Arenal.
We will have a 4X4 Rental car. What do you say? How doable is it and is it worth it?

Thanks,
Sasha