El Bosque

Monteverde & Santa Elena


On the edge of the Bosque Eterno de los Niños in Monteverde, this place is a pleasant surprise. Wooden duplex solar-powered cabins are surrounded by tropical gardens and primary forest, with many kilometers of trails to get lost on. Wildlife abounds – keep your eyes open for agoutis, coatis, capuchin monkeys and amazing birds. Walking distance to pastries and pizza.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Monteverde & Santa Elena attractions

1. Bat Jungle

0.15 MILES

The Bat Jungle in Monteverde is a small but informative exhibit, with good bilingual educational displays and a habitat housing almost 100 free-flying…

2. Friends Meeting House

0.44 MILES

This simple meeting house in Monteverde is the ‘church’ of the American Society of Friends, or the Quakers, who first settled this area and committed to…

3. Butterfly Garden

0.55 MILES

Head here for everything you ever wanted to know about butterflies. There are four gardens representing different habitats; they're home to more than 40…

4. Herpetarium Adventure

0.94 MILES

For those who prefer their reptiles under glass (or at least behind it), a guide will show you around and introduce you to more than 50 species of…

5. Ranario

1.01 MILES

Returning to its former glory as the Ranario, or Frog Pond (it's changed names a few times), this place also features an insect house. The frogs are still…

6. Jardín de Orquídeas

1.02 MILES

This sweet-smelling garden in Santa Elena has shady trails winding past more than 500 types of orchids. On your guided tour, you’ll see such rarities as…

7. El Arbol Hueco

1.08 MILES

There's no sign, no website, and last we checked, nobody was collecting any money for this delightful roadside attraction. It's simply a hollowed-out fig…

8. Iglesia

1.08 MILES

A local landmark in the center of Santa Elena. The adjacent roasted-chicken shack apparently has no religious affiliation.