Santa Elena Hostel Resort

Monteverde & Santa Elena


With fish in the koi pond and monkeys and coatis on the rooftops, this hostel seems like a fan-cooled paradise. The shady grounds are strung with hammocks for sunny days, and there’s a big stone fireplace for cool nights. The rooms have stained-wood walls and high sloped ceilings. It’s worth asking for a room with a private balcony.

A bar, kitchen and onsite restaurant make this even more of a one-stop shop. If it seems eerily familiar to a hostel in La Fortuna, that's because the same guy owns this one, too.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Monteverde & Santa Elena attractions

1. Jardín de Orquídeas

0.04 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…

2. Iglesia

0.09 MILES

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

3. Herpetarium Adventure

0.12 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…

4. Ranario

0.21 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…

5. El Arbol Hueco

0.32 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…

6. Butterfly Garden

0.57 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…

7. Bat Jungle

0.94 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…

8. Friends Meeting House

1.48 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…