TRANSPORTATION

Getting There and Away

By Car: The turnoff from Hwy. 1 is about seven km north of San Gerardo (100 meters before the bridge over the Rio Lagarto), 37 km north of Esparza. The road leads 35 km uphill, a gut jolting, vertiginous dirt road that is almost as famous as the place it leads to. The drive takes 1.5-2 hours. Take it slowly and enjoy the spectacular mountain scenery. En route, about four km east of Lagarto, you’ll pass Bosque Caliente, a lowland forest reserve with soda springs, trails, and camping. There’s a tollbooth operated by the Monteverde Road Commission just before Santa Elena (the 50-colones fee goes to help maintain the road). Another road to Monteverde (35 km) leads via Sardinal; turnoff from the Hwy.1 is at Rancho Grande, about 10 km south of San Gerardo. Though the more southerly route, has the same distance as the Rio Lagarto route, the latter is in better condition and is the more popular route.

Drive slowly through Santa Elena and Monteverde. There are lots of pedestrians, horses, and children playing along the road, which has many blind ben’s. Speed limit in the area is 20 kph.

By Bus: Trans-Monteverde, tel./fax 645-5159, in San José tel. 222 3854, operates a bus daily (four hours; $4.50) departing San José from Calle 12, Avenidas 7/9 for Monteverde at 6:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. return bus departs from La Lecheria in Monteverde at the same hours, and 10 minutes later from the bus stop at the Banco Nacional in Santa Lena.

Another Trans: Monteverde bus departs La Lecheria in Monteverde for Puntarenas at 5:30 AM. (and 6a.m. from the bus stop in Santa Elena). The return bus departs the beachfront stop between Calles 2 and in Puritarenas at 6a.m. and 2:15 p.m. (you can bike it up at the Rio Lagarto turnoff for Monteverde on the Pan-Am Hwy).

Autotransportes Tilarén, tel. 222-3854 in San José, tel. 645-115 in Santa Elena, operates a bus to Tilarén at a.m., where you can catch the 12:30 p.m. bus to La Fortuna, arriving at 3 p.m. The return bus departs Tilarán for Monteverde at 12:30 p.m.

The cheese factory (about 2.5 km before the reserve) is the end of the route and beginning point for buses. The bus ticket office in Santa Elena is open 5:45-11 a.m. and 1 - 4 p.m.

Watch your luggage. Buses will drop you by your hotel. Buy your return bus ticket from the Trans-Monteverde Ticket off ice (open daily 5:45 –11 a.m. and 1 - 4 p.m.) As soon as you arrive in Santa Elena, otherwise you might be out of luck.

Private Transfers: Sunset Tours, tel. 479- 9415, offers transfers from La Fortuna to Monteverde at 7:15 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. ($30 pp), involving a drive from La Fortuna to the lake, then a boat trip to Rio Chiquito, then a 4WD trip to Monteverde. The return trip departs at 10:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. Desafio Tours offers boat transfers ($25 pp) and horseback transfers ($65) to La Fortuna (the itinerary is also via Rio Chiquito, with a boat trip across the lake), plus transfers to Tamarindo, Jaco and elsewhere using the Fantasy Bus ($19).
Evelio F Mata, tel. 645-0958, runs a private minibus service to and from San José for four people for $200 round-trip. Several folks offer rides to La Fortuna. Try Leonel Quesada at Bar y Resturante Don Taco, tel. 645-5087, who charges $75 s/d, $114 t/quad.

Click here for Monteverde Cloud Forest clickable map

Much of the information on our site as it relates to Costa Rica is:

Courtesy of Christopher P. Baker and Avalon Travel Publishing.
© 2004 Christopher P. Baker. All Rights Reserved.

Spanish Abroad, Inc. highly recommends Christopher P. Baker's book: Moon Handbooks Costa Rica. Click on the image to visit his website where you can purchase this book or find out more about the author.