Shonda

Hi,

I am planning on visiting Monteverde on my honeymoon. We will be there June 5th and 6th. The more I am investigating Monteverde, the longer I want to stay there. Rafting, canyonening, skytrecking, horseback riding... It all sounds so fun and wonderful!

My only problem is that I can't decide on a place to stay. If anyone has stayed at the following places and has opinions about them, I'd love to hear.

El Sapo Dorado
Claro De Luna (owned by the johnny's pizzeria people)
Hotel Belmar
Hotel Heliconia
Monteverde Lodge

I realize that it depends on the experience we are looking for. I know we will be active during the day, taking in all the beauty of Monteverde, so we will want a place to came back to and relax. We like the little bungalows for privacy and that they are rustic. But, we also like the lodge for Jacuzzi and having a drink.

Any strong opinions, positive or negative about any of these places.

Thank you very much!!

GCE

We stayed at Hotel Arco Iris during our trip last month. It is right in town (Santa Elena) and convenient to the restaurants in town. The rooms consist of a series of cabins, each with a small patio with chairs. There is a restaurant that serves breakfast. But, no Jacuzzi or hot tub.

We went on a combo horseback riding/coffee plantation tour that we really enjoyed. We were the only ones on the tour. The horseback ride stopped at a wildlife refuge where we were able to see monkeys (which were adorable and climbed all over us), toucans, etc. The coffee plantation included picked coffee beans, removing the shells, and explanation of the entire process. It also included lunch and coffee. It was not a "commercialized" tour by any means and we enjoyed it very much.

Ericavil

We will be in monteverde in 2 weeks and the horseback/coffee tour sounds fun. Where did you book it? And how
expensive was it. Any other can't miss things to do in Monteverde? For instance, I was trying to figure out if we should do both the Monteverde and Santa Elena Forests. your thoughts?

Thanks.

Suzie2

There are at least two horseback outfits. DeSafio and Sabines Smiling horses. I don't know about De Safio but Sabines horses are very healthy and well taken care of. Check out the San Luis waterfall ride also.
To read a little about the coffee- check out Montana coffee traders. They are the only people, as far as I know, that sell this truly special coffee in the U.S.
Quick review on your hotel choices.
El Sapo Dorado, Kind of rustic but beautiful views. Close to town. Most people have reported being comfortable there. Have heard that restaurant food can be variable.
Hotel Belmar, a very nice hotel but a bit out of town so you would need transportation to get anywhere. only visited here but it looked very nice. It is set back on a very long driveway/road(?)in a beautiful setting.
Hotel Heliconia-one of my favorites. Very nice rooms, lovely paths to walk around on. Beautiful landscaping. Food has always been very good (sorry Johnny's but I like the pizza better here). Right across from the road to Finca Ecologica and the Butterfly garden. The Jacuzzi is okay. Just set along a path with plantings around it. You have to make a reservation to use it. It is a very popular place and books up quickly. That does give it more crowded feeling than some places.
Monteverde Lodge. Run by CRE one of the top tour companies in CR. Food is always wonderful. The place is very clean and there is a nice area in the back to walk around. Can get directly to Finca Ecologica from here. Quiet location but very close to town. The main area is kind of neat but the rooms IMHO were pretty much basic hotel rooms that you would find anywhere in the states.
Don't know anything about Claro De Luna.
In spite of my statement above about the food at the Heliconia, especially the pizza, Johnny's is still a great place to eat. Last time I ate there we sat along the patio railing and there was a beautiful Mot Mot sitting in a tree only a few feet away.

KatieS

I stayed at Hotel Belmar a couple of weeks ago and highly recommend it. Take a room in the main building (newly rennovated with balcony and great view of Nicoya Peninsula) as opposed to the chalet. The hotel is a little out of the way if you don't have a car, so if that's the case, I would recommend staying elsewhere. But if you do have a car, the hotel is very clean and relatively luxurious. There is a nice restaurant and a small bar in the main building and a jacuzzi to relax in and watch the sunset. The hotel also utilizes some great guides for the cloud forest if you book through them.

Shonda

Thank you for all the input. We will have a car so it sounds like Hotel Belmar is the winner. I will definately check out the horseback riding with Sabines.

RufusTFirefly

We stayed at the Fonda Vela and loved it. Great restaurant with fantastic views. Helpful staff (but I think that's true just about everywhere up there). Taxis are cheap--we went most places for $5, some further out for $10. The roads were terrible--taxi drivers and guides all complained about having to replace shocks every 2-5 months, breaking axles, etc. You literally crawl through some areas. If you are driving, get a real 4WD, not a little one like a RAV4.

Brent

we just came from Monteverde and stayed at Hotel Claro de Luna. Beautiful place, with great staff - very friendly and helpful. Also a great breakfast. Ask for one of the deluxe rooms (around $60 US). It's located in Santa Elena, and is in a good location for walking to the restaurants and other sites in town. Taxi to the Monteverde Cloud Forest or to Santa Elena Cloud forest cost around 1500 - 2000 colones ($4-5 US). check out their website: www.claro-de-luna.com
Monteverde is a special place.
Brent