This will be my second visit to CR. Spent my first one last year in Osa (Casa Corcovado) and MA (Costa Verde). This year I am planning to visit Osa and Arenal. Being a devoted Fodors user, I know that Monteverde is one of the most visited places. However, I have some reservation about visiting it.
Is Cloud Forest and their ZipLine tour w/bridges worth to spend 8 hrs (roundtrip) on the road + 2 nights just because I can't make it a day trip ? Would I be better off with an extra day at Vista del Valle taking Pacuare river trip + an extra day a Arenal ? Arenal has hanging bridges too.
I appreciate opinions of those people who actually VISITED Monteverde and had oportunity to compare it to other areas of CR, such as Arenal,Osa,MA, etc.

Oleg, We went to Monteverde the year before last on our second trip to Costa Rica.We drove from Arenal and the drive was horrendous. I was very disappointed in the cloud forest itself. It was not what I was expecting. We took an early morning walk with a guide. We saw some interesting plants but no animals other than birds. The roads in Santa Elena are just as horrible as the roads going up to Monteverde. We stayed at the Sapo Dorado and did a canopy tour, a bridges tour and went to the butterfly garden. I enjoyed the area because it was different but I am not sure it was worth the drive. We also did Selva Verde and MA on that trip. Enjoyed both of those much more.Curious about Casa C orcovado and where you might be going in the Osa. We were at Bosque del Cabo last year and liked it but are considering somewhere where we could do a dolphin tour. How did you like Casa Corcovado and are you returning there? Thansk (Also stayed at Costa Verde.)

Karenski, Thanks for taking time to respond. Casa Corcovado was not in this world. It is wilderness within the wilderness. And the reason for it is that CC is much less known than other similar lodges, such as Aquila de Osa, Basque del Cabo, La Paloma, etc. CC is located in Corcovado NP (never mind 'at the entrance...') and gives you this lash, wild, incredible jungle along with the beatiful beaches man never set foot on. If you go to CC, you will land in Palmar Sur (not Puerto Jimenez), and
they drive you to a little village on the bank of Sierpe river. (about 45 min.) You then board a motor boat for adventurous but exhausting 1,5 hour ride thru the river, and then - along the shore line in the Pacific. I remember how our small boat was caught in the storm as we exited into the ocean and it was fighting relentless waves after the nice and quiet river glide.
Things we did in CC are guided (and not guided) jungle hikes, Cano Island beach trip, horse riding thru wilderness to a beatiful, secluded beach. Sunsets at CC are unforgettable too. Saw lots of wildlife (although not more than in MA area), but it was truly WILDlife.
This year I intend to go to Basque del Cabo. So many good reviews. Must be a good place. What's your impression of it?

Oleg, We loved Bosque del Cabo and just found out they are totally booked for the time period we want. Their grounds are groomed in the middle and then there is forest. The cabina we had had a wonderful view. Do the cabinas at CC have ocean views? The cabinas at Bosque look just like their website. There is a small pool. They have activities and lots of hiking trails. We did not go to Corcovado or Cano Island while we were there. We saw lots of wildlife right on their grounds. The monkeys were right in the trees by the pool, around our cabina,etc. Is the wildlife easy to spot at CC or do you need to walk quite a ways to see it? The only criticism I have of Bosque is the cost and the little charges that add up, such as cold drinks, etc. that are not included. I am curious why you are not returning to CC. Is it just because you want something new? Was there something that you did not like about it? Thanks a lot. Karen

I was in Monteverde a couple of years ago. Loved it. The place is amazing. But, I am a plant person. Everything is varying shades of green. Every inch of space is covered in plant material of some sort. The weather while we were there was pleasant, mostly sunny and upper 60's, low 70's. I'm a wimp and don't do zip line tours, so can't help with those.

We've also been to Osa and Manual Antonio. The cloud forest is a different experience.

Jean

Karenski, Casa Corcovado houses do not have ocean views. The lodge itself is located on the top of the steep hill. You disembark at the shore and are taken up to the lodge by the tractor. This tractor is equipped for tranporting people and their luggage. If we wanted to go down to the beach we never walked because the tractor will drive you to the beach and then will pick you up at the time you specified. The lodge itself is a lovely place. I assume, all Osa lodges have gardens on their territory and CC isn't exception. Their houses are very nice and clean. I would consider it luxury bearing in mind you're in the midst of the jungle. They have a power generator. Their power supply is limited, and you will need a flash light should you want after-dusk activity. There're 2 pools on their territory. One pool is larger and located accross the open bar. The other is a steep stairwalk down. This second pool is even smaller and is fed by rain. It is rarely visited, but those curious enough to go there would often find various reptiles in the pool. We never used any pool because we had better things to do in our 5 days there. CC staff is exceptionally friendly. We had our personal guide, Alvaro, during our trips. We went in the end of November and average number of tourists at the lodge every day was like 5-6. Perhaps this factor allowed so much personal attention to each guest. The food there was just OK, but considering they have to bring almost everything down to Osa...
CC is definetely a piece of luxury in the jungle, a rare gem. It's main attraction is, however, LOCATION.
You're asking me why wouldn't I return to CC rather than going to Basque. The reason is that I went there with my wife and now, as I'm going single, I do not want to become a slave of my memory while there. This place is very special to me, but I do hope I will say the same about Basque del Cabo.
As for Monteverde, it looks like more people recommend it than not. I will simply wait and see if there will be more votes 'for' than 'against'. I will let this forum decide for me whether I'll visit Monteverde or spend 3 days elsewhere in Costa Rica.

Just got back last month from Monteverde and I can easily say it was one of the highlights of our trip. The scenery is astounding and wildlife is amazing. We had the pleasure of staying at the Hotel Belmar which had a spectacular view from our room of the rolling countryside and the Gulf of Nicoya. The sunsets were something to behold. Monteverde had this great bohemian feel. The cloud forest was indeed breathtaking as well. The only negative feeling I have towards Monteverde is the drive there which is unimaginably horrendous as it is beautiful. Would I ever venture back...probably not...but it is a trip that should be done at least once. I'm definitely glad I did!