safari santa elena

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Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve

You’re likely familiar with the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, one of the world’s most visited cloud forests. But do you know about the equally beautiful Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve? The quietly charming town of Santa Elena boasts natural beauty, cultural learning opportunities, and cheeses and ice creams that are a delicious part of the country’s history. If you’re looking for adventure, but relish the opportunity to walk down quiet and friendly streets, then add Santa Elena to your travel itinerary.

Explore the Lesser Known Cloud Forest Reserve

How the santa elena cloud forest reserve is formed..

A walk through the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve reveals a lush garden of mosses, ferns, flowers and epiphytes growing thickly on every tree. Clouds drift in and settle among the slopes, providing the plants with the continuous moisture that they require. Dangling roots and vines sweep across the trails, while the sounds of birds and other creatures echo throughout the forest.

A cloud forest is a high-elevation forest characterized by a persistent, canopy-level cloud cover. These clouds provide the forest with a continual supply of moisture, which supports the fantastic array of plants that live here.

Warm winds from the Atlantic Ocean sweep over the Continental Divide, cooling and condensing to form clouds as they rise. By the time they reach Santa Elena, the clouds are thick and filled with moisture. The forest is thus bathed in a constant supply of mist, which, over the course of a year, amounts to nearly twelve feet of rain.

Who calls this cloud forest home?

Not surprisingly, the Santa Elena cloud forest is abundant with vegetation. The competition for growing space is so intense that the trunks, branches and even roots of trees are almost entirely covered with other plants – epiphytes, lichens, liverworts, bryophytes, mosses and more. Strong winds and water-laden limbs often cause branches to break and fall to the ground. This not only creates light gaps in the canopy, but also provides the forest floor with added nutrients.

Not to be outdone, the insects, reptiles, amphibians, mammals, and birds that live here can be found in fantastic numbers as well. Birds include the three-wattled bellbird, bare-necked umbrellabird, keel-billed toucan, long-tailed manakin, and resplendent quetzal. White-faced and howler monkeys reside here, as do jaguars, agouti, and the three-toed sloth.

A forest of special meaning.

The community of Santa Elena borders the Monteverde Conservation Area. Within this region, 310 hectares (765 acres) have been permanently leased by the Santa Elena community high school. The original vision was to use this land for agricultural research and education in Monteverde. However, the farming proved to be unsuccessful, and in 1989, the land was converted into a cloud forest reserve. Together with Youth Challenge International, a Canadian based non-profit organization, the community established an ecotourism reserve, which officially opened on March 1, 1992.

The reserve was created out of the community’s desire to both preserve the cloud forest and use tourism as a means to benefit community development. Entrance fees go to protecting and managing the reserve, as well as providing higher quality education for the schools of Monteverde.

The Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve of Monteverde is one of the first community administered reserves in the country (in the sense that it is not a national park, but under the protection of the Arenal Conservation Area). It is an excellent example of what people can do to preserve — and learn from — the environment they live in.

More Santa Elena adventures…

Beautiful as they are, cloud forests aren’t the only thing Santa Elena has to offer. The friendly and peaceful town of Santa Elena is extremely pleasant in its own right. In addition to offering you easy access to all kinds of adventures, and in the process, you will be doing a lot of good as you support the local community.

Enjoy fresh produce when you frequent the farmer’s market where family-owned farms sell fruits, vegetables, and coffee that is either organic or uses minimal chemical.

Get one of a kind gifts and contribute to the success of female entrepreneurs when you shop at when you shop at Cooperative de Artesanas de Santa Elena y Monteverde ( CASEM ) — a co-op which provides artisan training and employment opportunities to women.

Hone your foreign language skills when you enjoy an immersive Spanish education at Centor Panamericano de Idiomas ( CPI ). Use your new phrases around the town when you shopping and visiting restaurants.

How to reach this amazing destination.

Getting There: A shuttle can pick visitors up at their hotel and take them to and from the reserve. The shuttle costs $2 each way and requires reservations. Guests can make reservations by calling 2645-6332. The shuttle leaves at 6:30 AM, 8:30 AM, 10:30 AM and 12:30 PM. It returns at 11:00 AM, 1:00 PM, 3:00 PM and 4:00 PM.

• Hours: The trails are open from 7 AM to 4 PM daily.
• Guided Tours: Three-hour guided tours are available. For pricing and tour times, click the reservation link on the right.
• There is a restaurant and souvenir shop at the entrance.
• There are opportunities for both volunteering and researching at the reserve.

Make Santa Elena a part of your Costa Rican getaway by calling us toll-free at +1-888-830-6074 or send us a message .

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GUANACASTE ⇆ MONTEVERDE AND SANTA ELENA with Safari Float on the Tenorio River

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Wildlife refuge monteverde.

The Wildlife refuge Monteverde is a conservation area of 55 acres of forest and gardens located in the most important mountain destination in Costa Rica.

Its privileged location makes it a special place to get to know the wonderful flora and fauna of this Costa Rican region, where a great variety of species of birds, mammals, insects, amphibians and reptiles stand out.

That is why we have a varied offer of activities, from day hikes to enjoy the sunrise of the forest to see the monkeys, many birds, the swift aguti, or just breathe with many sounds.

Or be part of our night walk where you will have the chance to come face to face with a variety of species such as frogs, snakes, sloths, owls and many more.

As one of the most visited places in Costa Rica we can find different types of adventures and even activities. You can find from night hikes to birdwatching tours.

Dare to feel the night on an exclusive night walk led by a trained guide. Enjoy and recharge of the best of Monteverde.

Private Night Tour

Live the wonderful night experience in our exclusive hike.  Enjoy and recharge of the best of Monteverde.

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This tour has been designed exclusively for bird lovers.    Enjoy and recharge of the best of Monteverde.

Natural History Tour

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• Santa Elena

Santa Elena, Monteverde

Like a tropical ski resort town nestled among the puffy, verdant peaks of Costa Rica’s Talamanca Mountain range, the town of Santa Elena is your gateway to the Monteverde region. Whether you have taken any one of the three unkempt dirt roads that lead up to Monteverde, as soon as Santa Elena becomes visible, you will know that your bumpy ride is over.

Free Vacation Planning

In Santa Elena you will find a selection of budget accommodations, restaurants, shops, galleries and a few bars at the lively town center. Many travelers use this cozy pueblo as their base for exploring the Monteverde region and its endless attractions. Most tours and packages, such as ziplining or guided hikes through the area’s two majestic cloud forest reserves, are available here.

Visitors to hotels in the hills that surround Santa Elena should be prepared to pay a little more than most other destinations in Costa Rica .  In fact, everything costs a little more here due to the cost of transportation to bring in goods.  Visitors to the area should also be prepared for an eco-experience.  Most accommodations here are eco-friendly, few have amenities such as televisions and the highest rated hotel in the Santa Elena-Monteverde area is only 3 stars.

The Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve is often overlooked by visitors to the area, who stick to the more popular Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve . The Santa Elena School Board maintains this reserve, which encompasses 765 acres of protected land, and entrance fees and donations are split between the reserve and the local school. The reserve offers stunning views and on a clear day, you can expect to see the distant Arenal Volcano from one of its observation platforms.

The town of Monteverde is located further uphill on the way to the world-renowned Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. This majestic reserve is only a short drive from Santa Elena, and only 3 percent of its territory is open to visitors, while the other 97 percent is monitored and protected. The Monteverde Reserve is famous for its old growth forest covered in epiphytes and its exuberant wildlife and birds, most notably, the Resplendent Quetzal.

Aside from bird watching or hiking through the Santa Elena and Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserves, Monteverde is the canopy zipline capital of Costa Rica, with an array of options to choose from. However, if hanging from a cable in a harness over the forest and zipping from platform to platform is not your thing, try the hanging bridges, a slower, more meditative option that also allows you to observe life in the forest treetops. A kiddy favorite is the mini-train ride through the cloud forest.

The road from Santa Elena to Monteverde is also home to a butterfly garden, a serpentarium, a bat cave located on the road to the Monteverde Reserve, several art galleries and lovely crafts shops that make this town a haven for artists.

The Monteverde Cheese Factory, known as the Lechería in Spanish, produces some of the country’s most popular cheeses and dairy products since the area’s Quaker settlers opened it in 1953. This Monteverde landmark offers an informative two-hour guided tour in English and Spanish that delivers an excellent peek into the rich local history. At the end of the tour you can purchase some fresh cheese or a delicious ice cream shake.

Planning a vacation to Santa Elena

We recommend limiting your stay in Santa Elena to two nights.  It is often cool and rainy in this area.  There is also the factor that hotels and lodges are not quite as nice for the money spent (with a couple of exceptions) versus other popular tourist destinations.

For mid-range hotels in Santa Elena we recommend Hotel Ficus, Hotel El Establo and Hotel Poco a Poco.  We could not recommend the Hidden Canopy Treehouses Boutique Hotel more highly for luxury lodging.  Hotel Belmar and El Establo are also good higher end options.  We recommend the Monteverde Country Lodge or Hotel Heliconia for budget lodging.

There are many tours offered from the Santa Elena area , but one cannot miss out on the Santa Elena Reserve.  This cloud forest reserve is a must see for anybody that visits the area.

Reasons to visit

• To visit the Monteverde or Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserves
• Great highland birdwatching
• Some of the best canopy zipline and canopy hanging bridges tours
• To experience the cloud forest
• There are many endemic and endangered species in this area
• Great eco-tourist destination

Reasons NOT to visit

• It is a cloud forest destination, meaning it rains A LOT
• It is usually cool in the cloud forest.  Combined with rain, it can be uncomfortable to some
• Due to the climate no hotels offer air conditioning
• The roads to access Santa Elena are not paved (though one is currently being paved) for the last 20 km or so
• If you are not interested in the cloud forest, birdwatching or canopy tours, you should not visit this area
• There are no all inclusive hotels or resorts
• Everything costs a little more due to the high cost of transportation of goods (this includes hotels, tours, transportation and food)

Weather and packing list

Santa Elena weather is characterized by consistent showers between the months of May and November . The heaviest rainfall hits the area from September through November . Temperatures here are comfortable, ranging between the low 70s during the day and dropping to the upper 50s at night.

When packing for your trip to Santa Elena, don’t forget to include rain gear and a sweater or two, light showers and cool temperatures are common in the cloud forest. Hiking boots, pants, long sleeve shirts, light jackets and sunblock are also recommended.  

Fun Fact: In 1983, a writer from National Geographic Magazine stated that Monteverde was THE place to observe the Resplendent Quetzal. Subsequently, tourists from all over the world started swarming the area, armed with cameras, tripods and binoculars. It is said that the Quaker settlers have kept all access roads to Monteverde unpaved to keep tourism numbers in check. 

Driving Distance

Attractions in the area.

Latitude: N 10° 19' 5.52" Longitude: W 84° 49' 23.09"

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BUNGALOW NORDIC

Enjoy a unique experience in our Nordic bungalow at Camping Santa Elena, located in the beautiful Lloret de Mar, Costa Brava. This mobile home, equipped with air conditioning and suitable for 2 adults, is perfect for a relaxing vacation in a peaceful area surrounded by trees and nature, just 20 minutes from Cala Banys or Fenals Beach.

Ideal Accommodation on the Costa Brava

The Nordic-style bungalow offers all the necessary amenities to live an authentic camping experience without sacrificing comfort. Relax on a terrace with a porch, furnished with garden chairs and a table, perfect for enjoying the outdoors. The living room is equipped with a table, sofa, and chairs, creating a cozy space to unwind.

Fully Equipped Kitchen

The open kitchen includes a fridge, two burners, a microwave, a sink, kitchenware, and a Nespresso coffee maker, allowing you to prepare your favorite meals. Although it doesn’t come with dishcloths, it does include a cleaning kit with a broom and mop to keep everything tidy.

Comfortable Bathroom and Bedroom

The bathroom is equipped with hot running water, a sink, shower, shelf, and a windowed toilet. The main bedroom features a comfortable double bed and a small wardrobe with a mirror, perfect for storing light luggage.

More details:

• The campsite offers Wi-Fi (available for an additional fee) for internet access.
• Overcrowding in the bungalow is strictly prohibited.
• Towels are not provided in the accommodation, but they can be rented at reception for €6 per set.
• Check-in for the bungalow is at 4:00 PM.
• You may arrive earlier to enjoy the campsite facilities, even if the accommodation is not yet available.
• Check-out time is 11:00 AM.

1 parking space near the accommodation

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Shaded pitches Ground floor Plots from 60 m² to 85 m² 5 A and 10 A electricity points

Large pitches from 90m² to 120m² Spaces with sun and shade Electricity 5 A and 10 A Ideal for large caravans

Glamping Lux

Live the safari experience on the Costa Brava! Glamping tent for up to 4 people. 1 bed and 1 double sofa bed.

Live the safari experience on the Costa Brava! Glamping tent for 2 people. 2 individual beds

Live the safari experience on the Costa Brava! Glamping tent for 4 people. 4 single beds

Glamping Up

Live the safari experience on the Costa Brava! Beds equipped with sheets and towels included Television, coffee maker and free Wi-Fi Air-conditioning

Glamping Safari

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Large terrace ideal for relaxing in the jacuzzi Furnished beds and towels included Television, coffee maker and free Wi-Fi Air-conditioning

Elena Serenity

Air conditioning and heating Equipped kitchen and full bathroom Independent bedrooms Hot water, furnished porch, and toilet.

Elena Confort

Air-conditioning Equipped kitchen and full bathroom Ideal for couples Terrace space

Elena Gran Confort

Air-conditioning 2 independent bedrooms for up to 4 people Furnished porch to enjoy the outdoors Kitchen and bathroom

Elena gran Confort 5 pax

Aire Acondicionado. Cocina equipada y baño completo con bañera. Dormitorios independientes. Agua caliente, proche amueblado y WC.

Elena Relax

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Elena Gran Relax 6 pax

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Furnished terrace with jacuzzi 2 Mobil-Homes to accommodate 8 people in 4 rooms Furnished beds, towels and Nespresso coffee machine Air conditioning, kitchen and bathroom

Elena Gran Terrace

Air-conditioning Equipped kitchen and complete bathroom with bathtub Large furnished terrace to enjoy nature 2 independent bedrooms

Vintage Basic

Vintage wooden bungalow for 5 people Equipped kitchen and bathroom with shower Separate bedrooms, one with a bunk bed Furnished porch

Bungalow Vintage AC

Wooden bungalow with air conditioning Kitchen fully equiped Full bathroom with shower 2 independent bedrooms for 4 people, one with a bunk bed

Tinyhouse 2

Small wooden bungalow Bedroom for 2 people and equipped kitchen Full bathroom with half tub furnished porch

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Wooden bungalow for 2 adults and 2 children Kitchen fully equiped Fun mezzanine with 2 beds for children small furnished porch

Old House Trailer

Kitchen equipped Full bathroom with bathtub 2 independent rooms for 4 people furnished porch

Canigó Tent

Tent with 4 separate rooms For 4 people kitchen with fridge Table and 4 chairs to enjoy the outside

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El Mesón de Despeñaperros

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Costa Rica Travel Information

Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve: The Lesser Visited Cloud Forest

June 25, 2021 By Sammi 31 Comments

Many people don’t realize there are actually three cloud forest reserves in Monteverde with Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve as the most popular. But if you aren’t keen about being around a lot of tour groups, then you should visit the sister reserve, Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve (La Reserva Bosque Nuboso Santa Elena).

The Santa Elena Cloud Forest is higher in elevation at 1600 meters (5250 feet) and has 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) of well maintained trails with beautiful view points and scenery. It is privately run by the Santa Elena Technical Professional High School and protects over 300 hectares (741 acres) of land. Santa Elena Reserve is considerably less crowded than Monteverde and offers equally as nice hiking trails and views.

How to Get to the La Reserva Bosque Nuboso Santa Elena

Bus: There is a local bus from Santa Elena town to Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve. It runs everyday at 630 AM, 830 AM, 1030 AM and 1230 PM and returns at 9 AM, 11 AM, 1 PM and 4 PM. The bus costs $3 per person. Reservations required before 830 PM the day before (many hotels/hostels in town can book this for you). You can also Whatsapp 8346 0748 or 8964 2288.

Driving: The drive from town to the cloud forest reserve is straightforward and luckily, the road isn’t too bad but it does go up some steep hills and it is not paved. You have to drive northeast towards Sky Adventures and past Selvatura Park . You can find it on Google Maps and Waze.

We highly highly recommend to rent a high car (dry season) or a 4wd (rainy season) when visiting Monteverde due to the road conditions outside the town center. You can read more about Monteverde road conditions here.

You will reach a parking lot (free) and you can purchase tickets at the entrance office. There are bathrooms and a souvenir store.

The Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve is 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) from Santa Elena town and is on the Caribbean side of the Continental Division. On Waze and Google Maps, it is called La Reserva Bosque Nuboso Santa Elena (Spanish).

Entrance Fee and Hours

The Santa Elena Cloud Forest entrance fee is $16 USD for foreigners adults and $7 USD for kids and is open every day from 7 AM to 3 PM.

You can get one of these maps at the entrance office for free. On the map, you can see all the trails, the lengths and different view points.

Something else really nice about Santa Elena Reserve is that they have a handicap trail.

Manuel Antonio National Park and Carara National Park are two other parks that have handicap friendly trails. Unfortunately, not many national parks and reserves in Costa Rica have handicap friendly facilities.

Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve Hiking Trails

As you can see, the reserve has 5 trails of various lengths with the shortest at half a kilometer and longest at 5 (.3 miles to 3.2 miles). We were only able to hike the Encantado Trail because it started pouring down rain otherwise we would have stayed longer.

We recommend doing the Encantado or Cano Negro trails as they have a great view of Arenal Volcano .

Trail Conditions

The trails are all in well maintained conditions. The first entrance is on a concrete path (for the handicap friendly) and it ends when you get deeper into the forest.

Encantado Trail

The Encantado Trail didn’t have that many view points but the scenery was gorgeous.

The trail led us through the cloud forest surrounded by moss covered branches and a beautiful array of towering trees. The intensely thick vegetation made it hard to see the ground as there were layers upon layers of plants, moss and epiphytes sprawled on the ground floor.

Even though it rained, it made the forest feel more magical. The abundant vegetation never ceased to astound us and it felt like we were walking in a fairy tale. Raindrops glistened from every leaf and branch, shining brightly all around us.

We loved our hike in Santa Elena. With such fresh air, incredible greenery and empty trails, it was exactly the break we needed from the intense heat of Guanacaste.

The community who put together the reserve did an excellent job. The signage on the trails is great and the paths were easy to walk on. There are also benches on the trails making it extremely friendly for visitors of all ages.

Santa Elena Cloud Forest Animals

We didn’t see any animals when we were there but we heard lots of birds. However, the forest canopy is so dense and thick that it was impossible to pinpoint where they were.

Some of the animals you may see are coatis, agoutis and monkeys. If you’re very lucky, you can see the Resplendant Quetzal which are abundant in Monteverde the months of February – July. We met one couple who went on a guided hike in Santa Elena and saw 2 Quetzals and monkeys.

When it comes to seeing wildlife in the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve, it’s not quite as easy as Curi Cancha Reserve . Curi Cancha is much more open so it’s easier to see bird. Santa Elena, in our opinion, is best for hiking and enjoying the incredible cloud forest views.

Guided vs Self Guided Tour

We visited Santa Elena Reserve on our own. Even though we love guided hikes and always recommend them, we didn’t feel a need for one this time. We spent most of our time enchanted by the beauty of the cloud forest!

The trails were easy to walk on and because we did a guided walk at Curi Cancha, we didn’t feel like it was necessary for Santa Elena.

But if this one is the only hike you’re doing and you want to learn more about it, then I recommend doing the Santa Elena Cloud Forest guided tour. You can hire a guide at the entrance office but you do need to make reservations at least 1 day before hand (you can do it on their website) and have your own transportation.

Differences Between Monteverde and Santa Elena Cloud Forest

We wrote an in-depth post comparing the differences between Monteverde and Santa Elena you can read here. Below is a quick guide to both.

Santa Elena has a couple longer trails but both are well maintained and easy to walk. The Monteverde Cloud Forest does have some more facilities such as hanging bridges, an observation deck, a lodge and there is a waterfall.

Santa Elena doesn’t nearly receive as many visitors as Monteverde. When we visited, the parking lot at Santa Elena was half full and it was all rental cars, no large tour shuttles and vans. We ran into only 3 small families during our entire time in the reserve and for a couple hours, it was just us and the trees.

Monteverde was a different story. The parking lot full with large tour shuttles and rental cars. We always saw people on the trails, mostly tour groups. There were times when we had to step aside as the trail didn’t fit everyone. It was gorgeous but crowded.

Keep in mind that we visited in March, one of the busiest times of the year. If you visit during the shoulder months or low season, you won’t see nearly as many people as we did. You can read more about the best time to visit Costa Rica in this post.

Do You Need a 4×4 to Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve?

Both reserves are easily accessible as they are on Google Maps and Waze. We do recommend a high clearance car for both Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve and Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve.

You can also take the local shuttle bus from town to the reserves and back.

Best Time to Visit

The best time to visit would be in dry season. Even in March, one of the hottest and driest months of the year and it rained on us! You have a better chance to see the Arenal Volcano view point and not get rained on in dry season. February – July is also the Quetzal mating season so you have the possibility to see the birds.

If you visit in rainy season, you must be prepared for rain any time of day. Since the cloud forests are so high up in elevation, it can rain more frequently.

You can read more about Costa Rica weather in this post.

What to Wear

We recommend wearing long hiking pants, closed toed hiking shoes and a comfortable shirt that wicks away moisture. In rainy season, make sure to bring your rain jacket and a waterproof backpack or a rain cover. That will be necessary!

When we visited in March, I was very cold, especially as it was raining. I wore my cotton sweater with my rain jacket over it but I did warm up when we started walking and the rain stopped. I wore closed toed hiking sandals and my feet were cold, I wish I had wore socks with them no matter how silly it looked! But after it stopped raining and we warmed up from walking, my feet were fine.

You don’t need mosquito repellent since there are not really any mosquitoes that high in elevation.

Read our Costa Rica packing list article for more tips.

Read About Other Great Places to Hike in Costa Rica

Rincon de la Vieja National Park : A national park in Guanacaste with hiking trails to viewpoints, waterfalls and boiling mud pots

Rio Celeste : The sky blue river inside Tenorio Volcano National Park

Cahuita National Park : A national park on the Caribbean coast with beach and jungle trails

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