Day Itinerary
7 Activities
Day 2
142 mi0.2 mi
Chocolate, Coffee and Night Hikes in Monteverde
Start the second day on the road to get to know the wonderful nature and culture of Costa Rica!
On this day you will leave the beach aside to immerse yourself in the mountains and cloud forests. The proposal is to reach the small town of Monteverde, a mountainous and very green area of Costa Rica.
There, you can take a chocolate or coffee tour and do some trekking through the cloud forest. You can also join a night walk to see nocturnal animals.
As the journey is long, you will be able to make a few short stops on the way to Monteverde, like in La Herradura or/and El Faro de Puntaarenas.
You will sleep in Santa Elena, a town near Monteverde, with more services for tourism.
On this day you will leave the beach aside to immerse yourself in the mountains and cloud forests. The proposal is to reach the small town of Monteverde, a mountainous and very green area of Costa Rica.
There, you can take a chocolate or coffee tour and do some trekking through the cloud forest. You can also join a night walk to see nocturnal animals.
As the journey is long, you will be able to make a few short stops on the way to Monteverde, like in La Herradura or/and El Faro de Puntaarenas.
You will sleep in Santa Elena, a town near Monteverde, with more services for tourism.
49.2 mi
1 hr 30 min
09:3030 min
Dolce Vita Coffee & Sweets
After breakfast at the hotel, the long drive to Monteverde begins. Therefore, the suggestion is that you can stop once or twice along the way to split the journey.
One possible stop is to make a detour to Bahia La Herradura. You can go down to the marina area and have a coffee there. Another option is to just take a short walk around the area. The beaches at Bahia La Herradura are not white sand like those at Manuel Antonio Park, but usually have darker sand and some pebbles. The small beach to the right of the marina is the most beautiful.
Open Hours Monday - Sunday: 6:00 - 22:00
Note: If you want to stop for a coffee and a snack further on, you can do so in the town of El Roble. There, the beaches are made of volcanic sand and a few pebbles. Along the coast you'll see several hotels and there's always somewhere to have a drink or a snack. If you don't find them on the beach, they are on Trans.202. They are simple food stalls.
One possible stop is to make a detour to Bahia La Herradura. You can go down to the marina area and have a coffee there. Another option is to just take a short walk around the area. The beaches at Bahia La Herradura are not white sand like those at Manuel Antonio Park, but usually have darker sand and some pebbles. The small beach to the right of the marina is the most beautiful.
Open Hours Monday - Sunday: 6:00 - 22:00
Note: If you want to stop for a coffee and a snack further on, you can do so in the town of El Roble. There, the beaches are made of volcanic sand and a few pebbles. Along the coast you'll see several hotels and there's always somewhere to have a drink or a snack. If you don't find them on the beach, they are on Trans.202. They are simple food stalls.
45 mi
1 hr 20 min
11:3015 min
El Faro de Puntarenas
Other option to stop along the way is to drive to the Puntarenas Lighthouse. There, you can see the lighthouse, the viewpoint towards the sea and take a few minutes to walk along the coast. If you want to have an early lunch there are also options to do so.
For example, you will find several seafood restaurants such as Restaurante El Jorón. Open Hours Restaurante El Jorón Monday - Sunday: 11:00 - 23:00
Note that if you stop for lunch in Puntaarena you will arrive later at the hotel in Monteverde, but you will not have to have lunch there. If you are going to have lunch in Monteverde, it might be a good idea to buy some snacks for the way.
For example, you will find several seafood restaurants such as Restaurante El Jorón. Open Hours Restaurante El Jorón Monday - Sunday: 11:00 - 23:00
Note that if you stop for lunch in Puntaarena you will arrive later at the hotel in Monteverde, but you will not have to have lunch there. If you are going to have lunch in Monteverde, it might be a good idea to buy some snacks for the way.
44.2 mi
1 hr 50 min
13:4530 min
Arco Iris Lodge
After such a long journey, you can leave your bags at the hotel to rest for a few minutes. Look for a hotel with a view of the green and cloudy mountains of Monteverde.
0.2 mi
5 min
14:301 hr
Restaurante Tico y Rico
If you haven't had lunch, you can leave the car at the hotel and walk to the main streets which have all kinds of restaurants and bars for the tourist. You can eat traditional food or choose pizza or burgers.
One place where you can eat is Tico y Rico. Remember that tico is what they call everything related to Costa Rica and its people.
Open Hours Monday - Sunday: 7:00 - 22:00
One place where you can eat is Tico y Rico. Remember that tico is what they call everything related to Costa Rica and its people.
Open Hours Monday - Sunday: 7:00 - 22:00
1.8 mi
10 min
16:003 hrs 30 min
Don Juan Tours Monteverde
It was time for one of the most interesting activities of the day: the chocolate, coffee and sugar cane tour.
It is a complete tour, where you can see all the stages of production and participate in them. And of course you're going to taste chocolate!
The chocolate is delicious, so don't forget to buy a few tablets to have on the trip.
You have to make a reservation through this website.
They will pick you up at the hotel or at a meeting point to take you to the finca. The last time is at 16:00.
If you want to do one of the night walks in the area, you can also hire the Don Juan Tours company, the same as the chocolate and coffee tour. In this case you won't have any problems with the starting time, as the night walks usually start around 18:00. Be sure to check when booking the two excursions. In this case it is a hike on the nearby farm.
Alternatively, you can contact Woodpecker Educational Tour to arrange a departure time. This night walk lasts a little over two hours and offers the chance to watch the sunset from various viewpoints and observe animals in their habitat. You may be able to coordinate the start time to do it after the coffee and chocolate tour. To do so, you can contact them on this website or in this email [email protected]
You have to make a reservation through this website.
They will pick you up at the hotel or at a meeting point to take you to the finca. The last time is at 16:00.
If you want to do one of the night walks in the area, you can also hire the Don Juan Tours company, the same as the chocolate and coffee tour. In this case you won't have any problems with the starting time, as the night walks usually start around 18:00. Be sure to check when booking the two excursions. In this case it is a hike on the nearby farm.
Alternatively, you can contact Woodpecker Educational Tour to arrange a departure time. This night walk lasts a little over two hours and offers the chance to watch the sunset from various viewpoints and observe animals in their habitat. You may be able to coordinate the start time to do it after the coffee and chocolate tour. To do so, you can contact them on this website or in this email [email protected]
2 mi
10 min
20:001 hr
Morpho's Restaurant
After the walk and before going to the hotel, you can walk through the main streets of the village and choose another place to have dinner.
One of them can be Morpho's, where you will not only like the food but also the decoration and the view.
Open Hours Monday - Sunday: 11:00 - 21:15
Open Hours Monday - Sunday: 11:00 - 21:15
0.5 mi
5 min
21:3010 hrs
Arco Iris Lodge
Time to rest! Recharge your batteries for the third day of travel and emotions to come!