Costa Rica and Monteverde area, maps, facts and links

Straddling the Continental Divide at 1440 meters (4662 ft), the Santa Elena and Monteverde cloud forest area offers one of the most interesting place to visit in Costa Rica. Click here for more info on Reserves, etc.

Costa Rica Maps

Costa Rica Weather

Costa Rica weather and most recent Monteverde weather, satellite view and forecast

FACTS about the Monteverde Cloud forest

Mean temperature: 16-18 C (61-64 F).
Annual rainfall : 3,000 mm (118 inches).
Dry Season: December to March.
Location: 225 km northwest of San Jose, 3:30 hours by car, 5 hours by bus.
Population: 6,750.
Altitude: 1,250 meters or 4,100 feet, highest trails: 1,800 meters or 5,900 feet.
Sunrise is roughly at 5:30 am and sunset is at 5:30 pm all year long. See the Costa Rica Sunrise Sunset Time Table.

How to get to Monteverde

By car, see northwest Costa Rica region map. By bus (See Northwest map to follow, keep an eye on your luggage):

From San José
You can take a bus at 6:30 AM or at 2:30 PM. You can ask for the old Puntarenas bus stop, at Calle 14, avenida 11 y 9 . The morning bus pass by Sardinal at about 9:00 AM arriving in Monteverde at 11:00 AM. The afternoon bus pass by Sardinal at 5:00 PM arriving at 7:00 PM, later in wet season.

From Puntarenas
There are 2 buses: one at 1:00 PM (via Las Juntas) and one at 2:00 PM (direct). The 1:00 PM bus pass by La Irma, and the 2:00 PM bus pass by Lagartos at 3h PM both arriving in the village at 5:00 PM.

From Guanacaste
There are buses from Nicoya, Santa Cruz, Tamarindo, Flamingo, Playas del Coco, the Nicaragua Border and Liberia. Taking one of these buses, you can go to Sardinal and La Irma and hop on one of the Monteverde buses. See above, San Jose.

From Tilarán
The bus leaves Tilarán for Monteverde at 1:00 PM, arriving at 3:30 PM approximately, later in wet season.

From Southern Pacific beaches:
Ballena National park, Uvita, Dominical, Matapalo, Quepos, Manuel Antonio, Jaco, Herradura, go to Puntarenas.

.

We offer daily mini bus shuttle between more than 50 destinations in Costa Rica.

How to get to/from Arenal Volcano: Alternatives, shortcuts, maps of trails on the volcano, hotels locator
Public bus schedule for Costa Rica

To learn more about Monteverde

http://www.mvinstitute.org The Monteverde Institute - a non-profit educational association by Monteverde residents, the MVI blends international study and research with educational and cultural opportunities for local Monteverde communities.

Monteverde Costa Rica Cloud Forest research data base Over 125 ecologists, agriculturists, and educators have contributed to the natural history and ecology of the area. Our objectives are to bring together the extensive body of knowledge that researchers and natural historians have gathered; to point up connections, to identify areas for future research. Extensive bibliography related to Monteverde.

Monteverde Natural History - Plants & butterflies of Monteverde: Identification and Other Resources by William A. Haber.

Monteverde Friends School - bilingual (Spanish and English) school serving preschool through high school students in small, multi-age classes. Founded 50 years ago by the original Quaker settlers who left the United States for Monteverde Costa Rica. Now primarily serves local Costa Rican children as well as children of North American parents, this non-profit school is looking for volunteers & contributions.

http://www.cloudforestschool.org Creative Learning Center. Elementary non-profit school in Monteverde

http://www.coffeetraders.com/monte.html Montana Coffee Traders - if you live in USA and would like to buy online fairtrade Monteverde's cooperative coffee.

http://www.coffeefarmerscoop.com/coffees.html if you live in USA and would like to buy online fairtrade Monteverde's cooperative coffee.

http://www.monteverde.net/ Productores de Monteverde. In Spanish, the cheese producing coop.

Costa Rica general info

ATM automatic teller machine locator: (Visa and MasterCard are the most accepted card in Costa Rica. Traveler's check in US dollars and US dollar cash are accepted everywhere.)

Locator of ATM in Costa Rica accepting MasterCard, Maestro, and Cirrus. Select Costa Rica under "choose a country": http://www.mastercard.com/cardholderservices/atm/

Visa & Plus ATM locator for Central America & Costa Rica. Select Costa Rica under "choose a country": http://visa.via.infonow.net/locator/global/

ATM of Costa Rica by region:

Banco de Costa Rica: http://www.bancobcr.com/bcr.php?id=63

Banco Nacional: http://www.bncr.fi.cr/BN/sucursales/index.asp?c=sucursales#nowhere

La Nacion Costa Rica's national news paper (English weekly summary version also on this site).

The Tico Times Costa Rican newspaper, in English

http://www.worldheadquarters.com/cr/protected_areas National Parks of Costa Rica. Missing private non-profit reserves, like Monteverde.