Arenal vs Monteverde: where to do what activities
Arenal and Monteverde are both popular travel destinations in Costa Rica. The crux of this post is not to debate one location verses the other. If you’re in Costa Rica for 1 week or more, we highly recommend checking out *both* destinations. Looking at the map, Arenal and Monteverde are *right* next to each other – only 14 miles apart – but they are separated by mountains and thick jungle, and actually getting from one spot to the other is a 3.5 hour drive. As such, there are many similarities between these two places, and yet, they have completely different vibes.
Both Arenal and Monteverde offer similar activities, with some key differences. With so many choices, what should you do, where? In this post, we distill which of our favourite activities are ONLY offered in one spot, which activities might be better appreciated in one place vs the other, and activities where we feel location doesn’t really matter. Hopefully our insight makes planning your Costa Rica itinerary a little easier!
Even though we feel both destinations are worth experiencing, if you can only pick one, we hope this guide will help you figure out where to go depending on which vibe and activities you’re after.
Arenal vs Monteverde: the vibe
Arenal
In a nutshell, Arenal is vibrant, lively, and feels more “touristy” than Monteverde. The town of la Fortuna is more central and very easy to get around. There is a main square and tons of shops and restaurants, and is very active late into the night. Lots of billboards and tourist offices with flashing lights advertising many different kinds of activities. There are a number of trails and things to do within walking distance from La Fortuna, such as the La Fortuna Waterfall and the El Salto rope swing.
But don’t be deceived, outside of La Fortuna there is a ton of nature – with lush rainforest, hot springs, and Lake Arenal and the Arenal volcano (visible on a clear day, which, be warned, are few and far in between.)
The activities here lean more towards adrenaline and adventure experiences, and on the whole are a little more “packaged” than what you’ll find in Monteverde.
Monteverde
Although also a tourist area, Monteverde has a more laid back and “rustic” vibe. The main town of Santa Elena has restaurants and shops, even a small mall, but is overall more of a slower-paced, sleepier village with a backpacker feel. The area is very hilly, and a number of roads in the area are unpaved, which makes it feel even more rustic. It is harder to get around Monteverde without a car, as the amenities are more scattered than La Fortuna. Most attractions are not within walking distance of the town.
Although Monteverde is home to the infamous “cloud rainforests”, its high elevation and location windward the pacific coast (you can see the ocean on a clear day) makes it feel more “mountain” (think windier and cooler) than Arenal’s typical rainforest.
The activities we recommend here are more of the experience-and-connect-with-nature type.
Cloud forest hikes: ONLY Monteverde
Since we’re talking about cloud forests, these forests are something you will only find in Monteverde, and not in Arenal.
Only 1% of the world’s forests are cloud forests. Because of the balance of humidity and elevation, these rainforests are almost always shrouded in fog – most of the plants here get their water from condensation, not rain. These forests are home to a huge range of unique plants and animals, including the famous resplendent queztal (for those not in the know, like me, this is a type of bird. :P) If you’re set on exploring nature in Costa Rica, visiting cloud forests needs to be on your list.
Monteverde has 3 cloud forests: Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve, and Children’s Eternal Rainforest. Of the 3 cloud rainforests, Children’s Eternal Rainforest is a little smaller. Santa Elena has a more natural vibe, and Monteverde tends to be the busiest. There is also the Curi Cancha Cloud Forest Reserve, a small forest best known for bird-watching. (Obviously not me, haha.)
I don’t think you can go wrong with any of these parks. Hiking the cloud forest is a mystical, slightly spooky, almost otherworldly experience. We chose to visit the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, because the paths are a little easier for the kids, and the park has 1 hanging bridge that I had heard was voted the most scenic in the world. There is also a hummingbird cafe just outside the reserve, which the kids absolutely loved. It did feel like there were lots of visitors milling about the entrance of the forest, but once we got inside, we only ran into a smattering of hikers here and there.
Hot springs: ONLY Arenal
Due to the geothermic activity of Arenal volcano, hot springs and hot spring resorts are an experience you will only find in Arenal.
Visiting a hot springs resort was definitely one of the highlights of our trip, and may have ruined spas for me forever. It is a great way to relax, unwind, and experience Costa Rica’s jungle in a completely unique way. There are a ton of resorts to choose from. Whether you want more of a zen experience, or more of a waterpark type rush, whether you want to spend a full day or just want to soak your tired muscles after a long hike, there is a hot spring resort for you. (Read more about the options and our luxurious day at Tabacon Resorts and Spa here.)
If you are on a budget and don’t want to book a resort package, there is a free hot springs location along the Tabacon river (which is the same river that runs through the Tabacon resort).
White water rafting: ONLY Arenal
Arenal’s Balsa River is a great river rafting destination for families. Their class II/III rapids are kid friendly (generally for kids 7-8 and older, but a few tours will take 6 year olds). Most tours combine the adrenaline rafting component with a more relaxed river float where you can enjoy the jungle and have a chance to spot animals. (We did not do this as Lil S was a little too Lil at the time, but we would recommend this for families with older kids.)
Hanging bridges tour: CONSIDER Monteverde
A hanging bridges tour is a one-of-a-kind way to experience the rainforest canopy. There are 2 main hanging bridges tour companies in Arenal: Sky Adventures, and Mistico Hanging bridges. There are also 2 main companies offering tours in Monteverde: Selvatura Park, and Treetopia Trekking (which was formally Sky Adventures Monteverde).
We recommend considering the Selventura Park hanging bridges tour in Monteverde, right next to the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve. This is the *highest* park in the area and offers the best scenery of Costa Rica’s rainforest canopies. Treetopia Trekking has the *longest* suspension bridge. Both these hanging bridge tours take you through 100% primary forests. If you’re looking to experience a peaceful hike through the mystical cloud forest canopies, you cannot go wrong with a hanging bridges tour in Monteverde.
With that being said, we wanted to leave more time for hiking in Monteverde, so moved our hanging bridges tour to Mistico Hanging bridges in Arenal. We still had a great time! It wasn’t cloud forests, but the rainforest was lush and thick, and it was a special experience swaying above the treetops. (BUT, we got a taste of the hanging bridge at the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, walking *through* cloud, and let me tell you, it is worth doing if you can.)
Hiking: CONSIDER Monteverde
Our overall experience is that Monteverde offers more natural trails where you can immerse yourself in the rainforest. Besides the cloud forest reserves, our favourite Costa Rica hike was in Monteverde at El Tigre Waterfalls. This hike is the quintessential Costa Rica experience, with dense jungle, rickety hanging bridges (totally different vibe from going to a hanging bridges park), waterfalls to swim at, and even offers a horseback riding option.
Arenal also has several popular hikes, including Arenal Volcano National Park, and Rio Celeste. The Arenal Volcano hike takes you to the base of the Arenal Volcano, where you can appreciate the lava flows and admire Lake Arenal. Rio Celeste takes you to a famous turquoise-blue waterfall and river.
Animal tours/night tours: CONSIDER Arenal
Even though we might recommend Monteverde for its’ nature, if you’re looking to spot animals, we recommend Arenal. Most park trails and hanging bridges tours can be done as part of a guided hike, where guides will help you spot animals. Monteverde’s vast and dense cloud forests makes seeing animals quite challenging. We did see the shadowy form of a resplendent quetzal while hiking the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, but it was so cloudy it was hard to fully appreciate. We encountered more animals at our hotel in Monteverde than on any of the trails. (If you too, want to see capuchin monkeys, coatis, and agoutis almost every day, check out Flor de Bromelia!) Furthermore, if you want to fully immerse yourself in the mystical, otherworldly cloud forests, you might not want to join a tour group here.
We highly recommend taking a night tour for the plethora of nocturnal critters that come out at night. This includes a ton of insects, frogs (including the incredible red-eyed tree frog above), owls, and the coveted sloth. Arenal has many different night tour options, but we recommend a smaller trail or animal sanctuary. This might sound a little tame, but you can’t appreciate much of the rainforest in the dark anyway, and you’ll be able to see way more animals in these smaller spaces. Two options are the Borgarin Trail (high chance of seeing sloths, too!), and the Arenal Oasis Sanctuary (mostly frogs here – and I’ve realized since visiting Costa Rica that frogs are *way cool*.)
*All sharing-of-banana encounters approved by Flor de Bromelia staff
Zip-lining: EITHER Arenal or Monteverde
Zip-lining is a fun family activity that takes you through the rainforest canopy. However, I would approach zip-lining as more of an adrenaline activity than a nature activity. You get incredible views of the canopy, and both Arenal and Monteverde have very impressive rainforest canopies. On rainy days you zip right through the clouds, whereas on sunny days you can see for miles around you. But let’s be real, we are not zip-lining to connect with nature, and you have zero chance of spotting animals when flying through the air at that speed. (Although we did see on the news of a young boy colliding with a sloth who had dropped from a tree branch to the zip-line!)
Our post on zip-lining in Costa Rica summaries the major zip-lining tours in both Arenal and Monteverde. Ultimately, we recommend picking a course with any special features that you want to experience (eg. free jump option, or Superman option), and one that fits into the itinerary.
Rainforest chocolate tour: EITHER Arenal or Monteverde
A delicious break amongst all the naturing and adventure-ing. There are similar chocolate tours in both Arenal and Monteverde that take you on an immersive journey on harvesting, processing, and preparing cacao. And of course, let’s not forget the part where you get to sample all that yummy chocolate.
Don Juan Tours offers a chocolate, coffee, and sugar cane tour in both locations. Other chocolate tours in Arenal include: Don Olivo Chocolate Tour, and the Rainforest Chocolate Tour. Monteverde has a popular little chocolate shop Cafe Cabure that hosts chocolate tours.
For more recommendations, be sure check out our other Costa Rica articles!
