10 things to do in Monteverde with kids

Monteverde is a popular travel destination in Costa Rica, renowned for its cloud forests and rare plants and animals. As a destination, Monteverde on the whole is fairly laid-back, rustic, and slower paced. At first glance, it might seem like there are not as many adrenaline activities or “kid-friendly” activities here as some other places in Costa Rica such as Arenal or Manual Antonio. While this might be true, we feel this is one of the most family-friendly places in Costa Rica to truly immerse in the richness and uniqueness the nature in this area has to offer.

Most people “pass through” Monteverde from their way between Arenal and the pacific coast, staying 1-2 nights at most. However, especially with kids, it pays to slow down. Monteverde is the perfect place for down-time, surrounded by tranquil nature and beautiful views. You may only want to do 1 activity a day, or mix a more physical hike in the morning with a trip to the playground in the afternoon. No matter how you plan your day, there is plenty to choose from! Keep in mind, too, that you don’t have to do all the activities in Monteverde. (You will find many similar activities here as in Arenal. If you’re not sure what to do, be sure to check out our posts on Arenal vs Monteverde, where to do what activities, and Yes or Skip: Activities with kids in Arenal.)

1. Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve and Hummingbird Cafe

It feels almost criminal to visit Monteverde without visiting the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve.

At the very least, you need to take a family hike through a cloud forest. Only 1% of the world’s forests are cloud forests, due to their unique balance of elevation and humidity. And, if National Geographic is to be trusted, Costa Rica’s cloud forests are “the jewel of cloud forests”. As such, these forests are home to a ton of flora and fauna species you will not find anywhere else in the world. Even if you’re not a budding zoologist or botanist, a hike through a rainforest shrouded in cloud and fog is a magical, ethereal, and rather spooky experience.

You have the option to hike with a guide, or on your own. We did a few guided animals tours elsewhere, so opted to hike Monteverde on our own. Our kids prefer *not* having a guide. They prefer walking at their own pace, and are less likely to get bored.

There are 3 main cloud forest reserves in Monteverde: the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve, and Children’s Eternal Rainforest.

Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve

We feel Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve is the most kid-friendly. It falls in the middle of the 3 for size, and the paths are a little better maintained. All the trails are maximum 2km, and we were able to complete multiple trails with Big and Lil S. The terrain is diverse, with lots of interesting features to keep kiddos interested. There is a hanging bridge (the only reserve to have one), and the reserve sits on a continental divide (which, for those not in the know, is the point where water drains in opposite directions. So a river on one side of the divide will flow toward the Atlantic, and a river on the other side will flow toward the Pacific. There is a lookout point though not much to “see”, but the kids still found this fact awesome.)

Monteverde Reserve is considerably more popular than the other two. There was a crowd at the entrance, but once you get inside, there were long stretches where we were the only people on the path.

Be sure to buy tickets for Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve online in advance if you can. If not, you can join the stand-by line, which starts admitting people at 11 am. (However, there is a cap on visitors allowed at a time, so make sure to get your names on the list early.)

Cafe Colibri (“Hummingbird Cafe”)

Big and Lil S *loved* the Hummingbird cafe, which is just outside the entrance of the park. They have a bakery and make delicious hot chocolate. There is a large garden where they’ve hung a bunch of hummingbird feeders. There are a ton of hummingbirds here, and you can really get up close to see how the birds feed. Lots of coatis here too, so watch your snacks!

2. Hanging bridges walk

This is one of those activities that does not *have* to be done in Monteverde. Arenal also has hanging bridges parks. But if you have the choice, we recommend either Selvatura Park or Treetopia Trekking (formerly Sky Adventures Monteverde) in Monteverde. Selvatura has the highest bridge in the area, and Treetopia has the longest bridge. Both offer breathtaking walks through primary cloud forest (primary forests means forests that have not been previously cut down then reforested). We cannot get over how special Monteverde’s cloud forests are, so if you have the chance to appreciate it from the canopies, take it!

Hanging bridges break up an otherwise long hike for kids, and Big and Lil S loved swaying across the bridges. The views are spectacular, the height feels “adventure-y”. It is overall just such a great family-friendly activity and an unique way to experience the rainforest.

3. Zip-lining tour

We could not possibly talk about rainforest adventures without mentioning zip-lining! If the kids are adrenaline seekers, this is *the* activity to add to your Monteverde itinerary. You won’t really get to appreciate the unique flora and fauna, but zip-lining across the canopies and straight through the clouds is wild and exhilarating and a ton of fun. Lil S enjoyed it so much she immediately demanded to go again after the last line.

There are 3 main zip-lining tour operators in Monteverde: Selvatura Park, Treetopia Trekking, and 100% Adventura Adventure Park. Of the 3, 100% Adventura Adventure Park is not a primary forest. (This may not be a huge factor in your decision, as zip-lining is more of an “adventure thing”, and less of a “nature thing”.) Ultimately, which company you go with might depend on any age/height/weight restrictions for kids, any safety concerns, or, if your kids are older, any “add-ons” to your tour to increase the thrill. (For example, Treetopia Trekking has a free-fall cable, and Selvatura and 100% Adventura have a Tarzan swing.)

We zip-lined in Arenal, but chose and recommend Sky Adventures (rebranded Treetopia Trekking in Monteverde.) There is a height restriction of 1.2m (no age restriction, but around age 4-5). The main reason we went with this company was because they are the only one to have an automatic braking system. If the kids had to zip-line alone, I just did not trust they could reliably operate hand-brakes.

To read more on zip-lining in Costa Rica, be sure to read our post here.

4. El-Tigre waterfall hike and horseback riding

We have an entire post about hiking El-Tigre here. This was one of our favourite activities we did, not only in Monteverde, but in all of Costa Rica.

El-Tigre is a private reserve hiking trail, 5-8km depending on whether you hike the entire trail. This is *the* quintessential rainforest experience, with waterfalls you can swim in, rickety hanging bridges, and thick, lush rainforest. (Because we seem to be hell-bent on giving a biology lesson as well – disclaimer: we are not biologists 😛 – El-Tigre is a “transitional” forest, which is a bit of a mix between traditional rainforest and cloud forest.)

If you opt for the 5km trail (this is mostly downhill), you can take a horseback ride the last 3km (uphill) back to the office. This was perfect for us – a little less pressure on the kids, and they got to ride horses in Costa Rica!

El-Tigre seems a little intimidating for younger kids, but it is totally doable for ages 5-6 +. It takes a least half a day with kids (which means it is a whole-day experience :P), so you will need to plan accordingly depending on your length of stay. But if you will be in Monteverde for a few days, El-Tigre is definitely a great hike for the whole family.

5. Ficus Root Tree

This is a cool spot to check out and makes a good add-on to a more involved activity (like hiking Monteverde Cloud Forest or El-Tigre). The Ficus Tree is basically a tree with ginormous roots that have made a bridge across a ravine. It’s neat to see, and adventurous kids can even climb across the “bridge” (not me breaking into a sweat the entire time they were doing it :P). For travel-grammers, it also makes a cool photo spot!

There is an entrance fee of $2 USD per person (as of 2024) you pay at a small booth. The tree is conveniently located in Santa Elena just down the main road. You can stop by the playground afterward (see below), or go for dinner in town.

6. Chocolate tour at Cabure Cafe

Also conveniently located in the town of Santa Elena, be sure to check out Cabure cafe. They make their own chocolate and offer tours that show visitors the process of turning cocoa pods into chocolate. A Cabure chocolate tour was one of the things that was recommended to us by our hotel staff during our stay.

Cabure runs tours every day at 1pm and 4pm except Tuesdays. You can finish off the visit with a delicious meal and hot chocolate at their cafe. This is a fantastic way for kids to see where chocolate comes from, if you don’t want to take a multi-hour chocolate tour. (Which you can certainly also do at Don Juan Tours in Monteverde.)

7. Night hike

You don’t necessarily have to do the night hike in Monteverde, but going on a night hike in Costa Rica is 100% a must-do with kids. (We did our night hike in Arenal.) There are so many animals that are nocturnal, such a predatory cats, sloths, owls, and all sorts of insects and frogs. And wandering through the rainforest at night is a totally unique and fun experience. Big S and Lil S love spotting critters with their flashlights, and this was one of the few guided tours where they were engaged the entire hike.

There are many private reserves and tours to arrange a night hike. Refugio Monteverde is a highly recommended one.

8. Monteverde Frog Pond

I did not really think much about frogs before visiting Costa Rica, but frogs are *way cool*. We saw so many brightly coloured frogs in Costa Rica I’d only ever seen in books. Monteverde Frog Pong is definitely more of an exhibit than a reserve. You walk along a path that takes you past a number of enclosures containing over 20 species of frogs. Kids will have *tons* of fun looking for frogs. The Frog Pond is located right in Santa Elena, so this is something you can do while exploring town and enjoying some downtime.

Tickets are $20 USD per person, which includes a guided tour and is good for two visits. (The ideal way to do this is take the guided tour during the day, and come back at night before 8pm for a quick walk through. Frogs are nocturnal and more visible/active at night!)

9. Catch sunset at Cerro Plano Viewpoint (Mirador Valle Escondido Preserve)

Seeing the sun set across the rainforests and mountains and all the way to the ocean – you can’t beat a Monteverde sunset. Our kids are not “watchers” – they are definitely more “do-ers”, but even they stopped to enjoy sunsets here. We were lucky enough to have a balcony view of sunset right from our hotel, but a great place to enjoy the view is at Cerro Plano Viewpoint (Mirador Valle Escondido Preserve). And… it’s free!

Parking may be a challenge. It is about a 20 minutes hike from Santa Elena downtown, and would make a good post-dinner ice-cream walk. 😉

10. Municipal de Monteverde Park (playground and tourist sign)

This playground is right up the street from the Ficus root tree and right across from the mall. It looks a little… ?unkempt, at first glance, but don’t let it deter you. This was a fun outlet for the kids after a day of hiking. Big and Lil S loved the unique playground equipment. The “zip-lines” were a huge hit, and they loved the swings and rope trampoline. A good spot to burn off some energy.

Right in front of the playground is a large Monteverde tourist sign. And of course the kids had to climb all over it.