Costa Rica Day 3: Monteverde

What a day! Started by leaving the Airbnb at 8:30am, and since I was going to pass by Llanos del Cortez waterfall on the way to Monteverde, I ignored all advice I read online about not leaving your stuff in your car and still went.

What an easy trip to get there. Straight highway most of the time. I noticed that most drivers do not pay attention to the changing speed limits when you were supposed to slow down.

There were a lot of produce stands, particularly watermelon, along the highway. One day I will stop and get coconut juice!

I arrived at Llanos del Cortez around 9:30am, and I think it was the first entrance. Based on what I read online, I was expecting school children asking for donations, but none were around. After driving further along the road, a big official sign and turn-in on the right leads to an entrance booth where you pay the $7/person.

The lot is another stretch of drive down the gravel road, and it was about 1/3 full. There were already three small tour shuttle buses as well.  Reading reviews online made it seem like one should never leave anything in the car, which I understand it is better safe than sorry. But I did not see the lot as unsafe. There was a security guard, who looked official with a security outfit on, helping drivers park (no fee involved). And, there were tourists milling around the lot.  My luggage was out of view under the privacy cover of the trunk.

Llanos del Cortez parking lot at 9:30am

It was such a hot day! Luckily the falls is just a short walk down some stairs, took less than 10 minutes to get there.

What a lovely waterfall! It is a wider fall instead of a single stream of water, which makes it look larger. I also loved that it was so accessible and people can swim / wade around.

There were maybe 25 people there already, half being tourists, half locals.  People brought coolers and made picnics out of their visit.

The water is a really comfortable temperature. Not super cold, but enough to cool off. The water is also very clear, and you could see hundreds of little fish. Sitting on a rock at the water and dipping my legs in was great. Very relaxing.  Too bad I had my purse on me, and didn't have my swimsuit!  Eventually it started getting more crowded, and I left after an hour.

The journey to Monteverde continued. A LONG bumpy journey.  I lost track of how long it took from the waterfall. There was a small village that I passed, with narrow streets and many homes. It was interesting to see all the homes and the lifestyles.  Residents and business owners put the trash just outside, or in a basket that is higher off the ground.  At one point I passed an arch with Chinese writing, and I wondered if it was a mini Chinatown.

After the village, the long bumpy road began. I'm used to bad pot-holed drives to trailheads in Washington, but this was definitely longer than any I've done.

Finally got to Santa Elena around 1pm. A bunch of little shops and restaurants in town, and many tourists walking around.

I checked into Cabinas Vista al Golfo, which is on the back side of the road. Private deluxe room with its own bathroom plus view.  The room, especially bathroom, could use updating though.  And, there were little ants, but I'm guessing this will be common in most hotels.

View from the hotel room

I was hungry and found some place online that was around 10 minutes walk away. I sat driving for so long I really needed to stretch my legs and walk.

It was quiet at Restaurante Sabor Tico, which is at the upper level of the supermarket plaza. I ordered the chicken fajita, and actually enjoyed it just as much as Roberto's. It was for less than $9 though, compared to expensive Roberto's.

After gaining some energy, I headed back, walking slowly through the town.  Checked out a souvenir shop, but didn't see anything I needed. I wanted to relax for a little bit at the hotel before heading back out to the night walk at 5:20pm.

I found Nasau Tours online, through TripAdvisor. Oscar is the business owner and tour guide, and he is absolutely AMAZING. More on this later.

I met Oscar, and two other participants at the Monteverde Wildlife Refuge, which is actually a private farm.  Having a small group is the first priority for me when finding a tour group. And obviously the guide must be great.

Oscar gave us flashlights and we tried to keep away from the other large tour groups that showed up. He had a telescope, which all guides do, and helped us with taking photos on our cell phones with it. Its a little tricky doing it yourself, but he has a lot of experience with it and has stable hands.

One of the first animals we saw was the agouti, a large rodent that is a cousin of the capybara. We also encountered a two-toed sloth! It was climbing high up a tree though, and we could only see its backside. It looked like a fuzzy mass of white fur! But still so very exciting!

First animal of the evening: an agouti

We also saw three vipers, separately. Oscar is so knowledgeable, he has so much experience and knows where to look for what. If he senses something, he finds it. And not only animals. He has such an immense knowledge of the history of Costa Rica, and flora.  You can tell he loves his job, and is so passionate about natural life and the environment.

     

It was quite chilly, and started sprinkling, so I'm glad I had my long sleeve + raincoat.

After the tour ($25 + $entrance fee) which ended around 8pm, I spent some time debating if I should book Oscar as my guide for the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve the next morning. I was originally going to wing it and just show up at 7am and book a guide there, but my incredible experience with Oscar really persuaded me to book him again!  The other woman who was in the group also planned on joining at 7:30am as well.

I was exhausted after the night walk, and did not have it in me to go to a restaurant. I planned to just eat to-go from the hotel's restaurant, but it ended up being closed. Being way too exhausted, I just ate a hodge podge of snacks, fruit, and bread for dinner. Not great...but oh well, it sufficed!

Overall, I could not be happier with the tour in the evening, and being able to just rest afterwards. Early morning tomorrow!