The Road to Monteverde: An Epic Adventure (With a Surprise Fee & Some Unexpected Guests!)

Let me start by saying, if you’re planning to drive from La Fortuna to Monteverde, Costa Rica—buckle up (both physically and emotionally). This is not just a road trip; it’s a test of patience, vehicle durability, and your ability to keep calm when your GPS inevitably betrays you.

Two Routes, One Questionable Decision

There are two main ways to drive from La Fortuna to Monteverde, and neither of them is exactly what you’d call "smooth sailing."

Option 1: The More Civilized Route (Route 145 via Las Juntas & Route 606)

If you value your spine and your car’s suspension, this is your best bet. You’ll take Route 142 along Lake Arenal (which is absolutely gorgeous, by the way), pass through Tilarán, and then hit Route 145 before merging onto Route 606. It’s mostly paved, with some gravel sections that make you wonder if you should’ve taken out a second insurance policy. But hey, at least you won’t need a chiropractor when you arrive.

Option 2: The Bold and the Brave Route (All of Route 145)

For those who laugh in the face of danger (or just didn’t read enough travel blogs beforehand), there’s the “direct” route via Route 145 all the way. Let’s just say, if you don’t already own a 4x4, you’ll wish you did. This road is steep, bumpy, and at times makes you question whether you’re actually still on a road or just an overgrown hiking trail. Potholes? More like craters. But if you survive, you’ll have earned the right to say, “I took Route 145 to Monteverde and lived to tell the tale.”

Welcome to Monteverde: Land of Adventure (and Surprise Fees)

Monteverde is famous for its cloud forests, ziplining, rappelling, and a general sense of adventure that comes with being thousands of feet above sea level. If you’ve ever wanted to feel like Tarzan while soaring over the jungle canopy, this is the place to do it.

After surviving the drive, we checked into Hotel Heliconia, a beautiful Bavarian-looking hotel with manicured lawns that made us feel like we had somehow taken a detour through Switzerland. Breakfast was included, which was a nice touch—because at this point, free food was the only thing keeping our morale high.

But then came the check-in process.

“That Will Be an Extra $50 per Night”

I had forgotten to list that we had three people in the room instead of two. Rookie mistake. The manager, who clearly took his job (and extra fees) very seriously, informed me that it would be an additional $50 per night for the third person.

Me: "What do we get for the extra $50? Extra pillows? A welcome drink? A foot massage?"

Manager: "No. Just the right to exist in the room."

Me: "Ah, lovely."

With no way to negotiate, I handed over the cash. To be fair, we did receive three hibiscus drinks sweetened with sugarcane. It was a refreshing quencher to help remove the dust from our lungs after that drive. Small victories, I suppose.

We proceeded to our room, drinks in hand, placing them on the entryway table before unpacking. We planned to grab a bite at a restaurant we had read about online—The Tree House Restaurant—and explore the town.

Dinner in a Tree? Yes, Please!

The Tree House Restaurant in Monteverde is one of the most unique dining spots in the region. Located in the heart of Santa Elena, it’s literally built around a giant ficus tree that stretches through multiple levels of the dining area. The menu features a mix of Costa Rican and international dishes—fresh seafood, steak, pasta, and local favorites like casados (traditional Costa Rican plates). But remember, you’re on vacation, so paying $20 for a burger is totally reasonable, right? (Just nod and hand over the colones.)

After dinner and a stroll through town, we returned to our room only to find... uninvited guests.

Attack of the Ankle Biters

Tiny, vicious ants had taken over our hibiscus glasses, the baseboards, and seemingly beyond. We called the front desk, and they sent someone up with the Costa Rican equivalent of a flamethrower: RAID. As the ant population diminished, we were finally able to sleep.

That is, until we woke up and noticed that the ants had also woken up—moving in perfect sync with us. It was like living in a horror movie where the monsters mirror your every move. At this point, we were questioning every life choice that had led us to this moment.

A Cold Awakening

Determined to shake off the previous night’s battles, we prepared for our ziplining adventure—but first, showers.

Yes, there was water. Was it hot? Hell to the no.

We called the front desk again. The manager offered us a room in the newer section of the hotel. Great! We started packing. Then, ten minutes later, the manager called back: "Oops, no rooms available." That was the final straw. We decided to cut our losses, check out a day early, and head straight for the Marriott Vacation Club at Los Sueños. But not before getting in one last adventure.

Exploring Monteverde Before the Final Goodbye

Since we had time before ziplining, we decided to visit a few spots on our Monteverde list:

Sunset at Café Colibrí – A hummingbird garden & coffee spot with incredible views. Be warned: parking is limited, and you may have to park along the roadside and walk 50 to 100 yards to reach it. But trust me, it’s worth the walk.

Lunch at Stella’s Bakery – A local favorite for fresh, homemade meals. This became one of our favorite dining experiences in Monteverde. The food was delicious, inexpensive, and the pastries were absolutely divine. Just be prepared for the resident pups looking at you with big brown eyes, waiting for a crumb to drop. I won’t tell if you slide them a little something under the table.

Ziplining: The Adventure (for Some of Us)

We booked our ziplining through Viator, one of our favorite TripAdvisor companies. They’ve never let us down—wherever we travel, they always have an adventure or amazing guide to make our trip even better. This time, we went with The Original Canopy Tour in Monteverde, one of the pioneers of ziplining.

• Tree Platform Views: Breathtaking sights of the Monteverde Cloud Forest.

• Tarzan Swing: Free-fall jump before swinging out over the jungle.

• Rappelling: Because ziplining alone wasn’t terrifying enough.

• Experienced Guides: Including our soon-to-be-legendary guide, Danielson.

  
  

What I didn’t realize was that weight limits exist. As much as I’d love to say I was too old, the scales don’t lie—I was benched. So, I became the official screaming spectator while my wife and daughter soared through the trees.

About halfway through the course, my wife got stuck three-quarters of the way along the mile-and-a-half zipline.

All we could hear was the guide, Daniel, shouting in his Costa Rican accent, "OH CHRISTINE!" as he zipped out to rescue her. My daughter, now calling him Danielson, found this absolutely hilarious.

Onward to Los Sueños!

With ziplining complete, we left Monteverde, hoping the roads going down weren’t as bad as they were coming up. Herradura (Marriott Vacation Club at Los Sueños), here we come!