Line © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), checked by Global Adventurer.
The walk
From the reserve entrance, follow Sendero Encantado north into the forest, then turn east onto Sendero Caño Negro, the reserve's most demanding trail. It is a natural path that winds over small ridges and down into damp hollows full of tree ferns, orchids and bromeliads, then curves south and climbs to Sendero Youth Challenge. There a 13 m observation tower rises above the canopy; on a clear day it looks out to Lake Arenal and up to four volcanoes, Arenal's cone among them. The trail then leads back to the entrance.
It is 5.4 km round with 184 m of ascent; allow about 2 hours. The grade is Easy: Caño Negro is narrow, rooty and often muddy, while the other trails are better surfaced.
The reserve lies on the Caribbean side of the divide at around 1,600 m, with drizzle or rain on most days and an average temperature of about 18 °C. Bring a rain jacket, a warm layer and boots. Whether the tower has a view depends entirely on the cloud.
Self-guided walks need no booking: the reserve opens from 7am to 4pm, last entry 3pm, and an adult ticket costs ₡10,000. It is a few kilometres north-east of Santa Elena village, up a rough road.
Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.
Good to know
- The reserve has been run since 1991 by the board of Santa Elena's public technical school and opened to visitors in 1992; its income goes to the school and local schools
- It lies on the Caribbean side of the continental divide at around 1,600 m, with about 4,000 mm of rain a year
- A 13 m observation tower on the Youth Challenge trail rises above the canopy; on a clear day it shows Lake Arenal and up to four volcanoes
- Caño Negro is the reserve's most demanding trail, a natural path through forest thick with tree ferns, orchids and bromeliads
Getting there
Start: Reserva Bosque Nuboso Santa Elena car park. 10.34382, -84.79606
Directions to the start
Places to stay nearby
Rooms in and around Monteverde: Booking.com → Expedia → Hotels.com →
Affiliate links: if you book, Global Adventurer earns a small commission at no cost to you.
Paths change, and the weather decides the day. The line and figures come from OpenStreetMap and our own checks; take a map, check the forecast, and turn back if it isn't right.