--- title: The Splendours of Monteverde | Olga Saenz description: "Monteverde’s Hospitality and Tourism Industry is growing fast, and Karen and Valeria Fallas Monge, the Hotel’s owners, have been there from the very beginning. 25 + years of experience and a reputation for excellence has made them leaders in the field.\n\nKaren was not born in Monteverde. However, her father came to the region just a year after she was born. He worked on a dairy farm. And later on, her mother began working as a cleaning maid for the different scientific organizations that first came to research the incredible diversity and unique environment of Monteverde. Hence, she grew up surrounded by wild nature, yes, but more importantly, she developed in an atmosphere of highly educated people from all over the world that came to enjoy or study the breathtaking cloud forests of the region." image: https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/hubfs/Social%20Ocotea%20Boutique%20Hotel.png --- [![mail1](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/hs-fs/hubfs/mail1.png?width=23&height=21&name=mail1.png)](mailto:reservations@ocoteahotel.com)  [![facebook1](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/hs-fs/hubfs/facebook1.png?width=19&height=25&name=facebook1.png)](https://www.facebook.com/Ocotea-Boutique-Hotel-101966258958284)  [![insta1](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/hs-fs/hubfs/insta1.png?width=25&height=25&name=insta1.png)](https://instagram.com/ocoteaboutiquehotel/)  [![phone1](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/hs-fs/hubfs/phone1.png?width=191&height=25&name=phone1.png)](tel:506%2040022599) [![LOGO OBH-01-1-2-1-1](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/hubfs/Institutional/LOGO%20OBH-01-1-2-1-1.png "LOGO OBH-01-1-2-1-1")](https://www.ocoteahotel.com/) - [HOME](https://www.ocoteahotel.com/) - [ABOUT](https://www.ocoteahotel.com/about) - [ROOMS](https://www.ocoteahotel.com/rooms) - [Ocotea](https://www.ocoteahotel.com/rooms#Ocotea) - [Sotobosque](https://www.ocoteahotel.com/rooms#Sotobosque) - [Dosel](https://www.ocoteahotel.com/rooms#Dosel) - [EXPERIENCES](https://www.ocoteahotel.com/experiences) - [In-House Services](https://www.ocoteahotel.com/experiences#IN-HOUSESERVICES) - [Ocotea Tours](https://www.ocoteahotel.com/experiences#OCOTEATOURS) - [Ocotea Transfers](https://www.ocoteahotel.com/experiences#OCOTEATRANSFERS) - [CONTACT](https://www.ocoteahotel.com/contact) - [BLOG](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/) - [BOOK NOW](https://www.ocoteahotel.com/book-now) Open main menu Close main menu ![Title](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Title.png?width=1043&name=Title.png "Title") ![Hello, welcome](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/hubfs/Hello%2c%20welcome.png "Hello, welcome") - [All (67)](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/tag/all) - [Inside Monteverde (37)](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/tag/inside-monteverde) - [Nature (36)](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/tag/nature) - [All about Ocotea (34)](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/tag/all-about-ocotea) - [Experiences and Excursions (27)](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/tag/experiences-and-excursions) - [Visit Costa Rica (18)](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/tag/visit-costa-rica) - [Wine & Dine (16)](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/tag/wine-dine) - [Ocotea Boutique Hotel (12)](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/tag/ocotea-boutique-hotel) - [Culture & Lifestyle (11)](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/tag/culture-lifestyle) - [Packing, checklists & maps (6)](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/tag/packing-checklists-maps) - [Food & Beverage (5)](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/tag/food-beverage) Posts by: ## Olga Saenz ![Monteverde Costa Rica](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/hubfs/Nurturing%20email%20or%20marketing%20email%20pictures/image3-1.jpg) [Nature,](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/tag/nature) [All](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/tag/all) ### [17 Tips and Tricks for Photography in Monteverde](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/17-tips-and-tricks-for-photography-in-monteverde) When I was a naturalist tour guide, I met a couple of amateur photographers who I traveled with for a while (I shared their passion for photography. We had been in different areas of Costa Rica and wherever we went, I could see their passion for finding beauty in the most simple places. But what they really taught me is that you can have and enjoy a photographic eye even without a camera (or phone) in your hand. [Read More](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/17-tips-and-tricks-for-photography-in-monteverde) ![Monteverde, Costa Rica](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/hubfs/Nurturing%20email%20or%20marketing%20email%20pictures/image1-2.jpg) [Nature,](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/tag/nature) [All](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/tag/all) ### [7 things I’ve Learned from Living Immersed in Nature](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/7-things-ive-learned-from-living-immersed-in-nature) It happens every day in the sunny season. People in Monteverde gather in different places to see the sunset. There are a couple of spots with benches where visitors and locals get together and see the magnificence of the multicolored sky reflecting in the stillness of the distant Pacific Ocean. [Read More](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/7-things-ive-learned-from-living-immersed-in-nature) ![Monteverde Costa Rica](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/hubfs/PREVIEW.jpg) [Nature,](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/tag/nature) [All](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/tag/all) ### [Why Do We Protect Nature?](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/why-do-we-protect-nature) A few days ago, talking to a friend, he was saying how indispensable his smartwatch was becoming in his life. From my side, with a different lifestyle and living in Monteverde, I told him I didn't have a watch since a long time ago, nor a clock anywhere in my house. I guess the phone clock is enough for me. [Read More](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/why-do-we-protect-nature) ![Bon Appetit](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/hubfs/image1-3.jpg) [Wine & Dine,](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/tag/wine-dine) [All](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/tag/all) ### [Bon Appetit and Wine And Grill Interview](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/bon-appetit-and-wine-and-grill-interview) *“Mom, I am going to take you to the best Italian restaurant in town,”* my daughter said, starting the car when I first arrived.  She had lived and worked in Monteverde when the pandemic started and when she visited later on she treated me to the [best dinner in Monteverde.](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/all-about-monteverde-dining) [Read More](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/bon-appetit-and-wine-and-grill-interview) ![](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/hubfs/image6%20-%20copia-1.jpg) [Experiences and Excursions,](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/tag/experiences-and-excursions) [All](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/tag/all) ### [A Day in Monteverde: The Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/a-day-in-monteverde-the-santa-elena-cloud-forest-reserve) When we arrive in Monteverde for the first time, we may not realize how many reserves there truly are to appreciate the breathtaking nature of our region.  [Read More](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/a-day-in-monteverde-the-santa-elena-cloud-forest-reserve) ![](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/hubfs/preview-1.jpg) [Nature,](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/tag/nature) [All](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/tag/all) ### [Butterflies and Hummingbirds You Can See At Ocotea Boutique Hotel](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/beautiful-butterflies-and-hummingbirds-you-can-see-at-ocotea-boutique-hotel) Happiness is like a butterfly: the more you chase it, the more it will elude you, but if you turn your attention to other things, it will come and sit softly on your shoulder. [Read More](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/beautiful-butterflies-and-hummingbirds-you-can-see-at-ocotea-boutique-hotel) ![](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/hubfs/image5-1.jpg) [Visit Costa Rica,](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/tag/visit-costa-rica) [All](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/tag/all) ### [Washington Post Recommends Monteverde!](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/washington-post-recommends-monteverde) According to the U.S. newspaper [The Washington Post,](https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/tips/costa-rica-vacation-beach-surf-volcano/?fbclid=IwAR3R_yJBUEmN1JUXFScBr2NGMnwz1Z6Ln_L4GTXPGvDGKVhnmUXgPRXCcS0) *“Costa Rica is one of the most versatile vacation spots in the world,*” remarking the fantastic diversity of places you can find in our small country. [Read More](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/washington-post-recommends-monteverde) ![](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/hubfs/MonteverdeReserve-1.jpg) [Experiences and Excursions,](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/tag/experiences-and-excursions) [All](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/tag/all) ### [A Visit to The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/a-visit-to-the-monteverde-cloud-forest-reserve) The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, established in 1972, is regarded as one of Costa Rica's most prized natural areas. This 4,000-hectare (9884-acre) private reserve safeguards a fragile and endangered ecosystem: the tropical cloud forest. [Read More](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/a-visit-to-the-monteverde-cloud-forest-reserve) ![The Drew Barrymore Show with some high praise for Costa Rica](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/hubfs/11.jpg) [Visit Costa Rica,](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/tag/visit-costa-rica) [All](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/tag/all) ### [The Drew Barrymore Show with some high praise for Costa Rica!](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/the-drew-barrymore-show-with-some-high-praise-for-costa-rica) Costa Rica was featured prominently on a recent episode of[The Drew Barrymore Show](https://youtu.be/RmlFRyXJRA8) The actress showcased the natural beauty of Costa Rica during the premiere week of what has become one of  CBS' most popular talk and entertainment shows. [Read More](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/the-drew-barrymore-show-with-some-high-praise-for-costa-rica) [1](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/author/olga-saenz) [2](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/author/olga-saenz/page/2) [3](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/author/olga-saenz/page/3) [4](https://blog.ocoteahotel.com/author/olga-saenz/page/4) ## Subscribe LOCATION 250 North from Banco de Costa Rica, Sapo Dorado Neighborhood, Cerro Plano, Monteverde. RECEPTION Daily from 6AM to 10PM +506 40022599 © 2026 Ocotea Boutique Hotel | All Rights Reserved [Visit Monteverde with Ocotea Group](https://www.ocoteahotel.com/) [Privacy & Cookies](https://www.ocoteahotel.com/privacy)| [Terms & Conditions](https://www.ocoteahotel.com/about)