Each journey to Monteverde brings something different. That’s the beauty and the joy of living a life intertwined with thriving and untamed wilderness. But the dream we have for your stay with us in Monteverde is something that remains the same time after time.
Below, you can read an article that lays out what we hope everyone gets the chance to experience in Monteverde, starting from the moment you arrive, and continuing through your moments of exploration, adventure, and tranquility, and on into the things you take with you when you leave.
The journey up into the mountains of Monteverde is always a moment of passage and transition. The lowland heat gives way to the crisp, cool breeze of the mountain air, and no matter the route you take to get here, you will pass vistas of the mountains, the forests, and the sea that can take your breath away.
After this journey up into the mountains, your time in Monteverde has truly begun, and we strive to make your transition into the natural tranquility here as smooth as the first breath of clean mountain air. Arriving at the hotel, you’re already surrounded by our living gardens, which merge into the mountain forest around us.
You’re given a warm welcome from a friendly face at the front desk, who will be attentive to all of your needs while you’re with us. There’s a refreshment waiting for you if you like, and you’re soon settled in your room, far from any stress of the road, to enjoy the cool comfort of your room or take a moment to collect yourself on your terrace.
This immediate transition into the comfort of travel and vacation is an important part of your journey here. Things are different in Monteverde from anywhere else in Costa Rica, and they should feel unmistakably different from the first moment you arrive with us.
Once you’re settled in and getting your feet underneath you, there are dozens of options for what comes next. Depending on the time of day, you might stop by the rooftop bar for a cocktail, visit Nectandra restaurant for lunch or dinner, lounge on your terrace, check in at the front desk for recommendations and help with reservations, or even set out for an activity if you’d scheduled one with us beforehand.
The specifics of the order and the activity aren’t necessarily what matters here. Every journey to Monteverde is different, and if you let yourself follow your instinct, it can be intensely personal. But during your stay, there are five major moments to be found in every Monteverde experience, and we’re here to help you in any way we can.
For some of us, the moment we rise up above the lowland forests and catch a glimpse of the mountains ahead of us is awe-inspiring enough to leave long-lasting memories, and there are countless other opportunities to discover the wonders of a world where wilderness intertwines with civilization.
Every time that you set foot onto the trails, you have the chance to encounter birds, trees, and wildlife found nowhere else on earth. With each guided walk, night or day, you have a chance to come face to face with fascinating creatures or vibrant plant life and come to know their struggles, their victories, and the complexities of their existence.
Even simply finding a new viewpoint at just the right time of day reveals the wonder all around you — and whatever this moment of true discovery looks like for you, it is almost certain to happen throughout your stay.
The Ocotea Boutique Hotel, your home base for your stay, has been built to promote moments of true serenity. It is far from the busier roads at the center of town, and the ambiance inside is soft, welcoming, and elegant, especially on your room’s private balcony or terrace. The back garden is sheltered and protected, and the front garden blends into the wilderness that comes right up to the doors of your room.
At any time, you can find a moment of relaxation, peace, and serenity within the fresh, airy spaces of the Ocotea Hotel, but there is serenity to find all around you. Settling in on a secluded bench to watch the sun fall across the sky, taking a moment of silence to let the sounds of the forest surround you, visiting spas and studios to indulge in your favorite wellness practice — there are serene spaces everywhere.
No matter where you go, you’ll often find that simply stopping for a few moments, you can take in the sense of true peace of this place, one which will remain with you for a long time.
There are thrilling adventures everywhere you look in Monteverde. Most famous are Monteverde’s selection of canopy tours, where you can soar high above the forest floor at heart-pounding speeds. These experiences (along with thrills like Tarzan Swings) are certainly one way to step out of your comfort zone for a memorable adventure, but they’re not the only ones.
Venturing into the misty forests on a new trail, and earning the gorgeous views and discoveries that you make on the way can be just as enthralling without the adrenaline. Setting out for a night hike, relying on your guide and your flashlight as you explore the jungle and reveal creatures hidden to the naked eye is another way to immerse yourself in adventure.
Even just trying a new experience, like riding on horseback across the rolling mountainside, or stepping into a butterfly garden, can be opportunities we would never have at home and ones that can help turn your journey into something extraordinary.
Travel is a chance to open our eyes to new ways of seeing the world, new adventures, and new experiences, but it’s also a chance to treat yourself. We work to make your accommodations, your tours and excursions, and your meals and libations throughout the trip all of the highest standard here at the Ocotea Boutique Hotel, and that’s just within the hotel.
There are other excellent opportunities to indulge and enjoy a personal reward to mark the occasion. Monteverde’s culinary offering has taken on a rich identity of its own in the past decade, and we’ll be happy to recommend other places to dive into this fresh, high-quality cuisine. The spa and wellness treatments in the region are second to none and draw from the rich, clean environment around us.
For some of us, luxury simply looks like taking a moment of unstructured time to read in the garden, with your fresh cappuccino steaming in the morning light and breakfast delivered right to your table. Whatever your vision of delight and luxury, we encourage you to find it, and we’re here to help.
Finally, perhaps the most powerful moment you can have during your time in Monteverde is a moment of genuine connection. Ironically, these moments are also the most unpredictable and can come in the smallest of ways.
It can be as small as watching an industrious honeybee pollinate a flower, or listening to the song of a bird perched in our Ocotea tree. It can be a moment of silence as a band of coatis crosses your path on the trails, or truly looking at an orchid as you pass, with all its complexity.
Perhaps you’ll share a laugh with your shuttle driver, dive deep into the knowledge of the reserve with a naturalist guide, or connect with a local artist over a profoundly beautiful painting. Sharing stories on the rooftop with fellow travelers, chatting with the staff as you prepare for an excursion, asking your server about where the food on your plate came from… the list goes on.
But what these moments require, even more so than all of the others we’ve mentioned above, are an open heart and a sense of curiosity. If you can approach your trip in this way, Monteverde and all its secrets and wonder will be open to you.
We hope that when it comes time for you to leave Monteverde, whether that’s for home or another part of Costa Rica, you’ve gotten to experience all that Monteverde has to offer, in the form of the moments we’ve laid out above.
We make a point of not making too many promises about the specifics of what you’ll experience while you’re here. The tours, the trails, the meals — those can be controlled, but we live in a place of untamed, glorious wilderness, and the wild doesn’t operate on a tour schedule.
That’s why instead, we focus on the kinds of moments you can find here, and with intention, you can find moments of discovery and wonder, true serenity, eye-opening adventure, delight and luxury, and genuine connection every single time you come to Monteverde.
And if you open your heart and keep your curiosity alive, you’ll leave having learned just a little more about why we love this place deeply.
To learn more about Monteverde and all that it has to offer, or to start planning your own trip, you can reach out to us at info@ocoteahotel.com.