Private Guided Tour of Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve
This guided tour will take you to the lesser known Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve. The main draw of this nature reserve is that it is less busy than other more popular reserves in Monteverde.
Along the trails at the Santa Elena Reserve, you can see many types of birds, including the rare Resplendent Quetzal. Animals are harder to spot, though it’s possible to see things like snakes, monkeys, and many interesting insects.
The surrounding environment at the Reserve is spectacular. Grand trees tower toward the sky, covered in layers of thick moss and lichens. Vines drape down to the jungle floor. A tropical flower or plant add an occasional burst of color to the all-green surrounds.
One of the main attractions is an Observation Tower with views of Tenorio Volcano, Miravalles Volcano, and Rincón de la Vieja. You also can see Arenal Volcano and Lake Arenal in the distance on clear days.
This is a private tour so you will have your own guide. In general, the trails are easy to moderate in difficulty, though the guide can cater the tour to your needs.
Tour Details
Cost of Private Tour: $62 per person + 13% tax + entrance fee. You will pay your own entrance fee on the day of the tour ($18 pp adults, $12 pp students, $9 pp children ages 8-12). Free for children 5 and under.
Offered: 7:30 a.m.
Duration: 3 hours (approximate)Â
Includes: Private certified, bilingual naturalist guide with spotting scope.
*Transportation available for an additional charge. We will let you know the cost from your hotel or vacation rental by email after you request a booking.
To learn more about the Santa Elena Reserve, read our post, Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve: Uncrowded Nature.
Have a question?
Send us an email at bookings(at)
Two Weeks in Costa Rica, Inc. is registered with the State of Florida as a Seller of Travel. Fla. Seller of Travel Ref. No. ST41024.
Stephen Frey (Verified Customer) –
Outstanding guide (Derniet) who educated us about the cloud forest ecosystem and helped us spot of few animals including his favorite tarantula. We appreciated his knowledge and enthusiasm. The tour was more about the forest/jungle than wildlife. (Birding at Curi-Cancha was better for the wildlife).
Note: it’s quite a bumpy ride to the park. Go slow! We combined this with Selvatura next door which I would recommend so you only have to drive up once!
Thomas Flottman (Verified Customer) –
We booked two cloud forest tours with Two Weeks in Costa Rica. We just completed our second tour today with our guide Dernierth Rodriguez. His knowledge of Santa Elena Reserve and Curi Cancha Cloud Forest was incredible. We highly recommend TWICR web site for tours, hotel recommendations and as a general source for good information.
Martin Jenkins (Verified Customer) –
Amazing to see the cloud forest. Very different from anything else we have seen in the world. Johnny was a great guide.
John (Verified Customer) –
It was an amazing experience. Esteban provided a lot of information about the Reserve. This included some of the history (which put much of what we were seeing in perspective) and ecology. He has a lifelong fascination with birds and their calls and songs — to the point where he was actually able to bring them closer to us. His passion about the park is very contagious.
I cannot imagine a having a better experience with a guide.
Two Weeks in Costa Rica was very easy to work with. We did three private tours with them in three days. They were very responsive and informative. They checked off all the boxes as a tour service, as far as I am concerned.