The two most-visited inland destinations in Costa Rica - and the realistic way to combine them with the coast.
Almost everyone wants to see Arenal and Monteverde. Far fewer people plan the route properly, and end up spending their holiday in a car. Here is how the two fit together.
Arenal is the classic Costa Rican volcano: a near-perfect cone above a lake, with hanging bridges, waterfalls and hot springs around it. It is the more accessible of the two - the town of La Fortuna has plenty of hotels and restaurants, and the activities are easy to arrange.
Monteverde is the cloud forest: cooler, mistier and much quieter. It is a different kind of place - dense, dripping, alive - and its suspension bridges and night walks are the best in the country for wildlife. It is also higher, so bring a layer.
Closer than they look on a map, and further than they feel. The direct route between them is a mix of paved and rough road, and the drive takes around three to four hours depending on conditions. Doing it in your own hired car, at the end of a long day, is where a lot of holidays go wrong.
The route that works, and the one we drive most: two nights in Arenal, two nights in Monteverde, then down to the Guanacaste coast for the rest of the trip. That gives you a full day in each place, avoids two long drives back to back, and finishes somewhere you can stop moving.
If you only have a week, it is still comfortable. If you have five days, pick one of the two rather than rushing both - you will enjoy it far more.
From Guanacaste, Arenal is a long but possible day - you will be in the vehicle for a large part of it. Monteverde as a day trip is not worth it: by the time you arrive, the best of the forest is behind you. Both deserve a night.
The hanging bridges are the signature walk - a series of suspension bridges through the canopy, with a genuine chance of sloths, toucans and howlers. La Fortuna waterfall is a steep set of steps down to a very photogenic pool. And the hot springs are the evening: several are built into the river system below the volcano, and the good ones feel like bathing in a jungle rather than a spa.
The cloud forest reserves are the point, and a guided walk is worth it here more than almost anywhere - the wildlife is dense but exceptionally well hidden. The night walk is the one people remember: the forest is a completely different animal after dark. Ziplines and hanging bridges here run through cloud rather than jungle, which is a strange and lovely thing.
Monteverde is cool and often wet whatever the season - that is what a cloud forest is. Arenal is warmer and greener in the wet months, when the waterfalls are at their most impressive but the volcano is more likely to be hidden in cloud. Neither is ruined by rain, and both are busier from December to April.
This is the classic case for a private multi-day trip: one driver-guide, one vehicle, a route planned so the driving days are sane, and someone else dealing with the roads. You spend your time in the places rather than getting to them.
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