Hip. Helpful. Happy.

Pension Santa Elena, in Monteverde, is THE place for the budget traveler backpacker. This Monteverde hotel staff is famous world-wide for their accommodating, effective advice. From booking activities to arranging even the most complex transportation…. from “what should I wear…boots or sandals?” to “is this really all it says it is?”….the staff at The Pension has got you covered.

The common room is always humming with an assortment of laid-back, smiling travelers. Bohemic artwork and murals cover the walls. One chalk-scrawled wall acts as a canvas for poems, old school movie quotes, or traveler inspired songs. The rooms are very clean and simple. Wi-Fi and computers are available.

If you get a hankering for a burrito, The Pension’s Taco Taco stand has the cheapest & tastiest food in Santa Elena. Eat your quesadilla and lounge in the sun-drenched hammock.

Don’t forget to introduce yourself to Ran & Shannon, the brother-sister tag team that own & operate The Pension.

Good food, good folks, good trip. Have fun! at the coolest Monteverde Hotel.

Check them out at: Best Monteverde Hotel for Budget Travelers and Backpackers

The freshest cup of coffee in Costa Rica….roasted by YOU!

Out of all the coffee tours in Costa Rica…Finca Flor Mar is best experience bar-none. This family owned and operated farm invites tourists into their home for a homecooked meal & on-the-spot roasted coffee….the catch is that YOU roast the coffee & get an authentic, hands-on Tico cooking lesson!

Take a guided excursion around the farm with the owner, Ken Lander, as he shares with you the farm’s organic and sustainable processes, step-by-step. Finca Flor Mar’s non-traditional, innovative techniques have brought organic, environmentally friendly, community conscious, sustainable practices into the small town of San Rafael. The switch to non-chemical, biodegradable, water-conserving, non-polluting practices is helping to preserve the beautiful country of Costa Rica for generations to come.

Finca Flor Mar is located on the outskirts of Monteverde. Ken picks up groups (in his very cool 1970 Jeep…you will feel like you are in a movie!) at the Pension Santa Elena and brings you out to the farm. You will tour the Costa Rica coffee plantation, learn about organic coffee growing, harvesting, and drying. Then join the Landers in their home to roast coffee and learn the secret ingredients in Gallo Pinto (the signature Tico rice & beans). Ken’s friendly daughter and son-in-law come over for their daily 4 o’clock cup of freshly roasted joe & talk with the day’s visitors.

 Finca Flor Mar is also said to have the best coffee in Costa Rica. All the finest Monteverde restaurant serve their organic Costa Rican coffee exclusively.

This is a truly unique experience and a peek into real-life Costa Rica today. Go visit and bring home to your friends the best coffee of Costa Rica that you roasted on the coolest farm in the country.

Moon Shiva is a Mediterranean style restaurant in the heart of Monteverde - Santa Elena. A simple but tasty menu mixed with Live Music at night makes for the coolest vibe in town. Enjoy local musicians & out-of-town talent, flamenco guitar to creative Sublime covers. The owner and staff of this awesome Monteverde restaurant are super friendly and always accommodating.

Downstairs is the Moon Shiva Lounge Bar. Live Music & Guest DJ’s rock out this local’s hangout with salsa, house, and more. Weekend nights, this is the place to be in Monteverde - Santa Elena. Make some new friends, have a juicy cocktail, shake your booty on the dance floor. Meet the locals, introduce yourself to fellow travelers. All with a good clean but lots-of-fun feel.

You can learn more about this Monteverde restaurant at www.moonshiva.com. Moon Shiva was opened by a Israeli family and recently sold to an American. What was already the one-stop place for a delicious dinner & a good party, is only getting better. Old & young, families & singles, any country, any language, make sure you make it to Moon Shiva when you visit Monteverde, Costa Rica.

Monteverde Costa Rica

Monteverde Costa Rica is a peaceful mountain town edging the Cloud Forest. Founded by Quakers in 1951, Monteverde Costa Rica is filled with a peace loving and environmentally friendly population.  Numerous preserves, ecological tours, and wildlife education programs make Monteverde Costa Rica the most popular eco-tourist destination in Costa Rica.

Monteverde Costa Rica is about 100 miles (170 km) northeast of San Jose.  Allow yourself at least 3 ½ hours to drive up the mountain to Monteverde Costa Rica.  You should plan to stay for at least one night, although a week in Monteverde Costa Rica would provide you with endless activities. The roads are unpaved and can be very muddy during the rainy season.  Monteverde Costa Rica and its sister town of Santa Elena Costa Rica is bordered by two beautifully preserved Cloud Forest Reserves which are available for tours.  Well maintained paths expand 13 km and range in skill level.  The guides are trained and very helpful.  They point out amazing natural details, unique to Monteverde Costa Rica, which would be impossible to see on your own.   Hiking, canopy tours, horseback riding, coffee tours, and ATV rentals are all activities available in Monteverde Costa Rica.  Environmental and wildlife education is also offered in Monteverde Costa Rica at The Monteverde Institute, Butterfly Gardens, Serpentarium, Frog Pond, and countless other locations.

The Quaker’s peace loving and self-sustaining influence on Monteverde Costa Rica is tangible.  Through the years the Quakers have opened the Monteverde Cheese Factory, the Friends School for children, the Children’s Eternal Rain Forest, and the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve. When visiting Monteverde Costa Rica, make sure to stop and experience some of the superb ice cream at the Monteverde Cheese Factory.

Wildlife in Monteverde Costa Rica is abundant and impressive.  The Quetzal, a magnificent and rare bird, is found in the Cloud Forest along with hummingbirds and 400 other bird species.  You will also find over 100 species of mammals, and if you are lucky, you may even see the rare and elusive Jaguar that still can be found in Monteverde Costa Rica.  490 varieties of beautiful butterflies adorn the 2,500 species of plant in Monteverde Costa Rica.

Monteverde Costa Rica joins with the small towns of Santa Elena and Cerro Plano to create a community of restaurants, hotels, and art galleries.  Live music and dancing is common in Monteverde Costa Rica bars and coffee shops.  Local artists and farmers provide crafts, art, food, and coffee to Monteverde Costa Rica stores. Art co-ops and community art centers provide lessons to anyone who would like to learn some of these artisan trades.

For Information on Hotels and Accommodations in or around Monteverde Costa Rica: