Arenal to Monteverde Cloud Forest : taxi / boat / taxi shortcut
| There is quite a distance between the Arenal Volcano and the Monteverde Cloud Forest. By road it's 136 kilometers. La Fortuna (the village near the volcano) altitude is 350 meters above sea level, Monteverde is straddling the Continental Divide at 1,500 meters (that's why it's called a cloud forest). Because of the mountain range there is no direct route, you have to drive via Tilaran (see regional Arenal Map). The Arenal Volcano seen from Monteverde > |  |
This is why we offer this alternative taxi-boat-taxi shortcut. It's not designed as round trip: it's a fun way to get there. If you have a week to visit Costa Rica for example, you could spend a night or two in each destination: go to Arenal Volcano, visit the Monteverde Cloud Forest, go to a Pacific beach (like Tamarindo or Manuel Antonio) & then return to San Jose. You would have a chance to enjoy an active volcano, a mountain cloud forest, a sea level ecosystem and a city. Just enough to get you hooked, so you can plan a longer trip for your next visit to Costa Rica.
We can arrange a day round trip taxi-boat-taxi either from Monteverde or La Fortuna if it suits your itinerary but keep in mind that it takes 2.5 to 3 hours one way. We offer daily a/c mini bus shuttles hotel to hotel between more than 53 popular destinations in Costa Rica so you could go from Arenal to Monteverde with our taxi-boat-taxi and then move on to your next destination without backtracking to Arenal or the other way around if you wish.
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136 kilometers between Arenal and Monteverde Cloud Forest: 8 hours by bus, 4 hours if you drive a 4x4, 2.5 hours by taxi / boat / taxi |
Our fun taxi-boat-taxi shortcut operates daily, rain or shine (for passengers only, it's not a car ferry!) |
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Click on the photos with blue frames to see a larger image. More taxi-boat-taxi photos
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| #1- the village of La Fortuna in the foreground | #2- from the Dam | on the lake, from #2 |
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| between #2 and #3 | between #2 and #3 | between #2 and #3 |
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| View from #3, Rio Chiquito | between #3 and Monteverde | One of our mini buses a/c |
You can probably find some cheaper rates on the web but we think that your vacation time is precious so we use top of the line equipments and vehicles: you won't get stuck on the lake or in a remote dirt road waiting for hours for elusive help. All our drivers and captains are carrying a cellular and pager and can communicate at anytime with our office your hotel or with each other.
| Taxi/Boat/Taxi Schedules, Rates, and Online Booking Forms | ||
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| Taxi Boat Taxi Arenal to Monteverde | Pick up at hotels in Arenal, cross Lake Arenal by boat and head up to the Monteverde Cloud Forest | |
| Taxi Boat Taxi Monteverde to Arenal | The Taxi-Boat-Taxi service operates year round connecting Monteverde and Arenal two times daily with great views the whole way | |
Note if you don't use our taxi-boat-taxi shortcut and go by land: the road from La Fortuna to Tilaran is more or less in good condition but the one from Tilaran to Monteverde is really bumpy. A 4x4 is recommended especially in rainy season or if you are 4 people or more (because of the weight, your car will be too low, risking damage to the oil pan or suspension on the rocks and potholes). Driving time (scenic) is about 4 hours by 4x4, 5 hours by regular car (not possible in peak rainy season for a car, in September, October and November) or 8 hours by public busses (don't eat a big meal before you board the bus as you must change bus in Tilaran and will have more than an hour for lunch there). A taxi cost about $110 US for 4 persons, make sure you get a 4x4 if you hire one.
For your Monteverde Cloud Forest visit we think that you should plan at least 2 nights because there is many things to do in Monteverde & travel takes time in Costa Rica. Our other great Arenal to Monteverde shortcut: Horseback Adventure to Monteverde Cloud Forest
Back to Arenal / Monteverde transportation
