Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve is a magical place, much of the forest canopy is so dense that almost no light penetrates, and the effect is total immersion in nature. The dirt tracks keep the forest feeling wild, and the atmosphere is one of mystery.
We weren’t lucky enough to experience cloud making its way into the forest, but if you do luck out, I can only imagine how incredible it would be. This is one place that really benefits from cloudy, misty conditions - so don’t be put off by cloud and rain - the canopy will shield you from the worst of it anyway.
There are several different walking trails inside the forest, ranging from short and fairly easy, to a little more challenging. Here’s everything you need to know about visiting Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve.
Things to know before visiting Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve
1. The trails are somewhat rustic
Unlike neighbouring Monteverde Cloud Forest, the longer trails at Santa Elena Reserve are quite rustic. You won’t find much in the way of concrete (although some sections are paved), and this means things can get a little muddy, particularly in the rainy season.
However, what this also means is that the whole forest feels much more wild. The dirt paths blend in with the surroundings and the result is that everything feels much more natural.
Even though the trails are a bit less manicured, there isn’t much in the way of challenging terrain (slippery ups and downs) it’s more that it can be uneven and potentially muddy. Personally we found it much more enjoyable than walking at Monteverde precisely because it had that wild feel.
The shorter trails have a bit more gravel track, so if you don’t like idea of dirt tracks then you can stick to the shorter options.
2. It’s not easy to spot wildlife without a guide
Unless you go with a guide, or you get incredibly lucky, you’re not likely to see much in the way of wildlife, or even birdlife. As well as much of the wildlife being nocturnal, it’s also hard to spot things because the forest is so dense.
We heard the frequent rustling of birds and animals inside the forest, but every time we stopped to try and identify what was causing it, we’d see leaves moving as whatever it was scampered further into the dense foliage.
We did see some birds, particularly hummingbirds, but otherwise it was slim pickings. We were ok with that because the forest was utterly spectacular and we were happy simply to wander the trails, but if you are hoping to see wildlife, then it’s best to hire a guide.
We didn’t take a guide, but if we were to, I would opt for one of the sunrise or sunset tours, when wildlife is most active. Guides must be booked at least one day in advance, which you can do on the reserve’s website.
3. It’s best visited on a cloudy day
You might not normally hope for clouds on holiday, but when it comes to Santa Elena, that’s exactly what you should do. There is nothing like seeing a cloud forest as the mist rolls in, and we’d take cloud and rain over sunshine any day. We were lucky to experience some incredible cloud at Monteverde, but sadly the weather held at Santa Elena.
That didn’t mean it wasn’t beautiful, but it didn’t have quite that same air of mystique. However, due to just how dense the forest is and the way that the canopy tends to loom over the trail, most of the sun is kept out of the forest (unlike Monteverde).
This means that even in the sunshine it is still very special, but if you do have a cloudy day, you are going to be in for a treat.
4. Visitor numbers are capped
At time of writing daily visitor numbers at the reserve are capped. Unlike Monteverde that has a cap on how many people can be in the reserve at one time, but not on the number of people per day, Santa Elena has a maximum number of people that can visit in one day.
Even in peak season (when we visited) there was still plenty of spaces, so it’s not something you probably need to worry about. But we’d still recommend heading to the reserve in the morning to make sure that you don’t get unlucky. They’re not currently accepting online reservations for self guided walks, although this might change in the future as it did at Monteverde.
5. You can’t bring single use plastic or food into the reserve
In order to protect the pristine environment you cannot take single use plastic or food into the forest. You can take reusable water bottles and there is a cafe inside the reserve where you can buy food. You can also have a picnic at the tables by the car park if preferred.
6. The trail signs can be misleading
Firstly, all the trail distances on the maps are based on where the track begins and not all trails begin at the visitor centre. This means that some trails start as an offshoot from another track and therefore each walk is longer than stated on the map; not by that much, but enough that we noticed it as we walked several trails.
As well as this, some of the trails had signs saying that you had to go a particular direction, with no entry signs that were not marked on the original maps or at the trailheads.
This meant for us, when trying to walk the Cano Negro trail, that we had to abort as we got to a no entry sign and reluctantly obeyed, meaning we had to shorten our walk.
We later saw a guide (employed by the reserve) who said we should have ignored the sign and continued the trail - so if the same happens to you, just ignore the no entry sign!
Santa Elena Walking Trails
Santa Elena has four loops tracks. Before visiting, we thought there would be a way of doing all the trails in one go, but we realised that as they are concentric circles, you would have the same stretches of certain sections multiple times.
For example, for both the Del Bajo (yellow) or the Caño Negro Trail (red), you have to do the start of the Youth Challenge (green) and the end of the Encantado (blue).
So it makes more sense to pick either a small loop - Youth Challenge - 1.7km, medium loop - Encantado 4.1km or Del Bajo 2.7km, or longest loop (Caño Negro).
As well as the trails below, there is also a short path of just under 500m which has been made fully accessible and is suitable for people with disabilities.
The Encantado Trail - the blue trail
Distance: 4.1km loop
Elevation: 175m
Difficulty: Moderate
Of the three trails we walked in the reserve, the Encantado Track was by far our favourite. It’s a touch more rustic than the other two mentioned below and as a result sees fewer visitors (although no trails in Santa Elena were crowded).
The forest is especially dense and the huge trees loom over the path blocking almost all light. This helps you feel truly immersed in the forest. It has a wild jungle vibe, which can be lacking on some of the more manicured trails in Costa Rica’s cloud forests.
I fell in love with this walk and didn’t want the trail to end. In terms of track conditions it’s a bit more rustic than some, with a little bit of mud (which would be worse in the rainy season) and a few hills, although nothing I’d call steep.
Very minor sections were a touch slippery, but nothing too challenging - and I’m not a fan of slippery tracks!
Overall, I’d say if you don’t want to take on the longer Caño Negro Track, but want to get into the heart of the reserve, pick this one.
Youth Challenge - the green trail
Distance: 1.7km loop
Elevation: 75m
Difficulty: Easy, but not flat
If you happen to be visiting on a day when Volcan Arenal has decided to come out from under the clouds, then a visit to the viewing tower on the Youth Challenge Trail is a must.
A quick jaunt up the 69 metal steps will take you to the top of the lookout with wonderful views over the cloud forest and out to Arenal Volcano.
Despite the fact we had a clear day at Santa Elena, Arenal was still hiding on our visit, but we saw from the picture that it would be a lovely (if distant) view.
There’s a second lookout just 200m beyond the tower and also plenty of time in the beautiful forest. However, as part of this trail is paved and it’s more manicured than others (there’s also plenty of gravel path), it doesn’t have quite the same wild feel. This is one for the views, but it won’t take you through the most spectacular part of the forest.
We’d therefore recommend it as an add on to another trail, but not the one to pick if you only want to do a single track.
In terms of difficulty, track conditions are generally excellent, but it’s mainly an up and down path - although switchbacks generally lessen the gradient. It’s not difficult by any means, but it’s not flat.
The Del Bajo - the yellow trail
Distance: 2.7km loop
Elevation: 130m
Difficulty: Easy, but not flat
The Del Bajo Trail is a little bit different, and will especially to appeal to you if you love a bit of forest bathing.
Part way along you will reach a sign which invites you to big up a rock from the basket (alas there were no rock on our visit, so I improvised with a stick), and you will ask the rock to carry your worries and negative thoughts as you make your way along the trail.
Along the way there will be more signs inviting you to think about different things, some taking you back to childhood and some about the present moment. It’s a lovely way to keep your attention wholly on what you are doing.
The trail is also a beautiful one, with stunning forest and a peaceful stream. There are some ups and downs, but nothing too challenging and there is plenty of flat track too.
The one that got away - Caño Negro, the red trail
The Caño Negro is the longest and most challenging trail in the reserve, and takes in a portion of several of the shorter walks mentioned above. This is the walk we started on when we came to the aforementioned ‘do not enter’ sign and turned back (which the ranger later told us we could have ignored). If you don’t mind a longer trail with more hills and slightly rougher terrain, it’s going to get you into parts of the reserve that fewer people visit.
Certainly the first 3km of the trail that we did walk (which forms part of the Encantado Track) was our favourite section of the whole reserve. It’s wild, beautiful and incredibly quiet. If we’re lucky enough to visit Santa Elena again in the future, it’s the first trail on our list.
Santa Elena Reserve Logistics
Opening hours and entry fees
The reserve is open between 7am and 3pm for self guided walks - although on our visit we were told we could stay in the reserve until 4.30pm (you just can’t enter after 3pm). If you are doing one of the special sunrise or sunset guided walks, you will enter 4.40am or 4.40pm respectively.
The entry fee for foreigners is:
Adult $18 | Senior Adult (+65) $15 | Student $12 | Children $9
Costa Rican nationals pay less.
Guided walks vary in price depending on which type of walk you’re doing and if it’s private or in a group.
How to get there and parking
Santa Elena Reserve is located 7km (20 minutes) from the town of Santa Elena (sometimes referred to as Monteverde town). The last 5.5km of the road is gravel, but a 4WD is not necessary (at least in the dry season). There were some bumps and potholes, but nothing our small car couldn’t handle when driven slowly.
The car park is free of charge and located right by the visitor centre.
Facilties
There are toilets and a cafe located inside the reserve (just a few minutes after you enter from the visitor centre). You can also fill your water bottle if you need a top up.
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