Monteverde, Costa Rica is a high-altitude region known for its luscious cloud forest, adventurous activities, and plentiful wildlife. Perched in the Puntarenas Province, Monteverde is the cloud forest equivalent of an oasis amidst a mountainous horizon.
When approaching where we were going to stay, I used trusty booking.com, one of my favorite resources for accommodations, mostly due to their flexibility in cancellation. I skimmed the options available for our dates, and ultimately I chose a family-owned collection of cabins named Cabañas Bosques de Paz. Not only were the prices reasonable, but the photos were enticing, location was fairly good, and the reviews had me sold.
Our first night, we were arriving well past check-in time. I'd contacted the hotel beforehand, and they were incredibly accommodating. They sent me a clear email letting me know that a security guard would be holding onto our key when we arrived. Thankfully, everything went incredibly smoothly. The security guard showed us to our room, and we were ready to sleep! Our room was clean and fairly spacious. I loved the treated wood, which gave our room a rustic and authentic feel. There was no TV, no hot water maker, or closet, but there was a small table with glasses, a small refrigerator, and cubbies for storage.
Note: This is probably not the place for you if you are looking for a 5-star resort type hotel with tons of amenities, room service, and plush robes. We didn't spend much time in our hotel, but it was still comfortable enough for us.
I peeked out of the curtain at around 5:30AM the next morning to peep the sunrise and admire the view - it was gorgeous! I was so exhausted I immediately went back to bed, only to wake up less than an hour later to get ready and head to the reception area for breakfast.
In the daylight, we were able to see the lush vegetation surrounding us, along with exotic flowers and a stunning view. The photos I'd seen online were pretty accurate, both of the grounds and the room. We walked the dirt path from our room, past a couple bungalows, and up the small hill to the reception area. The area was completely transformed from the dodgy off-roading experience we'd had the night before. There was a definite serenity surrounding the hotel, and we quickly realized we'd found a diamond in the rough.
Breakfast began at 7AM, and there were a handful of hotel guests already seated in the dining area. Natural light flooded the room, almost completely encased in floor-to-ceiling windows. We were warmly welcomed, as if we were having breakfast in our own home. Only a couple minutes after choosing a table, we were given a plate of fresh fruit, freshly squeezed fruit juice, and hot coffee. I'm entirely a breakfast person, so this was quite a treat for me! Once we finished the fruit, we were given the savory part of the breakfast. We discovered that guests are fed breakfast based on the night of their stay. Our first breakfast, we had the pancakes above (They were DIVINE). Our second breakfast was ham and eggs, but we noticed a new family that had just arrived were eating pancakes.
The food was great, and perfectly portioned for us. However, the real stars of the morning were the special guests...
We were greeted by wild monkeys and coatis (a relative of the raccoon) that live nearby. They are not domesticated, but it is obvious they have a great relationship with the family who owns the hotel. If a guest left any toast on their plate, it wasn't wasted and was fed to the coatis! We were all enthralled by their presence, playfulness and boldness with us. Some of the monkeys even started opening the sliding door to come inside.
One of my favorite parts of our second breakfast (shown above) was the fresh fruit compote. The hotel used mangoes, pineapple, papaya and spices to create an amazing topping for our toast. It felt really special, and we knew it was homemade.
Above you will see a photo of our cabin during the day. Our room was the one on the right, so we took that gravel path around to the door. Below, you'll see the picturesque metal staircase between one of the rooms and the dining room, also pictured below on the right.
Overall, we had a short but lovely stay at Cabañas Bosques de Paz. This family-owned collection of cabins is the perfect getaway in the cloud forest, full of warm hospitality, good food and unrivaled views. It was a very special experience, and I'm glad I chose a place where I could get a more authentic Monteverde experience!
Until next time,
Happy wandering!
