For rainy days
and with kids

How to use this guide

This guide is for the hours when rain or fog spoil the trails, and for travelling with children: short, guided visits close to the centre. The Frog Pond, the Orchid Garden and the Serpentarium are in Santa Elena; the Butterfly Gardens and The Bat Jungle, in Cerro Plano. The Bat Jungle and the Orchid Garden take about 45 minutes each, so two or three visits fit into a morning or an afternoon.

Order them by the light. With some sun, go to the Butterfly Gardens first: butterflies fly more in mid-morning. If the day is overcast, start with The Bat Jungle or the Orchid Garden, which you tour with a magnifying glass. Leave the Frog Pond for the evening: the frogs are more active, and the ticket, about $20, usually lets you return another day that week.

With children, the bats, the butterflies and the rescued sloths at the Selvatura sanctuary work well; the sanctuary is inside Selvatura Park and fits if you are already going there. If you can only pick two, choose The Bat Jungle and the Butterfly Gardens. The Hummingbird Gallery, next to the entrance of the Monteverde Reserve, is free and fits before or after your entry slot at the reserve.

Tips

• The Butterfly Gardens and The Bat Jungle take visitors without booking; at the Orchid Garden the average wait is about 20 minutes, less if you book online.
• The Orchid Garden has 300 m of accessible paths, and children under 6 go free.
• To see wild sloths, the night walks and the Refugio usually find them too.
• Bring a rain jacket in any season: fog and cool air are year-round.