Senda Monteverde Mountain Lodge

Mountains
Forest
Wildlife
Foodies
Nature

Cloud forest lodge on the Continental Divide, with naturalist guides

Senda sits high on the Continental Divide above Monteverde, a short walk from town and minutes from the famous cloud forest reserve. Rooms are spread through gardens on a wooded hillside, with big windows, deep beds, hot showers and views across the highlands towards the Gulf of Nicoya. The restaurant, El Sapo, cooks hyper local food using Monteverde cheese, coffee and produce from smallholders nearby, and there is a terrace where hummingbirds feed a metre from your coffee cup.

Guests hike free in the Aguti Wildlife Reserve next door, a private patch of regenerating cloud forest where sloth, agouti, coati and hundreds of bird species live. The lodge's own naturalist guides run dawn bird walks and night walks, and can arrange ziplining, hanging bridges and the Children's Eternal Rainforest. From May to November the mist thickens and the canopy fills out, which is when birding here is at its best.

Sustainability

Climate & conservation

Protects habitat, Guests have free access to the neighbouring Aguti Wildlife Reserve, privately protected regenerating cloud forest.
Local or organic food, El Sapo cooks with cheese, coffee, dairy and vegetables from Monteverde smallholders.
Limits plastic use, Refillable water stations and amenity dispensers replace single use plastic bottles.

Community & culture

Employs local people, Staff and naturalist guides are recruited and trained from Monteverde and the surrounding highlands.
Supports local businesses, Tours, transport and produce are booked through Monteverde owned operators and farms.

Commercial

Reinvests back into the community and or environment, Cayuga Collection standards direct lodge spending and support into local conservation and community projects.

In brief

Price bracket: ££
Type of property: Mountain lodge
No. of rooms: 30 rooms and suites
Max guests per room: Superior rooms sleep 2; Senda Suite sleeps up to 6
Facilities: Restaurant, Bar, Wifi, Spa
Activities: Hiking, Birdwatching, Wildlife watching, Photography, Cultural visit, Horseriding, Cookery
Setting: Mountains, Jungle or forest

Best time to visit

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Good all year at cool cloud forest temperatures. May to November is wildlife season when mist thickens and bird activity peaks, while January to April is drier with clearer views.

Kids

Families are welcome, with larger suites sleeping up to six guests and guided walks that work well for children.

Accessibility

Some rooms sit on level ground near the main building, though the hillside gardens and forest trails involve slopes and steps.

££pp / night Visit website

Guide price · £ <£100 · ££ £100–300 · £££ £300–800 · ££££ £800+ pp / night