Monteverde and La Fortuna are both popular destinations when visiting Costa Rica. We visited both on our most recent trip and loved them! However, getting from Monteverde to La Fortuna can be a little tricky. While we took public transportation from Montezuma to Monteverde, we decided to spend a little more to simplify our transportation. We booked our transportation in downtown Monteverde for around $30. There are a ton of shops that offer it. To arrive to La Fortuna, you must cross Lake Arenal so the service is in 3 parts: van, boat, bus and the trip takes around 4 hours.
Read all about our Costa Rica travels here.
Getting from Monteverde to Lake Arenal
The shuttle picked us up at our hotel, the Monteverde Inn, and we stopped once at a convenience store / restaurant. The shuttle was a small van and was pretty crowded but more or less comfortable. This is the longest part of the trip.
Crossing Lake Arenal
Upon arrival at the lake we took a boat across Lake Arenal to La Fortuna. The lake is beautiful and the boat ride is nice. On a clear day you can see the volcano.
Getting from Lake Arenal to La Fortuna
It is a quick bus ride to the downtown hotels and hostels. This bus was nicer than the first, longer one. Our hotel was a little bit out of town but our host met the bus to pick us up.
Due to the location of our hotel and the activities we wanted to do in La Fortuna we rented a car once we arrived. We wish we would have rented a car for our entire trip like we did on our honeymoon. This is the best, cost-efficient way to get around the country.
Want more information on getting from Monteverde to La Fortuna? Check out the Costa Rica Lonely Planet here.
Happy Travels,
-Ray
