This post is just an excuse to show you more views of the area around Monterverde—because why not?!
I missed seeing the sunset views my first night in Monteverde since I arrived late at night after an unplanned hospital visit. I could feel the mountains despite the pitch darkness beyond the road ahead of me. Feeling mountains but not seeing them is such a tease!
Early during my first day in Monteverde, I got to see layered mountain views looking East toward Arenal Volcano while hiking the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve. I wanted to see more!
I couldn’t wait to catch my first sunset views. I was also looking forward to seeing more roadside mountain views during the daytime since I missed them on the way in. I’m glad I got to experience both on my last night in Monteverde and as I left the region the next morning.
Where Are The Best Monteverde Sunset Spots?
There are two main sunset spots that I learned about from locals in Monteverde. The above map marks the approximate locations of both.
The first sunset spot to the east on the above map is at Mirador Valle Escondido Preserve. You can park on the side of the road and then walk across the street for views out over the rolling hills and mountains. There’s a farm right in the foreground to add to the effect. There’s also tons of benches set up to watch in comfort.
The second sunset spot to the west on the above map is near a spot called Vista al Golfo. This spots was a little challenging to find, as it’s on a side road off of Route 606. One of the workers at the zipline named Errol tried to explain it to me but I didn’t find it at first. He said he’d be there playing guitar so I knew the first spot wasn’t it because there wasn’t a guitar player in sight! Once I did find it, however, I parked, went over a fence, and then down the hill to find a whole group of people and the best views of the sun dipping over Guanacaste Province.
The First Sunset Spot
I pulled up here first and found a bunch of tourists sitting in the benches here watching the sky change from blue to light pinks, lavender, and soft yellows.
I was enjoying the farm in the foreground and the hills that faded into the distant low-hanging clouds.
I was a bit dissatisfied with this view. The sun was setting far off to the right. I felt I would mostly miss it here and thought I should try to put in more effort to find the viewpoint that Errol told me about.
The Better Sunset Spot
I backtracked to where I thought he suggested to go. I explored up a little, side, dirt road and found where lots of motorbikes were parked. Ah-ha! This is probably where the locals were.
Sure enough, I saw an outcropping over the fence and down the hill. A bunch of people were already gathered among the rocks strewn about there. The views felt closer than the other spot—a clearer and more direct view of the setting sun and like I was looking through binoculars at the layers of mountains. There was so much more detail to see here.
As I stood there soaking things in, I could hear someone playing guitar. I immediately remembered that Errol mentioned he would be there playing there. That must be him! I went a little closer and sure enough, Errol it was along with a few other zipline workers and tourists he had invited along.
I stayed well past sunset, sitting among the rocks and new friends. We chatted in English, French, and Spanish. I was immediately transported back to my time in Akureyri in Northern Iceland. In Iceland, I was with a bunch of backpackers from all over the world. We climbed a hill behind the city and there was guitar playing and singing and drinking and chatting into the night—just like here.
What a wonder if was, to feel a parallel to a moment and location so far away both in time and place. Not so much had changed since then and yet everything had.
The Morning Drive West
The next morning, I got a fairly early start. I had a long drive ahead and made sure to fuel up both Blanca (my new white Geeley) and myself—with some delicious local baked goods! this was the best empanada ever! And I paired it with a sweet treat that I now do not remember the name of.
I was immediately taken back by the views on my drive West along Route 606.
I couldn’t believe what I saw—I had missed so much driving up here at night!
I was so impressed, I attempted to record what it was like on this drive. Not only were the views amazing, the drive was also extremely twisty and turny! I experience that on the way in, too, but this time I could actually see it! The video of what I captured is below.
In Conclusion
Of course I had to share more views around Monteverde! These sunset, mountain views were everything! They were a big reason why I came all the way to the area.
But now it was time for me to head to a different location. I had a long drive ahead but the destination was expected to fulfill another little adventure on my itinerary. While mountains are great, I couldn’t wait to get back to the coastline and into the water! Check back to see where I go next!
