Hotel Las Orquideas

Monteverde & Santa Elena


Surrounded by forest yet only 500m from Santa Elena town, Nidia's lovely little hotel is a pleasant base for your explorations. There’s not a lot going on in the older guest rooms, but newer, larger habitations (US$20 extra) have queen beds and nice TVs. Gorgeous grounds have lots of wildlife and a new mirador to check out the neighboring waterfall.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Monteverde & Santa Elena attractions

1. Ranario

0.4 MILES

Returning to its former glory as the Ranario, or Frog Pond (it's changed names a few times), this place also features an insect house. The frogs are still…

2. Iglesia

0.53 MILES

A local landmark in the center of Santa Elena. The adjacent roasted-chicken shack apparently has no religious affiliation.

3. Herpetarium Adventure

0.54 MILES

For those who prefer their reptiles under glass (or at least behind it), a guide will show you around and introduce you to more than 50 species of…

4. Butterfly Garden

0.56 MILES

Head here for everything you ever wanted to know about butterflies. There are four gardens representing different habitats; they're home to more than 40…

5. Jardín de Orquídeas

0.58 MILES

This sweet-smelling garden in Santa Elena has shady trails winding past more than 500 types of orchids. On your guided tour, you’ll see such rarities as…

6. El Arbol Hueco

0.92 MILES

There's no sign, no website, and last we checked, nobody was collecting any money for this delightful roadside attraction. It's simply a hollowed-out fig…

7. Bat Jungle

1.07 MILES

The Bat Jungle in Monteverde is a small but informative exhibit, with good bilingual educational displays and a habitat housing almost 100 free-flying…

8. Friends Meeting House

1.49 MILES

This simple meeting house in Monteverde is the ‘church’ of the American Society of Friends, or the Quakers, who first settled this area and committed to…