Bar Amigos

Monteverde & Santa Elena


With picture windows overlooking the mountainside, this Santa Elena mainstay evokes the atmosphere of a ski lodge. But there are DJs, karaoke and pool tables plus sports on the screens. This is the one consistent place in the area to let loose, so there’s usually a good, rowdy mix of Ticos and tourists.

The food, such as the chifrijo (rice and pinto beans with fried pork and capped with fresh tomato salsa and corn chips), is surprisingly good.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Monteverde & Santa Elena attractions

1. Iglesia

0.04 MILES

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

2. Jardín de Orquídeas

0.12 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…

3. Ranario

0.17 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…

4. Herpetarium Adventure

0.18 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…

5. El Arbol Hueco

0.42 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…

6. Butterfly Garden

0.62 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…

7. Bat Jungle

1.03 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

1.56 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…