Arco Iris Lodge is a cluster of 20 stone-and-hardwood cabins on two and a half hectares of hillside garden, one block off the main road in Santa Elena, the town at the heart of the Monteverde area. You can walk to the bank, the supermarket and a dozen restaurants in a couple of minutes, yet the grounds back onto protected forest and some of the tallest trees near the village. It suits travelers who want a quiet, well-run base for the cloud forest reserves without needing a car every evening.
At a glance
| Location | Santa Elena, Monteverde, a 2-minute walk from the town center |
|---|---|
| Style | Family-run lodge of 20 cabins, from standard rooms to a honeymoon cabin and a house |
| Setting | 2.5 hectares of gardens, fruit trees and old forest on a hillside |
| Best for | Couples and families who want walkable town access plus birds in the garden |
| Getting there | From San José via the Inter-American Highway and Sardinal, then about 37 km uphill |
| CST status | Not in the official CST directory on 2026-Oct-21 |
Where it is
The lodge sits on the edge of Santa Elena. Its travel page gives the classic route from San José: north on the Inter-American Highway toward Puntarenas, a right turn at the Sardinal junction near kilometer 149, then about 37 km (21 miles) of mountain road up to Santa Elena. Past the Super Compro supermarket, a left at the next corner leads down a short cement driveway to the lodge.
The two big reserves are each about 3.5 miles (5.6 km) from Santa Elena, according to the lodge, and public buses and taxis run to both. The lodge can also book a shared or private shuttle, or the taxi-boat-taxi route across Lake Arenal to La Fortuna.
The setting
The hotel page describes landscaped grounds full of fruiting and flowering trees, crossed by stone paths and dotted with hanging swing chairs. Old-growth forest surrounds the property, and the lodge says it protects some of the tallest trees near the village. The Monteverde Orchid Garden, with about 450 species, is right next door.
The main building has the reception, a lounge with a small library, a lobby computer, a refill station for filtered water and, upstairs, the breakfast room with a view into the canopy. Wi-Fi reaches the whole property.
Cabins and rooms
The rooms page lists a wide range for a lodge of this size:
- Standard rooms: a double and a single bed, rain shower, safe, TV and a balcony or terrace.
- Superior rooms: two storeys, with a queen bed on each floor, a sofa bed upstairs, a fridge, and indoor and outdoor sitting areas. They sleep up to five.
- Two-bedroom cabins: one with a bathroom for up to four, and a larger one with two bathrooms and a bunk bed for up to six.
- Apartment: a queen bedroom, bunk and sofa bed in the living room, a kitchen, and a wheelchair-accessible bathroom.
- House: a detached cabin with two bedrooms, a full kitchen and a private garden with hammocks.
- Honeymoon cabin: a queen bed, a hot tub, a full kitchen and its own garden.
The lodge also rents a three-bedroom vacation house at a farm outside town with views of the Gulf of Nicoya, with a two-night minimum.
Breakfast
Breakfast is served from 6:30 to 9 a.m. as a buffet mixing European and Costa Rican dishes, with eggs cooked to order. According to the lodge, the eggs come from its own farm chickens, some fruit and vegetables from its organic garden, and the granola, sweet breads, yogurt and jams are made in house. Milk, cheese, honey and sausages come from local producers, and the coffee is roasted locally from a small cooperative in a neighboring village. For lunch and dinner, Santa Elena’s restaurants are a short walk away.
What to do
The lodge staff book tours and transport. Its Monteverde page points guests toward:
- Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve: the best known reserve, with timed entry and guided or self-guided walks on three trail circuits.
- Santa Elena Reserve: a community-run reserve at about 1,600 meters, a little higher and often mistier than Monteverde.
- Curi-Cancha Reserve: a private reserve of 83 hectares with about 10 km of trails, popular with birders.
- Hanging bridges and zip lines: Selvatura Park, about 4 miles from town, and 100% Aventura.
- Guided morning bird walks with a naturalist, plus night walks, coffee tours and horseback rides through local operators.
Birds and wildlife
The lodge’s birding page notes that the Monteverde area holds around 400 bird species, including the resplendent quetzal. In the garden, the breakfast room is a good place to watch for motmots, hummingbirds, tanagers and toucanets, and monkeys pass through the trees. No sighting is guaranteed, but the mix of old forest and fruit trees on the property draws a lot of activity.
Sustainability
The lodge’s sustainability page is a practical list. According to the lodge:
- Garden irrigation uses creek water through separate pipes, so no drinking water goes on lawns.
- Water is heated with instant gas or solar heaters, and laundry is line-dried when the weather allows.
- All organic waste and paper napkins are composted, and kitchen scraps feed the chickens.
- No drinks are sold in plastic bottles or cans, and Styrofoam and aluminum packaging are avoided.
- The orchard and garden use only organic pesticides and the lodge’s own compost.
- Trees on the property are protected and space is set aside for reforestation.
- The lodge supports the Code of Conduct against the sexual exploitation of children.
None of these claims is independently certified. Arco Iris does not appear in the official CST directory.
Who it suits
Arco Iris works well for travelers without a rental car, families who want a cabin with a kitchen, and couples who want a quiet garden after a day in the reserves. The variety of cabins makes it easy to fit groups of different sizes.
If you want to wake up inside the forest, away from town noise and traffic, look at the Monteverde Cloud Forest Lodge with its private trails, or Senda Monteverde. Browse all our Monteverde eco-lodges, and read our Monteverde cloud forest guide before you choose which reserve to visit.
Frequently asked questions
Can I walk from Arco Iris Lodge to restaurants in Santa Elena?
Yes. The lodge is about two minutes on foot from the center of Santa Elena, with its banks, supermarket, shops and restaurants.
Is breakfast included?
The lodge serves a buffet breakfast each morning from 6:30 to 9 a.m. Its rate sheet states that breakfast is included, but one listing on the same page says otherwise for the off-site vacation house, so confirm when you book.
How do I get to the Monteverde and Santa Elena reserves without a car?
Both reserves are roughly 3.5 miles from Santa Elena. Public buses and taxis leave from town, and the lodge staff can arrange transport and guides.
Which cabin is best for a family?
The two-bedroom cabins sleep four to six, the House has two bedrooms, a full kitchen and a private garden, and the wheelchair-accessible Apartment sleeps up to five.
