Santa Elena (Costa Rica)

Free hike just east of town. Starts behind the gas station. Steep hike with a nice view at the top, weather permitting.

Ficus La Raiz is a natural oddity. A Ficus tree fell down across an opening above a stream, and didn't die but continued growing. Now the roots form a natural bridge as they cross the stream and reach down towards the water below. It's cute, it's quirky, it's cheap - worth stopping by if you have spare time in your day. Bring exact change - money is collected in an honor-system donation box where the trail starts in the parking lot. This is on private property, so please be respectful of the space and the people who live there.

Over 450 orchid species on site, with approx. 120 species in bloom on any given day. Entrance ticket includes a guided tour.

The Frog Pond, despite the name, does not have a pond. But it has a large room with many terrariums containing live frogs (and one toad!) representing various species that are native to Costa Rica. There's a second room with preserved insects on display, featuring species from all over the world. Your ticket lets you in to both rooms, twice in three days (once during daytime and once at night), and includes a guided tour through the frog room during one (not both) of the visits. Guided tours typically start at the top of each hour. Pro tip: take the tour during your daytime visit, when more of the frogs are asleep and harder to spot - the guides are great at finding them, in addition to providing a wealth of knowledge.

A waterfall, located between the center of town and the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. It's about a 15-20 min hike each way to/from the waterfall.

Easily the best known of the three local cloud forests, Monteverde has a lot to offer. Best to reserve tickets in advance. Pay attention on their website, as you buy tickets to different parts/trails of the park, with timed entry for each. If you want to do more than one trail, you will need more than one ticket. Also note they may turn you away if you arrive later than your scheduled time. Monteverde is accessible by public bus several times a day from the center, by scheduled transport 4-5 times daily, private car or transport, and even by walking - it's a decent distance from the center of town, but there are sidewalks most of the way along the main route.

The less-known but arguably better-value cloud forest option, Santa Elena Reserve offers a single ticket for all-day access to all of the park, all of the trails. There are 5 trails of varying lengths and difficulties, and if hiking is your thing, you could easily spend a full day at the park to explore them all. If you prefer to just hit the highlights, try the green ("Youth Challenge") trail and be sure to check out the Observation Tower - it offers 360-degree views, and if the clouds cooperate, you can see as far as Tenorio and Arenal volcanoes on the horizon.