There is no better way to travel to your next destination than our famous Land-Boat-Land transportation to Monteverde! This is a great way to add a little excitement to your transfer.
The day starts off when you are picked up from your Arenal hotel. You will be driven to the dam at Lake Arenal and then board the boat.
Lake Arenal is the largest lake in Costa Rica. Three times its original size, the lake was dammed in the 1970s for the purpose of providing hydroelectric power to Costa Rican residents. The lake is 33 miles sq or 85 km sq, but you will only be crossing the eastern section, which will take about 30 minutes. The scenic lagoon is surrounded by emerald green hillsides and jungle. Of course, the magnificent Arenal Volcano can also be observed on clear days.
When you reach the other side you will change to a van for the remainder of the transfer to Monteverde. Along the way you will pass through a couple small villages and make your way up into the cloud forest. This is a scenic and beautiful rural drive through the real Costa Rican countryside.
The road between the lake and Monteverde is unpaved and can be quite bumpy at times, so participants should have a good sense of adventure. In addition you should be prepared to carry luggage to and from the boat.
This transfer is often referred to as the Jeep-Boat-Jeep, but they have not used jeeps since the early 1990s. These days the transfers are done with more comfortable and safe tour vans.
In total the Land-Boat-Land transfer to Monteverde takes around 3 hours, though this is subject to change. When you arrive to Monteverde you will be dropped off at your local hotel. While this is partially a tour, the primary focus is a transfer that saves you several hours of driving.
IMPORTANT: Please note that you must carry on your own luggage from the vehicle to the boat and then again from the boat to the vehicle at the other side of the lake. There is an incline and decline on the ramp and trail. Also keep in mind that we have no control over the weather and that at times, it can be rainy, windy, and the trail may be muddy. We also offer direct land transfers, without the boat portion. Please let us know if this is a better option for you.
The Land Boat Land to Monteverde is available from Arenal, Arenal Zone 2, Arenal Zone 3, and Nuevo Arenal
Latitude: N 10° 27' 1.04"
Longitude: W 84° 45' 51.63"
01/31/2015
The boat ride was ok, not super exciting, but a different way to travel. The people on boat were very friendly.
01/26/2015
Didn't give this top rating because the boat side panels were kept down (not raining) and interfered with our view. We saw another boat with their sides up. Our boat put them up at the end of our trip!!
01/21/2015
There's not much to say. The folks got us to the boat landing, got us across the water and got us to the next vehicle to take us to Monteverde. The only reason I didn't give it a top 10 rating was because it was a bit confusing getting out of the vehicles with lots of other people and lots of luggage. It wasn't clear who was supposed to help with the luggage or what boat we should get into. But it all worked out. No real problems or complaints. Again, you can expect the bumpy roads and just enjoy the experience.
01/17/2015
A paved walkway from the busses to the boat would have been nice. We're also quite surprised they haven't installed a dock to moor the boats.
01/14/2015
not a tour bur rather moving from one place to another - it was efficient
12/30/2014
Wonderful scenery and landscape.
12/20/2014
Nothing exciting, just getting from one place to another. Guides didn't point out much, but there was not much to point out. Better than driving for hours, though. Slipped walking up muddy hill exiting boat.
12/01/2014
This was enjoyable although the road to Monteverde was very rough it was interesting. My daughters wallet was left at the store half way and your company returned it to her an hour or so later...money and ID intact. Your company is Number 1 with us for this reason as well as your attention to detail...this trip was seamless.
11/22/2014
There was an unexpected hike down a hill with our luggage to get to the boat