A quick guide on how to visit Monte Sky Mirador Ecologico (Ecological Viewpoint), a hiking reserve near Orosi in Costa Rica.
There are plenty of hiking spots in and around the Orosi Valley allowing you to explore the nature in this region. One of these is Mirador Ecologico Monte Sky (Monte Sky Ecological Viewpoint) – shortened to Monte Sky.
This is a private ecological reserve home to all kinds of birds and plant life along with hiking trails leading to beautiful waterfalls.
While hiking at Monte Sky is a little expensive, the views of the Orosi Valley are brilliant and, during the right season, the waterfalls impressive.
Read on for a quick yet comprehensive guide to hiking at Monte Sky in Costa Rica.
Hiking in Monte Sky
The first thing to know is that you must pay to enter Monte Sky, which, for foreign adults, costs 6,000 CRC ($12 US). The opening hours are Tuesday to Sunday 7:00-16:00 and last entry is 14:30.
The trails here are gentle and well-maintained, designed to attract all kinds of tourists, not just experienced hikers.
Main trails
There are 4 main trails at Monte sky. These are all beginner friendly and make up a total of 4.5 km. The Sendero Feliz (Happy Trail), Sendero Mirando el Cielo (Looking At The Sky Trail) and Sendero del Duende (Elf Trail) are all easy and lead to waterfalls.
The Sendero de Aves (Bird Trail) has steep sections and parts where you need to clamber over fallen tree trunks or push your way through thick foliage.
All the trails at Monte Sky are well signposted and start at the central lodge. This is a wooden house with pretty gardens and great views of the Orosi Valley and the distant Turrialba and Irazu volcanoes.
To get back to the lodge, you simply retrace your steps back via the same trail.
Sendero Feliz (Happy Trail)
The happy Trail is just 500 m long and takes you to a 6 m-tall waterfall. This is the least impressive of the waterfalls, so I’d head here first.
The trailhead is to the right of the lodge and the path is dirt underfoot running through the forest the whole way to the waterfall. It’s a really easy trail with little incline and it should only take you around 20 min.
Sendero Mirando el Cielo (Looking At The Sky Trail)
There are 2 waterfalls along Sendero Mirando el Cielo; the first is 12 m tall and the second a colossal 90 m. This trail is slightly more technical and has a couple of sections.
First you walk along a dirt trail through the forest descending to a shallow river where you come to the first waterfall. Then you cross the river and join a slightly rocky/muddy path towards the second waterfall.
As you approach the second waterfall, the underfoot becomes rocky and uneven, but nothing too difficult.
During the dry season the huge second waterfall isn’t powerful and you can stand underneath it.
Sendero Mirando el Cielo is only 450 m long and it shouldn’t take much longer than 25 min to complete it. The trailhead begins directly behind the lodge.
Sendero del Duende (Elf Trail)
The Elf Trail is 700 m long and brings you to a viewpoint of a beautiful 110-m tall waterfall that crashes into the valley below.
As the trail is mostly downhill – with some steepish parts – it should only take you about 20 min to get to the viewpoint. The return journey is all uphill, so expect it to take a bit longer.
The waterfall visible at the end of this trail is the most beautiful in Monte Sky. It’s just unfortunate that you can’t get close to it like the others. The start of this trail is behind the lodge to the left.
Sendero lde Las Aves
The final trail is the Sendero de las Aves, which leads you uphill through dense forest filled with the sounds of birds.
The trail is only signposted to a certain point, but you can continue past this. However, the route becomes vague so you’ll need to keep track of the way you came.
After roughly 20 min past the final sign, you’ll reach a point where overgrown plants and tricky underfoot make continuing pretty much impossible. Also, at some points you come close to the edge of the mountainside, which has steep drops to the river below, so be careful.
To get to the Bird Trail, leave the lodge on the Elf Trail and turn off on to the Bird Trail when you reach the intersection. This is well signposted.
Other trails at Monte Sky
More serious hikers can trek the harder trails. You need to reserve these beforehand and can do so by contacting this number: + 506 8362 4151. The cost of these hikes includes a guide.
Intermediate hikes
The intermediate trails can only be hiked during the dry season (December-April) and groups must be a minimum of 8 people.
The River Route (Ruta Sobre el Rio) is 8 km long and costs 8,000 CRC ($16 US) while the Combined Route (Ruta Combinada) is 12 km long and costs 10,000 CRC ($20 US).
Advanced hike
The 3 Peaks (3 Picos) trail is 15 km long and is the toughest at Monte Sky. Groups must be a minimum of 8 people and a maximum of 16. This hike costs 12,000 CRC ($24 US).
Getting to Monte Sky
The eco reserve is located on the valley side around 30 min driving south of Orosi. You can get here with your own vehicle, a taxi or by walking. I don’t recommend walking; it would be a multi-hour trek and the journey isn’t that interesting.
Driving
The most convenient option is to have your own vehicle. Leave town on the main road heading south (Ruta 224). After crossing a bridge you’ll come to a junction with Ruta 408.
Join Ruta 408 and stick to it until just before you come to Termales Hacienda Orosi (a natural spring resort). Here you turn right onto a rocky road that’s in bad state. Follow this all the way to the parking area below Monte Sky.
Taxi
A taxi to Monte Sky from Orosi town centre costs around 10,000 CRC ($20 US). Make sure to get your driver’s phone number to arrange a pickup time for the journey back.
Before leaving the taxi, check that you actually have signal. If not, then agree on a pickup time with the driver there and then.
I can recommend Don Eduardo, a really friendly, reliable and well-known taxi driver in Orosi. Expect a good old chat in the car with him. Don Eduardo’s number is: +506 8832 2719.
Uber/DiDi
Uber and DiDi operate in Orosi, but few drivers are willing to take you to Monte Sky. They know that the road leading up to the reserve is terrible and don’t want to damage their car. You’re better off calling Don Eduardo because he has a 4×4 or finding another taxi in town.
How long should you stay at Monte Sky?
I recommend giving yourself at least 4 h to walk all the beginner trails and enjoy the waterfalls. If you want to swim and have time to eat something too, then give yourself at least 5 h.
What to bring to Monte Sky
I’d bring plenty of water, waterproofs, swimming gear and some food. Aside from toilets, there are no facilities at the lodge and nowhere to pick up supplies, so bring everything you need.
When to visit Monte Sky
Costa Rica’s dry season typically runs December to April and is the best time of year for hiking. The trails at Monte Sky will be in best condition during this period, although the waterfalls won’t be as impressive.
I don’t recommend going to Monte Sky during the rainy season (May – November). Although there’s lots of forest coverage and the waterfalls would be much more powerful, the trails would be boggy and the views of the valley likely poor.
Enjoy Monte Sky in Costa Rica
The trails here are easy and enjoyable and the waterfall and valley views beautiful. If coming by taxi, remember to get a contact number and to arrange a pickup time – you don’t want to be stuck having to walk all the way back to Orosi.
Check out my complete guide to Orosi for more recommendations on what to do in this area. And you can find all of my Costa Rica guides here in the Costa Rica bog section.
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