The Monteverde Butterfly Gardens has been teaching people about Costa Rica’s insects and arachnids for over 20 years. Their mission is to change the way people think about these small, misunderstood creatures and to educate people about their importance. In it, you will find up to 30 species of butterfly in 4 different habitats, over 20 species of live insects and arachnids.
When you visit the butterfly garden you will be accompanied by a tour guide that knows everything there is to know about the insects that you will find along the way. They are some of their most valuable staff members because they are the ones in charge of educating and entertaining the visitors.
We definitely recommend taking the tour even if you don’t have the time to commit to their 10-week volunteering program.
Tours take around one hour and as of 2021 rates are:
- Adult – $15.50 + tax
- Student – $12.00 + tax
- Youth 7-18 – $10.00 + tax
- Child 4-6 – $5.00 + tax
- Child under 3 – Free
NOTE: They only accept cash.
Virtual Tours
As it did for most of us, COVID forced them to make changes to the way that they work, educate, and collect money to keep up their work. So they decided to start selling virtual tours. This makes it easier for people to visit the cloud forest of Costa Rica from the comfort of your home.
These tours happen on a personalized classroom tour or a more formal lecture. They are 45 minutes long. To book one of these you need to email them, using one of the emails at the bottom of this article.
All About Volunteering With Them
The Monteverde Butterfly Garden is an environmental education center focusing on insects and spiders found in Monteverde, Costa Rica. Volunteers are expected to help out with giving tours, help at reception, and perform general maintenance of the facility. The position assigned to each volunteer will depend on what is available at the time and, what your strengths are.
Benefits for volunteers include lunch, prepared by the employees (not volunteers). Breakfast and dinner are your responsibility and can be prepared on your own or with other volunteers. There are accommodations provided on-site. There is no laundry service, but there is a washbasin available for use on-site and laundry can be easily arranged by the volunteer in town.
The programs are around 10 weeks long, with the minimum being 8 weeks. Each workweek lasts 6 days. Days off are arranged according to the schedule produced by the manager. But don’t get bummed out by having only one free day. The area has tons of tours and activities available within 20 and 30 minutes of the Monteverde Butterfly Garden, so you will have plenty of time to go on day tours.
The town of Santa Elena is the closest town and is a 20-minute walk from the garden. It has restaurants, Internet cafes, a grocery store, laundry service, the bank, the post office, an ATM, bars, hotels, movie rental stores, and a pharmacy.
Contact the Monteverde Butterfly Garden
- Visit their website
- English Email: monteverdebutterflygardens@gmail.com
- Spanish Email: mariposamonteverde@gmail.com
- Phone or Fax: 2645 5512
Looking for more cool places to visit or volunteer in, in Costa Rica? Take a look at Latin America Sea Turtles.
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Excellent opportunity to work with the nature. Volunteers programs are really important for Costa Rica, Monteverde is an amazing place to stay and live.
Thanks for helping Costa Rica
I did this volunteer project earlier in the year so if anyone has any questions. I’d be happy to help! It was great!
Hello, can you please help me? I’m trying to volunteer with the Monteverde Butterfly Graden, but they haven’t replied to my email and the phone number doesn’t seemt to work! I’m trying to contact them from the UK.
hey Amy, what number are you dialing out of the UK? they’ve had that number for a few years so it should be in service unless there were recent changes.
Oh my gosh–how fortuitous! I’m heading to san jose costa rica in April and these shots just make me even more excited to go!
I am totally interested in this!