First, the bad. The Mariposa is a ways from the center of town, so if you plan on walking in and out of town, be ready for a long walk - uphill at times. That said, it is closer to the actual Monte Verde preserve and some of the other attractions such as the dairy factory and the bat museum. Honestly, we walked to town once for some cash and never had a need to go back. Each room has it's own entrance from the outside, much like a motel. The rooms are small and humble (no TVs or other amenities outside of beds and shower), but who goes to a remote cloud forest up on a mountain to stay inside and watch TV. For us, it was a place to sleep. You ARE in the jungle and the room is just a door away from the outdoors, so we did see a couple of large insects, but this was an exception and probably hard to avoid. The service was FANTASTIC. The family that runs the Mariposa helped us with scheduling all of our activities and got us great rates. I can't say enough about how loving and friendly they were. The main house / lobby has a small dining room and a computer which you can use to check email, etc. Breakfast was delicious every morning. Overall, a great place to stay if you aren't looking for anything too fancy and a fantastic value.

The biggest attraction here is the host, Esteban Vargas. He could not be more gracious or helpful.

The rooms are a bit basic (for example, out bathroom sink had only cold water). But they are clean and comfortable. Breakfasts are tasty, including plenty of fresh fruit. If you are without a car, dinner options involve either a taxi or a short walk across the road to the Fonda Vela Hotel.

Location is about 1.5 km. from the entrance to the Monteverde Forest Preserve. If you aren't up to the walk, a taxi will cost about $8.

My husband, I, and our three teenage children stayed at this location for three nights in December 2011. The hosts/owners of this establishment were very friendly and accommodating. They even delivered us homemade Christmas cookies! We stay in the upper apartment with a large living and kitchen space, two bedrooms and two baths. The property is simple, but perfect for a rainforest setting. The breakfast was made to order and was delicious and plentiful – traditional Gallo pinto, pancakes, homemade bread, fruit, etc. A great start to each fulfilled day in Monteverde. The hosts seemed delighted to help us in any way possible including making reservations and recommending different activities. I would recommend this establishment to anyone visiting the area.

This is a great B&B choice in Monteverde. The rooms are clean, the showers hot and not electric, and there's even a different towel origami design on your bed every day. Esteban (one of the hosts) was so helpful and happy to call for us for reservations, arrange transportation, and even lend us a flashlight for a night hike.

It's a 20 minute walk to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, and 15 minutes or so to a smattering of restaurants/shops. However, walking into the "main" town of Santa Elena is quite a trek so if you're without a car, you'll need to call taxis or plan to walk the hilly dirt road (approx. 4 miles; 6km). We didn't have a car and were fine.

Many of the other reviews mention the breakfast, and for good reason. Esteban offered options every day. The gallo pinto (rice and beans) with eggs cooked to your liking, pancakes, toast, coffee and juice. Over three days we tried a few of the combinations and everything was delicious.

If you need your internet fix, there's a computer in the breakfast room and wifi there, as well. (Wifi didn't extend to our room but that's fine...more time to focus on the birds, butterflies, and flowers we could see our of our window.)

We would enthusiastically recommend this B&B to other travelers.