This is the best way to get from Arenal to Monteverde quickly. Descriptions of the length and bumpiness of the two bus rides it would take to get between the cities turned me away from budget travel for once. The horseback tour was intriguing, but it's not recommended in wet season, and since my trip was particularly wet, I'm glad I chose this route instead.
Various hotels offer this tour at different prices, and you can do the trip in either direction. I found my hotel by looking for the lowest price, so definitely check around! Some people offer up to $30 for the same thing.
The car picked me up at my hotel and drove me to the docks. The boat ride lasted about 30 minutes. Then we drove in another car up to Monteverde, beautiful scenery the whole way. It's a great way to travel, a bit of a splurge but we arrived by noon. Much better than spending the whole day traveling!
From journal Costa Rica on a shoestring