Monteverde is a tourist haven located in the Puntarenas and Guanacaste province of Costa Rica. It is known for its beautiful nature and bird watching, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors a year. Some stop by once, others for a lifetime. Despite its passion for sustainability, the area’s remote location means locals and visitors alike primarily use motor vehicles to get around, with transportation contributing 50% to its annual carbon footprint.

Friends From Monteverde is a service designed to facilitate friendly interactions between visitors and locals, and to help travelers navigate nearby towns and reserves using collective transportation.

Through observation, research, and prototyping we found that Airbnb visitors drove the most among local tourists, and were disconnected from the local tourist ecosystem. We aim to close this gap.

How it works 

When visitors arrive at their Airbnb or hotel, they can use the Friends From Monteverde app as a hub for their trip. Within the app, visitors view landmarks and popular parks, book local experiences (e.g. coffee tasting at a local farm), learn about collective bus schedules and the taxi system, and reach out to their assigned buddy.

The buddy system matches every visitor with a local friend, who can help plan trips, share local tips and stories, and provide on-the-ground support. Part friend, guide, and receptionist, buddies can help visitors forge their own path — and get around Monteverde using local, collective transportation (e.g. buses, collective shuttles) or on foot.

Inspiration: Local-Host Relationships & Mobility

Both the app and the buddy system work together to create a tourism service that weaves mobility across different moments of visitors’ journey in Monteverde. By moving with the rhythms of a place, visitors can dissolve the boundary between “us” and “them,” and engage with the local communities of Santa Elena and Monteverde. The service aims to make moving a way for visitors to be a part of la zona. 

The buddy system also seeks to create cultural exchange and deep friendships, inspired by the long-lasting relationships formed between veteran Monteverde hosts and international visitors. Friends From Monteverde also hopes that hosts and visitors are able to connect in meaningful ways both during and after their time in la zona.