Santa Elena is a village in Costa Rica.
Santa Elena is a little over 160 km (100 miles) from San Jose Costa Rica. You can get there by bus--they say in 4.5 hours--but it often can take 5 or 6 hours. The cost for bus transport is very little, around US$4. Easier and faster transport is by Interbus which takes 3 hours and costs about $29. Interbus will take you door to door from hotels in San Jose and Santa Elena. There are also buses from Puntarenas, twice a day leaving from across the street from the main bus terminal (2000CRC).
You can also drive, in which case a 4x4 is recommended. If you are coming south along Highway 1 from Liberia, take the turn off to Sardinal (near a gas station), which will give you a paved road until about Guacimal, at which point the road becomes dirt and is quite rough. The views along these roads are stunning. The drive to Santa Elena once you leave Highway 1 will take anywhere from 1 to almost 2 hours depending on your vehicle type and how often you stop to take pictures. Santa Elena has a gas station and a supermarket. The roads in the centre are paved.
Santa Elena is a very small mountain town located in the cloud forests of Costa Rica. The main part of town is where three roads come together forming a single block triangular center to the town. Everything in Santa Elena can be seen on foot. Busses and taxis queue up along one street for transport to nearby Monteverde and the Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve. In the center there is also a discotheque, which offers music, a bar, and karaoke. Although it can be a fun time, it is often occupied by drunk locals looking for a good time with female tourists.
Each of these sites has a fee, from about $8 to enter the Ranario and Butterfly gardens, to $35-50 to do the zip line tours.
A tour operator in Santa Elena described as a "giant amusement park" which is not far from the mark. There are many touristy things to do, like zip lines canopy tours, ATV or horseback riding, and many flora and fauna exhibits. As far as touristy towns go, however, Santa Elena feels different, as the activities are all centered around enjoying the natural beauty and diversity of the region, and there generally seems to be a good deal of respect for the environment, due in part to the presence of nearby eco-tourism and sustainability universities.
The main attraction in Santa Elena is of course the cloud forest. You have two basic options here: the Monteverde cloud forest (the classic) and the Santa Elena cloud forest. There are very similar in terms of what you will see and experience, but Santa Elena is cheaper. Monteverde is about $17 to enter per person (about $9 for students), and $17 per person for a guided tour. The guided tours are strongly promoted by the parks, to the extent that they seem to have removed signs describing trees and wildlife to make a guide all the more necessary. That said, the guides really do know what they are doing and talking about. They are adept at spotting wildlife and identifying plants and trees, and discussing the ecosystem, and they will get you close-up views with their telescopes (and even snap pictures for you through the telescope).
In the cloud forests, you will have a decent chance of seeing any of the following, in addition to a wide variety of trees (including the spectacular parasitic fig trees), plants, and fungi.
You may also be treated to the far-off howling sound of Wolf Guindon, celebrated conservationist after whom several things in Monteverde are named.
Admission to the parks is good for a full day. Tours generally start early (around 7:30AM) and run for about 3 hours, so you'll be able to do some walking around by yourself after the tour. At Monteverde, you will also be able to enjoy a coffee or espresso (made with locally-produced beans) and sandwich next to the Hummingbird garden.
There really isn't too much in the way of tourist junk to buy. There is a local super market and many hostels, several places to eat and a bakery.
Chimera - across the road from El Establo hotel. Excellent latin inspired dishes and fancy reasonably priced drinks. The coconut rice, roasted eggplant, yucca fries, and fried plantain are all tasty and all about $3 each.
Recommended is the Jeep/Boat/Jeep trip to LaFortuna. This trip takes about half a day. Also consider horseback/boat/jeep to LaFortuna. Ask at the desk at Pension Santa Elena, they know everything about the area