Monteverde Cloud Forest

Monteverde is a mountainous area situated in the northwest region of Costa Rica sitting at an elevation of around 4,600 feet above sea level. The rain forests here are home to an incredible array of rare animals, plant-life and exotic birds, in fact many people flock here each year just to see the elusive Resplendant Quetzal — a stunning rare bird of paradise.

The air is cool and moist here and most of the time the whole area is covered in a blanket of cloud, but when the sun does break through it’s a heavenly contrast!

The rain forest is stunning day or night, you’ll quickly notice how the trees here are covered in thick vines, moss and epiphytes all seeping dew from the moist air. At night the forest canvas is lit up with with glowing fungi, mushrooms and firefly, as well as the sounds of the nocturnal animals as they begin to stir from their day-time slumber.

We stayed in Monteverde for 3 nights, but in hindsight wish we had an extra few nights there to fully appreciate the incredible biodiversity, as well as experience some of the areas activities. If you are just visiting the cloud forests then we would recommend at least 2 nights here.

History

Monteverde is an area that was established and influenced by a group of Quakers back in the early 50’s. The Quakers were largely drawn to this area for its farming potential and pleasant climate, but also because at the time the Costa Rican president was inviting foreigners to help with the development and infrastructure of the country.

Later on in 1972 a biologist named George Powell was undertaking scientific research in the area, and he was amazed at the incredible wealth of biodiversity. He decided to join forces with Wilford Guindon, who was a resident and member of the Quaker community, and between them they set about protecting the areas forests. It was thanks to their efforts and the conservation funds they raised, that the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Preserve was formed.

The preserve now encompasses 17,000 hectares of natural forest and one of the richest habitats in the world, accounting for as much as 2.5 % of the world’s total biodiversity.

The area is blanketed in rich bio-diverse rain-forest and is one of the best examples of sustainable tourism. One hundred percent of the income that’s collected from entrance fees and other services, is put back into preservation and research projects within the area.

Cloud Forests

The Monteverede Cloud Forest Reserve was established in 1972 and spans over 25,000 acres!

It’s named a cloud forest because of the higher elevation, and being nearly always blanketed in cloud which results in more moisture and rainfall. The forest has a very unique ecosystem and is home to over 100 species of mammals, 400 species of birds, and 1,200 different species of reptiles and amphibians.

Golden toads

Golden Toads were a unique bright orange coloured toad that were abundant in the forests of Monteverde. There is very little information about these toads, even though they were closely studied in the late 1980’s. It was not long after this their numbers started to decline, sadly no one has seen one of these uniquely coloured toads since 1989. They are now thought to be extinct and scientists believe that this extinction is due to climatic changes and rising temperatures, this reminds us just how unique and delicate the balance of nature and the ecology of forests can be.

Moss Mantis

The moss-mimic mantis is a very rare species that has evolved to be able to camouflage itself into mossy habitats, and is perfectly suited to the moss covered trees and shrubs of Monteverde Cloud Forest. The mantis even moves from side to side in a pronounced manner, as it mimics the mossy tendrils that hang from branches and trees. It’s because of this it can move undetected from one place to another avoiding any predatory dangers, it’s a master of camouflage!

Monteverde is also one of the few remaining habitatas to suppport all 6 species of the cat family, Jaguars, Ocelots, Pumas Oncillas, Margays and Jaguarundis.

Although the whole area is named Monteverde Cloud Forest there are actually three separate reserves.

Three Forest Reserves

1. Monteverde Cloud Forest biological reserve – entrance is situated around 5 km from Santa Elena – the reserve is open from 7:00 am – 4:00 pm and has 11 different trails, some shorter in length than others.
2. Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve – this reserve is slightly higher elevation than the first one making it slightly wetter. The trails here are also a lot longer with the longest being 4.8 km in length and would take 3.5 – 4 hours to complete.
3. Children’s Eternal Rainforest, this is the biggest reserve nearly 6 times bigger than number 1. There are 4 different stations each with there own trails and with varying distances.

Activities

Canyoning

There is a popular canyoning tour in the area where you will be basically rappelling down various waterfalls in the area, these tours take around 2-3 hours to complete. Tour prices are around $80 and this is a good activity for those seeking a kick of adrenaline. The company that organises this tour is Finca Modelo Ecologica and the tour includes pickup from Monteverde hotels.

Climb giant ficuses

A ficus tree other known as a strangler trees will basically grow around another tree, eventually the middle part or tree it has taken over dies and the ficus is left, the outer shell can then be scaled.

Horseback riding

Explore the back country areas of Monteverde by horseback, it’s a great way to explore the landscape and countryside away from the tourist crowds and traffic.

Sky Tram

The Sky Tram is a great, relaxing way to enjoy the areas forests. The tram is basically an open top cable car system which takes you high across the forest canopy, it gives you a fantastic perspective above the tree-tops where you can observe plant and animal life. An experienced guide will also accompany you on the cable car to give you information on the rain-forest and wildlife.

Sky Tram costs from $46 for a child and from $67 for an adult.

Ziplining

Given Monteverde’s elevation and mountainous landscape, it’s a perfect place for Ziplining. There are a few different companies around the area but if we had to choose one it would be Selvatura Park, there are two huge cables and a good number of platforms, the cables take you through and over the lush cloud forest and the views are magnificent.

Hiking

There are some great hiking trails around the areas forest reserves, we only had time to hike the trails at the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve but we highly recommend them. The trails took us around 4-5 hours to complete, we did stop for some lunch and took quite a few photos along the way though. But it’s still probably best to allocate just over half a day, it’s also best to complete the trails with a guide, you will see and learn much more about the wildlife and the ecology of the forests.

Night Tours

The night tours are a great way to experience the sights and sounds of the cloud forest at night. There are many of these tours around the area and most can be organised through your hotel or lodgings, we stayed at the El Establo Mountain Lodge and organised our tour through the reception desk. The tour guide was fantastic, he was very informative and answered any question we threw at him. On the tour we got to see some Kinkajou, a tarantula, stick insects, minute toads and a moss-mimic mantis.

Bird Watching Tours

There are tours for those wanting to spot some of the areas rare bird species. Although Monteverde and Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserves are good for spotting birds, Curi-Cancha is probably the best place for bird watching. Curi-Cancha is a forest reserve covering 237 acres, there are excellent trails here and the park is less crowded than the two main preserves.

Most tours start early morning and last around 4- 6 hours.

Santa Elena Town

The small, quaint town of Santa Elena is a great base for exploring the cloud forests as well as soaking up the areas main attractions and activities. Most of the towns accommodation is spread out over quite hilly sections of roads and paths due to the mountainous location, in the town you will find a range of luxury or budget friendly accommodations as well as many shops, restaurants and a few bars in the town’s lively centre. It’s also a great place for hiking and mountain biking, with over 60 miles of tracks and road running through the area.

The road between the town and Monteverde is home to a butterfly garden, serpentarium and bat cave as well as various galleries and a number of small craft shops.

We recommend checking out the Monteverde Cheese factory which dates back to 1953 when it was established by the Quakers who moved into the area. The factory produces some excellent cheeses as well as other delicious dairy products. There are informative tours that can be taken around the factory and it’s a great way to gain an insight into the areas rich local history.

There are also accommodations and lodgings outside of the Santa Elena but still in the Monteverde area. These accommodations are generally cheaper than those located in the centre, but they are more spread out and slightly further from the Cloud Forest Reserves.

Weather

There are consistent showers here between the months of May and November but the heaviest rainfall is from September through to November. Temperatures are comfortable ranging in the low 70’s during the day and dropping into the 50’s at night.

Packing list

• Waterproof clothing
• Rain-proof bag
• Poncho – you can purchase these in the town or around the reserves for a small fee.
• Light Jacket
• Jumper – temperatures can get a little chilly in the evening
• Hiking boots
• Hiking pants
• Torch – some of the paths, especially around the resorts and trails have little or no lighting
• Binoculars – to spot some of the wildlife high up in the trees
• Sunblock
• Sunglasses – the glare off the wet surfaces can be pretty intense when the sun does come out

Location

Getting There

Monteverde is a little over 100 miles (160 km) from San Jose – there are buses that travel here from San Jose taking on average around 5 hours, bus trips cost around $4.

From Arenal there are two daily buses that go from La Fortuna bus station leaving at 8.00 am and 12.30 am, each costing around 1,500 colon.

From Arenal there is also a route that takes you across Lake Arenal via a taxi boat, then onto Monteverde or Santa Elena via a van. You will have to carry your luggage part way on this trip up and down dirt paths at the lake. Trips usually cost around $25 but that includes pick up from your hotel in La Fortuna and drop off at the Lake Arenal dam.

The roads into this remote destination can be a little tricky and have known to be treacherous at times. We would highly recommend at least an SUV with slightly higher ground clearance, preferably an 4×4 — especially in the wet season as some of the roads leading up into Santa Elena and the rain forests are quite steep and some are muddy. We might add we did complete our trip during the summer in a small sedan but we did struggle on the steeper sections of road and nearer the rain forest we got stuck and had to be pulled out.

If you’re heading to Costa Rica check out our guide on the best things to do in Arenal here!