Monteverde is home to the private Cloud Forest Preserve (Bosque Nuboso). The reserve was founded in 1962 in order to protect the watershed above the farming communities. Visitors mostly stay in Santa Elena, a small town 5 km from the reserve. |
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Duration |
4 Days |
GettingThere |
Air: No airport in the area. Tourist Bus: Both major tour bus lines have a daily departure for Santa Elena/Monteverde from several other destinations. The price for this trip is higher then all others due to the road conditions. Taxi/Car: From San Jose ~6 hours. The road most of the way is fine but the section climbing up to Monteverde is extremely bumpy (~2 hours). A 4x4 is highly recommended. Most car rental companies will not rent regular cars if they know you are heading to Monteverde. |
Places To Stay |
There are lots of hotels in the area. Most are located in Santa Elena but some are on the road to the reserve. Cloud Forest Lodge - Is located on 70 acres of Primary and Secondary Forest about a 20 minute walk from Santa Elena. The views from the main lodge are spectacular. There are several trails for guests. The Original Canopy Tour is also located here. The rooms are in little cabins with a private shower and bathroom. The food at the restaurant is very good, with huge servings. The staff are excellent. |
Indoor Attractions To See |
Butterfly Gardens - Is best visited in the early afternoon. The guided tour is excellent. Lots of photo opportunities. There is also a Medicinal Plant Trail and a very cool leaf cutter ant colony that allows you to look right inside the nest. Ranario - The frog pond gives visitors the chance to see frogs and toads found all over Costa Rica. The guided tour is very good. You can visit during the day and night. Serpentario - Snakes from all over Costa Rica, including several venomous species. Art Galleries - There are several galleries along the road between Santa Elena and the reserve. The wooden bowls at the Hummingbird Gallery are very nice. |
Outdoor Attractions To See |
Cloud Forest Preserve - This is what people come to Monteverde to see. The tours start early in the morning. They include a slide show before. The hiking tour is over an hour and is very good. After the tour you are free to wonder on your own. Due to the dense vegetation having a guide to see most things is a must. The Original Canopy Tour - These tours are more about adventure then seeing wildlife. You move from tree to tree sliding along fixed lines. It gives you a good idea of the size of these massive trees. The operators are very safety oriented. A fun time for sure. Sky Walk and Sky Trek - The Sky Trek is much like the canopy tours except that they use fixed platforms. The Sky Walk is a set of suspension bridges allowing you to see the forest from above. This tour does offer the chance to see wildlife. |
Festivals |
None. |
Places to Eat |
Given the distance of the lodge from town I did not venture out to eat. The meals at the lodge were just too good. |
Night Life |
Given the distance of the lodge from town I did not venture out at night. Most people are here for the wildlife, so I imagine that the night life is pretty quiet. Most hotels/lodges have a bar for a drink after dinner. |
Getting Around |
Most visitors use the local taxi service. You can arrange with the driver to come pick you up after the tour. If you are going to do a little shopping then getting a taxi for a few hours will help since galleries and stores are spread out. There is a bus that runs up to the reserve from town twice a day for US $2. |
Safety |
Monteverde and Santa Elena are both safe areas. The Cloud Forest is extremely dense so leaving the trail is not a good idea. |
External Links |
http://www.monteverdeinfo.com/ http://www.friendscloudfrst.org/ |