I was able to read the signboard on fourth attempt. Couple of persons were trying to put up the new signboard for a hotel. The dense cloud passed over it every time I tried reading, turned this into a game. We were waiting for our food at a local restaurant in the central market of the town. The day was sunny until the cloud claimed the town lowering the visibility. We were shivering a bit now. Our jackets were in the car. The September afternoon in Monteverde, Costa Rica turned chilly and reminded us that we were in the land of the cloud forests.
Located at an average height of 1,400+ meters, Monteverde is home to hectares of cloud forests. The biodiversity, the elevation combined with the climate create options of activities that you will not run out of easily. You can enjoy the lush green valley views or relax with your cup of local coffee. But a trip to Monteverde will not be complete without experiencing a walk in the wilderness or the adrenaline pumping adventures.
History of Monteverde: Where it all began?
The abundance of nature is the reason why you want to visit Monteverde, but the history of settlement in this piece of mountain is a fascinating story as well.
Arrival of the Quakers
In the post World War II era, a group of people who were later known as the Monteverde Meeting of Friends or the Monteverde Quakers, left the United States to settle in Costa Rica. There were unhappy with the States continuing to engage in military activities and wars several years after the second world war. As a result, they decided to find and move to a peaceful place where wars are probably the last thing to come in people’s mind. Costa Rica, a country, that had abolished their army in 1948, was the perfect choice. The group started relocating from 1950.
Now that the country was decided, it was important to find a place which would be suitable for raising their families. They found 3500 acres of land in the Puntarenas province in the mountain ranges 1400 meters above sea level. Thus Monteverde was born and hence started the decades of history of development of a community. The livelihood included agricultural lands and a community business, Monteverde Cheese Factory. Also, came up the Monteverde Friends School and a Meeting House to shape the future of the community.
Beginning of the Conservation Efforts
The Quakers did not stop at building their community, but were the pioneers of conservation in the area. What they conserved as a Watershed Property, where any kind of development was prohibited, gave way to what we now know as the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. In the early 70s, biologist George Powell visited Monteverde for his research on the species of birds in the area. While he was impressed by the biodiversity, the deforestation and loss of habitats of the wild concerned him. He teamed up with one of the first Quakers, Wilford Guindon, to implement the conservation efforts. Eventually the Tropical Science Center picked up the efforts and enabled funding from various national/international sources for expansion and maintenance.
The legacy established by the first Quakers and scientists have made Monteverde what it is today.
12 Things to do in Monteverde, Costa Rica
The top things to do in Monteverde, Costa Rica revolve around discovering the cloud forests in various ways. Each cloud forest reserve holds some special reasons to be explored individually. But not just the cloud forest reserves, this mountain town is home to several other attractions too. We have listed the activities here to help you plan your days in Monteverde.
Monteverde Biological Cloud Forest Reserve: The First Private Reserve of Costa Rica
Monteverde Biological Cloud Forest Reserve is one of the largest cloud forest reserves of Monteverde. What started in 1972 as a 810 acres forest reserve, now has reached over, 10,000 acres (4000+ hectares). It is home to 400+ species of birds and 280+ species of mammals, amphibians and reptiles. A tiny portion (~3%) of the reserve is open for visitors which amounts to about 13 km (8 miles) of hiking trails.
Trails
If you are exploring the cloud forest reserve for the first time, the Cloud Forest trail or Sendero Bosque Nuboso is a great trail to start with. The picturesque trail takes you through typical cloud forest vegetation with chances of animal and bird sightings. Also, there are informational boards on this trail describing the fascinating characteristics of the cloud forest. The other trails of the reserve are Sendero Camino and Sendero Wilford Guindon.
The Sendero Bosque Nuboso connects to Sendero Camino which ends at a view of the Continental Divide. It is an amazing opening between rolling mountains, half towards the Pacific slope and the other half towards the Caribbean. The vegetation changes to smaller plants, different from the tall trees of the Bosque Nuboso trail.
Another attraction of the Reserve is the iconic reddish Hanging Bridge, which can be accessed through the Wilford Guindon trail or halfway on the Sendero Camino trail. However, during our last visit (December 2020), the bridge was closed for repairs.
You can explore the well-marked trails on your own. However, for better chances of spotting birds and animals, book a guided tour in advance. Also, you can stay in their on-premise lodge called La Casona. The price of the stay includes 3 meals and reserve entrance fee as well.
The Reserve is witness to a wonderful story of love between nature and humans that started decades ago. The Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve, located in the Nicoya Peninsula, is the first protected reserve of Costa Rica. The reserve amazed us with the flora and fauna, and the history behind the place. We felt the same about Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, the first private reserve of the country.
Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve: Walking in the Dense Forest
The Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve or Reserva Bosque Nuboso Santa Elena has 5 trails ranging from 480 meters (0.3 miles) to 4.8 km (3 miles), adding up to ~13 km / 8 miles of hike amidst lush green fauna, wildlife and scenic view points.
Trails
It will take the entire day if you plan to cover all the trails. However, if you have half a day, go for the Sendero Youth Challenge and the Sendero Encantado. These 2 trails provide a glimpse into a typical Cloud Forest biodiversity. Also, the Youth Challenge has a tall tower which has surrounding views of the cloud forest and even the distant Arenal Volcano on a clear day.
You can book the tickets at the entrance and can opt for guided or self-guided tour. The entrance has a restaurant and restroom but no such provision on the trails.
Explore the trails of the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve in our detailed post.
Children’s Eternal Rainforest: Glimpse of Costa Rica’s Largest Private Reserve
The Children’s Eternal Rainforest or Bosque Eterno de los Niños is the largest private reserve in Costa Rica. It is run by a non-profit organization, Monteverde Conservation League (MCL), founded in 1986. To protect the biodiversity of the region, they kickstarted the project by land acquisition through funds raised by a group of Swedish schoolchildren. Hence the name of the reserve. The reserve now covers 23,000 hectares of forests.
The Monteverde region of the Children’s Eternal Rainforest known as Bajo del Tigre reserve has 3.5 km (2 miles) of trails. The hike is mostly easy and well-marked.
We hiked here on a cloudy afternoon when the chances of spotting wildlife is lower than in the morning, however, we still came across couple of motmots, agouti, coatis and more.
The reserve has a souvenir shop at the entrance and an information center. You can go for the self-guided hike. However, if you wish to go for the guided hike, it needs to be booked in advance.
Check out our detailed guide about hiking in the Children’s Eternal Rainforest – Bajos de Tigre Sector.
Curi Cancha Reserve: Birdwatcher’s Paradise
The Curi Cancha Reserve has the best birding opportunities among all the reserves of Monteverde in our opinion. The reason is that it has more open areas which make it bit easier to spot the birds. There are garden areas maintained in certain sections that attract plenty of birds making it a birdwatcher’s paradise.
We have not spotted the elusive Resplendent Quetzal during any of our visits to Curi Cancha Reserve so far. But on all occasions, we still had impressive sightings of Orange-bellied Trogon, Blue-crowned Motmot, Montezuma Oropendola, Emerald Toucanet, Chlorophonia, several species of Hummingbirds to name a few.
The reserve has 7 trails that covers around ~6 km (3.7 miles). The Alondra trail has open areas with great opportunities of spotting birds. There is a hummingbird feeder area at the end of this trail.
The Leo trail has the larger trees and the cloud forest fauna. Also, there is a continental divide view point halfway through the trail. The Manga trail follows the river flowing by the reserve and the Ficus trail is named after the huge ficus trees that lines up this trail.
Read this post about finding birds and wildlife along the different trails in Curi Cancha Reserve.
Zip-lining Tour: Fly over the Cloud Forests of Monteverde
While exploring the trails of the cloud forest reserves are rewarding, how about flying over the forest canopies. Monteverde offers zip-lining tours from multiple companies where you can experience the bird’s-eye view of the forests piercing through clouds or even better, sometimes cloud floating beneath.
There are different packages of zip-lining to choose from, and ranges between $45 – $60. The package includes all required equipment and guides. Also, most companies include a bonus but optional tarzan swing. Some companies include pick and drop from the Monteverde hotels as well.
The Selvatura Park and Sky Adventures are two most popular companies offering zip-line tours in Monteverde. Both offer comprehensive experience of canopy tours and other activities which can be clubbed as combo packages.
If you are looking for bit more adrenaline rush, try the Superman cable as well. The above two companies include it for an extra fee.
Check out our experiences and more information here about the zip lines of Monteverde.
Hanging Bridges of Monteverde
While hanging from the zip-lines cruise you over the canopies of the cloud forests, there is another way to be closer to the fluffy tree-tops. The trails in certain properties have hanging bridges which are not just fun to walk on, but also have amazing 360 degree views of the cloud forests.
Sometimes you will find the birds munching on the fruits or the howler monkeys hanging around on the high trees at your eye level. As you look down, you will find the odd stream flowing below your feet.
The Selvatura Park and the Sky Adventures have the trails with hanging bridges apart from their zip-line tours. You can buy both the tours as combo if you wish to do both on the same day.
Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve has a hanging bridge as well. However, as per latest information, it is closed for renovation after it was partially damaged.
Read about our experience with the hanging bridges of Monteverde.
Hiking to the El Tigre Waterfalls
Hiking to the El Tigre waterfalls is one of our favorite picks in Monteverde. However, the difficulty level is intermediate to advanced as the trail takes you through dirt paths, rocks, flowing streams, and steep uphills and downhills. That is we recommend this hike for people with decent fitness level. But it sure is an adventurous hike with constant rewards along the way.
Around 30 minutes drive away from Santa Elena town, the El Tigre waterfalls is a private property maintained by a local family. They offer different tours to access their private reserve and beautiful waterfalls and hanging bridges.
Along the 8 km (5 miles) trail, there are a series of 4 large and 8 smaller waterfalls hidden in the cloud forests. The hike is self-guided on a well-marked trail, with intermittently placed safety aid boxes and radio stations, in case you need to communicate with the reception office.
Check out this post for the detailed experience of hiking El Tigre Waterfalls.
Watch Sunset
Who gets tired of watching our good old sun setting over the mountains or sea. The Cerro Plano view point or Mirador Valle Escondido Preserve as marked on the google maps, has an unobstructed view of the valley, forests and Nicoya Peninsula on a clear day.
Located in front of the CPI Spanish School or the Hotel Bell Bird, the place is unmissable with a long stretch of open view and a pavement to wait for the sunset. Here is the location.
Spend some quiet moment at the view point as the sun sprinkle scarlet and golden colors on the Pacific and the clouds before setting behind the distant hills.
If you want to sip a cocktail or beer while watching the sunset, get an outdoor table at the Restaurant Morphos.
The San Luis is another great location to catch the sunset over the Gulf of Nicoya. If you are driving towards the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, look for a right turn just after the Fondavela Hotel. You will find a blue board saying ‘San Luis’ and as you go down the road for a kilometer or two, the view point will be on the right. There are couple of benches installed and perfect for waiting for the sunset.
Monteverde Night Walk
The biodiversity of the cloud forests comes alive not just during the day but at the night as well. The night tours are a thrilling experience while you look for the frogs, birds, insects and even sloths in the dark.
There are several night tour providers in Monteverde. We went on a night tour with Kinkajou and spotted tarantulas, two-toed sloths, nocturnal frogs, sleeping birds, insects and a palm pit viper.
Apart from the sightings, just the walk in the dark forests where you can sense the wildlife around is an enchanting experience.
Read about our Monteverde Night Tour experience here.
Coffee Tour: Learn more about Monteverde Coffee
Coffee has been an integral part of Costa Rican economy for over a century. Monteverde is known for its coffee production and this makes it a great place to learn about coffee production. The coffee tours offer an overview of the end-to-end production process. You also get to participate in some of the steps in the process.
The tours run between 2-3 hours which involve some light walking on the coffee plantation trails. You can buy coffee as well from their souvenir stores after the tour.
You can choose from several coffee tours available. Cafe Monteverde, El Trapiche and Don Juan are some popular coffee tour providers of the area. While El Trapiche and Don Juan offer 3-in-1 combination tours of coffee, sugarcane and chocolate, Cafe Monteverde focuses more on the coffee.
Climbing the Ficus Tree
There is natural bridge over a river created by a huge ficus tree. It is a short walk from the main road of the Santa Elena town. Look ‘Ficus del raiz’ on google maps for the location. You can admire the unique formation of the tree or balance yourself on the branch for a quick op. It is difficult and not safe to cross the entire branch to get to the other side of the river. However, you can climb don the trail to get near the river.
Situated in a private property, the owners are now trying to making it more accessible by carving out stairs on the trail. Also, they plan to add some basic amenities. They requested for 1000 CRC for a contribution towards this development. There might be fixed entry fee after they complete their tasks.
Collect Monteverde Souvenirs
Monteverde has its fair share of artesanal souvenir stores. Look for the local wooden products or the home decor knick-knacks in the Santa Elena town. Almost all ticketed attractions in Monteverde have souvenir stores near their front office.
But the best souvenir that you can buy in Monteverde is its famous coffee. So, pick up one, or five, in case you did not while on the coffee tour. Insider tip: For the best (read non-touristy) prices, buy your Monteverde coffee directly from the supermarket. You will find the same brands and varieties.
Ice-cream at Heladeria Monteverde
The history of the Heladeria Monteverde goes back decades to the time of the first Quakers who made Monteverde their home. The heladeria was previously called Monteverde Cheese Factory and had a tour of their dairy farm as well. However, this tour has now been discontinued.
Still you can enjoy a visit to the Heladeria Monteverde. They sell some delicious varieties of ice creams and milkshakes. Perfect for a stop after your lunch or at the end of a hike. Try the local Monte Rico cheese and coffee as well from their store.
The store is open between 8:00 am and 4:00 pm It is located beside the access road to the Curi Cancha Reserve and on the way to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. It has a parking area and some outdoor tables.
Enjoy the Views of Route 606
The Route 606 connects the Interamerican expressway or the Route 1 to Monteverde. The first part of the road passes by the Guacimal River and the small towns of Sardinal, Coyolar and Guacimal.
Pull up your car along the side of the road and take a break anywhere on the river bank or the tiny bridge near Guacimal. The surrounding mountains and the white gushing river full of rocks and boulders create an entrancing atmosphere. You can pack some snacks or lunch for a short picnic.
But the best part of the route is a series of mountain curves, each opening to an amazing vista of valleys and green mountains. This route used to be a gravel road until couple of years back but now is a completely paved road all the way till Santa Elena town. Drive carefully and while you are at it, enjoy the breathtaking views.
Best time to visit Monteverde
There are two looks of Monteverde, the dry yellowish hills in the dry season and deep, verdant green in the wet season. While you can visit Monteverde all year round, choose the time of the year based on what you would like to see and the things you would like to do.
Wet Season
The rainy season (May to November) turns the ranges into lush green surroundings. The forests get covered with clouds particularly in the afternoon and you can get a feeling of walking in the clouds. The activities also create a similar sensation, whether you are walking on the hanging bridges or zip-lining across the forests. The cloud forests are at their scenic best during this period. However, the rains can make trails muddy and the view points would have low visibility.
Shoulder Season
The end of the wet season and beginning of the dry season (Mid-November – Beginning of January) has the best of the two seasons. It retains the green appearance but less chances of rain which give more time for activities.
Dry Season
The dry season (January – April) is best for seamless activities in Monteverde. The chances of the zip-line tours getting cancelled due to thunders are low and the views of distant Pacific and the valleys become clearer.
Check out our photos from the same location near Monteverde. The left one was in the month of March, bright sunny with the backdrop of dry vegetation. The one on the right was in the month of September, cloudy and rainy, with the backdrop of lush vegetation. Which one would you choose?
How to reach Monteverde
Monteverde is located in the Cordillera de Tilarán Mountain Range, almost equidistant,125 km (77 miles), from San Jose or Liberia Airports. The roads are well paved on both routes. You do not need a 4X4 for driving to Monteverde.
From San Jose: You can follow the Ruta 1 or the Ruta 27 which meets the Ruta 1 after Puntarenas. Whichever route you take, the last part remains the same. You need to take a right after around 90+ kilometers for Ruta 606 that leads to the Santa Elena town.
From Liberia: If you are driving from Liberia, you can follow the Ruta 1. After 90+ kilometers, take left to get onto Ruta 605. Follow the route which later joins Ruta 606 taking you to the Santa Elena town.
Where to stay in Monteverde
Monteverde has several accommodation options for all types of preferences and budgets. You can choose a stay based on the location – close to Santa Elena town, away from the town near the Monteverde Reserve, with valley views or budget stays on the road to Santa Elena.
Hotel Belmar: Located few miles away from the town center towards Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, this place has amazing valley and Nicoya Peninsula views. You can check out the prices and availability here.
El Establo Hotel: Located on the road leading to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, El Establo is a great option with amazing views of the cloud forests and the valley. Click here to check the prices for your preferred dates.
Los Pinos – Cabañas & Jardines: Los Pinos have cottages tucked in the gardens off the road close to the Sunset point in Monteverde. They offer fully equipped kitchens as well. Check out the nightly tariff and availability here.
Rainbow Valley Lodge: This lodge lies on the Ruta 606, a kilometer before the Santa Elena town. They offer rooms with valley and mountain views, with amenities including kitchenette. Click here to check prices and availability.
Cabañas Hoja Verde: Couple of kilometers from the town center, this is one cabin with a living room, kitchen, bedroom, balcony and a secure parking. If you want an isolated place all by yourself, this will be excellent. Check for prices for different room options here.
Greemount Hotel: It is a family run budget option located couple of kilometers before Santa Elena on the route 606. Find prices and availability here.
Where to eat in Monteverde
While the helados (ice-cream) or smoothies at the Heladeria Monteverde are must-tries, Monteverde offers several amazing restaurant options with diverse cuisines. You will be spoilt for choice with an excellent spread of local Costa Rican options, Pizzerias, Tacos, Steakhouses, Bakeries, Bar and eateries with quirky settings or views.
Check out our recommendations on the best restaurants of Monteverde.
Final Thoughts on Monteverde, Costa Rica
Monteverde attracts, researchers, scientists, bird watchers, wildlife enthusiasts, photographers, adventure lovers, hikers and anyone who wants to experience a piece of the biodiversity that the place holds.
We keep coming back to the little Santa Elena town in Monteverde, where the cloud hovers over the canopies and you can see the rolling hills at every turn. Yet we always feel that there is still a lot to see and discover here. If this feels like your kind of place too, put Monteverde on your Costa Rica itinerary.
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