The golden-scarlet fireball was about to settle behind the hills of Monteverde. The sky retained its colors until the ball disappeared beyond the Nicoya peninsula. We had hiked in the cloud forests during the day. Now it was time to find the treasures of the forests in the dark. We took the last sips of our drink and got ready for our next activity, Monteverde Night Tour.
We like Monteverde for its wide array of nature and adventure activities. Despite our numerous visits to Monteverde, we still find something new to explore every time we go there. You can explore the cloud forests during the day by hiking or experience aerial views from the hanging bridges and ziplines of Monteverde. However, a Monteverde night walk tour is a different experience. You get the chance to encounter the otherwise hidden creatures of the forest.
We are sharing our experience of the Monteverde night walk and a glimpse of what you can expect on such tours.
Where to find a Monteverde Night Walk Tour?
There are several options of night walks in Monteverde. Some of the cloud forest reserves offer night tours as well apart from the day hikes. Moreover, there are companies who specialize in offering guided night tours.
Due to the current COVID situation, it is better to book online in advance to freeze your spot. Most tours have an option to send your booking request through their online portals.
We went with Kinkajou Night Walk for our tour. Their property was close to the place we were staying, and their signboards in and around Monteverde made us aware of them, so it was a convenient choice for us.
Costs and Timings
The Kinkajou Night Walk Tours costs as part of group tour are as follows:
- Adults (Foreign): 28 USD
- Students (Foreign): 25 USD
- Children between 5 & 12 years (Foreign): 18 USD
- Costa Rican Residents: 20 USD
They offer 3 timing options, 6:00 pm, 7:00 pm, 8.20 pm. We went on the 7:00 pm tour, it lasted around 2 hours.
Kinkajou Night Walk – The Tour
The Kinkajou Night Tour happens in their private property, less than 10 minutes’ drive away from the Santa Elena town center.
Our guide set the expectations at the beginning of the tour. He also explained how he would use the flashlight optimally so as to minimize the disturbance to the wildlife.
We had experienced walking in the cloud forest in the Santa Elena Reserve the same afternoon. But the night walk in Monteverde felt different. Wrapped in the unknown darkness of the night, we felt the sounds of the jungle coming alive with each step.
We just followed the footsteps of our guide, sometimes brushing the leaves from the leaning shrubs on the trail. As he showed us different species, he explained to us their behaviors. The trail was mostly flat, so we could concentrate on the wildlife and their habitat.
Wildlife on the Monteverde Night Tour
On the ground
Our first sighting was a tarantula beside the trail near its resting hole. We just managed to take a shot as the hairy creature crawled back into the hole. We found a second one later on the ground between the dry leaves.
In the trees
While we found the tarantulas and queues of leaf cutter ants near the ground, the trees were buzzing too with actions.
We spotted a porcupine moving on a tree. It was followed by a two-toed sloth hanging in another. This was our first ever sighting of a two-toed sloth in Costa Rica. We had seen the three-toed sloths in many other places, so it was exciting to see our first two-toed.
At one point, our guide set up his telescope and asked us to come look through it one by one. It was a snake, a green viper curled on a branch. This was our another first sighting, however, we could not take any impressive shot. Some memories are for the eyes only.
In the water
Apart from ground and the trees, the water bodies constitute the other important habitat for Costa Rican wildlife. The frogs of Costa Rica are an amazing lot and here we found Rufous-eyed Brook Frog. We were hearing the sounds as we came closer to a small stream on the trail and our guide spotted one!
Tiny friends
We also came across various species of insects at different points of our walk. Some of them were camouflaged and did not bother. We found a green grasshopper on a plantain leaf and a stick grasshopper hanging like a tiny twig. It would have been difficult for us to spot them on our own.
We also got to see an amazing natural natural act of a grasshopper shedding its skin.
The wonders of the night walk continued. Our guide showed us how a scorpion acquires a blue glow in UV lights when it is otherwise dark. It looked like a glowing saber from the Star Wars.
Other Moments on the Monteverde Night Tour
The wildlife sightings and the stories were interesting but the walk was not just about the wildlife. There were couple of special moments during the walk worth mentioning.
We reached a slightly open space as we could make out from the silhouettes of the trees moving bit away from us. As instructed by the guide, all torches were switched off for a moment. He asked us to look above. It was a starry but dark night and the clear Monteverde sky was flooded with the tiny glitters. The reserve around us and the stars, created a magical moment.
Another such magical moment was when the guide turned off all lights deep inside the forest and asked us to stay silent. It was pitch dark all around. But in that moment, the sense of our hearing heightened, as if the forest was whispering into our ears.
Monteverde Night Walk: What to Wear and What to Carry
Monteverde night walk trail is mostly flat and easy. Here is a checklist of what to wear and what to carry for the tour.
- Wear comfortable closed toed walking shoes.
- You might need a light jacket as it is colder in the evenings in Monteverde.
- Carry raincoat, a must have item on your Costa Rica packing list.
- Camera with a macro lens or a bigger aperture lens for low light photography.
Final Thoughts
The starry night and the residents of the dark added to our Monteverde cloud forest experience and our daytime memories. If you are planning to spend a few night in Monteverde, keep an evening for the night walk to meet the friends who are otherwise invisible during the day.
Plan your Monteverde trip:
Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve
Children’s Eternal Rainforest: Bajo del Tigre sector in Monteverde
Best Restaurants in Monteverde
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