The mosses were still wet from the last evening’s shower. The tiny water drops glistened in the afternoon sun. As I touched one, the clear cold droplet trickled down my finger. The forest was more dense than we had imagined. Only few select thin rays of the sun find their way through the trees in an otherwise dark green foliage here. With the peeping sunlight through the forest and the call of the bellbirds in the background, we felt like the audience of a musical. Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve or Reserva Bosque Nuboso Santa Elena is one of the cloud forest reserves that Monteverde is famous for.
Monteverde, Costa Rica offers numerous activities and if you are looking for a hike in a cloud forest reserve with stunning views and less people then the Santa Elena Reserve is the best choice. Established in 1992, the 300 hectares forests are jointly run by the Santa Elena Community High School and a Canadian nonprofit Youth Challenge International.
How to Reach
The Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve is around 6.5 km (4 miles) from the Santa Elena Town center. It lies at the end of the road that passes by the Sky Adventures and Selvatura Park, the 2 popular zipline adventure and hanging bridge destinations in Monteverde. Most part of stretch after the Santa Elena town is unpaved and has potholes. While a 4X4 is not absolutely required, however, at least a vehicle with high ground clearance is recommended, particularly in the wet season.
You can find the Google Map location of Santa Elena Reserve here.
The Santa Elena town is reachable by road from Juan Santamaria International Airport (132 km or 82 miles), near San Jose or Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport, Liberia (120 km or 75 miles). In both cases, most part of the road is paved.
The Trails of the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve
Trail Information
There are 5 trails in Santa Elena Reserve, covering around 12.5 km (7.8 miles) through the cloud forests. If you have few hours, then stick to the Encantado Trail and the Youth Challenge Trail. Apart from the cloud forest experience, these 2 trails have couple of viewpoints and an observation tower with chances to see the Arenal Volcano on a clear day.
The Encantado and the Youth Challenge trails are easy or moderate with few stretches with steep elevation gains. The 2.6 km (1.6 miles) Encantado Trail starts near the entrance of the reserve. If you are not venturing into the Cano Negro or Del Bajo trails, the Encantado trail takes you back to the entrance with last few hundred being same as the onward hike. Also, there is a short cut on the trail if you do not wish to cover all the distance.
The main attraction on the 1.4 km (.9 miles) Youth Challenge trail is the observation tower.
If you have an entire day, you can extend your hike to the Cano Negro and Del Bajo trails.
Trail Experience
The trails of this reserve have the best cloud forest views in our opinion. The other forests of Monteverde have their own highlights, however, the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve’s highlight is the forest itself. The dense lush green foliage, the moss covered trees, the ferns popping out of the branches, the hanging branches snaking their ways between the mighty trunks, the canopy allowing only threads of sun rays, all teleport you to a magical kingdom.
Another interesting part of these trails are the many tiny bridges that takes you over the jungle streams. They create an amazing setting with the greening tint from the mosses and the sudden open areas in the otherwise dense forest.
For exploring more cloud forests of Costa Rica, check out our post on Los Quetzales National Park.
The Observation Tower
There is an observation tower on the Youth Challenge Trail apart from a view point on the trail. Although the clouds blocked the views when we passed the view point, the weather turned better when we reached the tower. You will need to climb quite a few stairs to get to the top. We saw the mountains and canopies around with the clouds floating above them.
We were not able to see the Arenal Volcano on that day. However, if you are lucky and the weather is clear, you might see not just the Arenal Volcano but 3 other volcanoes as well – Rincon de la Vieja, Tenorio and Miravalles.
Wildlife at Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve
As the open areas in the reserve are less, the chances of finding wildlife is slightly difficult. However, through the fluttering and whistling, they let you know about their presence throughout the hike. But the thick vegetation gives the birds and the animals opportunities to hide. So look out for them during your hike as chance encounters are less likely.
We were able to find birds and animals during our hike. We were greeted by loud flaps towards the beginning of our hike. As we searched for the source, we found couple of black guans near the canopy.
A Slaty-throated Redstart obliged us with some photographs in a shrub beside the trail. As the sun glistened on the redstart’s head, its eye twinkled and the red cap came alive.
A gang of white-faced capuchins, being themselves, gave us company as well during our hike.
Best Time to Visit the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve
Costa Rica has 2 distinct seasons, dry and wet. Monteverde takes a different look in those 2 seasons.
The wet season, between April and December, is best for the dark green look with droplets of water dripping from the moss-covered trees. The chances of afternoon showers are high in this season, so mornings are better for hiking.
However, Santa Elena Reserve being in the cloud forest, it retains a wet look even during the dry season. We visited the reserve in the month of March and found the forest verdant all throughout.
Entrance Fees and Timings of Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve
For self guided tours:
Foreign Nationals:
- Adults: 16 USD
- Students: 9 USD
- Children: 7 USD
Costa Rican Citizens and Residents:
- Adults: 3000 CRC
- Students: 2000 CRC
- Children: 1200 CRC
Timings: 7:00 am to 3:00 pm
For guided tours:
The tours last 2.5 hours and can be booked in advance mailing them, check the details here.
Foreign Nationals:
- Adults: 33 USD
- Students: 25 USD
- Children: 20 USD
Costa Rican Residents:
- Adults: 12,600 CRC
- Students: 10,800 CRC
- Children: 5,400 CRC
Timings: There are multiple slots to choose from 7:30 am, 9:15 am, 11:30 am, 1:00 pm.
For private tours:
You can mail the reserve (reservaciones@reservasantaelena.org) to book at least 1 day in advance and choose your preferred timing anytime between 6:00 am to 3:00 pm.
- Foreign Nationals (1 to 3 persons): 125 USD
- Costa Rican Residents (1 to 3 persons): 51,000 CRC
What to Wear and What to Carry
The hiking trails at Santa Elena Reserve are easy or moderate in most stretches. Here is a checklist of what to wear and what to carry for the hike.
- Wear comfortable closed toed walking shoes.
- Hiking pants/shorts and light tee should be fine.
- Carry raincoat, a must have item on your Costa Rica packing list.
- Carry drinking water.
- Camera.
Final Thoughts on Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve
If you are planning your Monteverde itinerary, include Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve for the love of the cloud forests. The hiking trails in the reserve offer specimens of the typical vegetation that come together to provide the best views that you can experience in a cloud forest.
Plan your Monteverde trip:
Monteverde: The Complete Travel Guide
Bajo del Tigre, Children’s Eternal Rainforest
Birding at Curi-Cancha Reserve
Best Restaurants in Monteverde
Like the post? Pin it!
