Monteverde Costa Rica
Straddling the Continental Divide at 1440 meters (4662 ft), the Santa Elena and Monteverde Cloud Forest area offers one of the most interesting place to visit in Costa Rica.
In Monteverde Costa Rica rain forest are found more than 100 species of mammals including 5 species of cats, over 400 species of birds including 30 kinds of hummingbirds, tens of thousands of insect species (over 5000 species of moths) and 2,500 species of plants (420 kinds of orchids). The area is acclaimed as one of the most outstanding wildlife refuges in the New World Tropics.
Visit the
photo gallery
for more lush Monteverde scenery.
Some more Monteverde Costa Rica photos
we took on a quiet morning in the Monteverde Reserve.
Or some recent
Arenal Volcano pictures we took.
Plan at least a few days to explore the cloud forest area, one of the most famous ecotourism orientated community in Central America. There is so much to do, choosing is difficult!
Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve | Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve | Monteverde Conservation League |
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| More about the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve | More about the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve | More about the Monteverde Conservation League |
| The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve is a private non-profit reserve administered by the Tropical Science Center, and contains 6 distinct ecological zones. Called a cloud forest rather than a rain forest: because of it's altitude, the clouds go through the forest. The canopy is extremely rich with birds, insects, butterflies, and thousands of plants. Great bird watching, Resplendent Quetzal is usually seen in the March-April nesting season. | The Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve is a state owned non-profit reserve straddling the Continental Divide at an elevation of 1,700 m (5,600 ft.). Cloudier and wetter than the other reserve because of higher elevation. Contains 12 kms of trails (7 m.) and a canopy observation tower. The Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve features great views of the Arenal Volcano and the Lake Arenal and similar habitat and wildlife to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, but a lot less visitors. | With a unique and rich diversity of flora and fauna, Bajo del Tigre (Jaguar Canyon), a small area of the Children's Eternal Rain Forest of Costa Rica (Bosque Nuboso de Los Ninos), is in a transition zone from pre-mountain wet forest to pre-mountain moist forest. Because of its location on the Pacific slope, elevation and humidity, Bajo del Tigre is a very different habitat from other rain forest reserves in the area. (read more) |
Monteverde Zip Lines & Canopy Tours | Suspended Bridges Tours Costa Rica | Coffee Tours in Monteverde | Horseback Tours Monteverde |
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| Fly above the cloud forest on the Sky Trek Canopy Tour or Selvatura, the most thrilling zip lines in CostaRica. | Enoy the quiet Sky Walk suspended bridges or Selvatura suspended bridges and tree top walkways. | Take the authentic Monteverde Costa Rica coffee tour to support the local coffee growers Cooperative. | Costa Rica Horseback Riding Tour in the area or go to Arenal Volcano using a combination of 4x4, horseback and boat! |
Monteverde Lodging Guide | Arenal Volcano Nearby | Night Tours in the Forest | Monteverde Dining Guide |
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| Information, rates, and online booking for over 35 Monteverde Hotels. Hotels and rentals varying from budget to high-end. | The quickest and most convenient way to travel to the Arenal Volcano is by boat and taxi. Also see horseback riding to Arenal. | Take a forest tour at night to see the hidden wonders jungle and many nocturnal creatures. Also see the Bat Jungle, a display of 40 years of research. | Hungry for some typical Costa Rican dining? Or maybe something else... read about the Monteverde Restaurants in our Monteverde dining guide. |
More things to do in Monteverde and Links |
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Hiking the cloud forest in the Preserve of Monteverde Costa Rica or Santa Elena Reserve; 24 kilometers of well maintain trails and abundant biodiversity: thousands of species of plants, insects, frogs, snakes and great bird watching. Take an exciting Costa Rica Rafting excursion. Hiking to the San Luis waterfalls, maybe the highest in Costa Rica; 300 meters or 1,000 feet drop-off, see the Photo Gallery. Great bird watching, and lots of butterflies. Come to the rain forest area by bus, car, horseback tours, consult our Costa Rica bus schedule and maps for directions. Find weather statistics, and actual satellite view of Costa Rica today. Visit our Monteverde Photo Gallery by residents and visitors. Animals, plants, trees, insects, waterfalls, reserves, canopy tour, Arenal Volcano, Resplendent Quetzal, frogs, fox, horseback, etc. Visit the Butterfly Garden. Butterflies and insects from the area, plus trails and points of view on the Pacific Ocean. Read the Sustainable eco-tourism in Monteverde Article by John Burnett. |
Hiking the pre-mountain Costa Rica rain forest: Children's Eternal Cloud Forest (Bosque Nuboso Eterno de Los Ninos) or the Ecological Farm (Finca Ecologica). Waterfalls, great bird watching and a lot off small mammals (including sloth). Learn Spanish in one of the excellent Spanish schools. A relaxing an favorable atmosphere to study, tour and hike. Visit some of the many art and craft galleries, or take a course in ceramics, painting or wood sculpting. Do some volunteering in one of the many community projects: schools, eco-tourism, biology research , nature conservation... Visit the producing Cooperatives (best coffee and cheese in Central America). Take advantage of all services, tours, banks, restaurants, supermarkets, etc. All accommodations are just a few minutes away from the activities... Listen to the Sounds of the Cloud Forest Check out some Costa Rica travel guide books and maps. |
The Monteverde Conservation League |
About MonteverdeInfo.com |
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Thirty of the tree species in Bajo del Tigre are among those in the area that have recently been
identified as new to science.
As part of your experience at Jaguar Canyon, you will be sharing the home of the sloth,
white-faced monkey, agouti, coatimundi, kinkajou, margays, porcupine, hog-nosed skunk,
fox, coyote, armadillo, and bats, plus a world of insects, butterflies, spiders, reptiles,
frogs, snakes, and great bird watching.
The Monteverde Conservation League is a private, nonprofit association of Costa Rican and International members. It manages and preserves for current and future generations the Children's Eternal Rain Forest (Bosque Nuboso Eterno de Los Ninos), which contains over 50.000 acres; the largest private reserve in Central America. The MCL carries out various projects related to research, education, protection, habitat rehabilitation and volunteering. |
"One of the better ones... monteverdeinfo.com" - Lonely Planet Costa Rica Guidebook, also recommended by most guide books about Costa Rica, National Geographic Adventure Magazine, Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle, Tico Times, Gonomad.com. Footprint Costa Rica & Central America Guidebooks, etc.
MonteverdeInfo was created to help you maximize your time,
travel, and get the most out of your visit.
We are the first general website about Monteverde and the most recommended one, by far.
We have been online since 1998 - more about MonteverdeInfo.com.
Come and visit us frequently for more updates.
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