Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve
A walk through a Costa Rica Monteverde cloud forest reveals a lush green garden of mosses, ferns, flowers and epiphytes growing thickly on every tree. Clouds drift in and settle among the slopes, giving the continuous moisture required for such exuberant plant growth. Dangling roots and vines sweep across the trails. The air is rich with the sounds of birds and the occasional scurrying of small mammals on the forest floor. In the distance a howler monkey roars.
What is a Monteverde Cloud Forest?
A cloud forest is a highland forest characterized by nearly 100% humidity throughout the year. Here in the Reserve Santa Elena of Monteverde, warm North-Easterly trade winds, filled with moisture, blow in over the Atlantic. As the winds sweep up to the Continental divide, they cool and condense to form clouds, bathing the forest in a constant soft mist. The cloud forest here receives an incredible four meters of rain every year- that is almost twelve feet.
One of the most characteristic features of Monteverde cloud forest is the abundance of vegetation. Competition for growing space is so intense that trunks and branches are almost entirely covered with a variety of epiphytes, lichens, liverworts, bryophytes and mosses. The epiphyte mats store moisture, which is specially important in the dry season (February to May). The lush cloud forest canopy of Monteverde is thus home to many species of insects, amphibians, and mammals which never even come down to the forest floor.
A walk through the cloud forest of Monteverde can be an eerie experience. As the high clouds creep through the twisted trees and hanging vines around you, strange sounds fill the air. Strong winds and the added weight of water-laden epiphytes often cause branches to fall to the ground. This reduces the height of the cloud forest canopy and adds to the forest's gnarled appearance. Falling branches also create light gaps, allowing the growth of light tolerant plants and producing a constant mosaic of succession. A perfect place for hiking, bird watching, volunteering or do some research.
The community of Santa Elena borders the Monteverde Conservation area in the Cordillera de Tilarán of Central Costa Rica. Within this region of pristine cloud forest, three hundred and ten hectares ( seven hundred and sixty five acres) have been permanently leased by the administration of the Santa Elena community High School of Monteverde.
The original vision was to use this land for agricultural research and education in Monteverde. For a variety of reasons, however, the farming proved to be unsuccessful. In 1989, it was decided to convert the land into a cloud forest reserve. Together with Youth Challenge International, a Canadian based non-profit organization, the community established an eco-tourism reserve, which officially opened on March 1, 1992.
The reserve was created out of a community's determination to help preserve the unique cloud forest surrounding them and to use tourism as a tool to benefit community development in Monteverde. Entrance fees are used for the protection and management of the Reserve and to provide higher quality education for schools of Monteverde.
The Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve of Monteverde is one of the first community administered reserves in the country (not a national park, but under the protection of the Arenal Conservation Area). It is an excellent example of what people can do to preserve and learn from their environment.
- Getting There: A shuttle leaves from the Camino Verde in Santa Elena at 6:30, 8:30, 10:30, 12:30 and 3:00PM and has a return trip at 11:00AM, 1:00PM and 4:00PM. Price is $1 each way.
- Hours: The trails are open 7am-4pm daily.
- Guided Tours: Three hour guided tours are available (and include entrance fees), for pricing and tour times click the reservation link below or write to guide@monteverdeinfo.com.
- Restaurant, souvenir shop and hummingbird feeders at the entrance.
| Private Guided Tour of the Monteverde Reserve Schedules, Rates, and Online Booking Forms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Guided Tour Santa Elena Reserve | Explore the mysty Santa Elena Reserve a lesser known cloud forest in the Monteverde area with a experienced guide. We will walk along different trails in search of birds and mammals and discuss the amazing diversity of plants. | |
Volunteering, research opportunities, bird watching, hiking, etc.
For more info, trail maps, and photos, visit the Reserve Santa Elena web
Monteverde info Activities Monteverde Reserve Santa Elena Reserve Monteverde Hotels Maps, facts, links, satellite views Arenal Volcano Horseback Rafting Sky Trek canopy tour Message board Photo gallery Feed-back