Monteverde
Monteverde, Costa Rica (Spanish for 'green mountain') is a small town in Puntarenas, Costa Rica. However, the name has come to represent a much wider area around it - at least to (eco)tourists, for whom this is one of the better known destinations in the country. Since the town itself is too small for an article and there is no proper name for the wider area, which deserves to be treated as a whole, this article is about that wider area, which includes the nearby Tico town of Santa Elena (which has also started to cater to (budget) tourists and is closer to some of the attractions).
Settlement
Founded by Quakers from the USA who took a religious stand to not take part in any war or preparation for war during the build-up prior to the Korean War, and who found a safe haven in this country without an army, it still retains a North American feel yet is less of a town than a spread of dwellings couched off the main through-road. It was chosen by its founding fathers for its cool climate in aid of dairy farming. The town is now moving towards eco-tourism as a more sustainable income source.
Quakers still form a considerable population alongside the native 'Ticos' - in fact, they run a medium-sized bilingual school. There are currently three main Quaker families - the Guindons, the Rockwells and, the Beeche-Campbell's.
Nature
Photograph by Dirk van der Made
The region lays claim to some of the best-kept cloud forest in the entire country and is a paradise for bird watchers. Several nature preserves have sprung up to make sure this stays the case. Because of the beauty of the area, it is only natural that Monteverde has become a major part of the Costa Rican tourist trail - despite the poor roads leading up to and through it. This being a cloud forest of course one has to count with the possibility of continuous fog and/or light rain.
There are many types of animals including howler and capuchin monkeys, non-venomous and venomous snakes, frogs and toads, and thousands of beautiful birds, including hummingbirds that are lured to places where they can be easily observed with sugar water feeders (posing for flowers with nectar). Here, one can expect to be surrounded by swarms of all sorts of hummingbirds.
The main attraction is Reserva Biológica Bosque Nuboso Monteverde at the Southeastern end to the East of Monteverde proper, which is an enormous nature reserve. But usually only the area around the park entrance is visited. There are trails further inland though, where one can also stay overnight on platforms in the trees. It is even possible to cross the entire park to the Arenal Volcano, though this needs good planning and for those who are not used to jungle trekking it is advisable to go with a guide. If only because they tend to spot much more and will point out animals that one would likely never have spotted. Of course this also goes for other nature areas here and elsewhere (provided the guides are experienced, which they generally are here).
To the West of Monteverde proper lies the Bosque Eterno de los Niños, a project in which schoolchildren from all over the world protect this area that is not really in the cloud forest and therefore better for some animal-observations. Guided night-walks can be done here.
Farther North, nearer Santa Elena, are a butterfly garden, a serpentarium and a ranarium (frogs).
Still farther north, past Santa Elena, is the Reserva Santa Elena. Nearby one can do the Sky Walk, with seven suspension bridges (see photo), some as long as 300 m. This is a unique opportunity to see the forest from a completely different angle; from above.
A less tranquil way to go through the forest (not for nature lovers but for thrill seekers) is the Sky Trek in which one zips through, and occasionally above, the forest along cables. The Monteverde Canopy Tour is similar to this. Or the exciting Aventura Canopy Tour with the famous Tarzan Swing Aventura Canopy.
Apart from all this there are many other, less official, tracks, such as the one up Cerro Amigos, where there are radio masts (the operators of which may be happy to meet someone - it's lonely up there).
Other activities include horse riding and mountain biking. There is some controversy over these activities since they make the tracks unusable for hikers. The horse riding tours have been attacked for abuse of the animals, but have responded by enforcing satisfactory humane practices. But in recent years this has improved - the tourist is advised to use a conscientious operator.
Lodging
Monteverde has a well-developed lodging infrastructure. You will find places for all budget ranges. The Santa Elena village harbors most of the backpacker places, where prices range from $5 dorm for shared-bath bedrooms to $10 for a room with a private bath. In the last few years, a number of hostels have sprung up and are yet not published in guidebooks. It pays to look around, you might just find a great place nobody knows about. Some of the most popular budget places to stay are the Pension Santa Elena and Camino Verde, all though they are really good for meeting other travelers and sharing experiences & travel tips, the noise of the town is quite loud (specially on weekend nights), so you might consider places more outside the main street. A few close places to Santa Elena are the Atardecer and Casa Tranquilo B&B who offer a much more tranquil ambiance but are still near the village of SE. Or a new small lodge 2 minutes to town with great views and prices - Rainbow valley Lodge. More towards the Monteverde reserve you will find the more upscale hotels such as the Hotel El Establo and the Hotel Montaña. These places offer the highest quality in Costa Rican mountain lodges (3-star grade) where prices range from $60 standard rooms to $150 Master honeymoon suites. There also are mid-range places in Monteverde, probably the most popular place would be the Hotel el Bosque, that offers space for $45 for 2 people. Most of the lodging facilities in the area will be more than willing to point you in the right direction of things to do and activities in the cloud forest area.
Dairy
Besides the dominant ecotourism industry, Monteverde is also home to a substantial dairy factory. The Monteverde Cheese Factory, despite its name, supplies much of Costa Rica with exceptionally high quality cheese, ice cream, and various other dairy products. It was founded by the original Quaker settlers, and continues to operate after more than 50 years.
External links
- Monteverde Travel - Information on hotels, tours, transportation, restaurants and more.
- Monteverde Area information with good map of whole area
- Information on the Monteverde Area
- Monteverde Cloud Forest Nonprofit Organizations
- Monteverde Travelblog
- Monteverde Information - Information on hotels, cloud forest reserves, activities and transportation.