Introduction to Monteverde

The "green mountain" awaits you at the end of a steep and winding dirt road. One of Costa Rica's top ecotourism destinations, Monteverde is known for its rich network of biologically diverse private reserves. But it is Monteverde's magical cloud forest that draws most visitors, a mountaintop phenomenon that occurs when moist, warm air sweeps in off the ocean, rises, cools and forms clouds. All that moisture is a boon to growth, and nearly every square inch of the mountain is blanketed in a vivid cathedral of green.

Active Pursuits

Hanging moss and vines, flowering orchids, and birdcall surround you on a gentle, early morning hike through the relatively untouched -- but easily negotiated -- Monteverde Biological Cloud Forest Reserve. Less crowded than Monteverde but no less beautiful, the hikes into Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve, just three miles away, take you even higher into the clouds. Monteverde has excellent terrain for horseback riding, where the clip-clop of horses is accompanied by the calls of the wild.

Flora and Fauna

Costa Rica is a nature lover's paradise, and Monteverde Biological Cloud Forest Reserve is home to more than 2,500 different types of plants and animals, 400 species of birds, and 400 types of orchids. If you're lucky, you'll spot the rare, elusive quetzal bird, once revered by pre-Columbian people, at San Gerardo de Cota or Cerro de la Muerte. The Sky Walk brings you up close to native flora and fauna as you travail forest paths and suspension bridges.

Tours

Sail through the treetops on a canopy tour of the rain forest or rappel down the face of a waterfall on a canyoning tour. Discover the traditional means of harvesting and processing coffee and sugar cane on an El Trapiche Tour. You'll spy the shy, nocturnal creatures of the cloud forest on a nighttime guided tour of the Monteverde Biological Cloud Forest Reserve. Monteverde even has its own cheese factory; sample one of the 17 varieties on a factory tour.