Active Pursuits

Bird-Watch & Hiking

You can also find ample bird-watching and hiking opportunities outside the reserve boundaries. Avoid the crowds at Monteverde by heading 5km (3 miles) north from the village of Santa Elena to the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve (tel. 645-5390; www.reservasantaelena.org). This 310-hectare (765-acre) reserve has a maximum elevation of 1,680m (5,510 ft.), making it the highest cloud forest in the Monteverde area. There are 13km (8 miles) of hiking trails, as well as an information center. Because it borders the Monteverde Reserve, a similar richness of flora and fauna is found here, although quetzals are not nearly as common. The $9 (£4.50) entry fee at this reserve goes directly to support local schools. The reserve is open daily from 7am to 4pm. Three-hour guided tours are available for $15 (£7.50) per person, not including the entrance fee. (Call the number above to make a reservation for the tour.) A night tour ($15/£7.50) is also offered each evening at 7pm.

Sky Walk (tel. 645-5238; www.skytrek.com) is a network of forest paths and suspension bridges that provides visitors with a view previously reserved for birds, monkeys, and the much more adventurous traveler. The bridges reach 39m (128 ft.) above the ground at their highest point, so acrophobia could be an issue. The Sky Walk and its sister attraction, Sky Trek, are located about 3.5km (2 1/4 miles) outside of the town of Santa Elena, on the road to the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve. The Sky Walk is open daily from 7am to 4pm; admission is $17 (£8.50). For an extra $10 (£5), a knowledgeable guide will point out the diverse flora and fauna on the walk. For $50 (£25) per person, you can do the Sky Trek canopy tour and then walk the trails and bridges of the Sky Walk. Reservations are recommended for the Sky Trek; round-trip transportation from Santa Elena is just $2 (£1) per person.

To learn even more about Monteverde, stop in at the Monteverde Conservation League (tel. 645-5003; www.acmcr.org), which administers the 22,000-hectare (54,000-acre) private reserve Bosque Eterno de Los Niños (Children's Eternal Forest), as well as the Bajo del Tigre Trail. The Conservation League has its office on the Cerro Plano road, 50m (164 ft.) before the Butterfly Garden. In addition to being a good source for information, it also sells books, T-shirts, and cards, and all proceeds go to purchase more land for the Bosque Eterno de Los Niños. The Bajo del Tigre Trail is a 3.5km (2 1/4-mile) trail that's home to several different bird species not usually found within the reserve. You can take several different loops, lasting anywhere from 1 hour to several hours. The trail starts a little past the CASEM artisans' shop and is open daily from 8am to 5pm. Admission is $7 (£3.50) general and $4 (£2) for students.

You can also go on guided 3-hour hikes at the Reserva Sendero Tranquilo (tel. 645-5010), which is run by the folks at the Sapo Dorado and has 80 hectares (198 acres) of land, two-thirds of which is in virgin forest. This reserve is located up the hill from the cheese factory, charges $22 (£11) for its tours, and is open daily from 7am to 3pm seasonally.

Finally, you can walk the trails and grounds of the Ecological Sanctuary (tel. 645-5869), a family-run wildlife refuge and private reserve located down the Cerro Plano road. This place has four main trails through a variety of ecosystems, and wildlife viewing is often quite good here. There are a couple of pretty waterfalls off the trails. It's open daily from 6:30am to 7pm; admission is $9 (£4.50) for self-guided hiking on the trails; $24 (£12) during the day for a 2-hour guided tour; and $15 (£7.50) for the 1 1/2 hour guided night tour that leaves at 5:30pm.

Canopy Tours

One of the oldest canopy tours in the country is run by The Original Canopy Tour (tel. 645-5243; www.canopytour.com), which has an office right in the center of Santa Elena. This is one of the more interesting canopy tours in Costa Rica because the initial ascent is made by climbing up the hollowed-out interior of a giant strangler fig. This tour has 11 platforms and two rappels. The 2- to 2 1/2-hour tours run three times daily and cost $45 (£23) for adults, $35 (£18) for students, and $25 (£13) for children under 12.

Another popular option is offered by the folks at Sky Trek (tel. 645-5238; www.skytrek.com), a growing complex of aerial adventures and hiking trails. This is one of the more extensive canopy tours in the country, with two very long cables to cross. The longest of these is some 770m (2,525 ft.) long, high above the forest floor. There are no rappel descents here, and you brake using the pulley system for friction. This tour costs $44 (£22).

One of the most complete additions to the field is Selvatura Park (tel. 645-5929; www.selvatura.com). Located close to the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve, this place is the best one-stop shop for various adventures and attractions in the area. In addition to an extensive canopy tour, with 15 cables connecting 18 platforms, they also have a network of trails and suspended bridges, a huge butterfly garden, a hummingbird garden, a snake exhibit, and a wonderful insect display and museum. Prices vary depending upon how much you want to see and do. Individually, the canopy tour costs $40 (£20); the walkways and bridges, $20 (£10); and the butterfly garden and the insect museum, $10 (£5) each. Packages to combine the various exhibits are available, although it's definitely confusing, and somewhat annoying, to pick the perfect package. For $108 (£54), you get the run of the entire joint, all the tours, lunch, and round-trip transportation from your Monteverde hotel.

There's currently a glut of canopy tours in the Monteverde area, and I can only recommend those mentioned above. Anybody in average physical condition can do any of the adventure tours in Monteverde, but they're not for the faint-hearted or acrophobic. Try to book directly with the companies listed above or through your hotel. Beware of touts on the streets of Monteverde, who make a small commission and frequently try to steer tourists to the operator paying the highest percentage.

Horseback Riding

There's excellent terrain for horseback riding all around Monteverde. Meg's Riding Stables (tel. 645-5560), La Estrella Stables (tel. 645-5075), Palomina Horse Tours (tel. 645-5479), and Sabine's Smiling Horses (tel. 645-6894; www.smilinghorses.com) are the more established operators, offering guided rides for around $10 to $15 (£5-£7.50) per hour. As I mentioned earlier in "Boats, Horses & Taxis", there are horseback/boat trips linking Monteverde/Santa Elena with La Fortuna. This is certainly an exciting and adventurous means of connecting these two popular destinations, but I've received numerous complaints about the state of the trails and the treatment of the horses, so be very careful before undertaking this trip.

Another option is to set up a day tour and sauna at El Sol (tel. 645-5838; www.elsolnuestro.com). Located about a 10-minute car ride down the mountain from Santa Elena, these folks take you on a roughly 3-hour ride either to San Luis or to an isolated little waterfall with an excellent swimming hole. After the ride back, you'll find the wood-burning traditional Swedish sauna all fired up, with a refreshing and beautiful little pool beside it. The tour costs around $60 (£30) per person, including lunch. These folks also have two very rustically luxurious private cabins ($95-$125/£48-£63 double), with excellent views.