Monteverde

Monteverde Nature Hikes 

Cloud Forests: Monteverde is known for its cloud forests, which it does well to protect. The high altitude of these tropical forests produces a near-constant cloud cover, giving these forests a moody, misty feel. Because of its climate, cloud forests are rich in biodiversity. Expect to see monkeys, orchids, hummingbirds, frogs, air plants, sloths (if you can spot them), creepy crawlies and plenty more. Animals can be hard to spot in the dense forest, so my advice would be to stop and listen out for animals rustling, particularly in the trees above you as this is how you are most likely to spot monkeys making their way through the canopy. There are a couple of cloud forests within the vicinity, The Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Preserve, Curi-Cancha Reserve and The Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve. Entrance fees are required to enter these parks, the money of which goes towards its conservation and staff. As mentioned above, if you’re looking for transport to reach these places, the tourism office will be able to help you find free shuttle transport (where applicable) or organise a taxi.

Hanging bridges: A popular hike activity is to explore the forests via hanging bridge walkways. These are really great ways to experience both the forest floor and the canopy. Personally, I think walking along hanging bridges is better than taking a zip-line tour through the canopy as you can stop and explore a bit more and take pictures. If you are accompanied by a guide you will gain lots of information about the environment and the guides are best at pointing out wildlife to you - we got to see monkeys, moths, tarantulas and birds. The bridges do swing a little if very long, or if people are walking heavily - just something to consider. There are multiple companies and parks that offer hanging bridges/sky walks. I went with Sky Adventures which I really liked as our tour guide was super knowledgable and knew where all the local wildlife were hidden and was able to point them out to us. You can also go with 100% Aventura or Selvatura Park. Tours cost around $40 at base price and should take a couple of hours, half a day max.

Other hikes: There are plenty of other nature reserves and parks that you can explore/hike. Many will have entrance fees and may require prior reservation.

• Children’s Eternal Rainforest. Bajo del Tigre is their main trail open to visitors. They also have another trail, Finca Steller, which requires advance reservation to hike, and two field stations where visitors can spend the night.

• El Tigre Waterfalls is a stunning area with multiple waterfalls. You can book a tour to hike the area (guided or non-guided), and there are also options for zip-line biking ?! if you want to try something different.

• Monteverde Wildlife Refuge / Refugio Monteverde is private land and therefore requires a tour reservation to visit. You can book directly with the company.

• Valle Escondido is available for visitors to explore the reserve. They also offer courses, workshops, and volunteer opportunities on permaculture and farming. They have an on-site hotel, restaurant, and yoga studio.

• Cerro Pinocho. A popular hike for sunrise/sunset and a fairly hilly climb from Santa Elena that can be completed in a couple of hours. Reviews mention that the landowner asks for a small fee, but I’m unsure whether this is for all visitors or just those wanting to camp overnight.

• Santuario Ecologico is private land that is available for tourists to visit the trails. It also hosts coffee and cooking workshops as well as rooms.

• Night tours, see above

There are also plenty of companies and local families offering various tours, from coffee, sugar & chocolate tours, to wildlife tours, and other activities. In these cases, you will need to book a place on their tours, many of which will include transport to and from the location.