"Cloud Forest, Montevedre"

When visiting Monteverde, Costa Rica, you should take time to tour a place called the Cloud Forest. Located in the Cordillera of Tilaran, this area is about 4,500 feet above sea level. Known around the world as a magnificent ecotourist destination, the Cloud Forest is an experience unlike any other.

As you take the guided tour, you will have the opportunity to participate in incredible activities. For example, as part of the tour, you can fly through the canopy (treetops) on seven different zip lines. Other activities in the forest include climbing 50-feet inside a strangler fig tree, and repelling 100 feet off the highest trees. As you can imagine, the experience is something you will treasure for life!

Although there are heart-stopping activities, you can also enjoy hiking, one of the favorite things to do. Keep in mind that Monteverde offers numerous reserves and hiking trails such as The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve and The Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve. While there are other reserves, these two alone include more than 12 miles of walking trails. From that vantage point, you can see the true beauty of the cloud forest.

In addition to hiking, you might consider taking a horseback ride through the Cloud Forest. The tours for this typically last between two and three hours and you will find a number of guided tour companies that would be happy to customize the tour according to your needs. Since the horses are calm and accustomed to this trip, you do not have to be an experienced rider to enjoy the tour. If you prefer, you can simply take a private vehicle to drive back through the countryside.

One of the interesting facts about the Monteverde Cloud Forest is that the Costa Rica side sits on the Continental Divide. That means this particular forest is located on the Atlantic and Pacific slopes. Then on the Caribbean side, the forest starts at about 4,265 feet, peaking at 6,043 at Cerro Amigos Mountains.

As you can imagine, the Monteverde Cloud Forest is home to literally thousands of trees, plants, and flowers, some that grow upwards to 33 feet. Additionally, you will find the forest has more than 450 species of orchids, along with ferns and mosses. For life, there are over 435 different types of birds, reptiles, and mammals such as tapirs, jaguars, toucans, sloth, howler monkeys, poison dart frogs, and much more.


Last Updated: 10/19/2006 3:14:00 PM

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