Tour the Monteverde cloudforest reserve that sits upon the continental divide and encompasses eight different life zones in its mountainous topography among the clouds. In its 35,000 plus acres (14,200 ha), there live over 100 species of mammals, over 400 species of birds, and 1,200 species of reptiles & amphibians. It’s one of the few places in the world that is home to six species of cats: jaguars, pumas, ocelots, oncillas, margays, and jaguarundis. Monteverde is ideal for birders and nature enthusiasts of all ages. Zip lining, or canopy climbing as it's called in Costa Rica, is an excellent way to explore the upper levels of the cloudforests of Monteverde or enjoy hiking through the cloud forest on the reserve's many trails. Contact one of our Costa Rica specialists for help designing your perfect Costa Rica tour.
Activities & Highlights
Biodiversity is the main attraction in the lush Monteverde Cloud Forest, and the ways to explore & experience it are unparalleled:
Hike the jungle with expert naturalist guides who will point out the various mammal, bird, reptile & amphibian species (including perhaps one of the six species of jungle cats known to reside here)
Visit a local sustainable farm to learn about their green practices
Spend time in the tranquil butterfly gardens
Traverse the suspended sky walks in the jungle canopy
Zipline through the rainforest
Explore nearby Arenal Volcano
Where to Stay
With a mix of high end hotels & suites and several more economical lodges, we feature the following comfortable accommodations in Monteverde:
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
1 day ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.