Things to Do in Monteverde

The Monteverde area offers countless adventure activities, both on land and in the air. Many find that a week here is not enough to see it all, but with careful planning and full days, visitors can sample a little bit of everything from this green mountain paradise.
 
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Air Activities:

Canopy Tours
Costa Rica’s first canopy tour was founded in the Monteverde area, and today, the region is dotted with many other exhilarating zip-line adventures. Wildlife is hard to spot on these tours – most shy away at the sound of excited screams and buzzing cables – but flying through the treetops does provide excellent views of the Nicoya Gulf and the surrounding landscape. True adrenaline junkies should book a tour that includes a Tarzan swing.

Canopy tours come in all shapes in sizes – some are big on adrenaline, while others incorporate the landscape into the day’s events. Monteverde’s canopy tours each offer 14 to 16 platforms, cable lengths reaching 2,250 feet, speeds up to 40 mph and rappels up to 90 feet. Several offer Tarzan swings, which range from mildly terrifying to heart-stopping. One tour even offers an easy rappel down through a giant strangler fig!

Hanging Bridges
Three area companies offer tree-top hanging bridges, allowing visitors to explore the forest canopy as never before. Bridges vary in length and height – the highest reaches almost 200 feet and the longest stretches for more than 500 feet. All promise fantastic opportunities to view the cloud forest’s wildlife, including sloths, monkeys and many birds. Resplendent quetzal sightings are frequent between March and June, the species’ mating season.
 
Aerial Tram
An aerial tram tour is ideal for visitors that wish to experience the forest canopy at a slow pace, or for those who have trouble negotiating the cloud forest’s rugged trails. For a slower journey, one local tram travels almost one mile through forest canopy, offering both day and night tram tours. The cars hold up to two individuals and may be stopped at one’s pleasure. The area’s more thrilling tram trip offers a bit more adventure, fantastic views and a little less nature, traveling up to one mile high on almost 5,250 feet of cable.

Land Activities:

ATV Tours
After a brief practice session, the Monteverde ATV tour sets out on a two-hour, 12.5-mile journey along private trails and public roads. Adventurers enjoy fantastic views, glimpses of wildlife and a good dose of high-adrenaline fun.

Bird and Wildlife Watching
Monteverde’s private reserves, which include cloud forest, rainforest and pine forest, are superb for wildlife viewing and bird watching. Among the area’s offerings are 400 bird species, 121 mammal species, and 3000 plant species, including 800 species of tree. Most common animal sightings are white-faced monkeys, coatimundi, three-toed sloths, agouti, tree frogs and myriad insect species. The resplendent quetzal, one of the country’s most coveted birds, is most easily spotted in March and June, during its mating season.

Guided hikes offer the best birding and wildlife viewing in the area – trained naturalist guides are experts at spotting mammals, amphibians and birds hidden in the trees. The Monteverde Cloud Forest, Santa Elena Reserve, Hidden Valley trails, Cerro Plano Ecological Reserve and Children’s Eternal Forest are your best bets for expertly-guided tours of the area.

Coffee Tours
Before the cheese industry arrived, Santa Elena residents thrived on the coffee industry, which still employees many today. Two area coffee tours offer visitors a glimpse into the fascinating coffee process, following a red coffee fruit on its journey from the plant into your cup. Along the way, visitors enjoy sun-dried, dark-roasted and light-roasted coffee samples. Read more about Coffee Tours

Day Spas
After a long hike or a challenging canopy tour, your muscles may cry out for a bit of rest and relaxation. Several small spas, in addition to a few on-site hotel spas, provide  pampering treatments like deep-tissue massages, mud masks and seaweed wraps.

Hiking
Monteverde is full of hiking trails, most located in the area’s diverse private reserves. The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve offers eight miles of groomed trails; a map is included in your entrance fee. For a comprehensive park overview, take the trail triangle – a link between the Cloud Forest Trail, The Road, and Swamp Trail – for three and a half miles of animal sightings, bird watching and several small waterfalls.

Not to be outdone, the Santa Elena Reserve offers seven and a half miles of rugged trails, each offering varying lengths and difficulty levels. (Note: The reserve plans to have its handicap-accessible trails completed by mid-2009.) Due to its higher elevation, the preserve is home to slightly more animal and bird species than the Monteverde Cloud Forest, and the park’s knowledgeable guides can find even the best-camouflaged animals hiding in the trees.

Located between the Santa Elena Reserve and the Monteverde Cloud Forest, the Children’s Eternal Forest (the Bosque Eterno de los Ninos) dwarfs both in size:  at over 54,000 acres, it is the largest park in the area. A testament to the will and perseverance of children around the world, the Children’s Eternal Forest is lined with well-marked hiking trails ideal for day and night (guided only) walks. The Jaguar Canyon Trail is well suited to bird watching, and its two-mile length is ideal for an enjoyable, not exhausting, forest walk.

Several other small reserves dot the Monteverde area, including the Cerro Plano Ecological Sanctuary, the Hidden Valley Trail and the Tranquil Path Reserve. Each offers groomed trails through primary and secondary forest, and several pathways lead to scenic overlooks, cascading waterfalls and impressive strangler fig trees.

Horseback Riding
Tackling Monteverde’s rocky terrain is no easy task, and until recently, riding horseback was the transportation method of choice. Today, taxis and rental cars more commonly move visitors along the dirt streets and bumpy back roads, but horseback riding is a great way to enjoy the sights and sounds off the beaten path. Several established companies rent horses by the hour ($15-$20) and offer guided tours. Horseback excursions to the nearby San Luis waterfall ($50 per person; five hours) are particularly popular.

Museums and Exhibits
Monteverde literally brims with museums and wildlife exhibits, including serpentariums, butterfly gardens, insect exhibits and more. (See Places to See in Monteverde for more details.)

Night Tours
Many forest dwellers are nocturnal, so the best way to see a fully active cloud or rain forest is to visit during both the day and night. Luckily, all of the area’s private reserves (see Hiking, above) offer night tours in addition to their daytime walks. As dusk falls, prepare to see coatimundi, frogs, owls, slumbering birds, porcupines and plenty of insect species.

Trainforest Railroad
Inaugurated in 2009, the Monteverde Trainforest takes visitors on a beautiful, four-mile journey through pristine cloud forest. On a clear day, riders will also enjoy scenic vistas of Lake Arenal and the magnificent Arenal Volcano in the distance. 90-minute train tours depart every hour between 7  a.m. and 5 p.m. Birding tours are available with prior reservations. (Located three miles north of Santa Elena's public school. $65 adults / $32.50 students. 2645-5700.)

Shopping
Santa Elena and Monteverde are home to many talented artists who have set up shop on the road between the two towns. Flor de Vida, one of the area’s best galleries, offers high-definition photographs, beautiful paintings and handmade textiles. The Hummingbird Gallery, located just outside of the Monteverde Cloud Forest’s main entrance, offers wildlife photography books, watercolor paintings and Chorotega Indian artwork.


Compleja Atmosphera, located in quiet Cerro Plano, offers exquisitely-carved Costa Rican wood sculptures. When in town, ask around – no matter what kind of art you’re looking for, chances are good that someone in Monteverde sells it.

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