Monteverde Rain Forest and Santa Elena

Monteverde, Costa Rica is a misty and cloudy small town in Puntarenas and is considered a major tourist destination due to its numerous reserves with naturally impressive rain and cloud forests.  It was voted as one of Costa Rica’s Seven Wonders, along with Isla del Coco, Tortuguero, Arenal Volcano, Cerro Chirripó, Río Celeste and Poás Volcano.

The Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve was created in 1972, and is the region’s most valuable treasure.  The bulk of Monteverde’s rainforest and cloud forest is found here.
Monteverde’s variable climate and high altitude has helped produce an extremely high biodiversity.  It is home to over 100 species of mammals, more than 400 species of birds, including 30 kinds of hummingbirds, thousands of insect species and around 2500 species of plants - containing the largest number of orchids in the world, with 34 out of 500 species worldwide.   Monteverde is acclaimed as one of the most outstanding wildlife refuges.

Around 250,000 tourists visit the Monteverde region each year.  The area around the park entrance is the most visited, though camping deep in the reserve is also possible with reservations. There are nine main trails, which are easy to access, allowing visitors to explore and admire this natural paradise.

In terms of nature-related attractions, Monteverde features a modest range of businesses. Some of the many options offered by this natural paradise are: zip lines and suspension bridges through surrounding forests, serpentariums, insect museums, butterfly gardens, horseback riding, hiking, mountain biking and history walks.

As well, the Monteverde region produces some of the best export quality coffee in Costa Rica.  Tourists can learn more about Monteverde’s coffee production by taking the educational Monteverde Coffee Tour. 

Just a few kilometers to the northwest of Monteverde is Santa Elena.  This tiny but extraordinary town is known throughout the region for its surrounding natural beauty and its incredibly delicious cheese. ‘La Lecheria’ is the local cheese factory in neighboring Monteverde, which produces thirteen different varieties of cheese.

Santa Elena is also the closet town to the popular Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve and is often used by visitors as a stopover when exploring this beautiful region. The Santa Elena Reserve is visited less frequently by tourists than the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve, however, the cloud forest habitat that it protects is quite similar to that found at the neighboring reserve, as is the associated wildlife.

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