Traveling to Monteverde is almost like leaving the tropics behind and entering a magical world of misty forests and green rolling hills. Monteverde is a small town located in the Puntarenas province of Costa Rica, known for its beautiful cloud forests and diverse array of flora and fauna. The area is home to the world-renowned Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, where visitors can explore the misty, biodiverse forest on a variety of hiking trails.
The town of Monteverde also offers a variety of outdoor activities such as canopy tours, horseback riding, and butterfly and hummingbird gardens. Visitors can also take a night walk to see nocturnal animals.
Almost everything in Monteverde centers on its rich nature and history of conservation. Here are some destinations and activities you don't want to miss!
- Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve: This protected area is an enchanting wonderland where you can catch glimpses of mist-filled hollows under the canopy of tall trees; it’s also an important area for scientific research and learning.
- The Children’s Eternal Rainforest: This conservation area is Costa Rica’s largest private reserve, founded on donations from children and schools in 44 countries. There is a lot to do here since this protected area allows some development.
- Canopy Tours: One of Monteverde’s favorite tours is the zip-lining canopy tours that you can find in abundance. These zip line experiences are fun and get your blood pumping as you soar through the treetops, spotting monkeys, birds, and reptiles.
The cloud forest includes the planet’s largest number of orchids, around 500. Every inch of these forests is covered with green life. Most of the branches and tree trunks of the forest are coated with layers of moss, lichen, plants, orchids, and ferns. As you hike through trails and across hanging bridges or even fly through the trees on a zip line, you can try and spot some of the 100 species of mammals, 300 species of birds, and 1,200 species of amphibians and reptiles that live in the reserves and surrounding areas. The average elevation of this region is 4,600 feet (1,400 meters)
Golden season
December to April
Green season
May to November
Average temperature
73 °F (23°C)
Average rainfall
110 inches (2,787 mm)
In the 1950s, a large group of Quakers immigrated to Costa Rica from the United States in defiance of the Korean War draft. The Quaker settlers chose Costa Rica for its non-violent policies and lack of an army. Monteverde was chosen for its cool climate, perfect for its dairy farming. Eventually, they set aside a large part of their farmland to become the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve, an important piece of conserved land in Costa Rica.
Where is Monteverde Located?
- 3 hours from Juan Santamaria Airport in San Jose (SJO) to downtown San Jose (78 mi/126 km)
- 2.5hours from Guanacaste Airport in Liberia (LIR) (77mi /125 km)
- *Times are approximate and dependent on the time of day and other factors.