Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve
From Wiki Costa Rica
It contains over 2,500 plant species, 100 species of mammals, 400 bird species, 120 reptilian and amphibian species, and thousands of insects.
The reserve is located beside the town of Santa Elena, where most of the services and commerce is. The buses from San Jose arrive at this town and numerous hotels are located in this area. Another reserve is nearby: Santa Elena Reserve.
Monteverde was home to one of the most beautiful animal species in the world, the golden toad , but it has not been seen since 1989, and since Monteverde was the only known place where it lived, it is considered extinct.
At the present, still numerous species of animals and plants can be seen in Monteverde.
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Lodging
Several dozens of hotels are located in the Santa Elena-Monteverde area, some are medium sized, others are small. Another lodging option is to ask locals for a room rental. Some families rent an unused room and also provide authentic costarican food for an added fee.
Roads
The roads leading to Monteverde are full of rocks, potholes, and dirt, since it's not paved. The reason for this is because of a combination of two things: not enough resources to pay for it, and some resistance from locals, which argue that a paved road would bring a flood of tourists and speeding cars, which would transform further the present feel of the town.
Even though the road is bumpy, the scenery seen is very unique. From the mountains, the sea can be seen, along with some major towns. Puntarenas (city) can be seen, and even the cruise ships can be easily identifiable from that distance. Liberia is also visible.
Going to Monteverde
Two options exist for traveling to Monteverde: public transport or renting a SUV. The reason of choosing a SUV is because of the poor road conditions, which worsen a lot during the rainy season.
Moving around in Santa Elena/Monteverde
There are local bus routes going from Santa Elena to Monteverde, but not from Santa Elena to Santa Elena's reserve. The roads are not paved, so it is tricky to move around during the rainy season. Walking to the Santa Elena Reserve is possible, but takes several hours along a somewhat deserted road.
Other attractions
In addition to the Reserves, there are plenty of things to do: Zip lining, see the Snake museum, eat local food, taste locally produced cheese, and see other small private reserves/parks.
People
Locals are very friendly, since many make a living from tourism. Also, as in some other places of Costa Rica, there is a big density of tourists, so it's easy to hear English spoken in the street, and easy to make new backpacking friends.
Videos
Road to Monteverde
Would you recommend visiting Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve? (3 votes)
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33% 
67% Details
| Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve | |
| Region | Puntarenas |
| Telephone | |
| Address | There is bus service between San Jose-Santa Elena, 2 trips per day, near the "Coca Cola" in downtown San Jose. It shares the same bus station with San Carlos bus services. The trip lasts 5 hours. By car: drive north on the Inter-American highway from Barranca, approximately 26km, at Lagarto River, follow signs and turn right towards Santa Elena. Once in Santa Elena, take bus or hike north towards the reserve. There is only one main road. |
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Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve in Google Maps |
| Latitude and longitud for GPS: 10.315933, -84.822521 To use Google Earth, cut and paste the coordinates into the search bar. You can also open this location with Maps.Google.com |
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