Travel bucket list idea:

Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve [zip-line]

Monteverde, Alajuela Province, Costa Rica

|www.monteverdeinfo.com|

Bucket List Experience

Last updated: 28 May, 2023

Expert travel writer: Alex Robinson

Spread across rugged mountains 1,400m above sea level, this private reserve (and adjacent protected areas) covers more than 10,000 hectares of wildlife-rich, misty cloud forest.

This is where dedicated twitchers come to combe the 15kms of trails in search of the resplendent quetzal, the brightly-plumed bird sacred to the Mayas.

But there is plenty of other wildlife to discover – from spider monkeys and over 400 bird species, to wild orchids and prehistoric ferns – and a variety of ways to explore Monteverde.

Walking trails lead through a forest encrusted with orchids and covered in thick carpets of dripping moss (there are day and night safaris available). Canopy walkways and cable cars run through the trees, affording an eagle’s eye view of the extraordinary landscape, or you can see it at high-speed on a zip-line experience.

Logistics

Price: Free

Minimum age: Any

Age suitable: 8+

When: All year around

Getting there & doing it

The reserve lies at the end of a bumpy mountain road. Most travellers come via Santa Elena, a small dairy town located 6km west of the park entrance. While maps and well-maintained trails make independent hiking easy, spotting wildlife is challenging in the misty forest – better to go with a naturalist guide.

Binoculars are a necessity, along with long sleeves, trousers, hiking boots and a jacket for when the mist descends.

A basic café at the main entrance serves Costa Rican food. If you want to hit remote trails, pack food and water. There are no services inside the park.

If travelling to Monteverde from the Arenal/Fortuna area, a number of companies can arrange a day-long journey to Monteverde on horseback. It’s a rugged, beautiful trip skirting Lake Arenal.

When to do it

The dry season (Dec-May) is the best time to see wildlife. The ideal time to see quetzals is in March and April, when they’re nesting.

Even in the dry season, the cloud forest is wet and damp. However, during the wettest months (September to October), it can rain for days on end.

For the best chance of spotting wildlife, walk the trails around dawn or dusk.

Who to go with: organised tours

Our selection of the best Viator tours of this attraction or activity

Monteverde Rain Forest Night Walk

Puntarenas

The Rain Forest Night Walk provide you a fantastic chance to enjoy a nocturnal tropical forest experience, the night time is special time to explore the jungle. Scientists suggest that 80 percent of tropical wildlife is active at night as they take refuge in the dark to avoid potential predators. This activity is a nice opportunity to explore a natural tropical forest with the company of an expert naturalist guide in local wildlife who will share natural history data with scientific data of the area and this unique natural ecosystem in the world. We provide flash lights for the two hours Walk serching for local wild life. We use professional optic gear to be able to observe with details the amazing tropical forest residents This tour provide a good chance to watch animals like, *Two-toed Sloth *Red-eye frog *Side-striped Palm-pit viper *Orange kneed Tarantulas *Kinkajus *Nine-banded Armadillo *Bats *Bio-luminescen mushroom *Anoles *Olingo *Mottled Owl *Sleeping Monkey and more

Price: $33

Min age: 2

Rating 4.69 / 5 [268 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve [zip-line]

Logistics

Getting there & doing it

When to do it

Who to go with: organised tours

Destination guides