A dirt road, not always comfortable is taking us to the village of Santa Elena and to the National Cloud Forest Reserve of Monteverde which covers an area of 2600 hectares of exuberant vegetation at a height of 1440 meters over sea level.

In the early 50’s arrived in Monteverde a group of American Quakers to establish a small milk farm and mainly to live in a quiet and peaceful atmosphere. These few families who arrived in the place together with some local people establish the now known village of Monteverde. Today there are about 7000 people living in the area and the place is offering all sort of accommodation options, restaurants and attractions.

In the Reserve of Monteverde there are wonderful, well-built paths and impressive hanging bridges which allow you to see thousands of trees, exotic flowers, birds, butterflies, reptiles, etc.

Monteverde is a summary of a unique characteristic of Costa Rica which due to its strategic position serves as a bridge between North and South America working as a neck for every kind of life: animal or vegetable, which ends up staying in the area in their attempt to move North or South wards. This is the explanation why a small country like Costa Rica of only around 51000 square meters holds 4% of all the flora and animal life of the world and also serves as a global lung supplying 5% of the world’s oxygen.

Monteverde offers, apart from the park, plenty of activities ranging from canopy, horse riding, ATV tours, night walks in the forest, etc.

It’s highly recommended to visit the frog and reptile gardens where you’ll be able to see most of the most exotic examples of their kind.