Sights in Monteverde & Santa Elena
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Reserva Biológica Bosque Nuboso Monteverde
This beautiful reserve came into being in 1972, when the Quaker community, spurred on by the threat of encroaching squatters, joined forces with environmental and wildlife organizations to purchase and protect an extra 328 hectares (811 acres) of land. This fragile enviroment relies almost entirely on public donations to survive. Today, the reserve totals 10,500 hectares (25,946 acres).
Visitors should note that some of the walking trails are very muddy, and even during the dry season (late December to early May) the cloud forest is wet. Many trails have been stabilized with concrete blocks or wooden boards and are easy to walk on, though unpaved trails deeper in the rese…
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El Jardín de las Mariposas
One of the most interesting activities is visiting the butterfly garden. Admission entitles you to a naturalist-led tour (in Spanish or English) that begins with an enlightening discussion of butterfly life cycles and the butterfly’s importance in nature. A variety of eggs, caterpillars, pupae and adults are examined. Visitors are taken into the greenhouses, where the butterflies are raised, and on into the screened garden, where hundreds of butterflies of many species are seen. The tour lasts about an hour, after which you are free to stay as long as you wish. There’s also a theater that presents an informational video in English, Spanish, French, Dutch or German. It’s b…
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Reserva Santa Elena
Though Monteverde Reserve gets all the attention, this exquisitely misty entry, at a comparably small 310 hectares (766 acres), has plenty to recommend it. While the Monteverde Reserve attracts almost 200,000 visitors annually, Santa Elena sees fewer than 20,000. It's also a bit cheaper and much less developed, plus your entry fee is helping support another unique project.
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Bat Jungle
Learn about echolocation, bat-wing aerodynamics and other amazing facts about the (incredibly cute) flying mammal, the bat. The stellar Bat Jungle, a labor of love realized by biologist Richard Laval, has terrific exhibits including a free-flying bat habitat, beautiful sculptures and a lot of bilingual educational displays. The Bat Jungle makes up part of the new Paseo de Stella visitors center, a modern hacienda-style building that also houses a cafe specializing in Argentine chocolate, a museum of Monteverde history and an art gallery. The wide terrace of the building is a wonderful spot to stop for coffee and a handmade truffle.
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Jardín de Orquídeas
This sweet-smelling garden has shady trails winding past more than 400 types of orchid organized into taxonomic groups. Guided tours in Spanish and English are included with admission, on which you’ll see such rarities as Plztystele jungermannioides, the world’s smallest orchid, and several others marked for conservation by the Monteverde Orchid Investigation Project. And if you have orchids at home, you might also learn some tips and tricks for organic care.
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Ranario
Monteverde’s cloud forest provides a heavenly habitat for amphibians, which, if you’re lucky, you’ll see in the park. But at the Ranario about 30 species of Costa Rica’s colorful array of frogs and toads reside in transparent enclosures lining the winding indoor-jungle paths. Sharp-eyed guides lead informative tours in English or Spanish, pointing out frogs, eggs and tadpoles with flashlights. You’ll get to see the brilliantly fake-looking red-eyed tree frog, the glass frog and a variety of poison-dart frogs. If you’re lucky, your guide may also imitate frog calls, or give you the lowdown on local folklore (tips are always appreciated). Many resident amphibians are more a…
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Serpentario
Biologist Fernando Valverde has collected about 40 species of snake, plus a fair number of frogs, lizards, turtles and other cold-blooded critters. Sometimes it’s tough to find the slithering stars of the show in their comfy, foliage-filled cages, but guides are available in Spanish or English for free tours. The venomous snake displays are awesome, and you’ll get to see your first (and hopefully last) fer-de-lance.
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Valle Escondido
Valle Escondido (Hidden Valley Trail) begins behind the Pensión Monteverde Inn and slowly winds its way through a deep canyon into an 11- hectare (27-acre) reserve. In comparison with the more popular reserves, Valle Escondido is quiet during the day and relatively under-touristed, so it's a good trail for wildlife watching. The two-hour guided night tour is very popular, so make your reservations in advance.
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Mundo de los Insectos
The World of Insects goes beyond just butterflies with its collection of creepy cloud-forest crawlies, from hermaphroditic walking sticks to notoriously venomous banana spiders. During our recent visit, the museum was changing management and undergoing a much-needed remodeling.
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Don Juan Coffee Tour
Book this two-hour tour at their downtown shop near the SuperCompro.
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Friends Meeting House
The Quakers (or more correctly, the Society of Friends) who settled in Monteverde played a direct role in preserving the cloud forest, and they remain extremely active in the local community, though they’re not recognizable by any traditional costume. Quakerism began as a breakaway movement from the Anglican Church in the 1650s, founded by the young George Fox, who in his early 20s heard the voice of Christ, and claimed that direct experience with God was possible without having to go through the sacraments. Today, this belief is commonly described by Quakers as the ‘God in everyone,’ and the community continues to lead a peaceful lifestyle in the Monteverde area.
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