Monteverde
- Filed under: Costa Rica
- Date: May 25,2008
Monteverde is a small town near Puntarenas, Costa Rica. This article deals with Monteverde and its surrounding zone. This includes Santa Elena, as well as numerous reserves and attractions.
Monteverde is humid, misty and cloudy, with temperatures ranging from 15 to 22 degrees Celsius (59 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit). Annual rainfall averages around 3,000 mm or 117 inches.
Due to the acclaimed rain forests and cloud forests in the greater Monteverde area, Monteverde has become a major part of the Costa Rican tourist trail - despite difficult access. It was recently voted one of the “7 Wonders of Costa Rica” by the Costa Rican newspaper La Nación. Over 60,000 tourists visit the Reserva Biológica Bosque Nuboso Monteverde of Monteverde’s total 200,000 annual tourists. Monteverde’s acclaim comes largely from its highly biodiverse ecosystem, boasting 130 species of mammals, 500 species of birds, 120 species of amphibians and reptiles as well as 3,000 species of plants. Many of these species are endemic.
The bulk of Monteverde’s rain forest and cloud forest can be found in the Reserva Biológica Bosque Nuboso Monteverde, an enormous private nature reserve created in 1972. The area around the park entrance is the most visited, though camping deep in the reserve is possible through reservations. Nine main trails, which total at 13 km, are well kept and easy to access. The reserve features a large network of less accessible trails and a number of ranger stations two of which house 10 persons each, and one research station which can house as many as 43 persons, though the latter is only used by researchers.
To the West of Monteverde proper lies the Bosque Eterno de los Niños, a project funded by schools and children from all over the world. This area is not considered cloud forest, being lower and drier than the Monteverde and Santa Elena reserves. Bajo del Tigre, a small section of the Bosque Eterno de los Niños, is known for birdwatching and night hikes.
Still farther north, past Santa Elena, is the Reserva Santa Elena. This area is visited less frequently by tourists than the Monteverde Reserve.