Monteverde cloud forest
Straddling the Continental Divide at 4,662 feet (1,440 m) above sea level and set within an almost mythic cloud forest, Monteverde is truly one of Costa Rica’s most remarkable destinations — for many reasons. Costa Rica is a global leader in sustainability, and Monteverde is no exception. Many accommodations favour green practices, local farmers tend to favor organic or low chemical production, and the community is committed to preserving significant portions of wilderness and promoting reforestation in previously damaged areas. When you travel to Monteverde, Costa Rica you’re supporting all of the practices, great and small, that keep this region beautiful.
Monteverde cloud forest of wonders
The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve will astound you with its beauty, bounty, and biodiversity. Wind-sculpted elfin woodlands give way to rainforests where tall trees — festooned with orchids, bromeliads, ferns, vines and mosses — rise high into the sky.
Areas with poor drainages support swamp forests, while other parts — dissected by deep, expansive gorges — have numerous streams tumbling through, creating rapids, waterfalls and standstill pools. It’s not just the forests and landscapes that are so diversified, though.
The variable climate and large altitudinal gradient sustain the amazingly diverse set of creatures who live here. Some of these include the jaguar, ocelot, Baird’s tapir, three-wattled bellbird, bare-necked umbrellabird, and the famously elusive resplendent quetzal. The flora and fauna of Costa Rica is incredibly impressive.
