Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve

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6 kilometers east of Santa Elena
Puntarenas Province
Monteverde, Costa Rica
1-877-277-8291
011-506-2257-0766

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Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve Description

The misty and mysterious Monteverde Cloud Forest lives up to its name, which comes from the fact that this biodiverse national preserve is at a much higher altitude than most of Costa Rica's other rainforests. What happens is that a misty humidity is concentrated at the high altitude, causing this deep forest to be thick with ferns, orchids, and other moisture-loving species. The cloud forest is also home to monkeys, toucans, pumas, and an enormous variety of frogs, snakes, butterflies, some of them found here and nowhere else. There are actually several different biological reserves that make up what's commonly called Monteverde; the Biological Reserve of Monteverde and Santa Elena and the Eternal Children's Rain Forest. Many tours encompass more than one.

Kid Tips

Toddlers & Pre-K: A trek into the Monteverde Cloud Forest is rugged and may be too much for little ones. The frog and butterfly preserves located in Santa Elena will let little ones have close encounters with nature without having to hike miles to do it.

School-Age Kids: Bring plenty of water and snacks, so your adventure isn't ruined with whining and moans of "I'm hungry." Have everyone wear good sturdy walking shoes as the terrain can be rough. Long pants or a strong mosquito repellent is important to protect against bug bites.

Pre-Teens & Teens: Non-athletic older kids may prefer to see the cloud forest from the Sky Train zipline. But warn everyone that you actually see very little wildlife when doing a zipline canopy tour: You're going too fast and screaming too loud.

Planning Notes

Hire a guide and book a pass. A maximum of 120 people are allowed into the Monteverde biological reserve at one time, and the area is enormously popular with tourists, so you don't want to be shut out. While you can go in unaccompanied, which costs less, you won't see as much. It takes an experienced guide to spot the exotic frogs, sleeping sloths, and shy quetzals.

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