Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve

The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve is particularly famous for its high biodiversity. According to Wikipedia, Monteverde is home to more than 2,500 plant species (including the most orchid species in a single place), 100 species of mammals, 400 bird species, 120 reptilian and amphibian species, and thousands of insects, which draws both scientists and tourists to this place. 

According to the World Conservation Monitoring Centre, only 1% of the global woodland consists of cloud forests with a total of 736 cloud forest sites distributed among 59 countries. Six of those sites are located in Costa Rica, and the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve is by far the most visited with approximately 70,000 visitors per year (up to 450 visits per day during the peak tourist season, from December through April). These visitors come to admire the beauty of the forest, in search of this high density of flora and fauna.

Please note that, even though the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve contains an impressive variety of flora and fauna, spotting animals on the trails is not easy nor common. You will need the help of a local tour guide to spot some wildlife, and even with a tour guide, you might not be able to spot a lot of animals because the Reserve protects over 10,500 hectares (26,000 acres) of cloud forest and animals usually avoid the contact with humans by going deeper into the forest, rather than becoming visible on the trails.

The weather at the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve is typically cold and rainy, with a mean temperature between 8° and 20° Celsius (46° and 68° Fahrenheit), and an annual rainfall that can range from 500 to 10,000 mm/year which is the equivalent of approximately 143,835,616 to 2,876,712,328 liters (37,997,349 to 759,946,999 gallons) of water per day, which comes out to the equivalent of 1 to 19 million baths per day to when you do run the calculations using the rainfall calculator found on the United States Geological Survey Institute website.

Please note that even though that is an impressive amount of rain per day, it’s usually not rainy the entire day. Most of the time it rains during a fraction of the day, sometimes during a few hours in the morning, other times during a few hours in the afternoon, but rarely back-to-back the entire day, except a few days during the rainy season which goes from May through November with September and October being the most rainy months.

Rain is also significantly less prominent during the summer months which go from December to April. However, it’s always recommended to bring a rain jacket when you plan to visit the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, regardless of the time of the year you plan to visit.

A typical hike in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 5 hours, depending on the distance and pace of the visitor. There are a total of 11 trails which range from 300 meters (984 feet) to a little more than 2 kilometers (1.24 miles) for a total of 12 kilometers (8 miles) with different difficulty levels, and each one can take from 30 minutes to 2 hours of hiking at a moderate pace.

One of the most popular routes starts from reception through Sendero Nuboso A (1,125 meters or 0.7 miles) to Sendero Nuboso B (800 meters or 0.48 miles), then to Sendero La Ventana (305 meters or 1,000 feet) to reach the famous continental divide line, a viewpoint called La Ventana (“the window”) where visitors can see the Pacific side of the country to the left and the Caribbean side to the right. La Ventana is the most popular attraction in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, but it’s only for the physically fit because it’s very steep with an elevation gain of 65 meters (213 feet) which takes approximately 1.5 hours to reach the top at a moderate pace. On the way back from La Ventana to reception, visitors can choose to either go back through Sendero Nuboso which will now be a downhill hike of approximately 45 minutes, or go around through Sendero El Camino (2 kilometers or 1.2 miles) which takes approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes.

On the other hand, guided tours (not included with the entrance fee) take 2.5 hours going at a very leisurely pace, stopping multiple times to spot wildlife and to learn about the local flora and fauna. Local tour guides flow with the pace of the group to ensure everyone gets a chance to explore and learn about the cloud forest. They will typically skip going to La Ventana and instead, they will use Sendero El Camino which is often a good choice for birdwatching. Visitors who book the guided tour, can also continue to hike on their own after the tour is over, before the Reserve closes its doors at 4 pm.

Only 250 people can enter the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve at once. And then, as visitors leave the reserve, new visitors can come in to replace those spots. However, once the daily number of visitors reaches 450 people, the reserve stops allowing more people to come in, so the limit per day is 450 visitors, out of which only 250 visitors can be present inside the reserve at a time. This is a sustainable measure to ensure that the habitat is preserved in the best possible manner, considering that over 70,000 people visit the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve every year. 

The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve also has a first come, first served policy. Visitors can book the guided tour online, but they are still subject to availability to enter the reserve, so it is recommended that visitors book the first tour at 7:30 am and they show up at the reserve 35 minutes before the doors open at 7 am. This is why the reserve is normally busier during the morning as visitors arrive soon to get in before the 250 limit is reached. Upon making a reservation for the guided tour, visitors receive an online confirmation of the tour, but they are still expected to arrive early to check in at the reception as soon as they open. In the event that a visitor makes a reservation for the nature guided tour at the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve and they do not arrive before 7 am to check in and pay for the entrance fee at the reception, the visitor will lose the opportunity to join the tour and no refund will be provided.

Visitors should wear long pants, a poncho (or a rain jacket) and hiking shoes at the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. Lightweight breathable long pants are highly recommended to avoid sweat from getting trapped inside the pants while keeping the legs cool and comfortable; ponchos or rain jackets come in very helpful even when the day seems pretty clear because the nature of the cloud forest makes the weather pretty unpredictable, and there is usually a tendency to rain at least a couple of times per day; and hiking footwear is constructed with tough materials such as crampon which reduce friction on a slippery terrain which makes it perfect for the trails at the reserve. 

Additionally, it is also recommended to bring sunscreen (especially when visitors are planning to hike up the La Ventana trail to the continental divide viewpoint because the sun rays can get pretty intense in there) and insect repellent to repel mosquitoes, ticks, flies, and other biting insects who live in the cloud forest. 

These items should be a part of the recommended things to bring not just to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, but to Monteverde (i.e. the town itself). For a complete list of things to bring to Monteverde, please visit our blog post named 10 Things You Must Bring To Monteverde. 

There are more than 100 species of mammals, 400 bird species, 120 reptilian and amphibian species, and thousands of insects that live in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, but only a small portion of them will be spotted on a regular basis. The reason for this is that the trails open to the public only represent about 3% of the total size of the area, and the animals are naturally drawn to stay away from contact with humans. 

In addition to this, over 80% of the animals that live in the cloud forest are only active at night, and can only be spotted on a guided night tour. The other 20% of the animals in the cloud forest can be spotted during the day but is not easy unless you go with a local tour guide who knows the place well and who has recently been in the reserve over the last few days. Those animals that can be spotted with a tour guide include daytime mammals such as agoutis, coatis and howler monkeys, as well as a number of bird species such as the renowned Resplendent Quetzal, a highlight for most visitors on their Monteverde trip, as this bird is considered by many as one of the most beautiful species in the world.

You do not necessarily need a tour guide at the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve because the trails are very well marked and you will get a map at the entrance, but it is highly recommended to go with a local guide to completely enhance your experience. Local tour guides know the reserve and they are constantly in contact with one another sharing tips and tricks to find wildlife you would not be able to find on your own.

Local tour guides are also an impressive source of information about the local flora and fauna, as well as the natural history of the cloud forest, and a nature guided tour at the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve can often be compared to experiencing a live National Geographic episode which can provide for a much richer cloud forest experience. Local guides are truly passionate about nature and they pride themselves on living in such an amazing place that they want to share that experience with all the visitors.

Sometimes you can find freelance tour guides available at the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, however, it is recommended that you book the tour in advance to secure your spot with a great guide. This will help you save time and energy you would otherwise have to spend in finding a good guide at the last minute. You can book now using this link or by going to the bottom of this webpage and clicking on the “Book Now” button. You can also click on the “Learn More” button if you would like to get more information on what a nature tour at the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve entails.