Monteverde

Monteverde/Santa Elena (Green Mountain) is a small town that is located in the Province of Puntarenas. Monteverde is one of Costa Rica’s top tourist destinations because of it's cloud and rain forests that have an incredible amount of biodiversity and many reserves. The most popular reserves include Biologica Bosque Nuboso Monteverde, Bosque Eterno de los Ninos, and Reserva Santa Elena from which one can enjoy spectacular views of the famous Arenal Volcano.

Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve is considered to be one of the most spectacular nature reserves in the Americas. Located centrally in Costa Rica along the continental divide between the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea, it is home to a hugely diverse array of flora and fauna. Monteverde remains both the most accessible and developed of all the cloud rain forests in Costa Rica, drawing in about 250,000 annual visitors. However, only about 50,000 enter the reserve. The reserve's elevations and location create four distinct climate zones, which host more than 3,000 plant species, 500 orchid species, 120 mammal species, 130 amphibian and reptile species and more than 400 bird species.

In 2007, Monteverde was voted one of Costa Rica's Seven Wonders, along with Tortuguero, Arenal Volcano, Cerro Chirripo, Rio Celeste, Isla del Coco, and Poas Volcano.  In recent years, tourism has continued to increase, bringing an influx of Costa Ricans into the area to live and work.

Monteverde provides a fair amount of nature related attractions as well.  Butterfly gardens, bird watching, zip lines, horse back riding, and mountain biking are just a few.  The nearby settlement of Santa Elena also provides several peaceful accomodations, bars, and restaurants. Hosting a large variety of nature museums, gardens, and waterfalls, it also has several cultural and historical sights in close proximity.

Temperatures range from 15 to 22°Celsius (59 to 77° Fahrenheit), so the weather is generally warm during the day and cool at night.  Monteverde and this region are highly exposed to both western and eastern weather patterns, causing the reserve to experience very unique weather conditions throughout the year.  In addition, this area has an average annual rainfall of around 3,000 millimeters (118 in). This is a result of moisture from the Caribbean that is blocked by warm air currents from the Pacific, creating cloudy, misty conditions that are responsible for it's bio-diversity.

Visitor Center phone# (506) 2645-5122

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