Monteverde Tours

Monteverde offers visitors a variety of activities to do during your visit. There are activities for all tastes and budgets.

Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve

It is the most famous tropical cloud forest reserve in the world and one of the most important private protected areas in Costa Rica. Visited by people from different countries nature lovers seeking to enjoy, appreciate and study the rich biodiversity of their ecosystems.

The amazing biodiversity found in the Monteverde Reserve is the result of the geographical, topographical and climatic conditions there. Its forests contain four "ecological life zones,'' as defined by Dr. Leslie R. Holdridge, its ecological system of life zone. This results in different ecosystems where hundreds of species of mammals, birds, butterflies, amphibians, reptiles, insects and spiders, as well as a variety of mosses, epiphytes, vines and other plants and trees typical of the cloud forest

History

Thanks to the efforts of biologist George Powell, his wife, and the Quaker resident Wilford Guindon, Monteverde Reserve was founded in 1972 with the purpose of protecting natural resources.

Today, Monteverde Reserve covers an area of 9941, 75 hectares and is managed by the TSC (Tropical Science Center), a nonprofit organization dedicated to research, protection and management of protected areas.

 The reserve is open daily from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 pm throughout the year. You can take a walk with a guide to the area highly qualified, at 7:30 am, 12:00 pm and 1:30 pm and the evening at 6:15 pm. The tours usually take 2 1 / 2 to 3 hours.

Santa Elena Reserve

Perched high on the Caribbean slopes of the Cordillera of Tilarán (5, 000 feet, 1,500 m), the continental divide of Costa Rica, Santa Elena Santa Cloud Forest Reserve is one of the first communities to own and administrate a biological reserve in the country. With the help of Youth Challenge International, a Canadian non-profit institute, the government of Costa Rica and the community of Santa Elena, the reserve was officially opened in March 1992.
The philosophy of the reserve is unique in that the long-term sustainability is not just a concern of the reserve, but of the community as well. Revenue from tickets, tours and gift shop are reinvested in the management of the reserve or channeled to a local high school to help improve the technology and funding courses in environmental education, biology, agriculture, languages and tourism using the Reserve as a natural classroom, students and teachers take an unlimited educational resource can be used for everything from studying the ecology of tropical plants from the major tours.

The reserve is open to the public daily from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 pm throughout the year.

Also guided tours: from 7:30 am till 11:30 am everyday. The tours usually take between 2 1 / 2 to 3 hours.

Canopy Tour and Suspension Bridges

Canopy tour and suspension bridges are among the activities that most visitors do on your visit to Monteverde. Several companies certified by the ICT (Instituto Costarricense de Turismo) will offer visitors a variety of adventure activities, including the Canopy and suspension bridges.

Canopy Tour: The canopy tour is a fascinating adventure where the adrenaline is mixed with the most incredible scenery surrounding Monteverde. The tour consists of platforms and cables that carries you on a flight through the treetops. The tour begins with the placement of appropriate equipment and a detailed explanation of all safety procedures to enjoy this amazing adventure.
Some companies also offer some activity like Tarzan Swing Canopy, Bungee, abseiling or Superman. It all depends on what kind of adventure you are seeking.

The journey takes about 2.5 -3 hours and it could be done by a child as young as 4 years old.

The canopy tour is a safe adventure for all types of people, though they may apply some restrictions.

Suspension Bridges: Another way to explore on the tops of the trees is taking a walk with or without a guide through suspension bridges through the forest. During the tour visitors can walk on hanging bridges of different lengths ranging from 150 feet (50 meters) up to 510 feet (170 meters) and altitudes ranging from 36 feet (12 meters) up to 180 feet (60 meters), this is an excellent opportunity to appreciate the flora and fauna of the forest of Monteverde.

The duration of the walk is usually from 1.5 to 2 hours

Night Walks

Enjoy a night hike and discover the wonders offered by the forest of Monteverde. Among the species that visitors can see during a night walk are: sleeping birds, tarantulas, spiders, crickets, lizards, frogs, porcupines, raccoons, olingos, snakes, insects, armadillos, raccoons, reptiles, hopefully can find a Sloth sleeping. Most of the night walks begin at 5:00 pm and take approximately two hours.

Coffee Tour

The coffee tours offer an interesting opportunity to learn about the history, cultivation and processing of coffee. The Coffee Tour is an educational activity that allows us to see and understand how the local production works.

During the tour, visiting farms and coffee mill. Participants will have the opportunity to take part in the various stages involved in the production of coffee. From the collection, measurement, washing, drying, roasting and how to differentiate them.

During the harvest you can have the opportunity to participate in the collection of red grains.

At the end of the tour you will have the opportunity to take a delicious cup of coffee, freshly brewed.

Horseback Riding

Are you a horse lover? In Monteverde you will have the opportunity to enjoy beautiful landscapes and sunsets in a different way. The tours offer horses for the different levels of experience, from beginner to experienced. Tours are offered in the mornings to ride through forests, open fields and in the evening you can take a tour to enjoy a great sunset.

San Luis Waterfall

This impressive 100 meters tall waterfall is located on the outskirts of the town of San Luis, Monteverde. From downtown Santa Elena takes 20 minutes drive to the entrance of the property where the waterfall is located. After arriving at the property, you must walk about 45 minutes up a steep hill, which it will be worth the effort to get to the waterfall, and then have the great privilege of observing the beautiful environment that surrounds it. And why not take a dive in the natural pool at the bottom of the waterfall, take a break and then walk back again looking at the lush vegetation. We recommend bringing light clothing, waterproof shoes suitable for walking, as sometimes the road can become muddy and slippery.

The waterfall can be reached in a funner way. You can take a horseback ride from San Elena - Monteverde to the entrance of the property where the waterfall is located, rather than drive or take a taxi. Then take the hike to the waterfall for about 45 minutes. The tour will allow you to enjoy great views along the San Luis Valley; the tour takes approximately 5.5 hours (3.5 on horseback)

ATV Tours

Explore Monteverde’s surrounding by taking an ATV tour.

A bilingual guide will lead you through amazing landscapes and take you to discover the amazing areas that can only be reached by this type of vehicle. The tour includes: bilingual guide, safety talk, practice security equipment management, rain coats, and 350cc ATV 250cc.

Monteverde Frog Pond

Visit our indoor amphibian exhibit, accompanied by one of our guides. Return at night or other time of day with the same ticket. We have 28 species of frogs and toads. You can find many species characteristic of the tropics of Costa Rica, as the poison frog, "Blue Jeans" and the frog with red eyes. The Frog Pond also offers an exhibition of over 40 species of butterflies in the Monteverde area and surrounding areas.

Frogs and toads are suffering massive declines worldwide. We are committed to the conservation of amphibians. We spent part of the income from the sale of each ticket to conservation efforts.

The Frog Pond is open daily from 9:00 am-8:30 pm and 9:00 am and butterfly garden-4.00 pm

Monteverde Butterfly Garden

The philosophy of the butterfly garden is to educate visitors about the rich biodiversity of the Monteverde region.

The tour begins at nature center to give an overview. This includes a close and personal experience with scorpions, spiders and all kinds of insects. After observing the insects the tour continues over 4 butterfly gardens. Each garden represents a different local habitat, including hot lowlands, mid-elevation forest on the edge, deep forests and cloud forests.

A guide will accompany you along the way, to teach about the fascinating world of butterflies. The tour ends in a special exhibition on leafcutter ants, one of the most important insects in Costa Rica. Although it is easy to watch them working away in the forest, we provide a way to see the underground work they do.
The butterfly garden is open daily from 9:30 am to 4:00 pm

Bat Jungle

It is the first of its kind, designed to immerse the visitor in the depth of the amazing world of bats.

Take a guided tour through an educational exhibit, where the bats fly in an environment that simulates a jungle in a cycle of day and night. 95 free-flying bats in a large enclosure, designed to simulate the cloud forest at night. The tour takes 45 minutes with a professional guide on a tour of educational and entertaining news, focused on the biology and conservation.

You can see at close range, Monteverde bats eating tropical fruit and drinking nectar from flowers.

Bats fly, eat, socialize and even give birth before your eyes. The site has a sound installation that uses high-tech electronics, so that you could hear the echolocation of bats and socialization through hidden speakers.

Cheese Factory

Cheese Factory offers a personalized and informative tour, where you can learn about the history of Monteverde, and manufacture of various cheeses. All tours include bilingual guide, a slide show and cheese tasting. You can take a tour at 9:00 am and 2:00 pm and take about 1-1.5 hours.

Monteverde Train

The train travels in a railway line including tunnels and four bridges. The destination is a viewpoint from which you can see the lake and the volcano Arenal and Monteverde reserves and other natural wonders. The train has two locomotives and three cars each. The train leaves every hour schedule from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm.