Santa Elena Cloud Forest, Monteverde, Costa Rica

EFebruary 2011

Santa Elena Cloud Forest situated at an elevation of 1500 m or 5000 feet is located in the Monteverde Region of Costa Rica. The reserve opened in 1992 and comprises an area of 765 acres. The reserve is rich in vegetation and fauna due to the high amount of precipitation it receives, the cloud forest gets close to 12 feet of rain every year! Here you’ll find insects, reptiles, mammals and birds and there are many opportunities to spot quetzals, toucans, white-faced and howler monkeys, sloths and if you’re really lucky maybe even a jaguar.

Walking through the cloud forest was one of my favourite hikes on my trip to Costa Rica. There are 12 kms of trails that meander through the reserve. Guided hikes provide a first-hand view and excellent opportunity to learn about the cloud forest and the various plants and species that comprise it. When you walk the trails you’ll notice that the forest is full of mosses, ferns, lichens, flowers and epithytes. Dangling roots and vines sweep across the trails and you’ll hear different sounds emanating from the forest.

There is an entrance fee and together with donations, guided tours and the help of volunteers the reserve is able to exist and thus protect one of the most perfect cloudforests. For around $20 per day, you can volunteer at the reserve and can help out with such tasks like trail maintenance, teaching English and with various conservation projects. For more info visit reservasantaelena.org.

Santa Elena Cloud Forest was just one of the places I visited on my tour of Costa Rica.

Read my full 16 day Costa Rica Trip Report.

 

  


For more information visit the following related links.
Reserva Santa Elena
Monteverve Info: Santa Elena