Exploring The Monteverde Cloud Forest in Costa Rica

After having the exhaust pipe of our “rent a wreck” car reattached by roadside locals with bailing wire, we slowly chugged up the miles long dirt and large rock rutted road hoping to reach The Trapp Lodge just on the very edge of the Monteverde Reserve.

Two excruciating hours later, we arrived. The room was large, basic, clean and comfortable, and a welcome site after our jarring rides.

An Imperial Beer (Costa Rican and hard to find in US, but worth it) in the bar and a brief rest were ready to set off on the 5-10 hike to the Reserve. Stepping out of our room we were immediately adopted by a sweet, generic-looking dog who followed us everywhere allowed for our 2 day visit.

The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve is the jewel of northwestern Costa Rica. The Reserve has several outstanding ecosystems, from its lush mountain top cloud forest, to the majestic rainforest in the lower Atlantic Watershed, to a seasonally dry forest in the Pacific Watershed.

Elfin forests shaped by the wind are found on the exposed ridges, while in contrast, the protected valleys are home to giant trees covered with orchids, bromeliads, ferns, moss and vines. The lower areas have swampy forests, but most of the Reserve is crosscut by deep ravines and numerous streams that run swiftly down the mountains creating rapids and waterfalls in their path.

Home of the resplendent quetzal, orchids, strangler figs and red-eyed tree frogs, it’s a brilliant wash of sensory overload. Raucous howler monkeys roar like prehistoric beasts at sundown and wake you with their grumbling at dawn.

The constant babble of birds and hum of insects; the formation and movement of clouds; the ebb and flow of moisture-laden heat; and the myriad colors, stripes and design speak to what’s poisonous and what is merely beautiful. The temperatures can easily reach into the 90s and the air is so saturated with moisture our clothes never dried out despite the efforts of the room A/C.

Although we’ve hiked through the Monteverde Reserve several times without incident, by its very nature it seems mined with hazards. Craftily camouflaged poison dart frogs and exotic eyelash vipers, filled with treacherous neurotoxins, await your approach.

Large, hairy black and yellow spiders the size of a hand string complicated webs across paths.

Even the exotic three-wattled bellbirds, lurking high in the canopy of trees, verbally hurl down their loud “bonks” as you walk beneath them. Despite, or maybe because of it all, the clear 13 kilometer trail is a long, lovely, humid stroll that allows you to truly get in touch with nature, and just maybe your inner self.

The Monteverde biome is over 35,500 acres and the air is dense with the scents of both sprouting and decaying vegetation, a profusion of flowers, wild avocados and animal pheromones.

It is so rich with life, the normal pace of walking can be too fast. We had to not only slow our walking, but often just stop and remain perfectly still to be able to see what was all around us but thus far invisible or disguised.

High in a tree you may spot a two-toed sloth, or notice an iridescent blue winged giant Morphos butterfly floated languorously past. Look for a clutch of hummingbirds enjoying a mid-morning snack of nectar, or, as we saw, a lone toucan seemly posing for a photograph.

Even harder to see was a pit viper on a broad leaf beneath a tree just offs the path and a three- inch long red-eyed tree frog, common in the rain forests of Central America. The little creatures are a vivid green with neon orange feet, and cream and light blue coloration along their sides and groin area.

The enlarged tips of their toes form adhesive pads feel like cold gummy bears! On your skin, which enable them to cling to the smooth surfaces of leaves. The frog’s most prominent feature is, not surprisingly, their large red eyes that some biologists suggest were adapted to use against a predator, as “startle coloration”, allowing them a quick escape.

On day two we came across a man setting up camera equipment near a massive, low hanging branch of ripening bananas. Our lucky encounter was with the local bat biologist and conservationist Dr. Richard Laval, who explained he was setting up to take pictures after dark, of bats.

Using a motion detector triggered by the bats, he was able to get fantastic pictures of a fruit-eating species found in Monteverde. They are extremely important to the ecosystem, as they swallow many seeds whole and disperse them in other locations when they defecate, aiding recovery of deforested lands.

Other bats are essential as flower pollinators, especially for those of locally grown commercially important crops like bananas. He had even recently observed these bats at night at hummingbird feeders — a sight just as spectacular as with hummingbirds during the day!

Visitors can experience the fruits of his knowledge which has gone into this study at The Bat Jungle outside the Reserve on the only road to Santa Elena.

In addition to The Bat Jungle, you will find a serpentarium (www.snaketour.com), butterfly garden, frog pond (www.ranario.com), and the World of Insects. There is a moderate charge for each. A local bus runs between Santa Elena and the Reserve several times a day and costs little. Just flag it down and hop aboard for a ride you will remember. It may stop at the local farmers market for a brief shopping excursion, drop guests at hotels along the way and go directly to the Reserve.

Our visit over at Monteverde, we jumped into our turquoise GEO Tracker (which had been grudgingly repaired by the rental company while we hiked through the Reserve), and headed higher still for Bosque de La Paz, home of a famous orchid garden and a bazillion birds.

For much more about Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve explore the site at Monteverde Cloud Forest. Entrance fees for foreigners: $18 for adults, $9 for students or children. Guided tours are $24.

(The Trapp Lodge) is the closest hotel to the Reserve.
Single/Double $110 ($20 each additional person, kids 4-11 $15)
Suites $120 ($20 each additional person, kids 4-11 $15)

(The Hotel Fonda Vela), 15 minutes from the Reserve, has a great moderately priced restaurant with a clear view of the cloud forest. Rooms average $185 per night.

The Bat Jungle

Written by VIP Members Thomas Lera and Sandra Fitzgerald.

Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.