Monteverde Cloud Forest
May 28th, 2024
The Monteverde Cloud Forest in Costa Rica is a renowned biodiversity hotspot, home to over 2,500 plant species, 400 bird species, and an array of wildlife. This lush, mist-covered reserve offers visitors unique opportunities for hiking, bird-watching, and exploring the rich ecosystems of the cloud forest.
Do I need a guide?
Pic #1: Coati, Pic #2 Seed Pod, Pic #3 Seed from Seed Pod, #4 Macaw Feather, #5 Mucuna Urens Flower (pollinated by bats)
Do I need a tour guide at Monteverde Cloud Forest? YES. This biodiverse area of Costa Rica you can spot all of the wildlife your heart desires, whether or not you will see them is the question. The tour guides at Monteverde are well in tune with where to find the wildlife within the preserve and each guide has a special spotting scope that will help you see the birds, insects, and tarantulas. Juan Cano was our guide. Ryan luckily has been staying in Costa Rica for 7 months and has good connections at work, which they highly recommended Juan!
Pic #1 Tucan w/ iPhone through spotting scope: & Pic #2 Tucan w/ my Canon Mark III Pic #3 Moss Mimic Stick Insect
Check in
Driving to the Monteverde Cloud Forest was an adventure in itself! We set off from San Jose at 4 AM, navigating through Costa Rica's notoriously unpredictable traffic. The infrastructure demands extra travel time, so plan accordingly, it took us over 3 hours to reach the Cloud Forest. The roads are winding and often limited to two lanes, but the breathtaking scenery along the way makes the journey worth every twist and turn (Dramamine was also necessary for this backseat passenger, especially with Ryan’s driving). The main highways in San Jose will have tolls. You can use your CC at these stops to pay for the tolls. On the way we did make one stop to use the restroom and grab a cafe y leche at a roadside cafe.
The base of the Monteverde Cloud Forest has a parking lot where you'll check in. You can buy parking ($5) online in advance. The parking lot attendants will check your ticket and give you passes for the white bus. The bus takes you up a sketchy mountainside road that really should be one-way, but the drivers, who make this trip hundreds of times a week, navigate it effortlessly (while I'm leaning to one side to make sure we don’t tumble down the cliff).
Once you reach the top, your driver will drop you off in another parking lot. This is where we met Juan, our guide. Guides will meet their groups at the top by the check-in area. Only one person from your group needs to check in. Each person will receive a key card to enter the cloud forest through a turnstile. Just outside the turnstile, there are restrooms, so be sure to stop there before entering the forest. Also, they don’t allow plastic bottles in the forest, so make sure to bring reusable water bottles.
The Cloud Forest
The Cloud Forest is stunning. I wasn't entirely sure what to expect from the guided tour, but I was super excited to try out my new lightweight Canon Mark III G7X camera. It packs most of the punch of my mirrorless camera but is much easier to travel with. Little did I know that Juan, our guide, had a spotting scope that made my camera almost unnecessary with the iPhone trick he taught us. It took me the whole tour to get a halfway decent picture, while he did it effortlessly.
The Cloud Forest features one hanging bridge with a lovely overlook, which was good practice for us before we tackled the eight hanging bridges at Selvatura right after this tour.
Our guide, Juan, was a true pro. Once an accountant, he found his passion for the outdoors, and it shows. He traveled with a wildlife book, knew every bird call, could spot a bird before any of the other guides within seconds, and set up his scope for your casual viewing. Juan's vast knowledge extended beyond just the wildlife; he knew a lot about the climate and the flora and fauna too.
The trails were well-kept, and we definitely got our workout in going up and down the steep terrain. While you can avoid the steepest parts, there are still plenty of hills to tackle. After the tour, we all gathered for a group photo before parting ways. We then headed into town for lunch before going to the Selvatura Hanging Bridges, which Juan recommended.
At the Restaurante Sabor Tico we enjoyed authentic Costa Rican dishes and I had seriously the best salad, the ensalada Verde!
Want to see our adventure to the Monteverde Cloud Forest? Check out my Instagram Reel and follow Beach Blonde Voyage for more adventures!
Mentions & Links
AirBNB: Habana House & Natural Pool, La Fortuna, Costa Rica 2 bedroom, 1 bath, up to 8 guests
