All plants in this 1000 year old rainforest are covered by different mosses and lichens. From the gigantic trees the lianas dangle down in the humid air towards the green carpet that covers all the ground in the rainforest. The Monteverde rainforest is also home to lots of animals. More than 425 species of birds, thousands of insects and innumerable reptiles and mammals.
Village of Santa Elena
For a visit here, you live in the small village Santa Elena which offers good restaurants and a few small bars. From town you have a good view of the Monteverde rainforest and if you turn around you can see all the way down to the Pacific Ocean and Nicoya bay. The sunsets here are magical when you look out over the valleys toward the ocean.
Monteverde is one of the few places in the world where you can find Quetzals, widely considered as one of the world’s most beautiful birds. Monteverde is a so called cloud forest. This is because it is over 1400m above sea level and the clouds are often closely hugging the tree tops. During the days, it’s warm and pleasant here, but during the evenings it cools down (15-18C) because of the high altitude. Bring an extra warm sweater, a pair of pants and rain poncho on your trip here.