Monteverde Cloud Forest
In Spanish, Monteverde means "green mountain" and it is one of the most interesting and most popular tourist destinations in Costa Rica. Best know for the world famous Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, there are a number of other reserves and activities in this area. For nature-lovers and birders Monteverde is a natural destination.
Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve
This large reserve is one of the most outstanding wildlife sanctuaries in the Americas and includes eight distinct ecological zones. It protects more than 400 species of birds and over 100 species of mammals. In addition to the spectacular Resplendent Quetzal, you may see the endangered Bellbird, or Emerald Toucanet. There are also 30 species of hummingbirds. (We recommend stopping at the Hummingbird Gallery)
While you can walk the trails with a self-guiding pamphlet available at the entrance, we recommend taking at least one guided tour, as an experienced guide will point out flora and fauna that you would probably not notice yourself.
Arenal Volcano
Volcán Arenal (1,633 meters) is a picture-perfect cone. It's also Costa Rica's most active volcano and a must-see on any tourist's itinerary. Note, however, that it is most often covered in clouds and getting to see an eruption is a matter of luck (the dawn hours are best, before the clouds roll in; seasonally, you stand a reasonable chance in dry season, and less than favorable odds in rainy season). Arenal was sacred to pre-Columbian tribes (it is easy to imagine sacrifices tossed into the inferno), but it slumbered peacefully throughout the colonial era. On 29 July 1968, it was awakened from its long sleep by a fateful earthquake. The massive explosion that resulted wiped out the villages of Tabacón and Pueblo Nuevo, whose entire populations perished. The blast was felt as far away as Boulder, Colorado.
It is regarded as one of the world's most active volcanoes. Its lava flows and eruptions have been constant, and on virtually any day you can see smoking cinder blocks tumbling down the steep slope from the horseshoe-shaped crater that opens to the west--or at night watch a fiery cascade of lava spewing from the 140-meter-deep crater. Some days the volcano blows several times in an hour, spewing house-size rocks, sulfur dioxide and chloride gases, and red-hot lava. The volcano's active vent is on the western side, and the normal easterly wind blows most of the effluvia westward. Explosions and eruptions, however, occur on all sides.
The Arenal volcano puts on regular displays and it is not unusual for there to be cloud cover and the odds are about 50-50 on seeing an eruption. On a clear night the sight is incredible and much of the area is beautiful rainforest. Famous for the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, there are several other nature reserves in the area. This is a very popular destination for birdwatchers and nature lovers. The 12,016-hectare Parque Nacional Volcán Arenal lies within the 204,000-hectare Arenal Conservation Area, protecting eight of Costa Rica's 12 life zones and 16 protected reserves in the region between the Guanacaste and Tilarán mountain ranges, and including Lake Arenal. The park has two volcanoes: Chato, whose collapsed crater contains an emerald lagoon surrounded by forest, and the perfectly conical Arenal. The park is most directly accessed from La Fortuna, but is also easily accessed via Tilarán and the north shore of Lake Arenal.
Cloud Forests
Braullio Carrillo N.P.
Irazú Volcano N.P.
J. Castro Blanco N.P.
Monteverde
Poás Volcano N.P.
