Monteverde

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Away from the beach, into the mountains

Having finished our time working at the conservation project, we moved on to Monteverde to start the second week of our trip, which was more of a holiday. As soon as we arrived, it was obvious that it was going to be cooler and wetter than the previous week. Monteverde sits on the Continental Divide at an altitude of about 1600 metres above sea level, and so is affected by weather fronts from both the Pacific and Caribbean sides of Costa Rica. In addition to visiting one of the local coffee plantations, the majority of people that come to Monteverde do so to visit the cloud forest in the nature reserves such as the Reserva Biologica Bosque Nuboso.

In the cloud forest

There are many different ways to see the forest with most areas having well marked trails that are easy to follow, but if you want to see wildlife hiding in the trees, it is worth spending a few dollars to join a guided walk. Our best nature watching experience was when we joined a night walk, which started at dusk but went on for a couple of hours so it was fully dark by the time we finished. We paid $25 each, but it was worth the expense as our guide was able to point out snakes, birds, frogs and insects that we would have missed. The guides also carry radios, so they are able to pass updates to each other. This meant that when one guide spotted a sloth in the trees, we were all able to make our way to a good viewing spot. Sloths may not move much, but when they do they can move surprisingly quickly, so it was good to be able to see it and get some photos before it moved higher into the canopy.

If walking along the forest floor and looking up doesn't appeal to you, there is always the option to get high and look down. The sedate option is to visit one of the areas of hanging bridges, as this gives an opportunity to walk at treetop level. However, if you prefer to get the adrenaline pumping a little, there is no shortage of companies offering ziplining, with each claiming to have something that makes them unique (highest, fastest, most zippiest, even one that goes through a tunnel). We spent $45 for an afternoon on the Aventura Canopy tour, which included a 40m Tarzan swing where you step off into space and a 1590m zipline (longest in Latin America!) that you go down head first in a 'Superman' position. Sliding down a steel wire over a drop of around 200m has a way of making you feel vulnerable but is really exhilarating. I haven't done anything like this in the UK, mainly because I don't think there is anything comparable, but it was an amazing experience and you should definitely give it a go if you visit.

With so much to do, I would have liked to spend a little more time in Monteverde, but after three nights it was time to move on to our last destination.

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