Monteverde is Costa Rica’s adventure destination, with some of the country’s best coffee. Most would guess that Monteverde is a city, when in fact, it’s a region led by the largest town of Santa Elena. Santa Elena is Monteverde’s tourist hub. It hosts most of the area’s accommodations, restaurants, and tourism infrastructure. Monteverde is one of the major eco-tourism destinations of Costa Rica. It’s nestled in the Cordillera de Tilarán Mountain Range in the northwest part of the country.
The name, Monteverde, is Spanish and translates to “green mountain”. As the name suggests, the region is complete with lush green mountains. Mountains that roll through the lands, veiled in pristine cloud forests. The high humidity and altitude include perfect conditions, and climate, for coffee production. The region produces bright and lively flavors with citrus, floral, and cedar notes. Introduced to the region in the 1930’s from the Central Valley.
Yet, it wasn’t always a coffee region. Clovis Native Americans were the first inhabitants of Monteverde. Various pre-Colombian artifacts testify to the existence of small populations. They farmed in villages as early as 3,000 BC. Between 3,300 and 2,000 BC, nearby Arenal tribe’s experienced widespread population decline. The tribes went on to reestablish villages between 2,000 and 500 BC.
Chiefdoms replaced small tribe societies by increasing agriculture between 500 BC and 3,000 AD. Between 300-800 AD more intricate villages began to sprout. These included cemeteries, gold work and public squares. The tribes were not immune from inter-tribal conflicts and trading either. The region experienced another major population decline around 1,300 AD. Historians believe this is due to increased volcanic activity from the Volcán Arenal.
Costa Ricans would endure two generations of war, after landfall of the Spanish in 1502. In less than 50 years, the nation’s indigenous population dropped dramatically. It’s estimated that they decreased from 400,000 to 80,000 indigenous. Fortunately, Costa Rica did not yield considerable labor and resources to the Conquistadors. Thus, colonizing at a much slower rate than their neighbors, Nicaragua and Panama. This allowed them to keep a stronger connection to the Costa Rican way of life.
The area of Monteverde wasn’t established until the 1950’s. A group of Americans, from Alabama, had pacifist beliefs. Those beliefs caused them to defy the draft before the Korean war. The region was perfect for dairy farming with a cool climate and friendly residents. Yet, the countries non-violent, army free constitution is the main reason.
The expatriates stewarded and farmed the large tract of land. They understood the significance of this abundant region. Thus, decided to set it aside for conservation purposes. Today, the land is the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve. The reserve makes up a bulk of the Monteverde Cloud Forest.
As of 2020, Monteverde houses a population of 4,855 inhabitants. Until earlier this year, Monteverde was the 12th Canton of the Puntarenas Province. On August 4, 2021, the Legislative Assembly approved Monteverde to be its own Canton. Then, President Carlos Alvarado Quesada signed it into law. Monteverde will get its first municipal government and mayor during the 2024 elections.
Climate Expectations
The region experiences a tropical climate that sees a consistent temperature year-round. The hottest month tends to be April with an average temperature of 23°C (74°F). The coldest month is generally February with an average temperature 14°C (57°F). Enveloped in Cloud Forests, the region tends to experience rain any time of the year. Yet, rainy season is from June to the end of October. Dry season fills the rest of the year, and as noted, it can rain any time. This contributes to the lush biodiversity of Monteverde.
Getting Here
Getting to Monteverde is quite difficult. This adds to the alure of the region. The easiest way to get to Monteverde is with a rental car and Google Maps. I recommend looking into Nomad America for the best rentals. I cover everything about renting from Nomad America in my post about San José.
The next cheapest option is the local bus network. The Costa Rica bus system can get you through the country. Yet, this system is wildly inefficient. Every bus connects through the capital, San José. All bus routes return through San José before routing to other parts of the country. For example, when traveling to Monteverde, from Liberia, it looks like a short bus trip while looking at a map. But the buses take about 18 hours to make the trip, while connecting through San José.
Remote access limits the economy to agriculture and tourism. Historically, agriculture has been the main form of sustenance for Monteverde. This diminished over time as hunting switched to livestock. The main products produced are beans, corn, fruits, and vegetables. Overgrazing became a major problem during the 1970’s and decimated the dairy farms. Farmers turned to producing coffee. By the mid 1990’s, Monteverde was seeing some of the highest prices in the world for its artisanal coffee beans.
Tourism is a growing sector in Monteverde’s economy. Back in 1975, only 100 visitors explored the area. That number increased to 50,000 by the mid 90’s. As of today, that number has grown to around 250,000 visitors each year. Luckily, there’s enough activities to keep any kind of traveler busy.
Monteverde is the perfect destination for eco-adventurers, paradise seekers, and caffeine fanatics alike. It’s even excellent for families too. Learn about the culture at the local museums. Visit bakeries and restaurants for a taste of said local culture. Fill up that stomach, then immerse yourself in some nature. Go for a hike to explore the most visited attraction, the Cloud Forest Biological Reserve.
Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve
The park entrance costs $25 USD each for adults and $12 per child ages 6-12. The park is open every day from 7 am to 4 pm. It’s the perfect destination to explore the wide variety of biodiversity. A cloud forest is one of the rarest ecosystems in the world. The reserve is home to more than 26,000 acres with eight distinct biological zones.
Visitors have the chance to see more than 500 species of birds alone. The fauna includes jaguars, pumas, monkeys, quetzals, snakes, sloths, and a wide variety of colorful frogs. Visitors can choose between more than 13 kilometers of hiking trails. Don’t forget to take a moment and appreciate the plant life as well. There are over 200 fern species and 420 species of orchids.
Monteverde Extremo Park
Adventure travelers should be sure to stop into the Monteverde Extremo Park. They offer anything you could want to do to get an adrenaline boost. From the highest bungee jump in Central America, to the longest canopy zipline in Costa Rica. They offer a $5 discount for anyone that signs up for more than one tour.
Jump off a gondola, over the canopy of a cloud forest and hear howler monkeys shout back to you for only $80. Add on a video of the bungee experience for only $15.Take an extreme canopy tour and zipline through the forest. This includes two superman ziplines and a massive Tarzan swing for $50. The park offers night jungle tours that can combine with a zipline for as low as $20. The Extremo Park is open every day between 8 am and 9 pm.
Don Juan Tours Monteverde
For the caffeine fanatics out there, don’t miss out on a tour of a local café finca (or coffee plantation). My group and I stopped into Don Juan Chocolate and Coffee Tours for a fantastic three in one tour. This includes the production process for cacao, coffee, and sugar cane. The price for foreigner adults is $35 each and $11 each for children between ages 7 and 12. Costa Rican adults will pay $20 each and $11 each for their kids.
Don Juan offers a night jungle tour experience. These begin at 6 pm and last for two hours. The price for locals and foreigners is $28 each for adults and $14 each for kids. These can combine with the three in one coffee tour for an extra $20. This brings the total for a four in one experience to $55 for adults and $25 for kids.
My Experience
Our visit to Don Juan was a major highlight in Monteverde. We only stopped for one night’s stay. We camped nearby and took off in the morning hours after breakfast. Our day began by arriving early and grabbing a quick bite for lunch. We stopped at the Extremo Park, for a quick bungee session. This was my second time doing the bungee and it was as fun as the first. I would do it again during any future visit as well.
We did the three in one Don Juan tour for the afternoon. We found ourselves distinctly impressed by the Don Juan Tour. My highlight was the sugar cane section. It was my first time seeing how to process sugar cane. Our group fed one stick of sugar cane through a spindle that squeezed out its delicious insides. Combined with lime, by squeezing them together, making an incredible sweet refreshing drink. It was like nothing else I’ve tasted before.
Final Thoughts
This was my second visit to Monteverde, and it lived up to the hype of my first. The region is everything I remembered it to be. It’s an adventure traveler’s paradise with incredible access to pristine nature. It is the perfect destination for digging into Costa Rica’s culture. Anyone that is visiting the country, should be sure to stop into Monteverde. Don’t hesitate and make those travel arrangements today!
Quick Notes:
- Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve. Entrance Fees: Adults – $25 each Children (ages 6-12) – $12 each
- Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve. Hours of Operation: Everyday between 7 am & 4 pm
- Bungee Jumping at Monteverde Extremo Park. $80 each Add $15 for pictures and video per person
- Monteverde Extremo Park Hours of Operation: Everyday between 8 am & 9 pm
- Don Juan Chocolate and Coffee 3 in 1 tour: Foreigner Adults – $35 each All Children (7-12) – $11 each Local Adults – $20 each
- Night Jungle Tour with Don Juan Tours: Adults – $28 each Children (7-12) – $14
- Don Juan Chocolate and Coffee 4 in 1 tour: Adults – $55 each Children (7-12) – $25 each
