30.10.2021 | Central America, Costa Rica

Cloud Forests and hanging bridges in Monteverde

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Although there is no ocean in Monteverde, walking through the Cloud Forest and crossing hanging bridges really is a highlight that you should not miss! There are a lot of different parks offering different packages for wildlife spotting, hiking and zip-lining. Imagine yourself standing on an hanging bridge, looking at a beautiful waterfall, surrounded by the jungle and in the background the sounds of howler monkeys. Most likely you will spot some sloths or a coati somewhere.

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For visiting the different parks your base will be the cute little town Santa Elena. From there you can drive with your rental car to the different park entries or you take a bus from the centre.

The jungle in Costa Rica is so stunning! This country is home to approximately 5 % of the world’s biodiversity, although it’s such a small country! That explains why national parks as the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve are such beautiful places. It is home to an incredible array of exotic birds, animals and plants. Divided into six distinct biological zones, the Cloud Forest covers a staggering 10.500 acres, making it one of the largest nature reserves in Costa Rica. The Cloud Forest spans the provinces of Puntarenas ans Alajuela.

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1. Cross some Hanging Bridges

Monteverde is famous for its bridges, especially the hanging bridges. There are several parks with these bridges, but the El Tigre Waterfall park with all the natural looking hanging bridges were our absolutely favorite one:

Hike the El Tigre Waterfalls in Monteverde!!!

This hike was the best thing we did in this area! We highly recommend it, because there were only two other people. The normal El Tigre Waterfall hike is an 8km long trail and you need around 3,5 hours. The hike includes 4 waterfalls and 10 bridges. We loved the small trails through the jungle, as well as the waterfalls where you can take incredible pictures and go for a swim. Also, the hanging bridges are so photogenic, I felt like Tarzan. They gently wiggled as I crossed them.

El Tigre Waterfalls belongs to a Costa Rican family and is also run by them. The entrance building is open from 7am to 4pm. They offer water and juice in the building, as well as delicious food. Also they have a big parking space, where you can leave your car. The entry fee is 29 USD per person. If you don’t want to hike up the hill at the last section, you can book a pick up via horse or 4×4 car with them.

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Alternatively: The Selvatura Park

The Selvatura Park is a lot more touristic than the El Tigre Waterfall hike. But it’s a great alternative if you search for a little more action. You can walk along a 3 km hike through the Cloud Forest crossing 8 hanging bridges overlooking the trees. The longest hanging bridge is 170 meters long and 60 meters high. The view from the bridges is incredible. The park protects around 300 hectares of forest. This place is also famous for the Canopy tour with zip-lining. However, the packages are pretty expensive. This park is more for the bridges and the zip-lining than for wildlife spotting.

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2. Experience a Cloud Forest

A cloud forest is a type of ecosystem that typically exists at a high elevation. It is marked by significant low cloud cover, which creates moist air and soil, encouraging forest growth.

Costa Rica is home to more than one cloud forest, because it has several high-altitude destinations. The most famous cloud forest is the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. In the high season it can get pretty crowded here. However, we’ve been at Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve in the rainy season at 7am and we where the only ones on the trails. Nevertheless there are good alternatives for the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, too:

Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve

The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve was established in 1972 only covering 810 acres. Today it’s extended far beyond, encompassing 8 microclimates. Here, you will find hiking trails of 13 km leading along beautiful forests, moss-covered lianas, bubbling brooks, through damp clouds of mist, to splashing waterfalls. We had a great glimpse of flowers and butterflies. There are 6 main trails to explore beneath the forest canopy. There is one bigger bridge in this park, but it was closed due to construction work, which was very disappointing. Two viewpoints gave a great view over the ocean.

Around 10 % of the biodiversity is only findable in the Cloud Forests. 400 species of bird, 100 species of mammals and 1.200 species of amphibians and reptiles live in the canopy cover, including monkeys, sloths, deer, tapirs, bats and wild cats. You can also spot the unique resplendent quetzal bird. Only 3% of the Biological Reserve is accessible to visitors. 

With a rental car you can park at the road side for free or you drive to the reserve’s official parking lot (you need to pay there) and catch the reserve’s complimentary 5 minute shuttle service to the entrance. Otherwise you can take the bus from the Banco Nacional in Santa Elena. The reserve opens from 7am to 4 pm. The entry fee is 20 USD per person, tickets can be booked online, too.

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A less crowded alternative: Santa Elena Reserve

Santa Elena Reserve, which sits at 1.600m above sea level, is Monteverde’s smaller sister. However there are a lot less tourists since most people book a ticket for the famous Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. Santa Elena Reserve offers several beautiful hiking trails and hanging bridges in the cloud forest, too. You can see white-faced and howler monkeys, three-toed sloths, jaguars, agouti and a lot of birds like keel-billed toucan and resplendent quetzal. Chances are better to see the animals with less people and it most likely gives you a more intimate experience.

The reserve opens from 7am to 4pm. The entrance fee is 16 USD. You can take the bus from Banco Nacional to get there.

The smaller Curi Cancha Reserve

Curi Cancha Reserve is smaller as the other two reserves, but also a lot less crowded. It offers several beautiful hiking trails and is known as the birdwatchers paradise. There is no big hanging bridge like in the other parks. The entrance fee is 20 USD per person.

Others Parks:

• Children’s Eternal Rainforest reserve
• Hidden Valley Reserve
• Aguti Wildlife Refuge
• Ecological Sanctuary

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3. Go zip-lining and bungee jumping in Monteverde

If you want to go zip-line in Costa Rica, Monteverde is the place to do it! This is where zip-lining started:

Original Canopy Tour

The Original Canopy Tour Monteverde was founded in 1994 in the small town of Monteverde. It’s the first zip-line in the world ever designed to be a recreational activity for travelers. The Original Canopy Tour offers 14 platforms and 5 km hiking trails. The other providers built zip lines with more speed and altitude.

Sky Adventures Costa Rica

In this park you can zip-line through long winding pathways through the cloud forest. The full tour consists of hanging bridges, a tram up the mountain, ending with the zip-lines. Some of the zip-lines are pretty fast and high up, the last one is like half a mile long. There is a free fall bungee style jump from the final platform 25 meters in the air.

Aventura Canopy Tour

The tour starts with 2 simple zip-lines but quickly progresses to pulse-racing ones. The superman zip-line is the longest zip-line in Latin America, followed by a 45 meter fall on the Tarzan swing.

Selvatura Park

As listed above, this park is also incredible if you only do the walk crossing the hanging bridges. But Selvatura Park also offers a (more expensive) Canopy tour package including the zip-lines.

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4. Do the Cerro Pelado Hike !!

The landscape you see on this hike, these soft green hills, will impress you for sure! It’s a 5,3 km hike, less touristic and full of beautiful views. Coming from Santa Teresa we first drove on bigger streets, then roads changed to smaller dirt roads. Coming from Monteverde, Cerro Pelado is only a 1 hour and 45 minute ride.

This was one of the best hikes we did in Costa Rica! We hiked this trail for sunset and got a beautiful view with clouds hovering over the hills. Don’t forget your headlamps for the way back. The first part of the hike is a bit steep, but the rest of the trail is along open grassy ridge and the views are incredible throughout the entire hike. Also the trail is very well maintained.

You can leave your car at the parking area with some minimal facilities including pipa fria to buy. We paid 2.000 colones per person and per car, 6.000 colones in total.

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6. Waterfalls on the way from Monteverde to Rio Celeste

If you are driving from Monteverde to Rio Celeste on the West side of the big Vulkan Arenal lake, consider to take a stop at one of these beautiful waterfalls:

Waterfall Cataratas Llanos de Cortés

This waterfall has a beautiful tree trunk lying horizontal in front of the waterfall. The perfect spot for a picture. The waterfall is a 2 hour and 30 minute car ride from Monteverde and 2 hours from Rio Celeste.

Waterfall Poza Los Coyotes & Poza la Argustura

This waterfall is known for its beautiful turquoise water pools between the rocks. From Monteverde it’s a 2 hour and 30 minute car ride, from Rio Celeste it’s only a 2 hour car ride.

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7. Where to stay?

Since we stayed in a lot of Selina hostels in a private room in Costa Rica (to save some money), we booked the Selina Hostel in Monteverde as well. However it was the worst Selina hostel we stayed in. Not because of the rooms or the location, but because it’s known for the party hostel for very young people. I remember arriving in Monteverde after a long long car ride from Santa Teresa, after napping as the co-driver, and the hostel welcomed us with very loud karaoke. So you might want to look for another hotel.

Here are some good looking alternatives for hotels:
– Monteverde Rustic Lodge
– Hotel Bosque Verde Lodge
– Jaguarundi Lodge
– Cala Lodge

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More time left in Monteverde?

• Visit the Santa Elena Orchid Garden.
• Do the Don Juan Coffee Tour.
• Book the Hidden Valley Trail Night Walk (cloud forest at night).
• Hike to Monteverde Waterfall (Catarata Los Murciélagos).
• Do a canyoning tour with 6 different waterfalls

About the weather?

Dry season: December – April

High chance of no rainfall and clear blue sky. February, March and April are the hottest months.

Rainy season: May – November

It stays hot and humid. Mornings are usually sunny and clear and it will start raining in the afternoon. It often rains throughout the night. September, October and beginning of November are the rainiest months. We’ve visited in August and had clear skies in the morning and some rain in the afternoon and night.

Anzeige / ad: The hotels, restaurants and companies we mentioned above didn’t sponsor us. All our recommendations are always based on our own opinion.