Monteverde
The drive to Monteverde is slow and bumpy and probably quite muddy if there's been much rain, but overall we found it okay. Local opposition to paving the road keeps the number of tourists down, at least ensuring visitors have to stay overnight and so stopping any day-trippers.
Monteverde is a Quaker settlement but the descendents of the original immigrants seem to have moved away from farming in favour of painting, drawing, sculpting and generally producing anything that can be sold in a gallery. The place has rather a hippy feel but there's some genuine talent around as well as a strong conservation ethic.
It's an amazing place for watching wildlife, especially if you get up very early, move slowly and quietly and take binoculars.
Highlights
Children's Rainforest and Finca Ecologica
These are both slightly lower elevation forest habitats. The vegetation is less dense so we were able to see more wildlife in these two areas than any other, especially coatis, agoutis and sloths.
Monteverde and Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserves
Both reserves had that damp eerie cloud forest feeling, well-maintained trails and long rattling suspension bridges. Bird watching became bird listening due to the low visibility, but the shrieks when I nearly stepped on an orange-kneed tarantula must have scared off everything in a 2 km radius!
Hummingbird gallery
Although the bird feeders are controversial, they do give you the opportunity to see many species of hummingbird close up and in one place. The noise as they whirred around our heads was incredible.
Butterfly Garden
Knowledgeable and enthusiastic guides and a chance to really study beautiful blue morpho and glass butterflies (my favourites).
Eating
The cheese factory
Great ice cream!
Stella's bakery
Fantastic cakes and pastries. Good for breakfast or lunch.
Pizza Johnny
Yummy wood oven pizzas.
Sleeping
Hotel Fonda Vela
Lovely grounds and a peaceful location. We watched squirrels, toucans and motmots over breakfast.
