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Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve – Here
you'll find a dense highland forest with mosses, ferns and bromeliads and
home to a wide variety of insects, animals and birds. The trails are self-guided
or you can hire a guide. A guide can help kids spot hard-to-find animals
and birds. Pick up trail maps from the Visitor Center, where you're sure
to see bunches of hummingbirds zipping around. |
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Try the Cloud Forest Trail (Sendero Bosque Nuboso), less than
1.5 mil, or the River Trail (Sendero Rio) takes you to a waterfall. If you
want a short loop, take the Eternal Forest Trail (Sendero Bosque Eterno),
less than half a mile. Guided night tours are also available (truly magical) – ask at the Visitor Center for times. There are limits on the
number of people in the forest at any one time, so reserve a time the day
before. |
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Cheese Factory – On the road to the Monteverde Cloud
Forest Reserve, stop off at the Monteverde Cheese Factory. In the observation
room, watch workers in white gowns operating the cheese making equipment.
Kids can buy different kinds of cheese from the factory, as well as ice
cream cones in delicious flavors. |
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Bajo de Tigre Trail (Children's Eternal Rain Forest) – In 1987, Swedish school kids raised money to save the forest
here in Montevede. Today the kids from all over the world contribute to
the Children's Eternal Rain Forest (Bosque Eterno de los Ninos) which is
now more than 50,000 acres. Click here to find out more about this continuing project.
The Bajo de Tigre Trail (off the road to the
Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve) is perfect for families. A short, open
trail, where you can see coati, bats, and perhaps a sloth or two, plus a
nature center. |
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Sky Walk and Canopy Tour – Who wouldn't
want to stand at eye level with moss-covered trees swaying in the wind,
hundreds of feet above the canopy floor, or swish through the air above
the birds! You can do both at Sky Walk and Sky Trek. |
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 Sky
Walk is a loop trail with six suspension bridges through the Santa Elena
Cloud Forest, primary forest with an immense variety of vegetation. From
the suspension bridge, stare down into a riot of giant ferns, colorful plants,
clear streams trickling through the greenery far below. Take your time on
the trails, it's such a rich environment, even the tree roots are fascinating.
The suspension bridges are okay for toddlers – they are completely
screened down low and have excellent hand rails. |
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Sky
Trek is an exciting, exhilirating action-packed two hours. "It
feels really safe, it feels like you're flying," said our kids. You
put on a hard hat and gloves, strap on a harness, the harness is clipped
to a pulley, you step off the platform and there you are, zipping along
on a cable. Kids love the sensation of zooming through the trees, and even
little kids can do it (ages four and up). Little ones are strapped together
with a parent, and off you go. By the way, you can bail out after the first
platform if the zip lines aren't for you – just take the Sky
Walk instead.
Tip: Even in the dry season, it can be wet. Wear wind/water resistant
jackets and long pants. |
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Ranario (The Frog Pond ) – The Ranario
is a gem, a collection of frogs and toads in large terrariums. Check out
the "hourglass frog" (frog with no trousers), "glass frog"
(frog's body is translucent), "smoky jungle frog," "cane
toad" (pretty gross), or "litter toad" (looks like a discarded
leaf). The "blue jeans poison dart frog" or the "red and
green poison dart frog" are barely an inch long, but they really stand
out. The "gaudy leaf frog" is a fashion statement, with coral
fingers and toes, blue legs, yellow and green stripes on the side. In addition
to the frogs, there's "Fiona," a nice hairy tarantula that would
eat the frogs if they let her out. A big hit with kids. |
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Monteverde Butterfly Garden (Jardin de Mariposas) – The Butterfly Garden is a chance to see the glorious butterflies of Costa
Rica up close. As you walk through different habitats, you'll see the
zingy "Halloween," black and yellow "Zebra Longwing,"
the "Owl," or "Floating Tiger" butterflies. In the
Highlands enclosure, gorgeous "Blue Morpho" butterflies swoop
and soar, landing on tropical plants, where even at rest, they shimmer
in the sunlight. Added bonus, a leaf cutter nest. |
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Nighttime tours (Ecological Farm) – To see wildlife
that comes out at night, take the nighttime tour at the Ecological Farm
(Finca Ecologica), a private reserve. Call 645.5554 for information and
reservations. |
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Horseback riding – Kids who love horses
will want to explore Monteverde on horseback. On the trails you'll pass
through forests lined with banana palms and fig trees, for views of the
coast far in the distance. Meg's Stables has child sized saddles and gentle
horses for kids. Call 645-5419 for reservations. |
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Monteverde to Arenal – If you are going
from Monteverde to the Arenal area, consider the jeep plus boat option.
It's a two hour jeep ride (on bumpy roads) through a green, hilly landscape
to Lake Arenal. Then you take a half hour boat ride from one side of the
lake to the other. The lake is ringed with mysterious, jungly vegetation,
and the view of Arenal volcano is impressive. |
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An excellent
guide to Monteverde cloud forests – the birds, especially
the bellbird and quetzel, butterflies, plants, nocturnal animals
and those hard-to-see camouflaged animals. (Picture book)
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Take a walk through the Bosque Eterno de los Ninos (Children's Eternal Rainforest), filled with howler monkeys, tent-making bats, two-toed sloths, jaguars, leaf-cutter ants and more. This rain forest is preserved by the efforts of children worldwide.
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Open
the pages into the amazing world of rain forest frogs – frogs
with sticky toes that cling to branches, frogs with poisonous chemicals
in their skin, frogs that lay eggs in foam nests instead of water.
Rich, colorful illustrations. (Picture book)
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A tiny red and
blue frog leaves his home in a bromeliad to explore the forest,
inhabited with blue morpho butterflies, leaf-cutter ants, howler
monkeys, toucans, and more. Two-page fold out with plants and animals
glossary. (Picture book)
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(More children's
books on other Costa Rica pages) |
