The spectacular “Green Mountain” or Monteverde in Costa Rica is a town used to access several tourists’ and local attractions. Monteverde is located in the Puntarenas district of Costa Rica, near Santa Elena. Rainfall makes the town and Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve endemic with flourishing flora and fauna. The humidity is high, with mist and clouds ubiquitous, but the temperatures are about as perfect as anywhere—55 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit (14 to 22 Celsius). However, the said rainfall can middle over 100 annual inches.
St. Elena was founded by a band of Quakers who moved south from the US as a religious stance against the priming of the upcoming Korean War. In the early 1950s, the Quaker residents constructed a meeting hall, which served as a general store and school. Today, class is held in English K-12. Another, the Cloud Forest School, too, enrolls over 200 mainly Costa Rican students.
St. Elena is also known for its cheese and milk products. The downtown boast several places to stay, with restaurants, banks, health spas, bus stops, police station, general store, clinic and post office. The Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve is only a few miles away. A large amount of this forest was kindly donated not too long ago to the Tropical Science Center to help reserve by the Quakers to help protect the land. The Reserve’s elevation is over 5,500 feet and is cloudier and wetter than the Monteverde reserve. The park has canopy towers and over seven miles of trails. The forest also has butterfly gardens, a serpentarium and art galleries.
The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, on the other hand, is more widely visited and raved. This reserve contains six ecological zones and because of its altitude, clouds slowly pass ghostlike year round. Nesting birds are usually seen from March till April. The forest canopy prospers with wildlife during the wee morning hours: 400 species of birds, 100 species of mammals, 30 species of hummingbirds, butterflies and plants. Hired guides can help you understand what you’re looking at. The park price range is $4 to $10 dollars, depending on age and student status.
St. Elena has more than enough to accommodate the disposition of all types of travelers. You can horseback in either reserve. Moreover, you can take a hike or guided trek for just a few more dollars per person (not including entrance fees). Zip line canopy tours show you the forest with a bird’s eye view, while skywalk tours allow you to pause your perspective from above. Because of the altitude, it’s best to wear layers and add clothing as the day goes on. Temperature variations keep it damp and colder than sea level burgs. The drive from San Jose is roughly four hours, depending on speed, traffic and weather.