Monteverde translates as “green mountain,” and that´s exactly what you’ll find at the end of this windy rutted dirt road that leads here. Next to Manuel Antonio, this is Costa Rica’s most internationally recognized ecotourism destination. Neverthless, the reserve itself and the extensive network of private reserves around it are incredibly rich in biodiversity, and a well-organized infraestructure helps guarantee a rewarding experience for both first -time and experienced ecoadventurers.

Monteverde Village was founded in 1951 by Quakers from United States who wanted to leave behind a constant fear of war as well as an obligation to support continue militarims through paying U.S. taxes. They choose Costa Rica primarily because it had no standing army. Although Monteverde‘s founders came here to farm the land, they wisely recognized the need to preserve the rare cloud forest that covered the mountain slopes above their fields, and to that end they dedicated the largest adjacent tract of cloud forest as the Monteverde Biological Cloud Forest Reserve.