High up in the mountains: the cloud forest of Monteverde

Although La Fortuna is a tourist hotspot, it was surprisingly difficult to find good connections for onward travel from there. It seemed that all frequently used routes and bus lines led south – but I wanted to go further north. My plan to go to Río Celeste and the adjacent Tenorio National Park ultimately failed due to the lack of accessible accommodations along the bus route from which the national park could be easily visited. Unfortunately, Costa Rica is not really set up for backpackers. Most travelers move either in groups with organized transport or rent a car to reach the many beautiful but remote locations.

So I quickly changed my plans and went – since there was a good connection – to Monteverde. First, I took a bus to Lago Arenal, then a boat across the lake, and finally continued with a minibus to Santa Elena or Monteverde. The two places are right next to each other, situated in the mountains at about 1,400 meters high, which provides a pleasantly cool climate. There are numerous smaller nature reserves in the area where one can admire the diverse flora and fauna. Santa Elena itself is small but well-developed for tourism, and I can conveniently walk from my accommodation to the center.

First, I visited the Santuario Ecológico, a small private nature reserve with rainforest and banana plantations. I was completely alone there and did not encounter any other visitors. Unfortunately, I also didn't see any animals, but I did find beautiful viewpoints with great views over the landscape (see photos).

Today, I had the cloud forest on the agenda, another national park near Santa Elena. I participated in a guided tour there. Our guide told us a lot about the trees, orchids, and mushrooms that grow there. This time, we could hardly observe any animals either, as the weather during the tour was unfortunately too bad. What we did see was a praying mantis, an inconspicuous stick insect, and a tarantula that the guide managed to lure out of its hole so we could all get a proper scare.