Montverde Reserve

9.11.2026 - Monteverde Reserve and Ficus Root Bridge

I am once again awakened by a dreamy morning atmosphere and enjoy a yoga session followed by coffee with a view of the Pacific Ocean and the Nicoya Bay. It is sunny with no sign of rain.

After exploring the wild, dense trails of Santa Elena yesterday, we are heading today to the world-renowned Monteverde Biological Reserve. Recognized globally as one of the most important protected areas, it serves as a prime example of sustainable tourism. The paths here are extremely well-built, wide, and pleasant to walk – the dense, almost insurmountable jungle feel of Santa Elena gives way to a majestic openness.

You can no longer drive directly to the entrance of the national park; instead, you park at the Harriet Powell Visitor Center parking lot, register, and are then taken to the entrance by shuttle bus.

I would have to buy the ticket online in advance. However, the booking system in Monteverde has changed completely. Previously, you could combine all trails individually and in any order. Today, the reserve is divided into three fixed, predefined circuits, which you have to choose during the online booking. In theory, you could also walk all three circuits consecutively, but each one costs 29 USD. The following circuits are available: the Heart of the Forest Circuit with the famous red hanging bridge (2.8 km), the longer Continental Divide Circuit to the continental divide (4.1 km), and the shorter Essence Circuit to a waterfall (1.4 km).

I chose the Continental Divide Trail, and this route is quite demanding as the path steeply ascends to the spectacular viewpoint La Ventana.

First, we pass the famous red hanging bridge. It was officially named after the reserve's co-founder Wilford Guindon and is the absolute landmark of Monteverde and the only real hanging bridge within the main reserve. Spanning over 100 meters in length, it leads right through the tree canopies of the primary forest and creates a spectacular, mystical contrast with its intense red against the eternal green.

After halfway through the circuit, we reach the viewpoint La Ventana. Here, one stands directly on the continental divide. Theoretically, the viewpoint promises a spectacular panorama where you can feel the winds from both the Pacific and Caribbean on your face. However, we have hiked the steep Continental Divide Circuit only to stare at a gigantic wall of white mist and realize that we see nothing, absolutely nothing.

We begin our return journey somewhat disappointed. Overall, the circuit was very impressive, less wild and intense than the trail in Santa Elena, yet the rainforest experience was still present and we spotted some animals even without a guide: birds, a transparent butterfly, a caterpillar, a beetle, and at the end, capuchin monkeys high up in the trees. Nevertheless, my conclusion remains: my favorite is and will always be the Reserva Santa Elena.

In the parking lot, we then see a small highlight: a tarantula up close. It seems to have strayed from the misty forest.

We want to have a coffee at Café Colibrí right at the entrance of the mist forest reserve in Monteverde – but unfortunately, a power outage has knocked out the coffee machines! Instead, I treat myself to a juicy banana cake and enjoy it on the terrace in front of a unique backdrop: dozens of wild, brightly colored hummingbirds swarm around extra-hung sugar water containers. The nimble little birds come so close that I can feel the breeze from their wings – an absolutely magical jungle moment.

Hummingbirds are the only birds that can fly backward, sideways, and hover in place, with their wings beating up to 50 times (or more) per second. To the human eye and camera, their wings usually appear only as a magical, colorful mist.

After this experience, we treat ourselves to coffee at the Orchids restaurant directly at the Orchid Museum... unfortunately, there was none at Café Colibrí. My friend orders the original Costa Rican coffee, allowing us to enjoy observing this special preparation method.

Well fortified, we set off for the Ficus Root Bridge. Just a short distance from the well-known paths in Monteverde lies a place showing how creative nature is without human intervention: the Ficus la Raíz. It is a gigantic fallen Ficus tree, whose enormous aerial roots have formed a naturally walkable bridge artwork over a gorge. Previously, there was only an extremely muddy adventure path leading down, but today, the visit is significantly more relaxed. We parked our car in the guarded private parking lot directly at the property. For a small fee of about 1,000 Colones, you can use a well-built path with safe stairs and reach the riverbed in five minutes. A small platform has been built at the shore from which you can get a perfect picture of the massive root wall.

This evening, a huge wall of clouds blocks the view of the sunset, but the effect is spectacular and offers a completely different impression: a fantastically red sky.