On this occasion, our adventurous tour guide Javier Fuentes went to the town of Monteverde and discovered the natural and tourist benefits offered by this wonderful destination.
Monteverde is located in the province of Puntarenas, on the side of the slope of the Tilarán mountain range and is considered one of the eco-tourist destinations of Costa Rica par excellence. It has the Monteverde Biological Reserve, which attracts a considerable number of tourists to the site annually.
Due to the variability of existing microclimates in Costa Rica, this canton has tropical rainforests and recognized cloud forests in its metropolitan area, Monteverde has become an important part of Costa Rica’s tourist route, despite the difficulties of access.
Most of the Monteverde rainforest and cloud forest can be found in the Monteverde Forest Reserve, a private nature reserve created in 1972 by scientist George Powell. The area around the park entrance is the most visited, although deep camping in the reserve is possible with reservations. Nine main routes, totaling 13 km, are well preserved and easily accessible. The reserve has a wide network of accessible trails and a smaller number of rustic research stations, two of the house 10 people each, as well as a research station that can hold up to 43 people, which now can only be used by researchers.
To the west of the city of Monteverde is the “Bosque Eterno de Los Niños” (Children’s Eternal Forest), the largest private conservation area in Costa Rica, a project funded by schools and children from around the world. The Children’s Eternal Forest is the largest reserve in the area with 22,600 hectares (54,000 acres), it comprises the continental divide, existing from an elevation of 600 meters in the plains of the Caribbean to the highest peak of almost 1800 meters, then down to almost 900 meters above the Pacific. The climate, flora, and fauna, changes very fast between the different slopes (Pacific and Caribbean) and elevations.
Six of the twelve bio-zones of Costa Rica are within the Children’s Eternal Forest, this is one of the main reasons why it is one of the richest natural areas in the world, being home to 440 (5%) of the world’s bird species, 60 (6.5%) of the world’s bat species, 700 (3%) of the world’s butterflies and 360 (3%) of the world’s ferns.
Most of the Eternal Forest lands surround the Cloud Forest lands to the North, East, and South of the smaller Cloud Forest Preserve. “Bajo del Tigre”, a small section of the Children’s Eternal Forest, is known for bird watching and nocturnal walks.
Walk through the Hanging Bridges of Monteverde:
It is an excellent option when it comes to enjoying the outdoors and observing the natural beauty of Monteverde, the bridges have an approximate distance of 3 kilometers and are located at the treetop level varying between 12 and 60 meters in height above the ground, and the length of the bridges go from 50 to 150 meters in length, having a width of 1.5 meters and can support up to 80 people on it, these characteristics make them the longest suspension bridge system in the zone.
If you want to enjoy a totally natural environment and in contact with nature, the best option for lodging is the “El Establo” Mountain Hotel, it has a spa and an outdoor pool. Guests can dine at one of the 2 restaurants and enjoy a coffee in the cafeteria. There is a lounge within the premises of the establishment, where guests can relax with a drink. The common areas offer free WiFi internet access. Guests of this property have access to a business center and meeting rooms. This family-friendly hotel also offers tour/ticket assistance, multilingual staff, and a garden. As a paid service, the establishment offers a roundtrip airport shuttle service (available 24 hours) and an area shuttle service. There is free self-parking available on the premises. Recreational amenities at the hotel include an outdoor pool, Tirolina on the premises, Ecotourism in the facilities, Hiking/biking routes around the installations.
Sky Adventure Costa Rica
Sky Adventures is a Costa Rican family business. Founded by 3 brothers born and raised in Monteverde, with a passion for nature they wanted to fulfill their dream and help their community grow.
It all started in Monteverde, a magical place, with its cloud forest that has always captivated visitors who walk its trails. The desire of these three siblings and the love they had for these wonderful mountains led them to create an adventure that would change tourism in Monteverde and Costa Rica.
That’s how in 1997, Costa Rica Sky Adventures began. Being pioneers in Costa Rica, they introduced suspension bridges, a new way to explore the cloud forest from a single point: in the treetops. The Valverde brothers felt the need to share their passion for nature with everyone in a new and attractive way. From there, this family has been looking for and developing ways for visitors to enjoy nature, new parks, and new experiences, always being able to keep the original passion alive.
A Family Affair
Costa Rica “Sky Adventures” is a family business in Costa Rica, a pioneer and market leader in ecotourism and adventure tourism, with more than 17 years of experience. Our company and our actions are strongly committed to the environment. We know how important the environment is and we take measures to preserve it, we also encourage everyone to do the same.
Safety
All our personnel, equipment, materials with which we build, and everything we do, take first into consideration the safety factor. That is why today we are recognized as one of the safest companies to develop adventure activities.
Social responsibility
We care about our communities and are interested in their growth and development. We also rescue the culture of our people, promote the cultural values in our community, employees and visitors.