Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve

“The mist tends to settle here early”

The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve sits at 1,440 metres on the Pacific slope of the Tilarán range, in a band of persistent mist that keeps the forest in a permanent state of saturation. Every horizontal surface — branch, trunk, wire fence — is covered in moss, liverwort, or bromeliad. The canopy here is not the tall emergent cathedral of lowland rainforest but a tangled, compressed architecture of windswept trees hung with so many epiphytes that the branches themselves are invisible. The reserve holds roughly 2.5 percent of the world's biodiversity within less than two percent of its land area. The resplendent quetzal is present year-round, most reliably sighted between January and July near the wild avocado trees along the main trails. The hanging bridges section traverses six suspension bridges through the mid-canopy at heights that give an unobstructed view into the forest structure rather than looking up from the floor. Morning visits before 9am have significantly lower visitor density. Guides hired at the entrance know the current quetzal territories and are worth the additional cost for any serious wildlife visit.