Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve Guided Hike, Monteverde
Journey into the ethereal and wildlife-rich Santa Elena Cloud Forest for a tour with a naturalist guide
A beautiful place in the planet. Our guide was exceptional and without her, we wouldn’t have seen a thing.
Absolutely breathtaking.
This activity started with a 20 mn drive in a mini bus from our hotel to the Reserve through a dirt road up the hill. We... Read more
Overview
Discover the Santa Elena Cloud Forest on a guided hike. While the Monteverde Reserve is on the "must-see" list for most travelers to Costa Rica, the Santa Elena Reserve offers the opportunity to experience this rare ecosystem without waiting in lines for a photo or stepping off the path as large tour groups pass. During your guided hike, you'll have the chance to see an astonishing number of animals. Elusive feline species include pumas, jaguarundi, and the endangered jaguar, while more commonly spotted species include spider monkeys, sloths, bright red poison dart frogs, and tarantulas.
Highlights
- Explore the lesser-known Santa Elena Cloud Forest
- Look for pumas, jaguars, spider monkeys, and sloths in the wild
- Experience a wildlife reserve without the crowds on a guided hike
Know before you go
4 hours
All ages
Small group, 9 people or less
What you'll do
Because the canopy is extremely dense in the cloud forest, it's challenging for the untrained eye to spot most wildlife species while walking the trails. Your guide will share stories and insights about the cloud forest while keeping a careful and well-trained eye out for any wildlife that crosses your path.
Although Santa Elena is only slightly higher in elevation than the Monteverde Reserve, the increase in rainfall and cloud coverage is considerable. This fact, combined with the lack of crowds, makes the atmosphere of the cloud forest all the more ethereal and mesmerizing. And because the local community runs the reserve, the tourism dollars generated by visitors go directly toward aiding the local schools and protecting and maintaining the forest.
You'll head back to Monteverde after the hike.
Start times
-
Daily7:00 am, 1:00 pm
What's included
- Transportation
- Entrance to the reserve
- Bilingual guide
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Get startedSee alternatives
Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve Guided Hike
Explore the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, one of the jewels in Costa Rica's ecological crown, on this guided hiking excursion. Known as the "green lung of Costa Rica" due to its rich biodiversity, this 26,000-acre (3,500-hectare) reserve is high in the country's mountainous northwest region. On the tour, you'll get an up-close look at the incredible biodiversity of this region where upland and lowland rainforests meet. More than 350 bird species exist here alone, including the aptly named resplendent quetzal. With various mammals, butterflies, amphibians, reptiles, and insects, the reserve is a nature lover's paradise framed by views of the misty cloud forest.
Children's Eternal Rainforest Guided Hike
The place has more than 22.000 primary and secondary forest hectare, as well as regenerating areas. This Reserve has been preserved thanks to the effort of children and adults, together with schools and other organizations in more than forty countries around the world.
Private: Half-day Bird-watching in Curi-Cancha Reserve
Treetopia: Tram, Zip Lines & Hanging Bridges
Venture into the cloud forest for an outdoor adventure that involves hiking, zip lining, and more. Start by boarding the open-air Sky Tram gondola at Treetopia Park Monteverde, an aerial amusement park set in the cloud forest. Take in the surrounding scenery as you ride up to the starting point of the Sky Walk. Follow your guide on a short hike along nature trails and suspension bridges, learning about the region's flora and fauna. Next, the exhilarating adventure of whizzing down the mountain begins. Connect to the Sky Trek zip line cable that stretches over cloud forest treetops. Soaring above the canopy is an unforgettable thrill!
Night Walk in the Children's Eternal Forest
Venture into the Children's Eternal Forest, the largest private reserve in Costa Rica, for a nighttime hike. Your naturalist guide will lead you along the park's trails after dark, pointing out nocturnal wildlife in the rainforest. In addition to mammals, reptiles, and insects, the reserve is home to more than 300 kinds of birds. The activity starts right after nightfall, allowing you to watch some animals awakening and others seeking their nests or caves to sleep.
Night Walk in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve
100% Aventura Zip Line Monteverde
Experience an exhilarating zip line adventure in the country where this thrilling activity was born! Your journey begins with an ascent, guiding you high above the jungle canopy via a network of trails and suspension bridges. Once securely fastened to a zip line cable, you'll zoom down several short segments before encountering the main attraction, the Big One. This colossal zip line cable stretches 5,216 feet (1590 meters) across Latin America's longest. For those seeking an even more superhero-like experience, the Superman zipline allows you to soar through the cloud forest with unmatched freedom. And if you're up for a bungee-inspired adventure, don't miss the Tarzan Swing, among other exciting options!
Horseback Riding Costa Rica - All Day Cowboy Ride
Mount up your horse and explore the picturesque back roads and forest trails of Monteverde's agricultural heartland on this full-day horseback riding adventure. Spot sloths and toucans, learn about the area's rich cultural heritage, and enjoy a picnic and a refreshing soak in a secluded clearing by a babbling river. End your journey with a quick stop at a local cafe before riding back to the ranch.
Chocolate & Night Hike Experience
Combine a chocolate tour with a wildlife hike on this evening excursion! Head to a Costa Rican farm in the Monteverde region to learn about the process behind chocolate production, from seed to chocolate bar. After an overview of the process, you'll have the chance to grind cocoa, make your own chocolate bar, and taste several types of chocolate, such as dark chocolate, milk chocolate, and white chocolate. Once the chocolate experience is complete, you'll go on a night hike to look for species of frogs and toads in the wild. You might also see sloths, raccoons, and other nocturnal animals.
Coffee Experience and Nighttime Nature Walk
Traveler reviews
4.6
4.8
4.4
The Reserve got a number of tracks ranging from 0.5km to 4.8km loops. The guide tour took about 2 hours using a 1.5-2km track, as we progressed slowly looking at plants and animals. The track is easy to walk on, especially since we were there in January and it was... Read more
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