I remember the very first time I visited Monteverde. Yuri and I drove up there in a Hyundai Sedan, which has very little undercarriage clearance and is certainly not meant for off-road activity. It was Yuri’s car and he warned me sternly that it was not the right vehicle for such an adventure. I told him that the road couldn’t be “that bad” an after a little cajoling, off we went. We exited the Pan American Highway onto the road that leads up to the small little pueblo of Santa Elena and at first I thought out loud, see this road isn’t really that bad. Well, said Yuri, we haven’t made it to the bad part. And he was right. Finally we hit a stretch of road that went on forever and was, as he forewarned, BAD. Every time one of the large rocks would bang against the undercarriage threatening to puncture the gas tank (which actually happened to me on a different trip….in a 4-wheel drive vehicle no less), Yuri would let go with a string of expletives to remind me that he had “told me so.” We made it after all, so I can say that yes indeed I have survived the road to Monteverde. Actually I have been there many times since that fateful adventure. Yes the road is bad, but if you do it in the day time (highly recommended) and it is clear you will have a chance to see some of the most remarkable views imaginable. So what’s all the hubbub about this little place called Monteverde that is one of the most beloved and oft visited tourist destinations in Costa Rica? Well here is how it all started. During the Korean War in the 1950’s a group of Quakers (a pacifist religious group) decided to flee the U.S. to escape prosecution for draft dodging. They decided to come to Costa Rica after they learned that the country had decided to abolish the military (Costa Rica did so in 1948). They ultimately settled in the little mountain village of Monteverde. The Quakers are still there. In fact they run a very successful factory of dairy products. You can visit the plant and sample some of their delicious ice cream. Perhaps Monteverde is most famous for the Cloud Forest Preserve. The cloud forest at Monteverde is one of the most visited parks in the country and is home to a mind-boggling array of plants, insects, birds and mammals. A guided tour of the preserve is a must as the highly talented nature guides know exactly where to show you that hummingbird nest or that tarantula nestled into a hole…things you would never know were there. Monteverde has a rustic mountain ambiance, like you had been transported to some little town in the Swiss Alps, without the snow of course. But man is it green. Costa Rica is known as the green country and Monteverde is a shining example of Costa Rica’s “greenness.” Recently I heard they are talking about fixing the road. That would be a tragedy. Then no one in the future would have the unique adventure of “surviving the road to Monteverde.”
- Located in the province of Puntarenas
- Normal weather is humid, misty and cloudy (59 to 77° Fahrenheit)
- Cloud Forest Preserve contains largest variety of orchids in the world
- 161 species of amphians (including several frogs or toads nearing extinction)
- 91 species of migratory birds (including the elusive Quetzal)
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[…] Reason #20: I Survived the Road to Monteverde… … started. During the Korean War in the 1950’s a group of Quakers (a pacifist religious group) decided to flee the U.S. to escape prosecution for draft dodging. They decided to come to Costa Rica after they learned that the country had decided to abolish the military (Costa Rica did so in 1948 … […]