Five Experiences to Enjoy Monteverde's Nature Indoors

Monteverde is a place for nature lovers. That is its most recognizable feature. However, in recent years it has also become very well known for being an adventures hub.

But not all of us are driven by exciting vacations filled with adventures, and even if you are, sometimes there’s time in the day for something a little bit more low-key.

Whatever is your case, don’t let Monteverde’s new adventurous reputation intimidate you! In Monteverde, you can find fantastic opportunities to enjoy its magnificent nature without having to go for a hike that may take hours or tackle the heart-pounding thrill of zip lining.

For me, as a local, both sorts of activities are fantastic. However, if you are not looking for the adrenaline rush, there are plenty of activities that will allow you to know more about the people, nature, lifestyle of Monteverde. 

That’s why in this article, I’m taking a moment to list some of my favorite easy-going and easy doing nature activities. 

The Frog Pond 

This is an enclosed facility very close to Santa Elena and a perfect choice for a rainy afternoon or if you prefer some easier activities related to nature. 

Some of the fantastic creatures you will see in the Frog Pond are: 

The Leopard Frog. This frog can be active both day and night, is terrestrial, measures about 9 cm, and inhabits mainly in Guanacaste and the coast of Puntarenas. Its name comes from the pigmentation on its back that looks just like a leopard. 

The Common Rain Frog. This 5 cm frog can be seen all over the country except in the province of Guanacaste. It is nocturnal and can be found on the ground and in trees.

Fleischmann's Glass Frog With a size of only 3 cm, this small nocturnal frog has the peculiarity of having semi-transparent skin, so you can actually see its internal organs from the outside. In Costa Rica, it can be found all over the country, except in the province of Guanacaste. 

The Calf Frog or Chicken-Eating Frog. This rather large frog can measure up to 17 cm! In fact, they are so big that they feed on other smaller frogs, snakes, small birds, or even bats. They are nocturnal, live on the ground, and can be found all along the Atlantic coast, the southern Pacific coast, and most of the northern part of the country.

The Red-Blue Poison Frog or, as it is commonly known, the Blue Jeans Frog. Its name comes from its curious coloration as although it has a bright red body, its legs are blue, and so it looks like it is wearing blue jeans! Like other poison dart frogs, it does not need the protection of night, so it is diurnal. It is terrestrial and can be found throughout the Atlantic slope and most of the northern part of the country. It is also quite small, measuring only 2 cm.

The Granulated Poison Frog, is very similar in appearance to the blue jeans. Some have orange bodies and green legs, and others with green bodies and slightly bluish legs. Like blue jeans frogs, this frog is diurnal and terrestrial. It can be found on the southern Pacific coast and measures only 2 cm.

The Rufous-Eyed Gully Frog. This small 3 cm frog can be found in the tropical forests of central Costa Rica. It is nocturnal and arboreal. It is one of the many species that are in danger of extinction because of the destruction of its habitat, which is why there are dedicated efforts to protect this species.

The Lancaster's Tree Frog. This beautiful spotted frog is nocturnal, arboreal, and can be found in the Cahuita area. As for its size, it is quite small, only 3 cm.

The Green-Black Poison Frog. This frog secretes a toxin that protects it from predators. Interestingly, its toxicity comes from its diet, as it eats beetles and ants that are poisonous. As it is protected by its venom, it has no problem being diurnal and terrestrial. It measures 3 cm and can be found along the southern Pacific coast, the entire Atlantic coast, and the northern part of the country.

The Milky Frog is larger than many of the small dart frogs, measuring between 7 and 11 cm. It is nocturnal and arboreal and can be found all along the Pacific coast. 

The Crowned Frog. This frog’s name comes from the interesting toothed crown on the top of its head. It can be found in central Costa Rica, where it is nocturnal, arboreal, and measures about 8 cm. Another species we are working to protect!

Giant Toad or Cane Toad. This enormous toad can reach 17 cm and can be found active at night and during the day. Like all toads and frogs of its size, it is terrestrial. As for its location, it can be found all over Costa Rica.

The Splendid Frog. The brindle pattern on the underside of its body is beautiful, and compared to some other more protected species this frog is actually plentiful! It is nocturnal, arboreal, and can be found in lowland primary rainforests. In terms of size, it measures between 7 and 10 cm.

The Red Eyed Frog. This famous amphibian has dazzling colors that make it a global icon. You can distinguish the blue on its hind legs, the orange on its front legs, the green on its back, the white on its lower body, and, of course, the red on its big eyes. A curiosity of this species is that the female is longer than the male, 5.5 cm for the male and 7 cm for the female. It is a nocturnal, arboreal frog and can be found in the forests all over the country, except for the Guanacaste area and the central-southern part of Costa Rica.

Besides seeing frogs, you can also find other animals such as insects, spiders, some reptiles, and even some birds that have made their nests there (part of the roof of the enclosure is open). Definitely worth a visit!

The Butterfly Garden

The butterfly garden in Monteverde is probably one of the best options if you’re looking for a relaxing natural experience.  

There are several reasons for this, but most importantly, this is a butterfly garden that has different sections with climate adaptations for the different species of butterflies. 

Usually, butterflies species are mixed, and the focus is the experience of having these winged marvels fluttering all over the place. However, in the Monteverde Butterfly Garden, the research of insects, in general, is their main objective. 

You will notice this from the minute you walk in the garden, as you will have a specialized guide who will give you a general explanation of the insects, their different diets, caterpillars, and the metamorphosis process. You may even get lucky enough to watch butterflies coming out of their cocoons! 

As you walk from one chamber to the next, you will witness breathtaking miniatures like the glass winged butterfly, pretty common in the dark shaded areas of the rainforest floors. 

The educational side of this butterfly garden is what sets it over the top in my opinion. You learn a lot here: like, depending on the species, the chambers of the gardens may be sunnier or darker. You may witness the heliconia butterflies with bright colors and interesting designs in their wings, or the Capuchin and the Caligo butterflies. And at last, the glorious Morphos with their iridescent light blue colors, magically appear under the sun. 

And all the way, your expert guide is helping you learn anything you’d like to know about these beautiful, entrancing creatures.

The Bat Jungle

The Bat Jungle Laboratory in Monteverde results from roughly 40 years of hard work by Dr. Richard Laval, who has committed himself to research and investigating bat species all over the world.

In the Monteverde Bat Jungle, you will discover the biological history of these amazing flying animals, as well as the enormous variety of species that exist in Costa Rica and across the world.

The guides will give you an instructive lecture on bats, including behavior, food, breeding, and many other fascinating aspects of these species (like the fact that they are the planet’s #1 pollinators)!

You’ll also get to go in-depth to understand how these mammals developed to fly, exploring a magnificent mechanism that resembles bird wings, and understanding how they relate to bat flight! You'll also learn about the amazing mechanism they use to detect anything within the forest while flying through the dark night —  echolocation!

What You Might Find Here

There are about 80 live and active bats in this fantastic laboratory, with huge flying areas to provide an ideal environment, similar to that of a real forest.

During a Bat Jungle trip, you will see the various species approach the feeders in search of fruits and nectar. Further within, you will witness the hunting bats and vampire bats! 

Vampire bats, of course, do not harm humans. They’re far more focused on other types of food (and scared of humans too). Still, the species is highly safeguarded by the protective glass, so you won’t have to worry about putting that information to the test. 

The Audio and Interactive Experience

Another big reason to explore the Bat Jungle is all of the technology that helps you understand these often misunderstood creatures. In the Bat Jungle, you may listen to the various noises generated by each species, which they use to form the echolocation system and so travel around.

You can listen and appreciate these unique sounds thanks to an efficient amplification system,  remarkable ‘bat ears’ that have been carefully created for human usage. With these ears, you will get a taste of bats' extraordinary hearing sensitivity.

Definitely worth exploring!

The Monteverde Orchid Garden 

The Monteverde Orchid Garden is a magnificent place where you can always witness over a hundred species of orchids in bloom regardless of the time of year in which you travel, as they have a collection of over five hundred species of orchids. 

When you arrive at the Monteverde Orchid Garden, you will be overwhelmed by the beauty of these delicate flowers, but don't just get carried away by your feet and wander around the garden. There is so much to learn here! 

Our recommendation is to sign up for a guided tour to fully understand the complexity of orchids. You can learn where and how they collect the varieties of orchids in the garden, what are their characteristics, what makes them unique, what are the pollination methods they use... You will also see the smallest orchid in the world, the Platystele jungermannioides. 

With it, you will enjoy the extensive collection of miniature orchids that are quite common in the cloud forest of Monteverde and larger natural species that live in the transition from the rainforest to the humid tropics.

In your visit to the Monteverde Orchid Garden, you will also discover the difference between natural orchids and those created through artificial pollination and, yes, you will be given a series of basic tips for the care of orchids at home and even for the good maintenance of your garden if you have one!

A World Leader for Orchids!

Costa Rica is home to approximately 1,600 orchid species, most of which flourish in humid, tropical settings. However, with a few exceptions, the Costa Rican government has made it unlawful to collect them, making the Monteverde Orchid Garden even more unique. You will view (and smell) over 460 different types of orchids from all over Costa Rica, as you explore over 10764 square feet of tropical vegetation teeming with insects, birds, and butterflies.

The Monteverde Orchid has three sections. The first part has a variety of tiny orchids endemic to the Monteverde region, including the world's tiniest orchid, Platystele jungermannioides. 

The second part contains bigger orchid species found in Costa Rica, such as Oncidium, Encyclea, Epidendrum, and Maxillaria, among others. These orchids are most commonly found in the transitional zone between humid and tropical humid woods. 

The hybrid species are housed in the third and final area. These orchids are made in a lab by a process of cross-pollination. In this area, visitors may learn about the distinctions between naturally occurring and scientifically developed orchids.

As we mentioned before, the Monteverde Orchid Garden offers guided tours for individuals interested in learning more about orchids, and we highly recommend it. You’ll be escorted around the gardens by guides who can tell you about the orchid's natural environment, structure, and pollination procedures. You may also learn about various orchid smells, basic orchid care recommendations, and how to design an orchid garden. Most excursions range from 30 minutes to an hour and are available in both Spanish and English.

The Monteverde Orchid Garden is ideal for both children and adults, providing an immersive educational experience that will leave visitors in awe of the garden's vast number of orchids. So grab a magnifying lens from the front desk (you'll need it!) and begin inspecting the many orchids, which come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and scents.

The Hummingbird Garden

It's difficult to think of someone who isn't fascinated by hummingbirds. They are really like fairies, with their iridescent colors, small stature, and seemingly supersonic speed, they enchant everyone from infants to the most seasoned birdwatchers. 

In Monteverde, you can find up to 30 species of hummingbirds and see them all concentrated in hummingbird gardens. One iconic location is the Hummingbird Gallery, which has become a tradition for birdwatchers and photographers to come. 

In Monteverde there are a few places where you can see high concentrations of hummingbirds: 

First and foremost is The Hummingbird Gallery, which is next to the entrance of the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve to the left-hand side. As you enter, one of the first things you’ll notice are people from all over the world with cameras and huge lenses. 

That’s because the Hummingbird Gallery is a location to marvel at the sheer number and ease of access to hummers on display. They zoom by, flashing bright colors of green, bronze, red, purple, gold, blue, and turquoise, so focused on their feast that they don’t perceive the human attention around them. They will zoom by within an inch of your ear if you stand in their typical flight route. 

There are other places where you can find hummingbird gardens, like at Selvatura, Curi Cancha, and Sky Adventures, but the Hummingbird Gallery is really one of a kind.

Some of the hummingbirds you can watch in these fantastic places in Monteverde are:  the Green Hermit (Phaethornis guy), the Green Thorntail (Discosura conversii), the Coppery-headed Emerald (Elvira cupreiceps), the Fiery-throated Hummingbird (Panterpe insignis), the Green Violetear (Colibri thalassinus), the Little Hermit, aka the Stripe-throated Hermit  (Phaethornis striigularis), the Long-billed Hermit (Phaethornis longirostris), the Magenta-throated Woodstar (Calliphlox bryantae), the Purple-throated Mountain-gem (Lampornis calolaemus), the Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris), the Rufous-tailed Hummingbird (Amazilia tzacatl), the Scintillant Hummingbird (Selasphorus scintilla), the Violet Sabrewing (Campylopterus hemileucurus) and the Violet-crowned Woodnymph (Thalurania colombica), among other species! 

A Place for Everyone!

Monteverde is such an amazing place that offers a bit of everything for nature lovers. And as you have read, even if you have hiked throughout all the beautiful trails, and have seen the forest from above and beyond, sometimes a magnifying glass can show us different dimensions, and amazing tiny landscapes. 

Monteverde is full of bright colors and tiny wonders, and all of these can be observed and learned when you stay at Ocotea Boutique Hotel! Let us know which of all of these fantastic places would you like to see first!