According to the U.S. newspaper The Washington Post, “Costa Rica is one of the most versatile vacation spots in the world,” remarking the fantastic diversity of places you can find in our small country.

In many parts of North America, we tend to think of seasons in terms of weather, and expect to enjoy four distinctly different seasons.

Life in Monteverde revolves, in many ways, around the nearby cloud forest. Why? Because it’s such a rare occurrence! Only 1% of the world's remaining forests are cloud forests. This focus on the cloud forest often distracts from the fact that we have several other kinds of forest here as well.

The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, established in 1972, is regarded as one of Costa Rica's most prized natural areas. This 4,000-hectare (9884-acre) private reserve safeguards a fragile and endangered ecosystem: the tropical cloud forest.

Costa Rica was featured prominently on a recent episode of The Drew Barrymore Show  The actress showcased the natural beauty of Costa Rica during the premiere week of what has become one of  CBS' most popular talk and entertainment shows.

El Tigre Waterfalls is a project in the outskirts of the Monteverde region. With 148 acres (60 hectares) of primary and secondary rainforest, it encompasses four waterfalls, a couple of hanging bridges (not the wide, metal ones, but the ones made of rope and wood), tree trunk bridges over the river, and great trails. 

I recently wrote a post entitled “Where is Everything In Monteverde?”It was chock full of useful information about what is available in the Monteverde area, and how to find what you’re looking for in Monteverde, thanks to a handy map of the area which encompasses Monteverde, Santa Elena, and Cerro Plano.

Monteverde is the general name used to describe the area around the Monteverde Cloud Forest, but it’s a little misleading because the place actually includes several small neighborhoods which are all quite close together- Monteverde, Cerro Plano, Perro Negro, and Santa Elena, which is the largest of the neighborhoods. 

In our last post, we met Roberto, the artist behind all the deliciousness of our breakfasts at Nectandra Restaurant in the Ocotea Boutique Hotel.