16 Search Results for "monteverde"

• Monteverde Cloud Forest Monteverde Cloud Forest

  • From: nikkiolai
  • Description:
    Various areas of Costa Rica February 2013.
  • 2 months ago
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• Zip line Monteverde Zip line Monteverde

  • From: nikkiolai
  • Description:
    Various areas of Costa Rica February 2013.
  • 2 months ago
  • Views: 75
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• View from Monteverde View from Monteverde

  • From: nikkiolai
  • Description:
    Various areas of Costa Rica February 2013.
  • 2 months ago
  • Views: 92
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• Sign in Costa Rica Sign in Costa Rica

  • From: bakoenig31
  • Description:

    This sign is in Monteverde, Costa Rica and it indicates the location of the Quaker Friends Meeting/school there. This small community, and its now famous nature preserve, was founded in the 1950's by Alabama Quakers who were resisting the draft. Costa Rica does not have a military force. 

  • 3 years ago
  • Views: 258
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• Monteverde, Costa Rica Monteverde, Costa Rica

  • From: bakoenig31
  • Description:
  • 3 years ago
  • Views: 202
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• Arenal, Monteverde, Manuel Ant Arenal, Monteverde, Manuel Antonio Costa Rica

  • From: dmg33
  • Description:

    The whole trip was the trip of a lifetime. We have put off going to CR only because we only get 1 week of vacation at a time....but I finally said lets just do it.....and I am glad we did. We used Costa Rica Expeditions to help plan the trip after lots of research. I finally looked at them because others had posted that their guides were great, and what I was looking for in this trip was to be able to see and experience all the wildlife CR had to offer. They were excellent and I have posted a separate post on how awesome this company was so I won't go into it here. We talked with other travellers throughout our trip, and I know, noone travelling with other groups had the experiences we did.......Of course we were fortunate that the weather was unusually good We travelled the endo of April 2010..

    We flew into SJ, rented a car and traveled first to Arenal. We stopped in Sarchi on the way for lunch. We stopped at the factoria and had lunch next door which was a buffet at 12$ per person including drinks and the food was quite good. They had all the ox carts around and beautifully painted there as well as a tropical garden. While Arenal is only about 69 miles from the airport it took us about 4 hours to get there (minus the time for lunch) but that was due to traffic, poor road conditions in some areas and stopping for photo opportunities(which were many. Somewhere around the 3rd hour of driving the Arenal Volcano came into view in the distance. We pretty much drove around the volcano to the more active side where we would be staying. So, I had read that if you can see the volcano, stop and take a picture as you never know with the clouds if you will see it again. So of course we ended up stopping multiple times along the way. We were fortunate that for the whole time(3 days) in this are we had clear views of the volcano. In Arenal we stayed in a fantastic room(10A) at the Arenal Observatory Lodge with views of the volcano from our bed at night! It was a simple room, but we couldn't have been happier. It was breathtaking to watch the volcano at night with lava coming down the side and hearing the hissing all night long! The rustic ambiance of the Lodge is great. And by my research of other posts etc that this is the safest place to stay in the area. The grounds at the lodge were a destination in itself. We hiked to a waterfall. There is also a pool. Much wildlife to see....many birds, hummingbirds etc. The sunsets from the large deck overlooking Lake Arenal were fantastic and not to be missed, even if you don't stay here. Definately worth the drive for the view of the volcano and lake. 2 Highlights for us in this area was the Safari Float down the Penas Blancas River(we saw so much wildlife and our guide Jaime was exceptional) and the Hanging Bridges(we did a group tour for this and Diego was our guide....he did an awesome job). We chose to do the hanging bridges with a guide instead of zip lining because simply, we were more interested in seeing the wildlife than zipping past it. We were very happy with it. On the safari float we saw monkeys(howlers), 3 toed sloths,(including a mom with a baby on her belly) crocodiles, long nose bats, so many types of birds including 3 different types of kingfishers, montezuma oropendolas with their hanging nests and, the "Jesus Christ Lizard", We stopped at the farm of Don Pedro(rustic, no electricity) where we had a snack of tostones cooked by his daughters(he is in his 90's and is quite charming) We were impressed with the simpleness of his life and his longevity! We had a lovely break talking with his daughters and comparing soup recipes. Their recipe for beef and vegetable soup sounded so delicious. We also found the food at the AOL was better than others have posted. The Breakfast was exceptional. The dinner was also good, although for some it may be a bit pricey(I live in the north east so the prices were similar to home). It was worth the price, to be able to relax and enjoy the area and not to have to drive into town. We also went to the hot springs,(we went to a smaller family run place(we didn't want the big crowds at the more famous place and while fun, this was not my favorite thing although the dinner there was great.

     

    We then travelled to Monteverde. Yes, the road is bumpy as they say, but we had good weather, so no mud to be found. Glad we had a 4wd vehicle though. We saw a brown pecary on the side of the road on the way. My advice is to stock up on provisions(soda, water etc) before hand or in Nueva Arenal as after that there is not much else until you get to Monteverde. Driving by the scattered farms on the dirt road you really truely feel you are out in the middle of nowhere. Look out for the milk cans if you are driving early in the day, lined up at the side of the road they are waiting for the milk truck to take the milk to the cheese factory in Monteverde(which by the way does a great tour with tasting 2x day) We stayed at the Monteverde Lodge. Again a great choice! Beautiful room with floor to ceiling windows looking out over the jungle. But, we spent little time in the room. The lobby is rustic chic a great area to sit and have an evening cocktail. Here we did a night walk with Carlos from the lodge(never thought I would be so interested in what comes out at night). It was amazing that in the darkness he could spot all these creatures! We got to see multiple taranchulas(no flash please), sleeping blue morph butterflys, porcupine, agouti, emerald toucanette, Motmot, giant ant hills and multiple other birds. The highlight though of this area was our trip to the cloud forest. Our guide Samuel was again exceptional. We booked a group tour, and lucked out in that we got a private tour! From the moment we stepped into the preserve....we were amazed by his ability to spot and track down some of the most incredible wildlife. We got to see not one but a whole flock of resplendid Quetzals! Males, females, juviniles. 3 wddle bell bird, Green toucanetts feeding their babies it was just unbelievable. We saw I think at least 10 different types of humming birds in the hummingbird garden. Using the skills he taught us to identify the birds, we returned later to the forest and again were able to track down the quetzals on our own! The Wildlife we saw was amazing(and I know we would have not seen half of what we did if it was not for the fantastic guides), One of the most wonderful things about the guides we had was they were truely just as excited as we were when we spotted something! Their love for their job was evident. The food at the Monteverde lodge was good. It was included in our stay, and was for the most part convienent because after our very active days, it was a relief to come "home" to a good meal rather then walking into town(although Santa Elena is not far perhaps a 15 min walk). We saw 2 toed sloths and all different types of butterflies right there on site. We also did a horseback sunset tour, which was ok, but it was a very large group of about 20 or so, so less opportunity to see wildlife as we were towards the back of the group. The sunset view was great.

     

    We then travelled to Manuel Antonio (watch carefully the posted speed limits as the speed changes quickly and there are police speed traps set up right where they do) and stayed in a lovely hotel near the park, yet close enough to walk to the beach Playa Espadilla. Again, Pricillas at CRE suggestion was perfect as we wanted to be close to the park. They had beautiful grounds. They also have a trail in the back, that while not well kept was quite challenging in the 100 degree 100% humidity weather we had there. The walk in the MA park, we did not use a guide, but there were guides everywhere with other groups, just watch where they are looking, and you will see the same thing once they leave. I finally got a picture of a blue morph butterfly in flight(once they rest and close their wings all you see is brown), lots of sloths and capuchine monkeys here(watch your stuff, as I was taking a pic of one another came up behind me and almost got my hat off my head!). Loved sitting at Marlins at happy hour for a drink. Every evening at about 4p on the road back from the hotel to the beach the spider monkeys would be out playing in the trees! There are also swarms of wild parakeets down on the beach just before sunset. We spent one day hanging at the beach right in Playa Espadilla(got a chair with 2 umbrellas for $6) Definately bargain as we had quotes at first as high as 20$. Sunset from Ronnys place was great. They are now setting up road blocks and checks for drinking and driving so make sure you have a DD or just take a cab. We lost power here one night and sat in the pool to cool off for a few hours until the power came back on.

     

    One highlight on our way back to the airport we stopped at a local "soda" for lunch located just across from Zoo Ave (an aviary zoo) called Mariels. Local families were here all eating the "Olla de Carne' soup(the same one Don Pedros daughters described). So of course that's what I got. It was huge! More than enough for 2-3 people(although my husband wanted something else). It was quite good, lots of potoato, meat, root vegetables.cabbage, orange squash great broth. A perfect last meal in a great country, eating with the locals.

     

     

     

    Due to CRE we had awesome vacation.....my husband who is easily bored was not bored one minute(even though 2 of our hotels did not have TV).....we can wait to go back, and you know CRE will be the first people I contact

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  • 3 years ago
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• Resplendid Quetzal Resplendid Quetzal

  • From: dmg33
  • Description:
    The prize site of the Monteverde Cloud Forest
  • 3 years ago
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• On the Road to Monteverde On the Road to Monteverde

  • From: dmg33
  • Description:
    This was the start of our trip from Arenal to Monteverde, guess they didn't read the sign about the speed limit:)
  • 3 years ago
  • Views: 355
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• Costa Rica (June) Costa Rica (June)

  • From: Edward Bell
  • Description:

    The hanging bridges in Monteverde.  We hiked through the cloud forest first thing in the morning and it looked just like it did during the dry season in January.  As soon as we finished the zip lining part the clouds rolled in an the sky opened up.  So we put on our rain gear and went back out.  It was very cool to see the fog and clouds this time.

  • 3 years ago
  • Views: 848

• Suspension bridge in the cloud Suspension bridge in the cloud forest

  • From: PhebeSchwartz
  • Description:

    Canopy suspension bridge in the Monteverde Cloud Forest, Costa Rica - so long, I couldn't see the other end.

  • 3 years ago
  • Views: 228
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• Monteverde, Costa Rica Monteverde, Costa Rica

  • From: mjenka
  • Description:
  • 3 years ago
  • Views: 253
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• Now you see me... Now you see me...

  • From: Edward Bell
  • Description:

    Hummingbird, Costa Rica

    We had a chance to visit the Monteverde National Park.  The park was great and after our hike we stopped by the Hummingbird Cafe.  Wow, do they mean Hummingbirds.  You can view them for free and there were a ton of them.  They would fly so close you could hear and feel the breeze from their wings.  If it was not for digital I would have given up after I shot the first 50 pictures.

  • 3 years ago
  • Views: 658

• Hanging Bridges Hanging Bridges

  • From: Edward Bell
  • Description:

    Costa Rica

    The hanging bridges in Monteverde were very interesting.  We hiked through the cloud forest before going zip lining.  It is currently dry season (January) and the sun was out in force which I think burnt off a lot of the mist and clouds that normaly would be here.  It was great none the less.

  • 3 years ago
  • Views: 4183

• Costa Rica Summer 2009 432.JPG Costa Rica Summer 2009 432.JPG

  • From: megankl
  • Description:

    This is the view from the road to Monteverde.  You can see a Volcano in the distance.  Everything in Costa Rica is green and lush.  It is very beautiful.

  • 4 years ago
  • Views: 419
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• Rainbow behind our hotel Monte Rainbow behind our hotel Monteverde.jpg

  • From: Dennis58
  • Description:
  • 4 years ago
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• Four Weeks in Costa Rica Four Weeks in Costa Rica

  • From: PhebeSchwartz
  • Description:

    Phebe & Richard’s Adventures in Costa Rica
    
    7/21/08 – Flew from Miami to San Salvador (where there were four dogs sniffing every piece of luggage!) to San Jose.  We arrived at night, made it through Customs, found the people from the car rental agency, got our car, found our hotel.
    
    7/22 – Long drive from San Jose to Volcano Arenal (kind of NW from San Jose).  We were booked at the Lake Coter Eco Lodge, which meant driving around the volcano (VERY cool!) and Lake Arenal.  The volcano looked basically like a mountain, but all grey and barren since it’s an active volcano and we were driving around the solidified lava flow.  No red or orange, just grey igneous rock. 
    
    We arrived at the Eco Lodge, and settled into our room – the upper level of a little cabin, with a picture window facing the lake and volcano.  But clouds blew in, covering everything by sunset – we were truly in the cloud forest! 
    
    7/23 – Our hotel includes breakfast – tropical fruit, eggs, beans and rice, toast.  Coffee.  The dining room had a bird viewing platform right outside the picture windows, with bananas to attract the birds – we saw blue grey tanagers, red rumped tanagers (really their name!), flycatchers (yellow bellies, black/white striped heads), hummingbirds, bananaquits, red-legged honeycreepers (bright blue), golden hooded tanagers, some bright green birds, maybe emerald tanagers?  And a small black bird with a bright yellow chest and a yellow halo on the front of his head.
    
    Richard and I hiked around the property – saw black hawks, turkey vultures, swallow-tailed kites, maybe a harpy eagle (very creepy).  And a chameleon!!!  Also lots of orchids.
    
    We later went to the town of Arenal (where we found an Israeli who owns a restaurant where we had coffee and dessert, a fabulous chocolate thing), and tried to stay warm and dry during a very cold and rainy afternoon.
    
    By the time we returned to the Eco Lodge, the clouds had lifted and we had a perfect view of Volcano Arenal huffing and puffing and shooting out puffs of steam and ash!!!!!  How exciting!  We sat on our balcony and watched until it was too dark to see the mountain anymore.  We tried and tried to see the lava flow, but I think we were just in the wrong direction.
    
    7/24 – We bounced our way on dirt and gravel roads to Monteverde, which is in the middle of the cloud forest.    Settled into the Montaña Monteverde Hotel (very nice!) and then hiked in the forest preserve next door – saw an agouti, which looks like a big rabbit with round ears – kind of like a giant guinea pig.  Cute and funny at the same time.  We kept looking for ocelots or monkeys, didn’t see any.  I saw a flash of blue which was probably a blue morpho butterfly, but it was quickly gone.  It was a wild and windy night, cold and rainy, and we made tour arrangements for tomorrow.
    
    7/25 – Today was the celebration for the annexation of the region of Guanecaste (it used to be part of Nicaragua) – the school children were in traditional clothes and dancing in the school yard, with little boys sporting fake moustaches – I shot several very colorful and very cute photos as we walked around town in early morning.
    
    I spent 3 hours on the suspension bridges in the cloud forest – Richard didn’t want to do the canopy tour.  There were nine bridges of steel cable and heavy mesh, wide enough for two people to squeak by each other; the longest/highest was 500 feet long and 300 feet above ground in the center – and yes, I froze in the middle and nearly turned around except turning around was worse than continuing on.  Scary and challenging and totally worth it!  Half the time was hiking, the other half on the bridges up in the tree canopy.  It poured rain the entire time, so I never saw any animals, but I’m sure there were plenty of monkeys and sloths watching me and wondering why I was out in that weather.  The cloud forest was green and grey and dripping, with trees and vines and moss, dense and spooky and still.  Very cool!
    
    After lunch with Richard, I went to a butterfly farm where I got to release a newly hatched butterfly – my butterfly was a blue morpho, I reached my hand into the container and my butterfly climbed onto my pinkie and clung as our group walked through the garden.  People took photos of the morpho on my finger, I talked to it, showed it around the garden – it would turn around and look at me, just holding onto my finger, as we walked around.  This beautiful and amazing butterfly stayed with me for 10 or 15 mintues!!!!  We totally bonded!  Finally, at the end of the garden, I tried to place the butterfly on a branch, but at that point it was ready to fly away.
    
    I walked back to our hotel, got there in time for our “appointment” at the private hot tub and sauna.  We had a lovely and lazy time watching the sunset as we soaked in the hot water and steamed in the sauna.  And a fabulous Italian dinner at a nearby restaurant (run by Italians, so the food was authentic, not American Italian).
    
    7/26 – Drove from Monteverde to San Jose, again on rutted dirt/gravel roads that don’t have signs, don’t show up on maps, and are the only way in and out of the area. The one highlight was seeing monkeys in a tree along the road.  Beautiful scenery of green green hills and mountains.  I swear, Costa Rica looks like North and South America are moving together and squishing the land up into ridges and ripples.  You can SEE where the surface of the earth has bunched up between two moving plates.  Or at least it seems as if I could see it.
    
    Along the Pan American Highway, we stopped in the town of San Ramon for lunch – there was a mall, there were guards in the parking lot, there was a Burger King.  And, apparently, there were thieves.  We got back to the car to find our backpacks missing!  A report to the guards, a report to the police, a report to the car agency since the lock was broken – and basically, while there were a few missing things we could live without such as my iPod shuffle and some costume jewelry, the important things were my asthma meds, Richard’s passport, his rain jacket, glasses, and our house keys.  So we spent part of the afternoon trying to replace meds, some of which are available in CR, some not.  We finally made it back to San Jose, dinner, bed. 
    
    7/27 – This is a holiday weekend, with Monday being a government holiday – so, since we couldn’t do anything about the passport until Tuesday, we continued with our planned route.  We drove to the Pacific coast, to the town of Puntarenas – a sad beach town that has seen better days, at the end of a long (miles long) sand bar, sticking out into Nicoya Bay.  There were lots and lots of Costa Rican tourists from inland, so everywhere was packed.  We were the last to check in at our hotel, so our room was mediocre.  We spent the evening walking up and down the Paseo de los Turistos, along with everyone else – the road running along the beach, filled with restaurants and bars, benches for family picnics or young couples flirting, groups of young men trying desperately to look cool or macho, young women flirting, the occasional soccer game, cookout, tons of bicycles, ice cream carts – an endless parade of tourists.
    
    7/28 – A slow lazy day in Puntarenas, exploring and people watching.  Gorgeous sunsets. 
    
    7/29 – We caught the morning ferry to the Nicoya Peninsula – a very old and rusty ferry that looks as if it won’t make it across the bay.  We see a lot of white ibis over the water, jaibiru storks, and my faves, the flamingos and roseate spoonbills!  Pink birds!  HOW COOL!!!!!
    
    We drove on roads that vacillated between paving and dirt, roads that wound between the mountains so that we stayed on fairly level land.  We arrived at our hotel, La Laguna del Cocodrilo, at Playa Tamarindo on the Pacific coast – and there were no crocodiles to see in the lagoon, though there is a warning sign.   A sudden thunderstorm directly overhead drove us indoors and to the French bakery for coffee and a chocolate croissant.  Eventually the storm passed so we could walk on the beach for a spectacular sunset.
    
    7/30 – Richard brought me café au lait and a chocolate croissant to enjoy a breakfast in bed.  I could get used to this.
    
    We called around for a tour, but were too late.  So we drove up the coast to Playa Grande, the huge beach where the leatherback turtles nest in the late winter and early spring.  The beach is a national park, but there are a few hotels.  The very nice concierge at one hotel called around and made arrangements for us – we were to meet Ruben in an hour at the Bula Bula Hotel, and he’d take us on a boat tour of the estuary and into the lagoon.  We got somewhat lost, and drove on roads that were more puddle than dirt – but eventually got going in the right direction and found the Bula Bula and Ruben.  The boat looked like a tiny version of the African Queen, rusty and barely seaworthy.  And the estuary looked like the Amazon, dark murky brown and green water with green mangrove trees half in the water’s edge, no shore to speak of.  It was high tide when we set of, the only passengers in this rickety little boat.
    
    Big huge yellow green crocodile basking in the sun – Ruben slows the boat and whispers “Cocodrilo” as PLOP the croc slips into the water.  Soon we see a small crocodile carrying the rotting and bloated carcass of something – so bloated that the croc can’t dive, his prey keeps floating him back up to the surface.  Gross and stinky and the croc won’t let go. 
    
    Ruben “docks” the boat by tossing the anchor onto a dry bank, and we climb out.  We have a short walk through the forest (bush?) and find a family of mantled howler monkeys in the trees – parent monkeys watch as the babies jump and play, a few hanging upside down to watch us watching them! Ruben makes noises that start the males making their barking howls, and soon we hear neighboring families howling back.  The adults go back to lazing on the branches, the babies continue to stare down trying to understand who/what we are.  After a while, we return to the boat, where Ruben cuts up a pineapple with a machete, and we eat this as we meander back down the estuary.  He takes us back to the dock, and we thank him for an extraordinary day.
    
    Back at our hotel, the resident crocodile has shown up in the lagoon, a triangle of eyes nose snout peering up out of the brown water.  One waiter comes out with a bowl of raw chicken parts, and the croc lunges up onto the bank and snaps up the chicken, piece by piece, as hotel guests watch and take photos.  Our crocodile is one of 25 babies of the original crocodile, I’m told by our hotel owner  – this one is maybe 5 ft long, olive green grey yellow, striped tail, massive jaws – and I’m standing maybe 6 to 8 feet away!    I go down to the beach for a few sunset photos, come back, and the croc is back for more tourist photos and more chicken parts.  All evening, that little triangular face stayed there, coming whenever the hotel or restaurant staff called, hoping for more and more chicken.
    
    7/31 – It is so nice to take a break from breakfasts of beans and rice, eggs on the side – I have a croque monsieur, which is basically a French grilled cheese and ham sandwich, but oh so much nicer than it sounds.  And of course café au lait et un croissant de chocolat.
    
    We skipped the ferry and took the bridge across the skinny part of Nicoya Bay, then made our way to the Pan American and back to San Jose.  At various rest stops along the way, we saw gorgeous butterflies; macaws in the mango trees being chased away by howler monkeys!; baby monkeys climbing over their moms, who were trying to nap in the heat of the day; and macaws flying around squawking and showing off their gorgeous colors.
    
    Halfway through the trip back to San Jose it began to rain, a driving drenching flooding raid, complete with dark grey skies and obscuring fog and thunder and lightening.  And no matter how we followed the directions to our B&B in San Jose, we couldn’t find it.  The owner tried talking us along the route via cell phone, we were in the neighborhood, but there was one turn we just couldn’t seem to find.  He finally walked the half block to where we were, climbed into the car, and escorted us to his residence.  Casa 69 (#69 25th Street) turned out to be a find, with lovely antiques and huge rooms in two old Costa Rican houses.  This was just what we needed after a long day of driving.

  • Blog post
  • 5 years ago
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