Cloud forest
Moss and orchids.
Cephas — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Haakon S. Krohn — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Cephas — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Hanay — CC BY-SA 4.0
The world's best-known cloud forest, on mountaintops in the heart of Costa Rica, where clouds blowing in from the Caribbean drift through the trees and drench them, so every branch grows mosses, ferns, orchids and bromeliads and the place looks green and steeped in mist. Its story began when members of the pacifist American Quaker community settled here in the 1950s, set up dairy farms and protected part of the forest, which became a private reserve now run by a scientific foundation. It holds thousands of plant species and hundreds of bird species. Visitors walk a network of well-made trails, a hanging bridge over the canopy and a lookout on the continental divide where wind blows from both sides. The star is the resplendent quetzal, with shimmering green plumage and long tail, seen most in spring, alongside dozens of hummingbirds at the feeders near the entrance. An early-morning guided walk greatly raises the chances of seeing birds. It is cool and damp, so bring a jacket.
Moss and orchids.
Over the canopy.
By the entrance.
About 6 km east of Santa Elena town, Monteverde
Most often in the breeding season, roughly February to June, on an early-morning guided walk.