Monteverde is a special place. At 1,400 meters (4,700 feet) in the Cordillera de Tilarán, Monteverde is a cloud forest habitat with incredible bird and plant diversity.
Because of the unique habitat, you can find bird species here that you can't find anywhere else in Costa Rica.
Here are some of favorite birding hotspots in Monteverde that we lead trips.
Monteverde Cloud Forest
The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve is a private reserve located along the Tilarán mountain range within the Puntarenas and Alajuela provinces. Named after the nearby town of Monteverde and founded in 1972, the Reserve consists of over 4000 hectares (9884 acres) of tropical rain and cloud forest, the reserve is visited by roughly 70,000 visitors a year.
The Reserve consists of 6 ecological zones which 90% is virgin forest.
An extremely high biodiversity consisting of over 2,500 plant species (including the most orchid species in a single place) 100 species of mammals, 400 bird species, 120 reptilian and amphibian species, and thousands of insects, has drawn scientists and tourists.
There are 13 km of trails, several lookout points, and one hanging bridge. The Reserve limits the number of people to 220 at any one time.
Curi-Cancha Cloud Forest Reserve
The Curi-Cancha Wildlife Refuge is a privately owned reserve that protects 96 hectares (237 acres) of cloud forest in Monteverde.
This reserve opened to the public in 2011 and has a limit of 80 people in at the same time.
The Reserve has a combination of several life zones from primary cloud forest to secondary forest as well as open areas which makes it a great place to birds and animals.
The vegetation is marvelous when once you enter to the primary cloud forest. This is one of the best areas to see Quetzal and Bellbird due to the great number of wild avocado trees which is their primary food source. There are 7 kilometers of trails and a hummingbird garden where about 8 species are often seen.
Outstanding views to the Gulf of Nicoya can also be seen from the trail.
