Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, straddling the Continental Divide in the northernmost part of the province of Puntarenas, is one of the most interesting places to visit in Costa Rica. The privately owned reserve is acclaimed as one of the most outstanding wildlife refuges in the New World Tropics.

The 10,500-hectare reserve, created in 1972, shelters jaguars, ocelots, tapirs, colorful insects, butterflies and birds, including the metallic-green resplendent quetzal. Impressive, mist-covered forests contain thousands of different plant species, including tall trees laden with ferns, bromeliads, orchids and other epiphytes.

Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve is a private, non-profit reserve administered by the Tropical Science Center. Straddling the Tilarán Mountain Range at 1,440 meters (4,662 feet) above sea level, near the borders of the Puntarenas, Alajuela and Guanacaste provinces, the reserve protects one of the most interesting natural environments in Costa Rica.

It is deemed a cloud forest — rather than a rain forest — because of its altitude and topography: the moisture goes through the forest in the form of misty clouds. Actually, six distinct ecological zones are found in Monteverde: from wind-sculptured elfin woodlands on the exposed ridges near the Continental Divide, to lower elevation rain forests with majestically tall trees festooned with orchids, bromeliads, ferns, vines, and mosses. The reserve boasts unique swamp habitats as well as numerous crystal clear streams tumbling over rapids and waterfalls throughout the region.

The variable climate and altitude differences contribute to the area’s rich biodiversity. The forests of Monteverde shelter more than 100 species of mammals (including five species of wild cats), more than 400 species of birds (including 30 types of hummingbirds), thousands of insect species (including more than 5,000 species of moths) and about 2,500 species of plants (including more than 400 orchid species). The famed and elusive resplendent quetzal, with its lengthy tail feathers and metallic green, red and white coloring, is seen mostly during its March-April nesting season.

Several years ago, the reserve adopted a policy of allowing a maximum of 100 people on the trails at any given time. This measure promotes conservation goals and gives visitors a better sense of the wilderness, but it also means visitors may have to wait for someone to leave the reserve before being allowed to enter.

Eight hiking trails meander through the reserve, ranging in length from .3 kilometers (.2 miles) to 2 kilometers (1.2 miles). The most popular trail is the Sendero Bosque Nuboso (Cloud Forest Trail). (A self-guided tour booklet for this trail is available, in English and Spanish, for $1.) El Camino (The Road) is more open than the other trails, and consequently is a good place for bird watching. The sunlight also attracts a variety of butterflies.

The Sendero Pantanoso (Swamp Trail) passes through a swamp forest and traverses the Continental Divide. The Sendero Rio (River Trail) leads along a sparkling stream to a waterfall, while the shorter Sendero Brillante (Brilliant Trail) takes hikers along the Continental Divide to La Ventana (The Window), an overlook with a wide view of the paramo elfin forest. The George Powell Trail is named after one of the reserve’s founders.

To get there: The reserve is located six kilometers (3.7 miles) southeast of Santa Elena de Monteverde, in the province of Puntarenas.

History: In 1972, under the threat of homesteading in the surrounding rain forest, visiting scientist George Powell and his wife joined forces with long-time resident Wilford Guindon to promote the establishment of a nature preserve in the Monteverde area.

The Tropical Science Center backed these efforts and accepted institutional responsibility for ownership and management of the protected area. An initial land purchase of 328 hectares (810.5 acres) formed the core of the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. A 554-hectare (1,369-acre) community watershed reserve, founded in the mid-1960’s by members of the Quaker community as Bosque Eterno , was annexed to the reserve three years later under an administrative contract.

The Monteverde Quaker community was founded in the early 1950’s when, just a few years after Costa Rica abolished its army, a dozen Quaker families from the United States traveled the oxcart trail leading up the verdant mountain and made the area their home. Today, Monteverde is a multicultural, nature-oriented community focused on responsible ecotourism.

The Tropical Science Center continues to secure the financial and human resources necessary to expand, protect and manage the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve.