Monteverde
Spread out on the slopes of the Cordillera de Tilarán, this area is a sprawling chain of villages, farms and nature reserves. The biggest population center – the village of Santa Elena – runs seamlessly uphill into next-door neighbor Cerro Plano and then tiny Monteverde, which borders its namesake reserve.
The Reserva Biológica Bosque Nuboso Monteverde (Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve) is the most famous one, but there are public and private properties of all shapes and sizes – from tiny family fincas (farms) to the vast Bosque Eterno de los Niños (Children’s Eternal Rainforest) – that blanket this whole area in luscious green. As a result, there are trails to hike, birds to spot, waterfalls to swim and adventures to be had at every turn.
