|
|
|
10. Cheese Factory |
Observe cheese making in Monteverde, from a window in the sales room. Good place to buy locally made ice cream and cheese.
History and more at
www.monteverde.net |
|
|
11.
CASEM (Women's artist coop) |
A present for a friend?
A souvenir to remember Monteverde? Visit CASEM.
In 1982, eight women from the Monteverde community organized and began CASEM which stands for
Comité de Artesanas de Santa Elena y Monteverde.
Since 1982 CASEM has grown from 8 women to 140 artisans, 10 of them
men. Many of the artisans live in the communities surrounding Monteverde. |
|
|
12. Hummingbird Gallery |
Next to the Monteverde Reserve entrance. Feeders outside attract dozens of hummingbirds representing about 7 species.
Great place for taking pictures of the hummingbirds, as close as your nose. |
|
13. Cerro Amigos |
|
A free hiking option in Monteverde is the dirt road up to Cerro Amigos (1840 meters), the highest peak in the area. This hill has very good views of the surrounding cloud forest and, on clear day, of Volcano Arenal 20 km away to the northeast. The steep road leaves from the gas station and ascends 300 meters in 2.5 km. On the top is a little plateau with TV antennae and views to Nicaragua and the pacific ocean. Start early for better weather. Roughly a 3 hours round trip. |
|
14. Coffee of Monteverde |
|
Coop Santa Elena is an important 500 member cooperative offering a variety of services to the 2000 residents and more than 15,000 yearly researchers and tourists. The Coffee Department, which consists of about 80 coffee growers is responsible for the growing of coffees. The Coop store supplies farm hardware and groceries. There is also an artists guild. One third of all beverages consumed in the world is coffee, YOU, the consumer, are the key player in this project. By purchasing Cafe Monteverde you support the effort to establish a secure economic and environmental base around the Monteverde Preserve. It is possible to taste the coffee at the
toasting, next to the CASEM (artisan coop), in between the Village of Santa Elena and the reserve of Monteverde. |
|
15. Sendero Bajo del Tigre (Jaguar Canyon) |
With a
unique and rich diversity of flora and fauna, Bajo del
Tigre (Jaguar Canyon), a small area of the Children's
Eternal Rain Forest of Costa Rica (Bosque Nuboso de Los
Ninos), is in a transition zone from pre-mountain wet
forest to pre-mountain moist forest. Because of its
location on the Pacific slope, elevation and humidity,
Bajo del Tigre is a very different habitat from other rain
forest reserves in the area. Thirty of the tree species in
Bajo del Tigre are among those in the area that have
recently been identified as new to science.
As part of your experience at Jaguar Canyon, you will be
sharing the home of the sloth, white-faced monkey, agouti,
coati-mundi, kinkajou, margays, porcupine, hog-nosed
skunk, fox, coyote, armadillo, and bats, plus a world of
insects, butterflies, spiders, reptiles, frogs, snakes,
and great bird watching. |
|
ABOUT MONTEVERDE AREA |
Monteverde is a small town, but you can find many services
around. There is a National Bank where you can change your dollars and
traveler checks, also you can get an advance of money with your VISA credit card, but not with the MASTER CARD, so, if you only have a ¨MASTER¨ try to get money in some other place.
There are also Supermarkets, a pharmacy, a book store, an Hospital, Gas Station, Liquor stores, ATM machines, post office, police office, mechanical garages, internet
cafés and many bars, discotheques and restaurants.
We have electricity (110 volts) and telephone services. The water is safe to drink all around the area, but you can also get bottles in the supermarket.
Remember that you are coming to the tropics, but it is not warm and sunny all the time. Most of the time it is windy, cloudy and misty, since we are located on the Tilarán range. Because the wind, we
don't have mosquitoes, so you will not need insect repelente, but get ready for all the species of spiders, bugs and insects that can be found around the area.
Remember to bring hiking shoes, rain coat, a light jacket, umbrella, flash light, cameras, binoculars, a back pack full of
enthusiasm and get ready for an adventure through the wildlife. |
|
|
