Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve Extension

Arrive in San José, where you are met and transferred to Hotel Bougainvillae or upgrade to Hotel Grano de Oro (these hotel are listed as part of your Private Journey itinerary)...meals on your own

Morning transfer to Monteverde, a world-famous reserve set at 4,600 feet in the Tiláran Mountains straddling the Continental Divide. Monteverde was founded in 1951 by a small group of Quakers from Alabama, attracted to Costa Rica by its lack of an army and its peaceful policies that matched Quaker philosophy. They bought land and brought dairy farming and cheese production to the region (today, Monteverde's cheese is sold throughout the country). They preserved about a third of the land they purchased to protect the watershed above Monteverde, and in 1972, after visiting biologists noted the richness of the flora and fauna, the Quakers turned it into Monteverde Biological Cloudforest Reserve, owned and operated by the Tropical Science Center of San Jose. After settling into the Monteverde Lodge, explore the grounds with your guide. The gardens are teeming with plants like tree ferns, bromeliads, and anthuriums, as well as several varieties of orchids, agapanthus, and hydrangeas. In addition to butterflies and a wide variety of birds, it's not uncommon to see mammals like white-nose coatis, agoutis, and white-faced capuchin monkeys. On a night tour this evening, you'll head to the nearby El Refugio Reserve to walk along the trails with a naturalist who will point out sleeping birds and nocturnal animals. Wildlife is unpredictable, but with your well-versed guide you may spot armadillos, scorpions, two-toed sloths, porcupine, bats, frogs, and many others. Regardless of what you see, the experience of walking in the forest after dark is unique. Overnight at Monteverde Lodge...BLD

In the cloud forest of Monteverde, the forest floor is carpeted in fern, mosses, and shade-loving plants, while high above is a thick, green canopy made by the branches of tall trees reaching for sunlight. In addition to the more than 400 species of birds, there are also more than 100 species of mammals, including howler and capuchin monkeys, deer, tapirs, sloths, and five species of cats. Enjoy a morning walking tour with your private guide and visit the reserve's butterfly garden (the Jardin de las Mariposas), with its gardens, greenhouses, and netted flyway. The nearby Saint Elena Forest Reserve, which you can visit on your own, is home to quetzals, ocelots, howler and capuchin monkeys, and spider monkeys. Overnight at Monteverde Lodge...BLD

A scenic 3.5-hour journey brings you down the mountain road by 4WD vehicle to beautiful Lake Arenal. Boarding a boat, enjoy a 30-minute ride across the lake and begin your Private Journey itinerary in Arenal on Day 2...B

Note: This is a pre-trip extension.

A visa is not required for U.S. citizens visting Costa Rica.