ENTERTAINMENT & ACTIVITIES

Orchid Garden of Monteverde

To get a feel for the biodiversity so abundant in Monteverde stop by the Orchid Garden. Today the garden houses over 400 species of orchid and other plants native to Costa Rica. Species of orchid include the cattleya skinneri (national flower), the maxillaria, epidendrum and oncidium orchids. A visit to these greenhouses is very interesting while at the same time helps to support the center in their ongoing efforts to study and catalog orchids and other native plant species.

Entertainment

One event that is a lot of fun is the yearly Monteverde Music Festival. Each year the Monteverde Institute hosts this festival from January through April. During this time various musicians put on perfomances. Styles include classical, jazz, and latin to name just a few. Performances typically take place in the early evening. Information about events are posted throughout Monteverde.

Butterfly Project of Monteverde

The Monteverde Butterfly Garden is a great place to visit. Costa Rica is famous for the sheer number of butterfly species found in the country. The Butterly Project currently has four habitat areas in which they care for over 40 species of butterflies native to the area of Monteverde.

The center was founded in 1991 by Marta Iris Salazar and her husband Jim Wolfe. Each year the center receives thousands of visitors.

Cerro Amigos

If you are looking for a good hike then check out Cerro Amigos. This peak is the highest in the area, and on a clear day offers stunning views of the surrounding countryside. If the weather is clear views of Volcano Arena, Nicaragua, and even the Pacific are possible. The hike takes about 3 hours (up and down).

Monteverde Cheese Factory:

The Quakers were the first settlers in the Monteverde Area. They brough many of their traditions with them, one being the production of quality cheese. Today the Monteverde Cheese Factory produces some of the best cheese in Costa Rica and the rest of Central America. You can stop by the plant and observe how they produce their cheeses, and of course on the way out purchase some if you like!

Canopy Tours

A great way to get an up close and personal look at the Santa Elena Cloud Forest (very close to Monteverde) is by way of a canopy tour. These type of tours allow one to get up high in the canopy. It is an amazing way to see the rainforest. There is an entirely different ecosystem in the canopies than what is seen on ground level. Some tours have set up suspension bridegs and platforms allowing that chance to move around in the canopy.

If you are up for a little (OK a lot) more fun many outfitters offer a more adventurous tour of the canopy. These company have set up a series of zip lines between trees allowing participants to zip down the line and travel between trees. It is very exhilerating. You will climb up the trees and zip between then. Then to get down you will rappel down. This type of tour is a lot of fun.

There are a variety of companies offering these tours. Some are definately better than others. As such check with the staff at the school to see who they recommend using.

Much of the information on our site as it relates to Costa Rica is:

Courtesy of hristopher P. Baker and Avalon Travel Publishing.
© 2004 Christopher P. Baker. All Rights Reserved.

Spanish Abroad, Inc. highly recommends Christopher P. Baker's book: Moon Handbooks Costa Rica. Click on the image to visit his website where you can purchase this book or find out more about the author.